Reel-world experience

It was only supposed to be a one-time guest lecture. Bob Gray, a digital-video-production professor at Suncoast Technical College, wanted to offer his students some real-world experience, so he reached out to Trishul Thejasvi and Thomas Nudi, of Bradenton-based film company Orensis Films.

“I kept hearing about these guys,” says Gray. “I finally said, ‘OK, I have to meet them.’ I invited them to come in and give a guest lecture one Friday, but it skyrocketed after that.”

After the first lecture, Thejasvi and Nudi weren’t satisfied with just a surface-level overview. They wanted to dive deeper. They suggested coming back weekly to help the students produce their own scripts.

“The opportunity arose, and we said, ‘Let’s do it,’” says Nudi. “This is exactly the type of thing we wish we had in high school. We’d just finished our feature film, ‘Monty Comes Back,’ and this was a chance to do something for someone else. Talk about fulfilling — to be able to get out of yourself and be part of something a little bigger — absolutely.”

Starting in August, Thejasvi and Nudi worked closely with 40 students from two classes to narrow down four script ideas, on which they’ll serve as executive producers: “Overcooked,” a family drama written by Viviana Lopez; “The Best Day Ever,” a sci-fi comedy by Cameron Cruce; “Porcelain Doll,” a dark, modern fairytale written by Chad Martin; and Ally Williams’ existential comedy/drama, “Jane Don’t.”

Thejasvi will direct and Nudi will produce the fifth script, Taylor Teague’s romantic drama/comedy, “Gossip,” which explores the difficulties of having an opposite-gender friendship. The films are in the early stages of  production, and Nudi says he expects them all to wrap by late April.

“Working with Orensis and seeing how things are done on a professional indie shoot was huge for me,” says Teague. “The way they interpreted my script and gave me honest notes — I really feel like I’ve found my passion.”

Nudi and Thejasvi stressed the importance of being direct with the students and treating them like any other professional — even if it meant some painful truths. When developing scripts, they pushed students to draw from their personal lives to present something original.

“It all starts with the story,” says Thejasvi. “That’s the most important thing. It’s not just shooting and lighting. That’s not what filmmaking is. In its purest form, filmmaking is about telling a good story, and telling it the correct way.”

For Gray, a filmmaker and an alumnus of Florida State University’s inaugural graduate film school program, the chance to take his students beyond the academic setting, where they can gain real-world experience, has been paramount, and he hopes to see his students go on to represent the industry locally.

“There’s only so much we can do in a classroom setting,” says Gray. “Working with Orensis has made a quantum difference. The increase in the level of maturity and commitment I’ve seen in the students has been amazing. When you see your students get passionate about something, that’s a great feeling.”