A sharp turn, camera in hand and a piercing shout calling action, junior Nicole Khong frantically bursts through the door.
Khong began to create a short film in early November with her friends in orchestra, portraying a thrilling, romantic comedy with the accumulated inside jokes that she and her friends made over the years.
“I love the story so much because it’s just nonsense and it’s stupid and fun. I’ve always loved acting on stage, obviously, because I’ve been doing theater forever,” Khong said. “It was so fun writing the script and formatting it like how a real script would look and then learning how to use a camera.”
Khong’s short film focuses on her friendship with junior Tracy Pham and portrays comedic moments and memories made by the two of them throughout the years.
“The part that makes me nervous is that I don’t want a lot of people to see it because it’s a little embarrassing because a lot of it’s really personal and a lot of inside jokes that people wouldn’t understand,” Khong said. “I’m a little scared that some people are gonna think I’m weird, or something like that, even though most of it’s a joke.”
During the filming process, Khong jumped around when filming each clip. Most of the footage occurred in the orchestra class during Ben Barber on A-day afternoons while other clips occurred at a public playground or a forestry area.
“My favorite part is whenever we’re putting all the clips together because we filmed a lot of the clips out of order,” Khong said, “Whenever we’re editing it and putting it in each place and seeing how finally what I had in my mind is actually being put down onto the film is so relieving to see.”
While creating the short film, Tracy helped Khong through a dual-editing program known as DaVinci Resolve, which allows for the two of them to edit the same footage.
“The editing process is like playing the bomb defusal game except both of us have the bomb and neither of us has the manual,” Tracy said. “Editing is hard because I don’t know how to use Davinci Resolve. It’s pretty cool to experiment, though. I like pressing all the buttons and figuring out what they do.”
Junior Tammy Pham connected with Khong in orchestra as her stand partner. Because of this, she assisted in the film as the videographer, a role that she felt comfortable executing.
“I love Nicole’s creativity and positivity. She’s not afraid to express her ideas and executes them well,” Tammy said. “Working on the film with her has been very fun and seeing her silly ideas come to life has been quite enjoyable.”
Junior Ethan Trevino plays alongside Khong in orchestra. The two of them met in the class at Ben Barber.
“Nicole has an impressive work ethic. From her dedication in class, orchestra and theater to her involvement in extracurriculars and academic competitions, she somehow manages to stay on top of it all,” Trevino said. “It is truly inspiring.”
Khong recruited Trevino for her short film because of their pre-established relationship.
“I enjoyed spending time with my orchestra friends while exploring a new form of art that was completely unfamiliar to me,” Trevino said. “It gave me the chance to see them in a new light and ultimately build stronger connections.”
Creating a short film includes a multitude of practices and behind-the-scenes production. From writing a script, directing and connecting the film overall, Khong oversaw the entire process.
“I was learning how to do cinematography and learning how to edit,” Khong said. “It was just really cool doing all that. That’s what I like about the film. It’s really important to have the freedom to express yourself because I feel like in modern day, a lot of kids just do not like trying new things.”
Khong learned how to write scripts, direct and edit on a new software she never used before when creating her short film.
“This film has shown me that I really can do anything I set my mind to, no matter how hard it is,” Khong said. “Even though it was stressful spending hours editing in the midst of all my school work, it was a way of keeping me jolly despite the mind-numbing assignments. It kinda motivated me too cause I would finish my school work faster, so I could edit.”
