Enjoy this special blog written by an Oaks Christian campus sophomore taking online classes in order to free up her schedule complete her very own short film!
About the Film: “This is My America”
All of the subjects in my (Lilah O’Quinn, ‘27) documentary are part of my family. I was so inspired by the unique and diverse family I was born into and the idea that I may never have gotten the chance to know the people in my life if they hadn’t been a part of my family.
From this realization the common thread I wanted to trace in the film was family. It doesn’t matter who we are or where we’ve come from, we all have shared values and are united as one American family. The title has a double meaning in my mind. On one hand, the film is literally “my America” because it is my family and tells my family’s unique experience and perspectives, but on the other hand it represents that America varies for each individual and every person has their own story worth sharing.
Especially in this day and age and political climate, I wanted to make a film that made people re-examine their own approach to life through an impactful and heartwarming story. I wanted to share this message through the real lives of ordinary people and give an example of what it means to put our differences aside and simply love one another. It was a blast getting to film with all of them and getting to capture a glimpse into their lives.
For example, all of the families discuss at some point their connection to wilderness or open spaces whether in their current lives or childhood, which I find to be a very interesting element of their formative years. There is certainly something to say about the fact that even many of my happiest memories are set in the wilderness or in nature. I believe what makes these settings so desirable and memorable is the ability for people to connect to one another in a genuine way without the hundreds of distractions that constantly disrupt our lives.
My goal is for the audience to walk away inspired and joyful, while also sparking potential discussion or thought. I hope people will look at the world differently and not be so quick to judge. There is always more to people than they seem, and somebody you disagree with at first sight you may have a lot more in common with than you think.
The Creative Process
Making a documentary comes with many challenges. When you start, you don’t always know what will come out of it. I had a vague idea of what I wanted my message to be, and I knew my subjects, but it wasn’t until I started interviewing them that the story really came together.
Because it was a one-man crew, I was very grateful to my family around me who were so easy going and made the project not only a success but incredibly fun to work on. Coordinating the schedules of four families with busy schedules was certainly a challenge, but it all worked out in the end. Editing was definitely the most time consuming and difficult part as I had hours of footage to sort through and create into a 30 minute cohesive story.
My documentary was an assignment for my required film class and took up a significant amount of my free time. I am a part of the Institute of Arts and Innovation at Oaks Christian. Taking online classes was a necessity based on my required Institute classes and schedule. Balancing schoolwork, AP classes, extra curriculars, and film was chaotic and there were definitely times where I had to make sacrifices to get it all done. In the end, filmmaking and storytelling is one of my biggest passions, which is why it was all worth the extra effort.
Lilah is currently a sophomore and taking two AP classes online this year at OC Online. If you would like to consider some of the ways you can pursue your passions with the flexibility of online classes, we’d love to talk: online@oakschristian.org We take students from schools around the world—anyone is welcome!
