The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

Lights, camera, cut

Lights, camera, cut

Lack of submissions lead to a canceled film festival 

 

There will be no take two.
 
Students spent countless hours of filming and editing to perfect their films only to realize that no one will see it.
 
Histech commission planned the annual Film Festival for April 23, but it was canceled due to the lack of submissions. Those that did end up submitting their movies and videos were told that the commission was unable to show their films. 
 
"It sucks because the film festival is pretty fun. I think they should have advertised it more," participant and senior Aaron Mack said. Sophomore Daniel Tan believed promotion was the problem as well. 
 
"It is kind of a bummer that no one else can see it…[Histech] didn’t get the message out [and they] didn’t spread the word around," Tan said. 


Histech’s original plan was to begin advertising in late Nov. with promo videos, Facebook and other methods. However, they did not start until early Feb., which gave participants only two and a half months to create an entire piece. By March, the commission had put together a full budget plan and had ten to twelve sign ups.  

"You come up with a film, but when you go to make it, it ends up being so much work that people end up giving up," Histech commissioner sophomore Anant Singhania said. 
 
Two years ago, the group experienced the same problem and had to cancel the show. The only reason the festival came together last year was because they used submissions from previous years as well.

 "It is tough to get students to make a film," Singhania said. He also concluded that the cancellation occured because the date was too early in the year and because they did not fully utilize the incentive of the $150 prize, much more than most school contests. 
 

However, Singhania wouldn’t "completely scrap the idea". Ideas about an IDC film festival have come to mind because of the higher amount of submissions, attendance and chance of the whole event coming together in the end if many schools work together.
 
Despite obstacles and speed bumps in planning, the Film Festival’s intent still stays clear.
 
"It is created," Singhania said, "to give the opportunity to express through film." 

 

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