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September 27, 2019An abandoned theater. Devoid of everything except for the teal curtain walls. With nothing but a few colorful strobe lights and a single projector and screen, this isn’t your traditional image of a movie premiere. However, as out of the box this setting is, it’s the perfect first step for Melanie Mitchell.
Film has always been a passion for the 2018 alumna, who’s currently attending Ithaca College. During her time at VASJ, she often spoke of her ambitions to write screenplays and pursue cinematography, especially directing. She even went so far as to lead the school’s well-received Senior Spotlight series.
Mitchell recently premiered her first film titled "A Seat at the Table,” a story about a woman attending a job interview with a prestigious business only to realize, soon after, that everything is not what it seems. Mitchell pursued the film on her own, starting with creating the concept, acquiring the required equipment, getting her cast and crew, and more.
Mitchell cited such masterpieces as Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining” and Rod Sterling’s “The Twilight Zone,” along with film visionary Alfred Hitchcock, as sources of inspiration for her film.
“In a world filled with great films, TV shows of the past and also new ones rolling out on streaming services all the time, it’s a lot to digest,” Mitchell says. “However, one that has withstood the test of time, and will always be my favorite, is ‘The Twilight Zone’ by the genius who is Rod Serling. In the span of 30 minutes, the viewer is thrown into a new world with something slightly off, unsettling and entertaining. His brilliant storytelling with such little time is mesmerizing. The underlying themes and morals of each tale never fail to impress me."
As the lights went down at the film premiere, the crowd fell silent and waited anxiously. As fate would have it, a slight hiccup with the audio arose, but that did little to deter Mitchell, who immediately stepped up to the plate to correct the error. This was just another notch in the belt for Mitchell, who had already faced her fair share of challenges in the filmmaking process.
“Since this was my first film, a lot of the challenges were mental rather than physical,” she says. “I was very nervous if I would be able to direct a whole cast and crew. However, I believe knowing your vision will take you far, even through uncertainty about how everything will go."
Behind every good director is an equally good cast and crew, and lucky for Mitchell, she had another Viking by her side. Fellow Class of 2018 alumnus Madison Ledyard-King has been one of her biggest supporters since the concept for the film emerged, eventually joining the crew as director of photography. In addition to Ledyard-King, Mitchell had immense support from many around her.
“This is why I am so grateful for the cast and crew members. They were prompt, willing to work during the long hours on set and the chemistry was excellent. Other challenges were putting everything together. Getting in contact with certain representatives for filming locations, camera equipment and beyond. It taught me a lot about what goes into the making of a production,” she says.
“From family members to friends, I appreciate any who have wished me well on this journey. Some of my biggest supporters were my mother, Grace Reichert ‘20, Kayla Hyneman ‘18 and Jeffrey Lawson. Sometimes, the right words come from an unexpected source when they are needed most.”
Filmmaking isn’t just lights, camera and action. It also takes a great deal of writing. For Mitchell, the process wasn’t so simple. On her own, she had to delve into the realm of screenwriting to bring her visions to the screen.
“I try to write every day, even if it’s not necessarily working on a story,” she says. “Simply getting my thoughts out on paper helps me stay in the mindset of writing. It takes a lot of discipline, but it has really helped me to improve over time and not be scared of looking at an empty paper.”
Some of her writing skills emerged at VASJ.
“In high school, I took this awesome Creative Writing class where we did daily writing prompts. I loved this because it allowed me to stay in the flow of creating a short story or idea, which could lead to something greater.”
In addition to writing, Mitchell hones her craft through a diligent examination of films throughout the ages.
“I study movies and shows beyond the viewer's perspective, at least way more than I did a year ago. I study the scripts and the people who wrote them, and I look at why the work of art succeeded or didn’t get as far,” she explains.
With her first film being a success, Mitchell is ready to continue working toward bigger goals. And she’s already well on her way. This past July, she worked as a production assistant on the set of the AMC hit show “The Walking Dead,” an opportunity she received by advocating for herself and her work, furthering her goal of making her own seat at the table.
“Short-term, I would love to secure more internships working on television shows and possibly joining as a staff writer. Long-term, I have always wanted to have my own television show. To be more specific, the showrunner and head writer of a more than likely anthology show. This goal is harrowing with so many great shows out there, but deep down, I know great things are meant to be surpassed. It is that concept that keeps me going,” she says.
--Patrick R. Bradford ‘19 is currently attending The Ohio State University where he is majoring in Journalism with a minor in Political Science.
