![Behind the Scenes_student interviews]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1739913278/gunneryorg/nxcdde2dw72re4n3ecbo/IMG_6692.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1739913278/gunneryorg/nxcdde2dw72re4n3ecbo/IMG_6692.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1739913278/gunneryorg/nxcdde2dw72re4n3ecbo/IMG_6692.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1739913278/gunneryorg/nxcdde2dw72re4n3ecbo/IMG_6692.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1739913278/gunneryorg/nxcdde2dw72re4n3ecbo/IMG_6692.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1739913278/gunneryorg/nxcdde2dw72re4n3ecbo/IMG_6692.jpg","width":2200}])
Ever wonder what it’s really like to be a Gunn student? An exciting new film project, “The Highlander Journey,” which had its world premiere on February 18, seeks to answer that question as it shows the journey of being a Highlander from freshman to senior year. The five-minute film is fast-paced and fun, highlighting some of the challenges, changes, and traditions — like School Walk, Senior Rock and the Stray Shot — that will resonate with current students and alumni, as well as giving prospective students a look at why Gunn is a cool place to be.
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“We made this film to celebrate our community and to show prospective families about life at Gunn. One of our goals was to show a high-energy, fun, cool community that cheers for each other, and I think you’ll feel that way when you see it,” said Chief Strategy Officer Doug Day, who worked closely with The Film Guys, a creative consulting and production house specializing in school videos, to develop the vision and script that would “tell the story of The Frederick Gunn School in a way that would make our students feel proud.”
The entire community was invited to participate in the making of the film, which was shot over the course of seven days this fall in locations ranging from classrooms, dorms, and Solley Dining Hall to the Quad, the Koven-Jones Glade, the athletic fields, Steep Rock Preserve, and Lake Waramaug. Two of Gunn’s newest buildings, The Lizzie & Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation & Active Citizenship and the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center, feature prominently.
“We shot more than 200 scenes,” Day said. “We wanted to show a film that authentically represented our community as a place that is inviting, fun, warm, supportive, and, honestly, a place where a prospective student can imagine themselves wanting to be; a place where they will have fun and can see themselves succeeding.”
Current students and faculty got their first look at the film at School Meeting on February 18, and gave it resounding applause.
The Film Guys, including Robert Behou, director and writer, Alessi Enriquez, producer, and Suhayb “So Hype” Al Jawhari, hype man, camera operator, and producer, were actually on campus for 19 days, and recorded extensive interviews with current Highlanders, who helped them get to know the school and learn about the many things that are unique to the student experience at Gunn.
“Without question, your inputs are what made this possible and authentic,” Day told students at School Meeting. “I actually learned some new things about our community.”
One spoiler alert: followers of the school’s social media may have spotted Charlie, the Highland cow, who was part of the filming in October. He does not have a role in “The Highlander Journey” but he may make a cameo appearance in the future. As Day said: “Stay tuned!”
