Voices on Film.
RSA Students Share Stories That Make a Difference…
Film students at Redding School of the Arts High School are learning that small movies can have big impacts—on viewers and filmmakers alike.
Teshya Russo, RSA High School’s theater and dance teacher, had 19 drama students involved in producing one-minute public service announcements for their peers that address themes of suicide prevention, substance abuse and the importance of mental health.
It’s the school’s fourth year of partnering with Youth Creating Change, a California nonprofit organization that helps harness students’ voices and creative powers to raise awareness of mental health and substance use issues. The resulting PSAs are entered into the Directing Change film competition and the winning filmmaking teams are invited to a red-carpet premiere at the historic United Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.
“It’s a pretty big deal and our films are showcased on the big screen,” Russo says. “The kids get to walk the red carpet in formal gowns and ride in limos. They get to meet with industry professionals in film and mental health. It’s really cool.”
Aside from the prospects of glitz and glamor, Russo says the Directing Change program gives her students valuable media literacy lessons on camera angles, editing and filmography, “and they get the skills to be able to help themselves through mental health challenges.”
A lot of students record their videos on their cell phones but Russo says a few take advantage of a digital camera donated by Tyler Faires, a professional videographer and director of the popular Sundial Film Festival.
Ramon Gaona, a senior, used his phone to create “Jeremy’s Story,” a PSA he animated and directed. Gaona says his video mirrors an experience he had when he lost his grandfather. Aurora, a character voiced by a classmate, notices a change in Jeremy, who has become distant. “The main message is that they’re not alone, there’s always people who love them and care for them,” Gaona says.
Gaona says “Jeremy’s Story” was his first effort at discussing mental health in a film and he found the experience—and having the characters talk about issues he’s been dealing with—to be therapeutic. “I wanted to get the message across that help is always available.”
Destimona Harrington, another senior, has been entering the Directing Change contest since she was a freshman. This year’s PSA, “Small Steps Matter,” features a central character (classmate Leah Hage) displaying signs of a mental health crisis. To help, another character suggests a grounding tool known as the 5-4-3-2-1 technique.
To get anchored in high-stress situations and slow racing thoughts, participants are encouraged to identify five things they can see, four things they can feel, three that they can hear, two that they can smell and one that they can taste.
“It’s about how even the smallest things you do make big changes. It doesn’t have to be abrupt and large,” Harrington says. “The film shows my character go from being very sad to slowly opening up.”
Darrington says she would love to continue working on mental health education, including participating in a proposed traveling theater that would have RSA students visiting other schools to perform mental health-related skits.
Russo says her students were expected to learn in mid-April which films were selected to be screened at the Directing Change premiere event in Los Angeles. The charter school has been represented at the premiere for the past three years.
All the RSA films will be screened during the Community Mental Health Fair from 5:30 to 7:30 pm Thursday, May 14, at the RSA amphitheater. Also on tap will be family-friendly activities, games, guest speakers, popcorn and cotton candy. •
Redding School of the Arts
955 Inspiration Place, Redding
www.rsarts.org • (530) 247-6933
