Student-Produced Short Films Set the Mood for the Halloweekend
Nothing says Halloween like a double-feature of scary movies, right?
The red carpet (obviously the spookiest carpet color) will be rolled out at Arrupe Hall Saturday for the premiere of two short films with a cast and crew made up of mostly students in the Rockhurst Department of Film Arts, part of the Center for Arts and Letters’ ArtOberfest calendar. “Harper’s Tapes” and “Can You See It?” scratch that spooky itch, with creepy vibes and mystery at their core.
“They’re both about 15 minutes a piece,” said Matt Schmidli, MFA, assistant professor of film arts and acting. “One is a horror movie and the other has kind of a mysterious feel. They’re both perfect for Halloween weekend.”
The more mystery-focused of the two, “Harper’s Tapes,” based on a screenplay by Schmidli, centers on the namesake Harper, who discovers some videotapes on her 18th birthday featuring the father who she’s never met. What’s on the tapes causes her to questions everything she thought she knew about her own family. “Can You See It?” is the more straightforward horror film, about a group of friends on Halloween whose ghost stories become a little too real. Maddie Hardcastle, a sophomore elementary education and theater student, plays the lead in “Harper’s Tapes” and was an assistant director for “Can you See It?” She said she’s had a passion for filmmaking for years and jumped at the opportunity to take part in the filming, which took place about a year ago. Ash Mann, a junior studying psychology and film arts, said being part of a film production was a completely new experience, but a rewarding one.
“Acting for the cameras is much different than any other kind of performance and calls for its own unique skills,” Mann said. “It's such an interesting art form and I am glad that Rockhurst and our film department has allowed me this opportunity to explore film.”
In addition to seeing the finished product themselves, both Mann and Hardcastle said they’re excited to share the finished product with others.
“I am so excited for everyone to see them at the premiere,” she said. “I can't wait to see all my friends and family’s reaction after they watch my friends and me in two amazing, scary films!”
The premiere of “Harper’s Tapes” and “Can You See It?” is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, in Arrupe Hall, with refreshments and the red carpet event preceding the films. Register for the free event here.
