LA Dream After creating her own short film, senior Amy Morris spends the semester at a film program in Los Angeles Amy Morris, a senior electronic media major and a passionate film junkie, made her dreams come true by gaining acceptance to a film program at the Los Angeles Film Studies Center.According to Morris, the purpose of the program was twofold: get participants into an internship and teach them how to maintain their faith in the challenging culture of Los Angeles and Hollywood. Morris always enjoyed movies and discovered that she also loved the filmmaking process. Once she discovered the film school in Los Angeles, she knew that was where she wanted to pursue her filmmaking career. "I like telling stories, and I want to make them interesting and enjoyable," Morris said. "I like connecting images with thoughts and making ideas tangible. I want to create an experience for someone else and also put God into it. I want to make quality movies." Morris' short film The Handshake was shown at the English Literary Festival for Harding faculty and was also viewed at Harding's annual 5 Minute Film Festival. In creating the film for her script writing class, Amy worked with a team of people 124 I People who helped her in the making of her film. Mark Finch, a 2012 Harding alumnus, worked the lights, junior Shane Healy worked the audio, senior Carlton Norris produced the film, and 2012 alumnus Riley Walling codirected it. "This was her project, and she led it, but she listened to everyone's advice and, for the most part, incorporated into the film," Norris said, praising Morris's abilities as a leader. The short film was based on both Morris' real life and a daydream she had. The synopsis of the film was a girl and a boy who met by chance years after being in a relationship together. "Writing the dialogue was easy," Morris said. "I had played it out in my head so many times that I knew what I wanted the script to be like." Kevin Newton, a 2012 Harding alumnus, and Haley Rogers, a senior psychology major, were cast as the man and woman who unsuspectingly ran into each other. "Amy was a great director," Rogers said. "I felt that the whole filmmaking process was a success with the crew, the actors and, ultimately,Amy. She knew what she wanted, and she would not allow any less. I honestly can't wait until she makes another film." The short film, in total, took about a month and a half to write, produce, film and edit. Morris filmed in downtown Searcy near Quattlebaum Music Center and even made a short appearance in the beginning. "I believe Amy is so passionate about film because she has grown up around great films," Rogers said, praising Morris's creativity and passion. "Amy's eyes light up when she speaks of film. I think the world inspires Amy, and I think she takes what she sees, and she pours some of her own experiences, emotions, beliefs and opinions into the mix, creating a well-rounded, nutty idea for the making." Morris was not yet certain which direction with film she would take; she considered becoming a director, a producer, an actress or even a combination of the three. The film school in Los Angeles ensured that Morris could pursue any avenue she chose and would be well-prepared for the professional world of film. Rachel Weiss
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