Yesterday we had the privilege of hosting Pelican House Productions, the film company behind General Education. If you’re a fan of quirky comedies, this is one that you will want to see in August.
One of the reasons that we hosted Pelican House is that a founder, Elliot Feld, used to be a student at our school and it’s great to see a Hurricane come back to share experiences with current students. Their group did a great job of talking to students about how to pursue goals and how to work as a professional. Over and over again they talked about taking opportunities as they came, but also learning how to say no to things that didn’t line up with their goals.
They were very approachable and related well with the students. They put on a marathon presentation schedule yesterday, but were good sports about it and were happy to meet with as many students as they could. More than once they mentioned to me how much they wanted to give back to the community.
As co-writers of the screenplay, they had great insight into how to create a story that would not only translate well to the screen but would emotionally connect the audience to the subject matter. A big lesson for the students was that planning is free and crucial. The more effectively you plan, the more money you save. Each day filming translates into money. These guys had a budget to shoot for 18 days, not 90 like a blockbuster. Also, you have to be super-planned because it’s not just you and some friends messing around with a video camera. When filming the graduation scene in General Education, 500+ people were on set. Without planning, the movie would have  ground to a halt in the chaos. It was great hearing the producer talk about his role in organizing things ahead of time.
Check out the movie trailer here and marvel at the cast they have listed at IMDB. They can be reached on Twitter at @PHPfilm and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pelicanhouseproductions. Message them to schedule a visit. It’s well worth your time.
