People speak up when they feel strongly about something. Tom Bailey went a step further. He created a movie.
Mr. Bailey is not a film-maker by trade or avocation. His sons have created videos and they’re more at home in the digital world than he is. But he had a message to share with young teens. So he learned to work with a new medium.
The result is a 20-minute production that will have its premiere at the Cornwall Public Library at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 3. The screening will be followed by an informal discussion.
The plot is simple. At the beginning of a promising relationship, a teenage girl gives a provocative picture of herself to her boyfriend. “It’s for your eyes only,” she tells him.
Although he honors her request, he mentions the picture to a friend, who later finds it, photographs it and posts it on social media. It’s not hard to imagine what happens next.
“I was trying to reach eighth and ninth-graders,” Mr. Bailey told us during a recent interview. “This is important subject matter. Once something is out there, you can’t pull it back. Kids don’t always understand the consequences.”
He called the film “Time Heals All Wounds.” But the viewer may wonder if that statement is always true. In the script, one character admits that some girls have killed themselves after their confidence was betrayed.
The production was a family venture. James Bailey, a high school senior, plays the lead role (supported by 12th-graders Rheonna Koss and Scott Rolon). George Bailey, a middle school student, served as assistant director.
The story, which is set in Cornwall and New Windsor, was filmed with an iPhone 6 between June and October. The editing took an additional four months. “It’s amazing what you can do,” Mr. Bailey admitted. “We spent $500 making it. And it looks pretty decent for $500.”
He showed the film to the families of the actors, and then sent a copy to Mary Lou Carolan at the Cornwall Public Library. “Let’s do it” was her reaction.
Mr. Bailey is hoping to have it shown in other places. It’s aimed at school-aged audiences, but the characters sometimes use profanity to make the dialogue seem authentic. As a result, the film may not be appropriate for some schools.
The Facebook link is http://www.facebook.com/timehealsallwoundsmovie/
