AMAT Students Experience Hollywood

Imagine a Hollywood set where teens replace the pros. Imagine an opportunity to make connections with filmmakers from all over the United States and the opportunity to build industry connections. This summer, Shari Wells and Justin Salva Cruz, part of R.L. Turner’s Academy for Media Arts and Technology, were living the dream through Fresh Films, the nation’s leading filmmaking program exclusively for teens.

Fresh Films is a program sponsored by Slurpee and Air Heads Candy where teens partner over one week during the summer to create a 7 – 10 minute short film. The teen crew is responsible for every aspect of film production including casting, location scouting, shooting, editing and creating the soundtrack. It is the full Hollywood experience.

Each teen film crew, from six cities across the United States, is assigned to create either a comedy film or superhero film. When the films are finished, the filmmakers go head-to-head in an online vote for major prizes and exposure. It is the students responsibility to market and promote the film for a chance to win a Powerbook Computer and a star-studded premiere at the American Film Institute’s AFI Fest. The film and crew are also profiled by the media such as MTV, Access Hollywood and ABC.

Salva Cruz and Wells are both part of the Academy for Media Arts and Technology or AMAT at R.L. Turner where their focus is video production and film. They have taken classes which include video technology and broadcast journalism. In their hands-on, production based classes they have created projects such as music videos, 30 second commercials and short films that have been entered into film festivals and contests.

The opportunity with Fresh Films has allowed Salva Cruz and Wells to hone their skills they have learned in AMAT and take them a step further. “I love filmmaking and I want the opportunity to make professional quality film with other passionate teens. This is an experience I could not get anywhere else,” said Wells.

Wells and Salva Cruz competed with teenagers across the nation for a spot on one of six all-teen crews. It was a chance to meet and create a film with other passionate teenage filmmakers. “I’m a hardcore movie lover. I’ve been making short films for two years now. I love the idea of teens replacing the pros behind the camera. I want to show the world that we are just as good as Hollywood,” said Salva Cruz.