As students begin to select classes to take in the 2025-2026 school year, there are several unique and interesting classes to check out. One of the classes students can find in the new course catalog is taught by Social Studies teacher and Olio Road Productions club sponsor, Jeremiah Follis. Follis has taken the role of advisor for the new media class, Film Studio. Students can take this class to dive into learning filmmaking, create short films, and continue to take it for several semesters.
Filmmaking is writing, it’s photography, it’s acting, it’s music, it’s art, it’s all that together. And to bring all those kids together with their various interests was the idea for Film Studio. You’ll never have as many resources as you have in this building.
-Follis
Follis dreamed of a space for students who share his passion for films for a long time. His vision started with a club and grew immensely. As a Social Studies teacher, trying to teach students about film seemed unique to the outside perspective. This fact, however, did not stop Follis from jumping on an opportunity when it arose.
“I used to make films in high school and college. When I came to HSE, I used to coach sports and do Student Council. Then I decided I’d rather just do what I love, and I decided to make a club for kids that is like the club I wish I would have had,” Follis said. “With how some things have changed with the diploma and the way the schools are changing how they’re doing classes […] the stars kind of aligned, allowing me to teach this class. With what the Student Media Network is doing and how [they] are growing down there, it just seems like a perfect time to grow it.”
Originally, Follis created a club called Olio Road Productions. All grade levels participate and work hard for hours into creating a film every year. With the help of photographers, musicians, marketing, actors and more student-led groups, the film is produced for an audience every year possible.
“Olio Road Productions is like no other high school club in the country that we’re aware of,” Follis said. “We’ve looked and looked, and nobody does a feature-length film every year. Indiana University came up, and they asked us, how do you get high school kids to do this, we can’t get college kids to do a feature. They will spend a thousand hours outside the school.”
For those who cannot commit to many hours outside of school, Film Studio is a perfect way to still enjoy the creation of short films. The class is not limited to just editing and filming. Follis is working to incorporate other classes into the process, like writing, acting, music, business and public relations.
“With Film Studio, we are going to do lots of shorts. I think it is going to be much easier, more manageable, timewise, filming-wise, getting actors to show up on set,” Follis said. “Another thing is, there are no film festivals [specifically] for student-made features films. So, if we enter a film into a competition, we are going up against million-dollar films. For example, we [entered] our film last year in the Hartland Film Festival, which is an Oscar-qualifying competition. The ability to enter all the films we make in Film Studio in student festivals that are geared to be short films is super exciting because it is going to give the kids more experience and more accolades.”
There are skills for everyone to learn in this class. With the combination of imagination and access to equipment and beyond, these students have the opportunity of a lifetime. Students begin the process and end the process.
Freshman Ellia Becker, one of the students who will be taking the new class in the fall of 2025 and a member of Olio Road Productions, saw the class as a unique opportunity to learn about film.
“The class stood out to me because I have not really heard of anything like it being offered,” Becker said. “The class seems like a great opportunity to learn about short film production, which will be fun to explore next semester.”
Teagan Schetzsle, another member of Olio Road Productions who will be joining Becker in Film Studio, hopes to continue growing her skills in filmmaking and share her passion for filmmaking with other students.
“I hope to learn skills that will assist in my work through Olio Road Productions,” Schetzsle said. “As well as collaborate with peers who are as enthusiastic about this topic and I am.”
Whether it is writing, photography, videography or editing, there is a place for everyone interested in a professional, creative setting. Follis is both passionate and ready for the full launch of Film Studios in August 2025.
“These kids are going to come up with an idea, … write the script, and find locations,” Follis said. “Filmmaking is writing, it is photography, it is acting, it is music, it is art, it is all that together. And to bring all those kids together with their various interests was the idea for Film Studio. You will never have as many resources as you have in this building.”
