Students remake Black Panther, Hidden Figures scenes for screenings

   Filmmaker Maximus Wright is pleased with the outcome of his first Filmmakers Camp done in partnership with the City of Jackson last month. Twenty students between the ages of 13 to 17 attended the month-long camp learning the ins and outs of filmmaking from Wright, who has been making films for nearly a decade.

   From an entrepreneurial perspective, students learned about behind-the-scenes services needed within the film industry, such as wardrobe, costume, and set designers, hair and make-up artists, audio and light technicians, and musical composers.  However, what he is most pleased with is campers discovered their hidden talent and let their guard down.  He believes in the importance of people being in touch with their emotions.

   “The camp was a safe place for students to express their emotions through their creativity and artistry,” says Wright. “Once they experienced that, they wanted to create even more.

   “The students put their phones down to work as a team, so they were developing their social skills which are invaluable.”

   Wright says the idea for the camp was proposed to him by the City of Jackson partly in response to escalating crime and the City’s goal of providing youth enriching summer activities.

   Wright admitted that although he appreciates the vote of confidence by the City, he felt challenged.

   “I had never worked for a month with young kids, and I wondered how I would make filmmaking appealing to them and hold their interest for a month if film isn’t their passion,” said Wright.

   He did not have to worry about that very long as the students “stepped up to the occasion.”

   “They simply blew our minds with their initiative and skill,” Wright said.

Students first learned pre-production.  They referenced scenes from Black Panther to extract, recreate, produce, and act in. Their film will be shown during the third annual Jackson Film Festival, July 24-29. Visit http://jxnfilmfestival.com