During the second semester of the 2022-2023 school year, the Glendale High School Cinematography 5-6 class filmed their annual capstone project. With a crew of forty-two members, directed by senior Stella Todd and junior Edna Cardona, the short film “Clock In” features wit, twists, and a mystery, all wrapped up in a seemingly easygoing setting. It premiered at the GUSD Film Festival on May 21st, at the Glendale Performing Arts Center.
The idea for the “Clock In” came from Edna, as a 1970’s sitcom, filmed in a style similar to The Truman Show, all commentating on how capitalism, race, and gender play into a corporate world. The film was developed around those themes, but it still features comedy and drama in the same setting. “The idea of the main character being trapped in a sitcom came from a show called Kevin Can F**k Himself, in which the show films the main character as she’s in a sitcom, when she has to interact with her narcissistic husband,” Edna said.
Both directors worked together to create the world of “Clock In”, as they collaborated on writing the script, directing the film, and working through post-production. “[Edna and I] are so compatible,” Stella detailed. “Us working and developing this together from the beginning has contributed a lot to our workflow.” Because both directors worked so well as a team, their crew members were able to move from location to location with ease and swiftness, producing the film to peak condition with utmost efficiency.
Using several of the cameras and equipment owned by the GHS Cinematography Department, the crew shot their film at Los Angeles Center Studios from April 10th to April 14th. The other settings of the film were shot on the GHS campus, with one of the sets even being built by hand. The building project took two months to complete, with several of the crew members contributing to its construction.
Featuring a variety of shots, including some on a rented camera dolly, “Clock In” features the best camerawork that you are likely to see in a high school production. The film boasts incredible cinematography, exhibiting the hours of work that our Cinematography students put into the project. In addition, the sound, lighting, and production in the film are top notch, and they were all fine-tuned to perfection by the crew.
Overall, “Clock In” is a striking film, remarking on heavy themes with both wit and humor. Congratulations to Edna, Stella, their crew members, and Cinematography instructor, Josh Kirkwood, for this momentous achievement.
Photography by Rebecca Perez
