Welcome to the Aspire Film Society. AFS is an outreach by WKTV Community Media to areas that are under served to create career opportunities for the brightest, but still inexperienced students who believe they possess a focused and disciplined ambition to work in the film and television industries. The singular goal is to enable a select group of students to join a specifically tutored project, in this case the production of a short film, and be mentored by industry pros through the process of creation of that project. This goal includes creating opportunities to grow in media production, help selected students discern what production discipline they may be best suited for, and place them on successful career paths.

Like a sports team or the high school musical, students must apply to join AFS. Selection of participants is based on answers to basic questions and the submission of any additional materials the student may wish to provide the industry pros in that selection. These materials can include any writing samples or video media they may have created. Submission of additional creative materials is NOT required for consideration, but is encouraged.

Selection of Participants

Students who apply to join AFS will first need to submit written responses on line to basic questions. These questions are designed to discern 1.) their interest level in following a professional career course in media creation; 2.) their availability to participate in the production process. After submission, an in person interview is conducted with a panel of mentors and the students invited to participate in the production of the film will be notified.

Only students who are finally selected to be a part of the AFS selected film project will participate.

Rules and Procedures

All materials submitted MUST be age appropriate. This rule will apply at every step through every phase and process that is part of AFS; from materials (if any) that are part of student consideration to the production of the short film being mentored. Under no circumstances should anyone submit to AFS any material of any kind that does not follow this rule.

The project goal of AFS is the production of a short film based on an original screenplay. Screenplays for the short film to be produced by AFS will be submitted from writers in the State of Michigan and will be evaluated for the project based on these principle criteria: Age appropriate content, feasibility of production, overall length (under 10 minutes) and clear title of intellectual property. Scripts from writers submitting to AFS outside of these guidelines will not be considered.

Student Meeting Times

Beginning in December, selected students will meet once per week following school. The start of principle photography is slated for March. As the students go through this process in January and February, meeting times will increase to twice a week.

The Production Process

Selected students will participate in every part of the production process of the film.

Pre-production which includes script breakdown, participation in the casting process, coordinating the choice of effective and practical locations; coordinating any and all areas that require pre-planning from locations to the camera department to wardrobe. All of these pre-production operations will be managed by the Project Facilitator in coordination with WKTV Staff and mentors from the production community.

Production which includes coordinating with the Project Facilitator and mentors on creating the shooting schedule, working with mentors on maintenance of the production itself during the shooting schedule and organization and tracking of the footage as it is assembled for the editing phase.

Post Production includes all editing up to the final edit along with post production on sound sound effects and music.

What Students Will Not Be Responsible For

Arranging locations and any contracts. This will be managed by the Project Facilitator and WKTV Staff.

Point of Contact. The Project Facilitator will always be the sole point of contact for any outside source, including mentors during the entire AFS project.

What else would you like to know?

If you have any further questions or concerns that are not answered here, please feel free to contact WKTV Community Media by emailing the facilitator Roylan Rountree Garcia or the General Manager, Tom Norton.

Contact Us