At Oak Park High School, film class isn\u2019t just teaching students about cameras, scripts, and editing software. For teacher James McLellan, filmmaking is a great way to support student mental health by fostering cooperation, confidence, and a sense of belonging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McLellan\u2019s film journey started years ago, after a career in the army and a fine arts degree. \u201cWhen I started teaching, I had dreams of making films, but it wasn\u2019t a reality back then,\u201d he says. That all changed with the arrival of digital cameras and non-linear editing. Suddenly, filmmaking became something students could realistically do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From Classroom to Film Set<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since then, he has helped build one of the most unique high school film programs in Manitoba. Oak Park offers both a video production course and a course called \u2018Film Company\u2019<\/em>, where students in Grades 9-12 work on large-scale productions that mimic real industry environments. Their films are screened at Oak Park\u2019s Screen Arts Festival, appear on Rogers TV\u2019s Hollywood High<\/em>, and are regularly invited to the Gimli Film Festival\u2019s Young Filmmakers Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For McLellan the goal isn\u2019t to produce professional filmmakers. Instead, he views film as the vehicle for advancing students\u2019 collaboration in group and teamwork environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Safe Place to Take Creative Risks<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe need to throw kids into these complex environments where roles are complex and the way they cooperate with each other is complex,\u201d he explains. \u201cBut the consequences of failure are low. If the film doesn\u2019t work, nobody gets hurt. That\u2019s a safe place to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That safety is key, especially at a time when many students struggle with anxiety, isolation, and pressure. McLellan has shifted away from darker themes in student films, choosing to focus on comedy instead. \u201cIt\u2019s hard enough being a teenager,\u201d he says. \u201cLet\u2019s just keep it light.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n One notable production was a sci-fi film his class made during the pandemic called #2020<\/em> about people with 20\/20 vision taking over the world. A recent short film called Mr.Ceasette<\/em> plays on the \u2018Six-Seven\u2019 meme that\u2019s recently gone viral among kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Running Film Company Like the Real World<\/p>\n\n\n\n McLellan runs Film Company like a workplace. Students take on roles as actors, crew members, or production leads. Meetings, teamwork, and problem-solving are a big part of the course. Everyone is important and everyone has a role to do. \u201cIt has to be an unbroken chain,\u201d McLellan says. \u201cIf one link is missing, it doesn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through that shared purpose, students learn how to manage stress, communicate clearly, and lead big groups under pressure. They discover that they can handle responsibility and what initially feels overwhelming becomes comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Impact Beyond the Classroom<\/p>\n\n\n\n McLellan says he receives great feedback from parents, who are surprised when they attend screenings and realize the scale of what their children have helped create. \u201cThey\u2019re like, \u2018Wow, this is a real movie\u2019,\u201d McLellan says, noting that his students also say they look at movies completely differently now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Outside the classroom, McLellan recently co-produced a feature film with Alexandre Trudeau called Hair of the Bear<\/em>, which centers around teenage anxiety and resilience. While separate from his schoolwork, the theme goes along with what he sees every day – the need for kids to have resilience and experiences that build confidence rather than fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n McLellan\u2019s work with teaching film has earned him a Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence, as well as an award from the National Art Education Association, and he says he\u2019s open to talking to educators who are interested in his program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is a lot of work, but I tell myself that I have to be thankful that I\u2019ve had an opportunity to have a career as a filmmaker, and a rewarding career working with kids.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Watch Oak Park\u2019s Film Company movies<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n