DUO HAS PUT TWO YEARS OF WORK INTO FILM ON REALITY OF VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS
BY KAREN McDONALD OF THE PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
MAY 20, 2004
Thirty characters and 300 extras, thousands of dollars, cutting, editing, two years of work and sleepless nights all hinge on one night.
The Only Way, an 80-minute film about the causes, effects and consequences of bringing a gun to school and pulling the trigger, was written, produced and directed by Metamora High School student Levi Obery, 17, and David Zimmerman III, 19, a former Metamora High School student who now attends Illinois Central College. It debuts at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Metamora High School auditorium, with an additional showing at 8 p.m. May 28.
"This is two years of our life coming down to these three days," Obery said.
The ambitious filmmaking project began with a two-page story idea from two students who didn't believe their peers took school violence seriously. The concept eventually morphed into a 104-page script and the basis for the film.
"We thought it would be a fun movie to make and one with a purpose and hopefully stop things like this from happening and educate people on the causes, the effects and consequences of bringing a gun to school," Obery said. "There hasn't been a day that's gone by when there wasn't something that needed to be done with the movie."
During the film, a high school student is pushed over the edge after being bullied, experiencing tragedy, a break-up and problems at home. As revenge, Devon Browning (a fictional character) opens fire on his classmates and kills several of them and a teacher.
The viewer is led through Browning's twisted mind when he learns the consequences of his actions and realizes that murder is not "The Only Way." And in the end? Obery says, "You'll just have to watch the movie."
High school officials helped provide equipment, oversight and some funding for the $8,000 project, but only after the script was revamped to focus less on violence and more on the reasons why the main character was pushed to his breaking point, Principal Greg Christy said.
"The critical side from the school was whether we wanted to be involved with something that created a two-edged sword," Christy said. "What if a student watched this movie and then decided to do something violent?"
Production didn't go off without a hitch. The directors recalled one major production day when the star of the movie didn't show, but about 10 others in the scene did.
"We filmed everything we could without him and just filmed a person's shoulder so we could go back and edit him in later," Obery said.
The directing duo said the hardest part of creating the film was working around actors' schedules. The production also includes an original score and songs by local bands.
Linda Albert, president of the school's Citizens Advisory Council, viewed the film for the first time Tuesday. She was impressed with the professionalism and plot, she said.
"It is disturbing from a parent point of view that this could be a reality. But I think we would be naive to think that our kids aren't being bullied or that they don't face these problems," Albert said.
"A lot of kids today are naive and don't think their actions only affect them. This film looks at how the shooter's life has been affected and how the life of his victims and their families are affected.
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