March 28, 2024

CCHS graduate receives first place at film festival

Andy Arthur Smith of Creston won first place and the audience choice award for his film “One Fourth Gone” at the Columbia College Hollywood (CCH) Film Festival an annual event for films created by current students and alumni.

Smith graduated from Creston Community High School in 2014. After receiving a packet about the college from his guidance counselor he decided. Smith said the school met his two requirements for where he wanted to go to college: a film school and be located in California.

CCH is location in Los Angeles which Smith said is the heart of the film industry.

Smith, who graduated in June, majored in cinema with an emphasis in acting.

For this thesis project, Smith created the film “One Fourth Gone.”

Smith said there are flashbacks in the film which show the main characters father leaving the family when he was a young child. The main character also has obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD).

“But whenever he listens to music and puts his headphones in he feels like he’s free from the OCD and it frees him up from all his anxieties and compulsions,” said Smith.

Smith, who has OCD, said he used his own life and experience as inspiration for the film. He said he looked to his childhood when the OCD was at its worst for example, he said he had to tap everything four times with both hands. For this reason, the number four became a centerpiece of the film, said Smith.

“One Fourth Gone” is also a musical with three musical pieces in it.

Smith wrote and performed the instrumentation for the film. In addition, his brother acted in the film, playing the main characters brother.

“Even though it is 20 minutes long, it takes a lot of work and a lot of people have to be involved to pull it off ... especially to pull it off in a way, I’m going to say, that I’m proud of,” said Smith.

Smith said there are three parts to the process of creating a film.

First is the pre-production phase which includes writing the script.

Next is the production phase.

“I chose to kind of tackle a few different roles in the production process. I wrote it and then when we entered the production process I was busy being the director and the actor in it so that was a little overwhelming but it was a lot of fun,” said Smith.

Smith said it took four days to shoot the 20 minute long film.

The third part of the process is post-production when the editing takes place. Smith said this part of the process took one and a half months.

“The process though can be so long in finishing a movie. That’s why it actually isn’t available online yet. I still have ... slight adjustments that we’re making ... with the sound production with the color correction,” said Smith.

Smith expects “One Fourth Gone” to be available online in January. The film will be available to watch on YouTube when it is released.