PRI's Filmmaking Class Debuts a New Movie: Boy Band in a Haunted Hotel
Karly Bergmann, art instructor for Partnership Resources, Inc. (PRI) in Minneapolis had no idea what she was getting herself into last fall when she pitched her idea to start a filmmaking class for her artists in the visual arts program. “I keep saying this thing snowballed,” Bergmann joked in a recent interview. “I can’t overstate how much my expectations were exceeded by this project.”
Bergmann was looking for a new way to engage her artists and is strategic in her reasoning for this class. “Often artists with disabilities are given opportunities to make fine art, but not as many opportunities to make pop art, that is something to be consumed by the masses,” Bergmann explained.
Ten people signed up for Bergmann’s Movie Making class, and she quickly set about teaching her students the language of film, genres, plots, and even budgets. The class began huddling once a week to develop story ideas they had to pitch in front of key PRI staffers. Class member Allison Baldridge submitted the winning idea, a musical thriller with a Scooby Doo vibe called “Boy Band in a Haunted Hotel.”
Bergmann wanted the experience to match the professionalism of PRI’s fine arts program, so rather than have the group DIY the film on phones or tablets, she reached out to filmmaker friends Cassie Ahiers and Anthony Lombard who signed on to lend their professional expertise. They also helped Bergmann set up an online fundraiser, helping the class meet its barebones $10,000 budget to produce a professional grade movie.
Bergmann’s class began writing the script, creating sets, sourcing costumes and even writing and recording an original song for the film. Collaboration was crucial to the team’s success according to Bergmann. One of the members of the movie’s boy band, Dupree Edwards, was a key driver.
“Dupree always made sure that everybody’s voice got heard,” Bergmann said. “It was inspiring to see.”
The artists led the way on the project, including film director Zach Schwartz. Bergmann said he brought a “crystal-clear artistic vision”. Schwartz points to collaboration as the best part of his experience, responding, “Getting the chance to work with my friends and the professionals that were brought in to help,” in a written interview.
Kamia White, another artist in the class, choreographed the movie. “It was my dream to be part of a movie,” White said, adding she enjoyed learning new dancing skills in the process.
Bergmann says White led by keeping her team on point. “I remember the first time we got on set after we hadn’t done it (choreography) for a month, and Kamia was on fire – she was leading everybody through it.”
Once the cameras were ready to roll, the group had just one week to complete the film, due to the schedules of their professional collaborators. “Everybody just showed up with the utmost in professionalism,” Bergmann said.
She also said understanding and valuing the time constraints for cast and crew was important. Filming had to be done during the day, and sandwiched between set pick-up and drop-off times for everyone on the team. “Everybody showing up and showing their best selves made this happen,” said Bergmann.
The Hive Collaborative in St. Paul served as the film’s set location, and has also stepped up to host the friends and family premiere November 24th. Because PRI plans to enter the movie in future film festivals, the film can’t be made available to the public until it is unveiled at a festival.
The friends and family premiere will be the first time Bergmann’s class will see the final cut of the movie. “It’s going to be so magical, I’m going to cry,” Bergmann said.
The premiere will be just one takeaway from Bergmann’s movie making class. One student, Geordy Levin, said “everything” when asked what the best part was for him. Another student, Alex Schnarr, spoke about gaining independence as he was performing. Chris Nomeland called it a great opportunity to do something he was interested in. Brad Isenhower was excited to be able to help out, and Deb Parrish was happy that as a lover of movies, she finally got to be in one.
Bergmann is inspired that the movie has expanded everyone’s understanding of what they can do, and what they are capable of.
“To see everyone make decisions for what’s best for the film and the people – that was one of the most rewarding parts of working on something so big,” Bergmann said.
