What We May Be Short Film- Still Lake Studios

Still Lake Studios is organizing this fundraiser.

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What’s the story?

What We May Be is a dramatic short film following Oliver, a 17 year old kid, adjusting to his new life at a new school where he looks strikingly similar to Arlo, a former student who passed away tragically the previous year. When he gets his dream role as Hamlet in the school play, his classmate Nathan urges him to stay out of the spotlight. Will Oliver follow his own dreams or give up on his ambitions in the service of his new community?

Screenplay by Zoe Bockhorst

Who are we?

Still Lake Studios is a production company comprised of 9 talented and driven student filmmakers, each with their own role in bringing What We May Be to the screen! David, Bella, AJ, Yihang, Ryan, C, Madi, James, and Yucheng have all applied for the course and their role. Though we are students, each crew member is equipped with years of production experience on their own productions and through three previous UW-Madison production courses.

This capstone course is a seven credit course that gives students the opportunity to direct, budget, schedule, shoot, and edit a complete short film.

Why are we asking for support?

UW-Madison's Communication Arts department has gotten us started, but beyond that we are own our own and frankly... we are broke college students so we are asking for your support! Your contribution will allow us to secure our spectacular cast, feed the crew/cast, purchase wardrobe and set design, rent extra equipment, and purchase production insurance.

Producing this movie is more than a class project to us. What We May Be is a film each member of Still Lake Studios chose as the script they want to create. We all found Oliver’s experience of a new school, an unavailable dad, and dead doppelganger to be an important story to bring to the screen.

From all of us at Still Lake Studios, please consider contributing to our goal of producing the short film What We May Be. If you cannot support us financially, please consider contributing food or other items to our project by emailing us. Also, share our project and follow @stilllake_studios on Instagram for updates throughout the project! Thank you for your support!

Get the scoop on our crew!

David Guenthner: Producer

David Guenthner is no stranger to working in production and is excited to work with eight other students to bring this project to the screen! He grew up in Cottage Grove, WI and is graduating in May with a B.S. in Communication Arts-Radio,TV, and Film with a certificate (minor) in Digital Cinema Production.

Growing up David always loved getting his hands and mind involved in projects so when his high school had an A/V club, he dove head first into production. Since then David has been an award winning producer of multiple short films, short documentaries, music videos, and other digital content at Cut The Deck Creative, a creative agency he co-owns! David enjoys producing because it truly takes a village to make content, and as producer he can be involved with as much of the process as possible! David’s ultimate goal is to create media that provides value to a business, creator, story, or idea in an efficient manner while enjoying every step of the process.

David enjoys playing basketball, creating content, and board games with his friends. A cold brew and granola bars are never too far out of reach of him either. David is grateful for this opportunity and is excited to keep working on bringing What We May Be to the screen!

Elizabella Rosenberg: Director

Elizabella (Bella) Rosenberg is a computer scientist by day and artist for the rest of the 24 hours. She’s from Chicago, Illinois and loves to make things that make her happy inside, whatever that may be. In this case, she’s really excited about making this film. Bella has loved telling stories since writing her first picture book in crayons and loved the visual medium since seeing Finding Nemo in theaters as a baby (even though she had to leave half way through from all the stimulation).

This is Bella’s first time directing, but she is the proud daughter of a professional photographer and thus grew up on sets. Outside of school, she has interned under an Emmy award nominated grip and electric team, and acted as one of the principal editors for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s online content during the pandemic. Her experience also includes years of drawing, painting, writing, and obsessively analyzing stories in her free time, but those sorts of things aren’t resumé items.

This film in particular is a really big deal to Bella, not only because it will be her directorial debut, but also because it’s getting made in such a unique way. Every member of the crew is here out of their own love for the medium, not required by our program or motivated by money. This is incredibly rare and an ideal sandbox for creativity. Our instructors (executive producers) will also be with us at every step of the way, making sure we deliver something great by the end of our time in the course

Bella sincerely hopes you will support this film, and by doing so support her and her crew in making something they can be proud of.

AJ Magasinn: Assistant Director

AJ Magasinn is making his Assistant Directorial debut in this film. AJ is from the Los Angeles area and has worked with multiple Emmy Award Winning producers, directors, and directors of photography. He has been on professional sets, but never a set with a script, all the professional things he has done involved documentary production and interviews. It is his first time dipping into scripted work, and he is super excited to get started on this project.

AJ is a graduating senior who in May will graduate with a degree in Communications: Radio, TV, and Film, with minors in Digital Studies and Digital Cinema Production. “What We May Be” is the perfect opportunity to culminate all that he has learned throughout his college experience.This production gives our team (with your help) an amazing opportunity to showcase all that we can do. AJ is extremely excited for this directorial opportunity and cannot wait to show the world what we have been working on.

Yihang Ma: Director of Photography

Yihang is a UW-Madison senior who majored in Computer Science, Com Arts Radio, TV and Film, and also completing a certification in Digital Production. For the short film What We May Be, Yihang will be taking a role as a Director of Photography. This will be his first time working as a director of photography for a short film. With many experience in shooting shorts and advertisements. He will be both providing and gaining experience while working with the Still Lake Studio crew.

Yihang is also a team player, he loves to work with a crew of people who love to express their ideas. Having to work with Still Lake Studio to make this film is an amazing experience that Yihang has been looking for. While Yihang is set to start his full time job with Wisconsin International Development Centre as a media manager. He is more than excited to put a perfect end to his four years of education at UW-Madison with the short film What We May Be.

Ryan Mares: Assistant Camera/ Colorist

Ryan Mares is a Strategic Communications and Reporting dual-track student from Appleton, Wisconsin that will be graduating this May. He is also completing certificates in Digital Studies and Digital Cinema Production. Ryan is pursuing those certificates, and taking this class, to expand his media skillset to help with future employment opportunities.

He has always enjoyed working behind a camera, and interned at a local television station over the past summer. His love for movies comes from working at a movie theater throughout high school, which let him see as many free movies as he wanted and allowed him to see and appreciate all types of filmmaking. Attending the Wisconsin Film Festival while in college reinvigorated that love, while letting him appreciate lower-budget and indie films as wonderful expressions of art.

Outside of his schoolwork and film production, Ryan enjoys endurance sports and competing in the video game Super Smash Brothers.

C Kessler: Gaffer

C Kessler (they/them) has followed anything creative and people-orientated that comes their way. Growing up mostly homeschooled, C’s education was largely supplemented by TV and film. From this, a deep appreciation for media was fostered. C will graduate with a Communication Arts degree along with certificates in Art, East Asian Studies, and of course, Digital Cinema Production. C studied under Lynda Barry in Making Comics.

C has a love for collaboration and filling in as a jack of all trades. To commemorate the semester, C got matching fennel sprig tattoos with their group mates. C assisted on the set of Cut the Deck’s most recent production.

C Kessler could have been a black belt in karate but it would have made them too deadly, especially as a homeschooled 11 year old. C has since left this life of fighting behind in pursuit of the wholesome instead. C has learned to enjoy the coziness of board games, plum wine, and getting new friends to give them their secrets. C’s ambitions are now turned towards working for and with the people around them to create a project they can be proud of, whether flipping burgers or filming a movie. C looks forward to the close collaboration and long days they will spend with the image team and wants to preemptively thank Yihang for any and all rides he will provide C this semester. C also hopes to get Ryan to tutor them in Melee, a skill which would make C truly unstoppable and dominant.

Madi Lewis: Production Designer

Madi is a Communication Arts: Radio, TV, and Film senior from Appleton, Wisconsin who is taking on the role of production designer for the short film What We May Be. Madi found a love for filmmaking after transferring to UW Madison her Junior year and has been exploring all aspects of film production ever since.

Madi loves anything that involves tiny details and getting crafty, so production design has become her favorite aspect of filmmaking. What We May Be is Madi’s first time working as a production designer on a short film and she is very excited to work with an amazing crew to bring this story to life. So far, Madi has had a blast preparing set design, hair and makeup, and props for What We May Be and she can’t wait to show this film to the world.

James Kovaleski: Sound Designer

James Kovaleski is a super cool guy and does what all super cool guys do—sound design. He is from somewhere you've never heard of in Northern Wisconsin and misses spending time with all the cows there. James is a Communication Arts major because he hates money and loves working service jobs to supplement his income. At least he is passionate about filmmaking.

In fact, James is so passionate about filmmaking that he's worked on multiple award-winning indie films, national television broadcasts, and online content with millions of views. Unfortunately, James is so passionate that he also does these things for free and doesn't get paid.

James’s grandparents would very much appreciate the help in funding this project because they're still waiting on him to get a real job, and independent projects like this are important stepping stones for entering the film industry. Every great filmmaker was also once 22 years old, so his career trajectory is on the right track. Someday, he might even be working sound on a multi-million dollar Hollywood blockbuster, where he might actually get a minuscule percentage of that show's budget for once. Although, based on his track record, he will probably still refuse payment.

And to think, you could play a role in that success! At the very least, you can help him keep doing something he loves for a little bit longer.

Yucheng Lian: Editor/Boom Op

Yucheng Lian is a senior student majoring in Communication Arts. His passion for movies originated from Scooby-Doo, where the cult, vibrant visual spectacles profoundly astonished him as a child. Since then, Yucheng has been deeply fascinated by the dream-making machine that is cinema. Yucheng is from China, where the cinematic landscape has nurtured him with a unique perspective. He will take up the legacy of those who came before him and combine it with the skills he has learned to leverage his strengths. Yucheng’s dream is to become a real director, a true filmmaker. He believes this production experience can greatly help him improve.