Written by Madeline Burmeister
The time is ticking until the Five16 Film Festival, and the directors of the selected films are eager to release their projects to the student body. Matthew Sherrard, a director of two featured films, is one of them. Sherrard solo-directed his senior capstone project titled Unspoken, starring Isaac Wilson and CJ DeVaan.
The story displays a father and a son and the things that go unsaid in their relationship. As the son moves back to college, the father attempts to verbalize his love for him, but he ends up communicating these feelings through his actions instead. In a short glimpse into one day of their lives, the film captures their tension and complex emotional reality.
The preparations for this year’s film festival were not Sherrard’s first rodeo in film production. In fact, his practice in the field began as a hobby. He created videos in high school for fun and sometimes for his church. After Sherrard started attending Northwestern, he gained experience in various Production Assistant roles both at school and in the community. Last spring, he submitted his first larger project, titled Threshold, to Five16. He categorizes Unspoken as his first “deeper” or serious-toned film.
Although Sherrard holds a plethora of production experiences, the process of his senior capstone film kept him on his toes. The forecast was clear for the winter weekend scheduled for shooting, but when filming day came, the weather had a mind of its own. In below-zero temperatures and an unexpected snowstorm, Sherrard’s cast and crew ventured outside to make a movie. Regardless of the mic freezing and losing some audio, this was Sherrard’s favorite part of producing the film. “People came around the project and were still willing to make it,” he said, along with noting that he doesn’t anticipate planning an outdoor winter shoot again.
At the time of the film selection announcement, Sherrard was sitting with other media production peers. Many of them received the big email at the same time and were able to celebrate together.
At Five16, the audience enjoys dressing up, taking pictures, and viewing an assortment of well-done short films. But behind the scenes, there are Northwestern students who pour their hearts into these projects and find true joy in the ability to share their God-given gifts with the community. For Sherrard, he hopes that his film, Unspoken, will convey the things that we know to be true but don’t know how to say. On Friday night, when you take your seats in Knight Performance Hall, be sure to remember the hearts and efforts that are behind the films you watch. It will make your viewing experience even more meaningful.
