Why?

What is the meaning of anything?

What are we doing with our lives?

What is the point of anything we do?

The debut short film from Jesuit Stage and Film pondered these questions. This film follows a high school student while he takes the SAT. With a short run time, director Austin Keith utilized interesting filmmaking tricks to make a solid short film.

What really stood out for me was the use of lighting. There is a stark contrast between the warm lights of the interviewing scenes to the emotionless white lights of the testing room. I think this conveys the often emotionless feel of standardized tests. I felt the lighting in this film was perfect in showing anxiety as well. Throughout standardized tests, you do not feel human, often like a machine, attempting to spew out information in order to get a grade. The white lights conveyed this perfectly. Moreover, the often stark shifts from eyes, to paper, and back to eyes further plant the running theme of anxiety.

The standout acting of senior Bo Jouette ’23, who played Caleb tied the piece together. I really enjoyed watching his acting and I felt like he really supplanted himself in the role.

With only one supporting cast member, the film felt intimate. With Stage and Film director Mr. Patterson as the moderator and the only other visible person, it pushed the almost lonely feeling of taking tests.

“we came in during the break and you felt the emptiness of the school” – Mr. Patterson

Overall, I think this film showed the unique aspects of small filmmaking. I think Austin did a wonderful job if you have not seen the film yet, it is linked here.

Stay tuned to The Roundup for more Stage and Film coverage!