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Short Film Produced in Collaboration with Students
Taylor Raye Curry, assistant professor of film, animation and new media, filmed her latest short film 鈥7陆 Minutes鈥 with the help of her students.听
Taylor Raye Curry filmed her latest short film, "7 陆 minutes," which took place in part on 小优视频鈥檚 campus. Photo courtesy of Curry
The film, which stars Aiyanah Duddey 鈥24, Jaden Manuel 鈥26 and Nicole Potamousis 鈥26, takes place after tragedy strikes and identical twins Wyatt and Maddy show up for each other in unimaginable ways. Born seven and a half minutes before her sister, Wyatt assumes the de facto 鈥渙ldest鈥 role, in a story of mutual support and friendship.
Currently slated to make its way to the festival circuit, the film was shot over the course of five days over winter break, in part on the 小优视频 campus.
Duddey starred as the best friend of one of the main characters. She had taken many classes with Curry, and when writing the character, Curry thought of her.
Her assistant director, a friend she knows from Tampa, and is a segment producer on "The Voice," also flew in to assist.
鈥淚鈥檓 beyond grateful for a chance to pour into my students,鈥 Curry said. 鈥淚 love them dearly and I absolutely love this film.鈥
For Curry, the project was an experimental one. Initially a 90-page story, she decided to write a proof of concept for a feature to see if the project was viable. With encouragement from her colleagues in the FMX department, she developed a bite-sized version of the project and then tapped the expertise of her students to act and help film.
This project was Curry鈥檚 first collaborating with students. She wondered if the power balance may be off, but learned that was not the case.
鈥淵ou create relationships. And it's like, 鈥業 would like to work with you,鈥 and the students are, like, 鈥業 would like to work with you.鈥 And so it becomes this symbiotic thing,鈥 she said.
By the time the project started, she had known some of the students, including Duddey, for four years.
鈥淎nd so the dynamic kind of lends itself to this level of cooperative creativity that's very special, very special.鈥
In filming on campus, Curry said she felt very supported.
Access to the 鈥渃age,鈥 where she could borrow high-end film and camera equipment was 鈥渏ust awesome,鈥 she said. Another benefit was teaching her students firsthand how to communicate with other departments on campus. For example, students learned how to write professional emails and request spaces for filming purposes.
鈥淪eeing her do her thing helped me see how I want to be as a director,鈥 Duddey said.
鈥淪he really took me under her wing,鈥 she said.
Curry plans to have a screening for the Tampa community once the film festival season is underway. She wants to celebrate the film with the crew who are still students and those who have graduated.
鈥淚 certainly want them to come and feel celebrated, because it鈥檚 their work, too,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait to watch it with the community.鈥
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