Camera flashes brightened the faces of Bassett High School students as they walked down a red carpet at AMC Covina 17 on Dec. 14 for the premiere of their short film on the big screen.

Bassett High’s Associated Study Body and THINK Together leadership students joined together to write, act and produce a film with the help of Unleashing Giants, an organization of film professionals who guided the students in creating their own film from start to finish.

“The students were behind the full creation of the film,” THINK Together Site Facilitator Adrian Arvizu said. “The program showed the students how they can use film to reach their full potential.”

Bassett High Senior Jasmine Gomez, who wrote the script, said she liked being able to participate in a project so different from other activities available on campus.

“This project helped me see the possibilities to create something through my writing,” Gomez, 17, said. “It was cool to see our ideas come together and that we were a part of it.”

Actor Julien Cesario gave opening comments and advice to the young filmmakers before premiering Bassett High’s short film, along with film projects from Madrid Middle School and Kranz Intermediate School. Bassett High’s film focused on the social stigmas surrounding a secret relationship between an unpopular high school girl and a popular football player.

Bassett High Senior Luisa Hernandez, who took on the role of production manager, is now considering pursuing a film degree in addition to studying medicine.

“The program helped me be a leader,” Hernandez, 17, said. “This was an opportunity for us to try different roles and responsibilities, and it let us be a different person.”

This was the first year Unleashing Giants worked with the high school students, who took on various roles for film production, including sound, cinematographers and actors. They had a fake budget to rent filming locations and equipment, and learned how to write a script, the process of filming a scene and how to edit the film.

“Unleashing Giants provided our students with the opportunity to explore their passion and gain real world experience in the film industry,” Bassett Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Alex Rojas said. “I am proud of our students who were able to see their creation in a live movie theatre.”

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122016_BASSETTUSD_UNLEASHINGGIANTS1: Bassett High School’s Associated Study Body and THINK Together leadership students joined together to write, act and produce a film with the help of Unleashing Giants, an organization of film professionals who guided the students in creating their own film from start to finish.