Harbor Springs junior wins Alpena student film festival
HARBOR SPRINGS — When she first joined the Harbor Springs High School Audio Engineering and Video Editing course, junior Aliviah Chisholm wasn’t sure the class was a good fit for her.
A few months later, she won first place at the Thunder Bay Student Film Festival. She submitted a film called “Imagine,” which was actually her final project for the class.
“My teacher, Mr. (Jason) Byma, he showed us this film competition, the Thunder Bay Student Talent Festival, and he asked if any of us were interested ... So I thought I might as well enter and see what might happen,” Chisholm said. "I know that sounds cliche, but I really didn't expect for it to result as it did.”
Chisholm filmed and edited a film titled, “Illusion.” Inspired by Lucy Peloso’s poem of the same name, she made her way into nature to collect footage and audio.
More: Harbor Springs students showcase work at Lyric with film festival
Chisholm created the background music in the film as well, working off a song titled “The Lonely Tree.” She restructured the song with instruments using the program’s software until it fit what she was looking for.
Views of the Little Traverse Bay, swing sets and more pieces of Northern Michigan found their way into the film.
For the film festival, held the last weekend in January, Chisholm and her parents made their way to Alpena. When the time for awards rolled around, Chisholm said she “still doesn’t really believe” she got the first-place prize, which comes with a $500 award.
“I was really shocked — I didn't have time to think. They're just like, 'Oh in first place, come up and accept your prize,’” she said. “I walked up there and I really didn't feel any emotions. I still don't really believe it. But my teacher, he wasn't there, but he was like, ‘Of course you got it, you worked hard for it.’”
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Now in her second semester of the class, Chisholm said she debated joining the class because she didn’t think she “would be creative enough to be successful in the class,” she said. She ended up joining it to fulfill her computer credit, but said Byma helps make the class enjoyable for all of the students.
Chisholm said the class gives its students a lot of creative freedom, and it’s helping her develop skills she could use long term if she ends up deciding to pursue a career in film or photography.
For more information on the Harbor Springs Audio Engineering and Video Editing program, visit harborps.org/music/music-technology.
— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Harbor Springs junior wins Alpena student film festival
