HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — A new program is giving Hampton students access to some of Hollywood’s brightest minds, right here in their own backyard.
It’s led by longtime actors in Hampton native Trent Garrett, from Disney’s “Andi Mack” and ABC’s “Splitting Up Together,” and his friend Jacob Young, a longtime soap opera star best known for roles on “All My Children,” “General Hospital” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
The two wanted to help bridge the gap for kids trying to breakthrough in the film industry, particularly those from smaller locales. So they created Next Generation Storytellers, which provides a 24-week virtual and in-person curriculum on filmmaking, and launched it in Garrett’s hometown.
More than 200 students and staff from Hampton, Kecoughtan, Bethel and Phoebus high schools have participated.
Students learn everything from writing and acting to shooting and editing, and even create their own short films that will be shown at an upcoming film festival from September 29-October 1 at the American Theatre in Phoebus.
“I wish this is something I could’ve had in my life early on, instead of having to just keep beating the pavement so to speak, it’s so amazing to be able to give these students such an opportunity at such a young age,” said Young, who grew up in rural Washington and Colorado.
They filmed the last two weeks at local schools and at a Hampton’s Fort Monroe, which donated their facilities for the initiative. Other sponsors include the Virginia Film Commission, which will help run the film festival, and equipment sponsors like Hawk Anamorphic, Sony Red and Black Magic, which donated cameras and other equipment.
Arguably the biggest treat for students over the past two weeks is that Garrett and Young got some help from some of their friends in the film industry, who flew out to Hampton to share their decades of knowledge.
They include world-renowned cinematographer Roy Wagner, who’s helped film everything from “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3” and “Nick of Time” to “House,” and “Burn Notice.” He also has two Emmy Awards for the 1980s “Beauty and the Beast” TV series and for 1989’s “Quantum Leap.”
Wagner was on-hand as WAVY watched the filming of Phoebus High’s production at Fort Monroe’s commanding general’s residence on June 29.
“He walks them through those shots and says ‘what do you think about this, and there’s a lot of questions that present themselves to him. He’s a wealth of knowledge,” Young said.
Other participants in the program include Mercedes Williamson, the assistant director for “Midsommar,” Mark Rozzano, associate producer of Broadway’s “Beauty and the Beast,” and special effects production design Mick Strawn, who’s worked on “Boogie Nights,” “Blade and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
“Right now it’s an educational process, it’s a lot of shadowing going on, a lot of questions being asked and answered, which is fantastic and why we’re doing it. It’s been really rewarding, we’ve seen a lot of smiles on faces, a lot of happy tears, and we even had a kid say ‘why us?’ why now? This never happens,” Young said.
It was a big learning experience for Alyse Huffman, who just graduated from Phoebus High and its Academy of Digital Video Production. She was picked as the director after her script for “Truth or Lies” was selected for Phoebus’ film.
“It’s kind of inspiring in a way, cause I’m working with Hollywood people, real people, who you see on screen. I used to think ‘oh that can’t be real kind of thing’ but they’re real people who are actually involved in the community,” said Huffman, who’ll attend Virginia State University in the fall.
Phoebus DVP Academy teacher Michael Price says “it’s been an awesome experience,” especially meeting Wagner.
“When I heard he was the director of photography on “Nick of Time” I like lost my mind. It’s one of my favorite movies of all time … but it’s been pretty cool, learn a lot, see a lot, it’s a lot going on behind the scenes.”
Overall though Garrett says the biggest thing, particularly in the film industry, is that it’s not always about what you know, but also who you know.
He hopes this program will also create a great network of connections for years to come.
“You can have all the talent in the world but you have to be connected, you know, and Hollywood’s so far from Hampton, but not anymore.”