PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, OCTOBER 11, 2019
KeizerCommunity
KEIZERTIMES.COM
McNary junior to be featured
in 45th Parallel Film Festival
By MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Braeden Olheiser has only
been interested in fi lmmak-
ing for a couple of years, but
despite his inexperience, the
16-year-old McNary High
student is already getting rec-
ognized for his skills.
Olheiser’s short fi lm, Tan-
dem Thoughts, has been nom-
inated for an award for best
youth fi lm and best narrative
and storytelling at the 45th
Parallel Film Festival, which
takes place at Salem Cinema
on Saturday, Oct. 19.
“The fact that this is get-
ting recognized at all is an
achievement,” Olheiser said.
“It was really gratifying when
I found out I was nominated.
It feels like all my hard work is
fi nally paying off.”
Tandem Thoughts, which is
just under fi ve minutes in run-
time, is a drama about a guy
who just graduated from high
school and is moving to Spain.
But during his going-away
party, his ex-girlfriend shows
up to try and re-kindle the re-
lationship.
“The entire movie is the
confl ict and dialogue between
these two people who are at
battle with each other on
what they should do,” Olhe-
iser said.
Olheiser fi rst got into fi lm-
making after taking a video
production class from former
McNary media production
teacher Jason Heimerdinger
— who is now in his fi rst year
teaching at San Luis Obispo
High School in California.
“The second I got the
camera, I started hogging it to
be honest. Once I got a touch
of actual video production, I
just had to keep going,” Ol-
heiser said.
During his freshman and
sophomore years, Olheiser
spent time behind the camera
making a variety of different
short videos that featured dif-
ferent clubs and events at Mc-
Nary. Over time, he began to
grow his skill-set.
“As an aspiring fi lmmak-
er, Braeden was constantly
trying to improve his story-
telling and cinematography,”
Heimerdinger said. “He ap-
preciates technical details and
would often go the extra mile
to get a shot.”
When Olheiser got
the chance to borrow
Heimerdinger’s
video
equipment this summer, he
knew that he had to take
advantage.
“I’ve done two years
of video production and I
need to do something with
it,” Olheiser said.
Generally, one of the
most diffi cult parts of the
fi lmmaking process is writ-
ing the script. Olheiser,
however, wrote this 10-
page script in just one night
over the summer, using a
green-apple fl avored Bang
Energy Drink as his fuel.
He then cast McNary stu-
dents Makayla Hadley and
Jonathan Echavarria as the
two lead characters.
“I don’t think it was the
quality of the script that they
were excited about, I think
they were just excited about
this other avenue of acting
because there aren’t a lot of
opportunities in videos here
at McNary,” Olheiser said.
After three days of fi lming
and almost 20 hours editing,
the short fi lm starting running
on Capitol Community Tele-
vision (CCTV) in September.
“I had full creative control
over what was happening and
I had also had help from peo-
Above: Braeden Olheiser with
actor Jonathan Echavarria on
set. RIGHT: Olheiser oversees
audition for his next fi lm.
ple that I trusted who are very
talented people who can give
me really good input. I fell in
love with that process,” Olhe-
iser said.
One of Olheiser’s biggest
inspirations is Zeek Earl, a
2006 graduate of McNary and
another one of Heimerding-
er’s former students.
Along with his friend,
Chris Caldwell, Earl formed
the production company Shep
Films. In 2018, the duo co-
wrote and co-directed their
fi rst feature fi lm called Pros-
pect, a critically-acclaimed sci-
ence-fi ction fi lm.
“(Earl) came from the same
place that I did and now he’s
making out big. He is one in-
spirations for what I do today,”
Olheiser said. “Because he did
it before me, it makes me feel
like I can do it. I feel like this
is my calling.”
Olheiser already has an-
other fi lm that he is in the
process of making, called As
The Crow Flies. He has been
much more deliberate with
this project as he started writ-
ing the 50-page script last
December, and held auditions
in late September.
Similar to his fi rst fi lm, As
The Crow Flies centers around
two characters pre-
paring to leave high
school and enter the
real world.
Even though his fi rst
fi lm is up for an award,
Olheiser is much more
confi dent in his ability
to put out an even bet-
ter piece of work this
time around.
“The driving theme
behind the fi lm is to
not look back,” Olhe-
iser said. “I’m very ex-
cited about it because
I spent a lot more time
on it than my fi rst fi lm.
I’m much more con-
fi dent in the outcome
because I really got to
plan it. I know a little
bit more of what I’m
doing.”
Olheiser has a con-
stant drive for self-im-
provement when it
comes to his fi lms,
which he believes will
help him in the long
run.
“At the end of
the day, I still proba-
bly won’t be satisfi ed,
which is why I will
keep moving forward. I want
to chase that dream and make
something worthwhile,” Ol-
heiser said.
Heimerdinger
added:
“Braeden’s technical skills
will make him an experi-
enced young engineer or tech
right out of school.” His net-
working and ability to satisfy
a client will also take him a
long way. It’s a tough indus-
try to break in to, but I would
like to have him on my side
after he’s had more fi lmmak-
ing experiences.”
Students
promote
mental
health
By BROOKLYN FLINT
Of the Keizertimes
On Monday, Oct. 7, South
Salem High School held a
student-led presentation for
the public launch of Live To
Tell.
The event had many
speakers from the commu-
nity who shared their hopes
and plans for the future of
the organization and their
past experience with mental
health issues and lack of sup-
port.
Live To Tell is a non-profi t
suicide prevention organi-
zation led by Eric Martz, a
senior at South Salem High
School. The organization
works to fund and organize
student-led clubs in Sa-
lem-Keizer high schools that
spread awareness for suicide
prevention and mental health.
Live To Tell provides clubs
structure, funding, and ideas
for how to get involved in
their school community to
destigmatize the topic and
change the school culture
surrounding mental health.
In addition, Live To Tell will
work to advocate for students’
interests at the administrative
and legislative level as school
policies are being written and
bills are being passed to ad-
dress mental health concerns
in the school district and in
the state.
If you are interested in
helping the organization and
making a donation, visit the
website at livetotellnonprofi t.
org or the group’s Instagram
(@livetotellnonprofi t) and its
Facebook page (Live To Tell).
Sam Goesch
Ins Agcy Inc
Sam Goesch CLU, Agent
3975 River Road North
Keizer, OR 97303
Bus: 503-393-6252
State Farm , Bloomington, IL
1211999
Keizer & Salem’s Go-To-Guy for Buying & Selling
TALK TO BOB
The go-to Realtor with over 20 years in
the real estate & mortgage lending industry
2016
Call or Text
503-983-4086
3975 River Rd N Suite 3 - Keizer
bobshack1@gmail.com
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