Erie native Lauren Dreyfus returns from Los Angeles to shoot thesis film project 'Leaving'

Growing up in Erie, Lauren Dreyfus wanted to bring stories to life. Now a senior at New York Film Academy, Los Angeles, she returned recently to film her thesis project from a screenplay she wrote.

"This is my first big project," said Dreyfus, 21. "It's been really fun so far. We've had some weather challenges, but we're learning a lot."

She was joined by five classmates from California, more than 20 Allegheny College students, and actors who auditioned remotely from New York and Pittsburgh. The crew built sets, designed lighting and set up camera angles as Dreyfus went over scenes with the actors.

The project is self-funded, allowing her to keep the rights to the film. Dreyfus thinks it was a good choice to shoot in Erie with support from her family.

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"We shot scenes in Frontier Park and my family's garage in Glenwood. Mark Tanenbaum let us use the fifth floor of the Performing Artists Collective Alliance building to shoot some scenes," she said. "If we had to rent space in Los Angeles it would have been really expensive."

Dreyfus, who is editing her film back in Burbank, California, in a building next to Warner Bros. studio, added that equipment and technical help in Erie was provided by R. Frank Media.

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Based on a screenplay she wrote, "Leaving" follows time-traveling scientists dealing with a future society run by robots and artificial intelligence. Directing the film gave her insights she said she might use going forward.

"I really aspire to be a screenwriter and production designer," she said.

Contact Greg Wohlford at gwohlford@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter: @ETNWohlford

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: LA-based film student Lauren Dreyfus comes home to Erie to shoot thesis film