Making a Film by Ryan

Making a Film by Ryan - November 2019 Scholarship Essay

I would define a leader as someone who collaborates well with others, in order to achieve a common goal. I have been able to lead others a lot in the film industry over the past few years, during my time in high school. Throughout this time, I have been a director/producer on multiple films and brought together many people in order to achieve a common goal- in this case, creating a movie. For example, the last film I created, brought together a group of over 100 people, all interested in making the project. They believed in the bold idea for the movie- a teen drama that takes on the cliches often seen in films, and presents serious issues like mental illness. And because of the dedication of this group of people, we were able to accomplish it. We had people travel from out of state, to our town of Kennesaw in order to be a part of it, the furthest person driving from Mississippi. My position was not only to write and direct the film but also produce it, making sure I kept up with everyone and scheduled everything. It was a lot of work, but well worth it in the end. It gave people the opportunity to gain experience in the film industry and make an impact on audiences through the work created. People who see the film often generate discussion with me after, telling me their thoughts on it, the impact it had on them, and their own experiences with mental illness. It makes me proud to be the leader of these films over the past few years and to see the impact it has on the community.