WHS students gathered in the theater during fifth and sixth blocks to watch short films that were created by current and former members of the Script-to-Screen class for Winter Week on Monday, Jan. 27. These award winning films ranged from feel-good fantasies to murder mysteries all produced by WHS students.
Winter Week takes place the week after mid-year exams and is organized by the WHS Student Council. Winter week allows students to enjoy several different forms of de-stressing activities, many of which feature their classmates like Script-to-Screen screenings, the annual talent show and the Window Dance Ensemble.
“Watching the films was a nice way to end my first day back at school after a long week of midterms and stress,” senior audience member Tristen Chow said.
The class was started in 2011 by current teacher Jim Mullane and former student Andrew Pilkington. This year, the class did not run due to low enrollment, however, Mullane is currently working one-on-one with a WHS student to create a documentary about the Wayland football team. At the screening, multiple different films were shown from past years.
The first film presented, titled “Envision,” was created in 2011. This film is a feel-good story about a shy girl who comes out of her shell with the help of a mysterious figure. It follows the main character as she navigates her sophomore year of high school and the social hierarchy at school. The big “turning point” of the film occurs when she meets the mysterious figure in one of her dreams, and he shows her that she can be whoever she wants, not just what people imagine her as. The story had audience members both laughing and reflecting on their own lives with certain lines like “your life is like a burrito, make it your own” which was said by the mysterious figure.
“The burrito guy in “Envision” made me laugh,” Chow said. “I also thought the acting and cinematography in some of them were very elevated, especially in Brendan Hines’ ‘Senior Assassins.’ The plot twists were exciting and engaging.”
The film “Senior Assassin” is based on an event where seniors are tasked with trying to eliminate their classmates with water guns. This film was produced in 2024 by Class of 2024 graduate Brendan Hines. Hines’ sister, Kiera Hines, is currently a Junior at WHS, and was able to see firsthand what went into producing this movie.
“I got to see the whole process of making the movie and it was a lot of fun for him to film and create with his classmates,” K. Hines said. “It was cool to see him get really involved and invested in it and then see it pay off really well.”
The second film presented was also from 2011, titled “The Barn.” This horror movie kept students on the edge of their seats and even drew some screams from the audience. In this movie, one character’s jealousy turns lethal and eventually costs the lives of three characters, with the final showdown happening in ‘The Barn.’
“It’s all about the quality not quantity and [‘The Barn’] has stood the test of time,” Mullane said. “A lot of the reactions of the kids watching and listening make it worth showing during Winter Week. The kids were really into it [and] they’re actually really good films. It’s pretty impressive to see.”
Mullane believes that having screenings with WHS students is necessary because several students don’t know of the class’s existence. Mullane found that choosing which films to play out of the 50 he had available from past Script-to-Screen classes was difficult, and he hopes to have more than just two blocks during winter week to show the film to the students.
“I asked for six blocks to show the films,” Mullane said. “I’d like to show them all. What I’ve been trying to do is mix the genres up and show the films that were honored by awards, but I’d like to show them all.”
In addition to the Winter Week screening, the Script-to-Screen class features screenings through WayCam. Part of the goal of the Winter Week showing is to encourage students to come to the actual screenings which benefit WayCam. Past students are invited to film festivals and several of these students now have careers in media. This year, there will be a film festival in which the proceeds go to WayCam on April 17, and there will be a WHS film festival to premiere a documentary made this year on May 16.
“We just started doing the Film Festival [during Winter Week] in the last two years because it brings awareness about the class and I always like to get the student body to support other student body,” Mullane said. “That’s the key here: other students supporting each other in their adventures, just like watching sports. If you’re gonna go see the football game, why not also go see the films?”
Students who take Script-to-Screen are required to create a script for their film and present their ideas to the administration at WHS. Once a student’s idea is approved, they begin the process of collaborating with the Honors Dramatic Arts class at WHS to cast student actors, as well as begin the filming process. Eventually, film production is completed and some are then submitted to international awards by Mullane. So far, there have been a total of 23 awards won for the films. Mullane prides WayCam and the Script-to-Screen class on providing opportunities to WHS students that they might not get elsewhere.
“I like to show the current [films] as well [as the older, award-winning ones] because we spend a lot of money at WayCam on the equipment that the kids get to utilize that they wouldn’t be able to at another school,” Mullane said.
