Best of the Week 2021-2022: Excellence in College Prep

"GASOLINE" SPORTS DOCUMENTARY NAMED AS TOP 5 FINALIST FOR 2021 NATIONAL STUDENT PRODUCTION AWARD

Last year's sports documentary, "Gasoline," about award-winning Strength and Conditioning Coach, Auggie Promersberger, was nominated as one of five finalists for the 2021 National Student Production Award. Produced by members of the SEHS film department in the sports documentary course, "Gasoline" has previously won the Great Lakes Regional Student Production Award in the Non-fiction Category. "In our IB program, where students devote two years to the study of film, there's more time to learn and perfect two camera setup, DSLR functions, and interview skills. But in Sports Doc, guys really had to come together to work toward a common purpose, dig into their roles, and support each other to make a big project like this possible in such a short time," says Film Department Chair Lydia Munnell. Brendan McIlwee '21 pitched this idea, and I think everyone knew right away that it was the winner because it was thoughtful, thorough, and clearly something he was passionate about. From there, Auggie and a great group of coaches signed on to participate, and our students devoted every day to scheduling and production. In the end, the final film was really shaped by its editors, Evan Wrightsman '21 and Zachary Bell '23. I can't say enough for the work those guys did to piece together every interview and every last second of B-roll. I think, in the end, this film stands as a testament to the great stories that exist in our community. I'm really proud of the work these students put in to find and amplify Coach Auggie's story." "My favorite part about working on 'Gasoline' was the freedom we had and the creativity of our group. Working in a large group like ours, we had a lot of ideas that helped to make our film better," says Zachary. "My biggest takeaway was that everyone has a story beneath the surface. When you see Coach Auggie, you think he's just this big strong dude, but he's dealt without a lot of struggles in the past, and has been able to overcome them and succeed. I'm just so grateful to all the other students that worked on this project, because this is a truly special award to be nominated for," says Dakota Wagner '23. "I was one of the cameramen for this documentary and I enjoyed being able to try new camera angles and shots. I think one of my favorite parts of working on 'Gasoline' is interviewing Coach Auggie. Coach Auggie didn’t feel shy or uncomfortable with the process and we got a lot of good stuff from him," says Jayson Morris '22. "I think my biggest takeaway from this whole process is always be authentic and ethical. I’ve learned that the best documentaries are the ones where the interviewee is comfortable and able to show his true self." Congratulations to the production team and student filmmakers of "Gasoline."