Film tries to capture the reality of bullying

Avery Looser, an eighth grader at St. Francis Episcopal Day School, discovered that she likes to make movies after taking a digital-filmmaking class.

Looking through the lens of a camera, I enter a state of enlightenment. I see the way others see. I acquire a sense of the world from the perspective of others. I then wonder as emotions present themselves to an insightful audience. They sit on the edge of their seats anxiously awaiting the title to appear on the screen. I anticipate the opening of the curtain as the first measure of music pervades the theater. Our minds will now discover a world known from others’ perspective.

I never dreamed hours of shooting and editing would become my pastime. I first latched onto filmmaking after seeing The Great Gatsby, Baz Luhrmann’s meticulously created genius of a film. Chills crept up and down my spine as his brilliant images filled the screen. Luhrmann hypnotized me with his stylized art, bright colors and modern references.                          

The following summer, after sixth grade, I took digital filmmaking at The Kinkaid School. Depth of field, field of view, the aperture affected by the exposure of the iris, storyboarding, white balance – all these things became prominent in my life and I felt urged to pursue this passion. I longed to produce a film of my own.                      

A constant theme recurred in my mind, leading me to the subject of bullying – an unwanted, aggressive behavior among students involving a real or perceived power imbalance. Through the lens of my camera, I encountered some situations that pierced my heart, causing me to raise awareness of this problem. My film, Sincerely the Victims, offers views of bullies and their motives and a different view from the victim’s perspective. I present cyber, physical and verbal bullying, including cases of bullying I personally experienced.

The opportunity of revelation awaits every storyteller. To me, film expresses the condition of our world. The lens of a camera can more accurately capture reality than can the eye itself. 

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