Documentary Film

The Documentary Film Osprey Block took on the task of creating a documentary film to enter in the Durango Independent Film Festival about the Osprey Block experience. 20+ students had the goal of gathering interviews and footage of Osprey Blocks to be able to make a film about how our programming is part of a bigger movement to transform education.

Journalism teacher Jessica McCallum and Digital Arts teacher Drew Semel were joined by student teacher Grayson Acri to teach the students about filmmaking techniques, journalistic interviews, gathering evidence, b-roll, technology, editing, copyright and free-use laws, and more.

Along this journey, students analyzed remarkable documentaries such as Icarus, The Rescue, My Octopus Teacher, Gender Revolution, and many more. They also attended a DIY film festival in downtown Durango organized by teachers Jessica and Drew at the Gaslight Theater and the Durango Arts Center.

Students had the privilege of meeting world renowned journalist and documentarian Katie Couric and discovering the ins and outs of the industry of journalism and documentary filmmaking. Senior Michael Jantz, a budding filmmaker himself, shared that the experience “helped me focus on my passion more and realize where I need to progress.”