This past April, students in the Mater Dei’s Film and Media Program entered the non-profit organization Safe Streets are for Everyone (SAFE) PSA film contest. The PSA, or public service announcement, is a message that serves to reach a wide audience. Through the competition, high school students were instructed to create a short film, raising awareness on traffic safety issues. Among several different PSA categories, sophomores Andrew Roqueni and Matteo Dawson created an impactful story surrounding the issue of distracted driving, titled Send Later Save Lives Now. The film was awarded the following for the regional contest: Best PSA Silver, Cinematography, Research and Accuracy of Traffic Safety Facts, and Best Distracted Driving PSA.
Roqueni and Dawson have been a part of the filmmaking class since their freshmen year. Although the two were presented this opportunity just two weeks before the deadline, the time constraint did not stop them from putting their skills to the test. From concept to finish, Roqueni describes the unique process they took to complete their film.
“The planning was pretty simple. We went to [Matteo’s] house, and we found a video of cars passing by because we can’t drive,” Roqueni said. “Then, we set up a projector next to the car so that it would look like the cars were passing by. Matteo got some shots of us, and his mom was holding a hose to make it look like it was raining. The setup was pretty funny.”
With the lessons and film techniques learned from class, Roqueni discusses the vital elements of cinematography they utilized in order to improve their visual storytelling, as well as work around problems that came along the way.
“The lighting was pretty important because without it, it wouldn’t have looked realistic at all. I think another element is finding creative solutions to problems. [For example], not being able to drive and finding a way to make it look like cars were passing by—that was a creative solution to a pretty important problem,” Roqueni said.
While it was not a class assignment, Dawson collaborated with Roqueni in the hopes to spread awareness about the dangers of texting and driving. It is through the creative expression of film that Dawson felt empowered to take observations from his own life and try something new. The passion both students have for filmmaking has driven the work they produce and enabled them to create something meaningful to not only themselves, but also the local community.
“We both love film and everything about it,” Dawson said. “For me, it also relates to my sister texting and driving all the time. A lot of teenagers do that too. So, why not connect with them [in a way that is] simple and straight to the point?”
Dawson advises other film students to keep on persevering when confronted with problems.
He looks back to his own positive experiences, which have helped him grow as an innovative thinker.
“Even if it’s hard, that’s how you learn stuff. A lot of stuff we’ve done throughout filmmaking has been hard, and we’ve figured out good ways to work around it,” Dawson said.
Roqueni encourages young filmmakers to be confident in their ideas and trust the process. This reassurance has provided Roqueni the determination to conquer his own barriers and make the most out of each creative idea.
“Just go for it,” Roqueni said. “If you have an idea in your mind, it’s important to not constantly compare yourself to everybody else. If you just produce what you like, you’ll have the most fun [experience], and that’s the most important thing.”
