‘It Was the Dog Toy’ trailer wins award
Middle School students made a spring break movie trailer and took top honors in the sixth-annual Idyllwild
Middle School Cinema Night. Pictured (from left) are Ruby McKellar, Alo LoPresto, Zada Smith and Geneva Dagnall.
Photo courtesy of Nancy Jones
For those old enough to remember, spring break meant bathing suits, suntan, Ft. Lauderdale, the California beaches or anywhere with a pool – a blissful time when only fun mattered.
Four Idyllwild Middle School students — Ruby McKellar, Alo LoPresto, Zada Smith and Geneva Dagnall — perfectly captured the zany fun of spring break, albeit from a middle school, not college, perspective, in a trailer for the yet-to-be-made feature “It Was the Dog Toy.” Deftly shot and edited with up-tempo breezy music, the students’ send-up of innocent fun and nothing but fun is a joy to watch.
For six years, Idyllwild Middle School Cinema Night has propelled novice movie makers to hone their skills and compete with their classmates to make the best short film.
This year’s Cinema Night was held during school hours on Friday, March 3, and the talented quartet of Ruby, Alo, Zada and Geneva took top honors for their madcap Palm Springs pool romp, in an award voted on by their classmates.
Middle School Associated Student Body students decorated for the event and served theater-inspired snacks to an enthusiastic audience. Middle School English teacher Kirsten Ingbretsen coordinated the event and competition.
Judging by the feel-good vibe, sophistication and overall quality of “It Was the Dog Toy” trailer, Idyllwild Middle School is producing some skilled artists who also understand the importance of simply having fun.
To view the sixth-graders’ trailer, visit https://youtu.be/6V3cMEcCk5s.
