On March 8th, TCS students and teachers dedicated a day to filming their campus promotional video with the assistance of a professional film crew. The goal was to showcase the school and its offerings through an engaging video.
The idea for the promotional video came from school board member Andy Shih, who believed that a video would provide a straightforward way to give viewers a glimpse into the daily life at TCS.
“The video allows us to showcase our everyday life and offers viewers a chance to see what we do and what we have to offer," explained Andy Shih.
The filming commenced with the first group of students starting early in the morning. They applied light makeup and proceeded to the first scene.
"It was a bit strange to wear makeup since I had never done it before. For the first scene, we had to pretend to enter the school. Luckily, we achieved the desired result after just three tries, which was quite fast for the initial attempt," shared Eason Hung, a Grade 10 student.
As the day progressed, more students joined in, and scenes were continuously filmed, with approximately 50 percent of the work completed before lunchtime. Throughout the process, school principal Mr. Grant Sundal actively captured behind-the-scenes moments, showcasing the professionalism and camaraderie of the film crew.
"As I watched behind-the-scenes documentaries, I became interested in trying it out myself. It was a great experience to capture the humorous moments and showcase the reality of filmmaking, with the entire school community involved in the process. This type of project-based learning is what I aim to see at schools every day," shared Principal Sundal.
While waiting for their scenes, most students found ways to stay engaged and entertained.
"I was waiting for my scene to be set up, and I noticed some others playing a game called 'headbandz.' It caught my attention, so I observed them playing. After a few rounds, I decided to join in, and we had a lot of fun," recalled Crystal Kao, a Grade 10 student.
After a relatively long lunch break, during which lunch scenes were also filmed, the remaining scenes focused on sports activities.
"The cheerleading scene felt a bit awkward and embarrassing at first, but luckily the moves were not too difficult, and we managed to complete the filming quickly," expressed Angelina Hsieh, a Grade 10 student.
"I found the ball hockey scene to be more entertaining than I anticipated. I genuinely enjoyed the filming process," added Phillip Seewald, another Grade 10 student.
The filming concluded around 8 P.M. with a scene that was described as "hilarious and comforting" by Leo Seewald, one of the final participants.
"My brother Phillip and I were so focused on flipping pancakes in sync. When we successfully accomplished it, we felt a sense of achievement," shared Leo Seewald.
Throughout the filming process, the students actively practiced their core competencies, including communication, collaboration, personal and social identity, and self-regulation.
"We constantly communicated with the crew, followed their instructions, and gave our best effort. Collaboration was key as we supported the crew and ensured our best performance when the camera was rolling. This experience deepened my understanding of what the school aims to provide and the activities we will be engaged in. Even when we were not being filmed, we maintained good behavior as representatives of the school," expressed Neo Chung, a student.
The completed video was shown to the students before its grand premiere at the opening event, receiving positive feedback from the audience.
"The results are amazing," said Andy Shih with relief, acknowledging the success of the promotional video.