Video Production Club is a new club at Edina High School for students interested in writing, directing, editing, and producing short films. It meets every other Monday in Ms. Raskin’s room, who teaches the Video Production class at EHS. 

Currently, the club is in the writing process. Group members senior Maclain “Doc” Everson-Rose, senior Harrison Crawford, and junior Rowan Eggum are working on a script for a horror film, while seniors Reilly Shane and Sam Rogers are brainstorming a mystery thriller idea. During club meetings, members engage in activities like improv to get their creative juices flowing. This activity involves one group member shouting out a random topic and two others creating a scene out of it as if they are characters in a movie. 

Many club members joined out of their shared love of film, including Everson-Rose, who runs the official Instagram for the club and serves as the PR manager. “I love movies. I love making movies and I wanted to express that in a way that’s not just for a grade or for Genre Studies,” he said. Everson-Rose sees film as a uniquely compelling art form. “[Movies] have a very interesting commercial side to the arts,” he said. “I love that balance of trying to make an emotional statement within the confines of the fact that it has to make money.”

Senior Max Dunning was also drawn to the club due to his passion for movies. “I really like the idea of creating something that actually means something. Expressing yourself through film is a really cool way of helping other people who are trying to find out who they are and trying to figure out life through art,” he said. 

Other members joined for a creative outlet and in preparation for college. “I needed more things to do artistically wise. I wanted to expand my horizons and see if I like it because maybe I could put it to good use in college at art school,” senior Y Nguyen said. Everson-Rose is also looking toward a career in the arts. He plans to double-major in film and “maybe business” in college. 

The club also reaches students in classes associated with film, such as Genre Studies and Analysis and Video Production. “There are great people and a great community [in Video Productions club]. I’m also in Genre Studies and Analysis so I’m enriching my learning outside of the class and pursuing deeper knowledge,” senior Elsa de Verdier said. “I took Video Production and I really liked that and wanted to extend it beyond the classroom,” Eggum said. 

Though most of Everson-Rose’s previous video projects have been made independently, he enjoys the collaborative aspect of the club. “It’s really fun because we can bounce off ideas. Our script ideas are really over the top and insane, and having other people there can balance out your worst instincts,” he said.

Rogers echoes the importance of collaboration. “Reilly and I are working on a script together and it’s easy for us because we’re really good friends and similar people,” he said. 

Looking towards the future, the group plans to have a screening of their finished products by the end of the year in EPAC with popcorn and to invite other students outside of the club to watch. “It will be a big, crazy spectacle,” Everson-Rose said.