Sindy Maldonado ‘27

Contributing Writer

Mount Holyoke College prides itself on having rigorous academics and a plethora of unique, hands-on courses available to students. One of these courses is Directing Actors for the Screen, offered by the department of film, media, and theater and taught by Visiting Assistant Professor in Film Production, Dien Vo.

The course aims to give film students foundational skills needed in the sphere of production, such as screenwriting, casting, and most importantly, directing. Students take on these roles by creating their own short films or scenes if working on a bigger project. They have already wrapped up auditions, which were open to all students within the Five College Consortium, and are now entering the filming phase following their table reads held the week of Oct. 5.

Students currently in the class gave Mount Holyoke News insight into the course and their projects. Gabriella Cordero ’26, a neuroscience and behavior major and FMT minor, is creating a short film titled “Chandelier.” The story takes place inside a parked car at a gas station, and follows two characters, Aubrey and Dylan, on their first date. Why it is called “Chandelier” is a secret.

When asked what the story means to her and why she chose these characters, Cordero said, “I just really wanted to capture that, you know, teenage feeling of liking someone else and finally allowing yourself to open up.” The two characters bond over their shared love for music and film but find it difficult to become fully comfortable since the characters don't know if they can quite trust each other yet.

Cordero mentioned that her inspirations include directors like Greta Gerwig and Sofia Coppola, who have created coming-of-age films, such as Cordero’s favorite from 2017, “Lady Bird.”

The course requires collaboration and peer support throughout the creative process. Cordero said the class has been amazing so far, especially during the script writing phase. She described the environment by stating: “Picture a writer’s room in a circle and we are just spilling out different ideas, talking to each other, editing every day [and] peer reviewing.” Apart from the directors she looks up to, Cordero also drew inspiration from old journal entries and conversations with friends. She “kind of fell in love with the story,” and as she continued writing, “it kind of just came out” naturally.

Another student, FMT major Ryan Heller ’26, shared similar experiences in developing her film. Heller anticipated taking a directing-focused course after already gaining experience in production assistant roles. She was excited to explore the “niche part of filmmaking that you don’t really think about.”

Heller’s film, “Getting Nowhere,” is described as a scene from a “mockumentary of students at a liberal arts college.” It features three characters: Jessica, Charlie, and Chrissy. The friends are working on a thesis and developing a film script. However, Charlie and Jessica get distracted by their banter, while Chrissy continuously attempts to keep them on track. Heller was inspired by mainstream sitcoms like “Abbott Elementary” and “The Office,” as well as other shows and movies that highlight the “behind the scenes of creating entertainment,” such as “The Studio” and “Hacks”.

Having grown up with theater experience as well, Heller explained, “I pretty much stick to, like, dramatic theater … so I wanted to challenge myself and do something more comedic.”

As an FMT major, Heller has accumulated hands-on experience with media in other courses and through internships in the entertainment industry, including impressive roles such as production assistant work and brand partnership positions at talent management agencies like Producer Entertainment Group and Breakpoint Booking, both based near Los Angeles, where she is from.

Heller stated this was her first time getting to write a script. Despite this, she was not nervous and instead leaned into writing about familiar environments. She implemented cliches to create character archetypes one would typically find in cinema, describing her characters as "chaotic, sarcastic film students.”

Students taking this course get the opportunity to express their personal experiences, passions, and interests through the art of writing, filming, and production. They get to engage in different forms of communication and learn about the different perspectives that can be found on a film set. According to the students interviewed, it is uncertain whether films created in this course will be publicly showcased. However, because they are personal projects, students have the option to include them in portfolios and feature them independently.

Leah Dutcher ’28 contributed fact-checking.