My cold hands held a binder filled with a script. Sweet artificial reds and oranges filled the night sky, and a fire kept steady as a crew scrambled around in the dark of the woods. A camera nestled into the holder’s grip until the director called out, “Let’s get this shot in 20!” to which we responded, “Thank you, 20!”
It has been over two years since I first stepped onto a film set and the first time I had heard about the coveted event called “Highbridge,” the event you want to be showcased in if you are a Media Comm. student, or at least that was my impression when the upperclassman spoke about it, so when I found a love for scriptwriting, you can probably guess where my goal was set.
Tippity tappity type… backspace, backspace, backspace. Blank pages and writer’s block halted any and all progress I could get to. I was paralyzed with the unknown ideas of what I needed to write to be good enough for Highbridge. As I struggled to put the words I thought they wanted on the impatient script, I concluded that I just couldn’t write something worthy enough for it.
Fast forward a year later. My roommate taking the producing class asked me to create a script for her project, but she wasn’t looking for Highbridge material. So, with the freedom of writing whatever came to mind, I hit the ground running and soon realized I cuss too much for Highbridge.
In an interview with Gavin Reed, a media communications student who graduated in 2023, reflected on the idea of striving to create films for Highbridge and said, “Don’t pander your art. Make the film you want to make, make something you’re proud of, and if it gets into Highbridge, great! If it wins, even better! Make things that you feel are worthwhile, because I promise you you’ll miss the opportunities when they’re gone.” He continued, “I also want to make it clear that I think Highbridge is a super great event and it’s a ton of fun, and I’m extremely proud of the things I’ve won, but it’s not the only film festival in existence…College is only a few years of your life, so take advantage of that time to make things you’re proud of, whatever happens after that is up to chance. I can’t stress enough how detrimental clout-chasing is to interesting and provocative art.”
There is no doubt that Highbridge is a great event, and those involved should be extremely proud of themselves and the efforts they put into their films! But with that in mind, those who submitted but did not make it into the festival shouldn’t beat themselves up about it.
“Highbridge has a certain appeal to Asbury students because it is a distinctly Asbury event, it’s big and official, and you know if your film plays there, then a lot of your friends and fellow students will see it. It feels important. I understand this.” Reed continued, “ I also understand the disappointment. So, if you submit a film to Highbridge but it doesn’t get in, first of all, DEFINITELY submit it to Lowbridge—this is a great way for the student body to still see your work. Beyond that, go to FilmFreeway and look into student festivals, local festivals, etc. The Kentucky Theater started the Twelve Lions Film Festival last year, and the Louisville Short Film Slam happens twice a year—Asbury films I’ve worked on have played at both of these! Talk to your professors and your friends and get their feedback on your film. Put it on YouTube or Vimeo and promote it like crazy! Get in on Letterboxd or IMDB! So many outlets are readily available to showcase your work; you just have to look for them!”
If you’re a filmmaker like me, you might have also struggled with striving to create things you know audiences and critics will expect and be pleased with, but what actually matters is how your art will reflect who you are. I couldn’t get myself to write a Highbridge-worthy film because that is not something I am geared towards, and it was not me as a person.
“We all want to win awards, and we all like competition. Winning makes us feel good about ourselves. Our egos are insatiable.” Reed reflected, “This is all fine and well as long as we acknowledge our own vanity and don’t let it get the best of us because making anything for the sole purpose of awards or acclaim is vain and empty. This should not be a news flash. If it’s all about the medal, then the film, for instance, loses all agency—its entire identity is wrapped up in the idea that if it wins, then it will have value.”
The thrills and excitement for this year’s Highbridge were just as contagious as the ones before it. Plus, to see so many of my filmmaking friends getting the admiration they deserve puts the biggest smile on my face. The countless weeks of pre-production, then the long shoot days, followed by the grueling post-editing late nights and finally seeing it on the big screen is an incredible feeling. But, Highbridge isn’t the only film festival the community can look forward to as student filmmakers who don’t have something in Highbridge can show off their work during Lowbridge.
Featured image by Lena Overman.