Independent films, commonly known for their unconventional storylines, artistic film styles, and creative freedom, have always been a part of the film industry. In recent years, however, they have taken a role in more mainstream cinema and stepped into the once blockbuster-centric spotlight.

An independent film, focused on the Bay Area, is currently in production and editing, with plans to enter local film festivals. Still Life is set in 1999 and follows the story of a 15-year-old girl whose mother has just been diagnosed with leukemia. The film addresses the themes of love, loss, and growing up. Lauren Shapiro, who wrote this film as an autobiographical reflection of her own experiences, is the writer and director of Still Life, alongside her co-producer Kara Herold. 

“My mom herself had wanted to write a screenplay about her experiences, but never got the chance. So —while Still Life is not exactly my mom’s story — I think it is inspired in part by a desire to fulfill that dream she had,” Shapiro said. 

A goal of Shapiro, aside from portraying her own story about love and loss, was also to showcase young local talent. Shapiro, being from the East Bay herself, included local actors of all ages in her production. Miramonte students Tatiana Gupta, Alessa Sherman, Tyler Hennessy, Allegra Ciarlantini, Amelia Soong, and Cindy Tristram were all actors in the film. 

Additionally, Drama teacher Heather Cousins, a classically trained stage actor involved with many productions outside of teaching, also plays a role in the film.

“Lauren Shapiro, the writer and director of Still Life, is a dear, old friend. She came to workshop part of her script in my Advanced Drama class last year,” Cousins said.

The process for filmmaking is much different than being in a school production. Students involved have to be professional, know their lines, attend every rehearsal, and be available to film anytime during production. 

“[While] I didn’t have to balance shooting with school too much cause I was on set during summer, I had to balance it with my job. It was a really fun experience overall,” senior Tatiana Gupta said.

Because the filming took place in the summer, students had to be comfortable filming in all different environments.

“Since in film you’d go for around 10-20 takes per shot), it could take almost a full day for one single scene,” senior Amelia Soong said. “Therefore, you want to make sure that the background, your posture, your appearance, the natural lighting, etc. are continuous from take to take in case the editor wants to merge or overlap two takes.”

Students involved also have to be comfortable on a real movie set, which feels much different than acting onstage in a theater. 

“You have to treat the camera as if it’s a magnifying glass, and that everything you do would be 10x exaggerated on the screen. So, as compared to on-stage where you really have to project, have vibrant physicality, and often exaggerated facial expressions, screen acting is very nuanced, especially when it comes to close-ups,” Soong said.

Often, independent films premiere at local film festivals and work their way up to larger festivals and audiences. Still Life has goals of working its way up to a bigger audience, starting with smaller screenings and film festivals.

“My dream is to one day see Still Life on the screen at the Orinda Theatre! To get there, I’m hoping to complete editing the film by spring so that we can submit it to festivals, with the ultimate goal being getting picked up for distribution so that this film can reach the broadest possible audience,” Shapiro said.

Supporting the arts at every level is essential to the growth of performing arts, so by supporting small films like Still Life, more student actors can get the opportunity to work on professional projects they are passionate about. 

To learn more about Still Life, and how to support the film, go to their website, and be sure to support local filmmakers and actors by seeing the film once it premiers in the springtime at your local theater.