Q+A with Chris Corey, NJ High school teacher at Middletown South
The BFC Short Film Fest is a showcase for young filmmakers to share their views of the world. Student filmmaking programs offer a structure for a visually expressive artform where students learn the history and technical aspects of filmmaking and learn how to take a singular vision and turn it into a universal message. This process requires collaboration, directing, editing, marketing, and distribution.
We would like to highlight the film program of Middletown High School South, under the guidance of Chris Corey. Located in Middletown Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, young film students are garnering attention for their films, including showings at the BFC’s 2021 and 2022 short film festivals. Therefore, we wanted to know more about the successes of their film program.
[Q] How long have you been a film teacher? Are you a filmmaker?
[A] I have been teaching filmmaking for 15 years at the high school level (6 years at Warren Hills Regional HS and 8 at Middletown HS South). Prior to that, I worked in the industry, and I was the graduate assistant for the film department at Montclair State University while earning my MFA. I am a filmmaker, however, I haven’t made a film in a while.
[Q] Tell us about your film program curriculum offered to students and how long it has been at MHSS.
[A] The program at MHSS has been around roughly since 2005, and it used to be a TV production program. When I arrived in 2013 I turned it into a Film/TV hybrid with a focus on digital filmmaking. Students learn the history and theory of film and then put what is learned into practice while being encouraged to show their work publicly.
We offer the following courses:
Film/TV I
Advanced Film/TV
Independent Study I
Independent Study II
Cinema Studies
[Q] In what ways has the COVID pandemic affected your classes and the students' filmmaking?
[A] COVID-19 had an impact on our program, primarily when we were remote and when we were hybrid. Students went from making films using industry-standard equipment/software to basically using their phones to shoot and edit. Additionally, they weren’t getting the same feedback from me and their peers as they usually would because we were not in person. Usually, we screen rough cuts and give feedback during the editing process.
[Q] What have been some highlights and achievements you can share with us?
[A] Some of the highlights that we’ve experienced are as follows:
We will have screened work from my program over 500 times as of March of this year. My students have won multiple awards over the years, and they have screened work in Moscow, Ireland, France, and Greece. Additionally, I have former students who are working or have worked at CNN, PBS NewsHour, NBC, The Mill, Aggregate Films, and the NY Yankees.
We've had the pleasure of working with Steven Van Zandt's Rock and Roll Forever Foundation through the Hometown Documentary Series and Teach Rock, and I was named 2018 Teacher of the Year by the Garden State Film Festival.
[Q] What are your goals for the program?
[A] My goal each year is to have students produce work at a high level and hopefully be well-equipped to find creative work that would make them fulfilled and gainfully employed. My long-term goal is to grow the program and develop more relationships with industry professionals and film institutions like the BFC.
