Inside the Mind Behind “Shattered Dreams”

With Shattered Dreams coming up close, one person in particular is hard at work to make it a memorable experience for all.

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Kaylyn Wilson, a senior here at Memorial, has been diligently working on perfecting the tiny details of our very own Shattered Dreams film. Not only is she full of passion and energy for the tedious project, she is also taking this opportunity to prepare herself for a future as a director. “I have to be adaptable and flexible and ready for something that’s gonna mold me and give me this experience” says Wilson,  “it’s getting me ready for my future career since I really want to go into movies and be a part of the film industry.” She is also working with the director of photography Zach Wilkerson. Others largely involved with the production are broadcast and journalism teacher Ms. Keck and student resources Officer Varner. 

 

Wilson is the lead scriptwriter and the director for the short film premiering in opposition to teenage drunk driving accidents that often happen around the time of prom when many alcoholic beverages will be consumed. The agenda of this film is to persuade viewers to make discerning decisions when it comes to driving responsibly, both for the safety of themselves as well as friends, family members, and even strangers. “It’s always been about the teens before, but what we wanted to do was to actually show the innocent family that has no involvement whatsoever,” Kaylyn explains, “That’s really what I focused on in the script.”

 

The script itself was a monumental foundation for this film, and took Wilson months to prepare. “When Zach and Ms. Keck asked me to write the script I was so ecstatic. I’ve written scripts before…but I’ve never done it on this scale,” adds Wilson. 

 

And it truly is on a much bigger scale than just an adolescent iMovie film. High end camera equipment, boom mics, extras, actors, and a well planned set are all an imperative part of the upcoming film. “It’s like our own Memorial High School movie that we’re putting on with so many people involved,” remarks Wilson, “This is going to be an actual short film. I’m just really excited for people to see how well done it is.” 

 

In the production itself, Kaylyn Wilson is hard at work, calling action, cut, giving directions to get the perfect shot and get the most well articulated version of her script into the boom mic. Her excitement for her art is transferred to the extras and actors participating. “I think that because of how ‘hyped’ people are, all the actors were so receptive and so cooperative and so into it. They wanted to do this, and this was something they were so ready for and so excited for and it really shows.” Wilson explains with enthusiasm,  “I think it’s going to be one of the greatest things… people see other people who are actually involved and how excited they are about it so they want to know what it’s all about.” 

 

The film premieres on April 23rd and April 24th, and there are still a lot of meticulous tasks to be done in getting the film ready for viewing. When Wilson was asked what she hopes people will take away from Shattered Dreams 2020, Kaylyn says, “I hope that they really see how these kind of drunk driver accidents bring in people who have nothing to do with it. When people make that choice, they’re putting this risk up of inviting other people, people who don’t want to be involved. I really hope that that’s the message that gets across that when you make that choice, it’s not just going to affect you, it’s going to affect a lot of other people too.”