Mr. Brad Schepisi, a second-grade teacher at Smyrna’s Thurman Francis Arts Academy, mentored his students through the process of filmmaking. His class wrote a feature length film (over 40 minutes long) called The Saturday Seven, which premiered at the Belcourt Theater in Nashville on May 23.
The dramatic film is cast by the children and was produced by them with their teacher’s guidance. Student Jenna Phillips said, “We amazed ourselves by how much our writing improved since we started this project.” Mr. Schepisi went on to say, “The story changed many times as we introduced new characters and thought of new ways to twist the plot.”
The film reportedly took months of writing, but the principle photography (done after school) was completed within a week, which included the building of the sets.
The Saturday Seven focuses on a group of kids who hang out in a tree house. They decide to break into their school in order to help a girl who is planning a visit with her father. The film balances fun and drama, with Thurman Francis students also performing the songs in the soundtrack.
I was impressed that the second graders pursued their acting with a sense of understanding for the characters. The sets are also inspiring given the lack of time and budget appropriated for their construction. Saturday Seven is a wonderful achievement for Mr. Schepisi’s class.
