West Orange High School Students Win 2nd Place in 2024 NJ 10-Day Film Challenge

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A film called “Take My Hand,” co-written by West Orange High School senior Dylan Schatell and junior Gavin Jaskott, was awarded second place out of 150 films entered into the 2024 New Jersey 10-Day Film Challenge.

Schatell shared how he and his classmates created the film. “The contest had nine pre-selected genres, and we had to spin a wheel in the computer to be assigned a genre. We got the thriller genre.” He continued, “We then had a group pitch session where everyone pitched different ideas. One girl pitched a story about a girl being hunted by a stalker. Later that day, my co-writer Gavin Jaskott and I wrote something based on that pitch.”

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According to Schatell, the rules were to include three elements: the main character had to be named Charlie Burns, an envelope had to appear in the movie and an extreme long shot had to be included as one of the cinematic techniques.

He reported, “ I really enjoyed the entire film making process, but if I had to pick my favorite, the filming and editing stages were particularly rewarding. During filming, I loved being on set, working with the cast and crew and seeing the script come to life.” Schatell also found it fascinating to coordinate lighting, camera angles and actor performances to create “the desired atmosphere and tension.”

He described editing, “It was incredible to piece together the raw footage and shape it into a coherent, engaging story. I spent countless hours experimenting with different cuts, transitions and effects to enhance the narrative flow and visual impact,” Schatell remarked. He added that he learned a great deal about the technical aspects of film making through the editing process. “I familiarized myself with color grading and sound design, which are crucial for achieving a professional look and feel. Overall, it was a fantastic learning experience that deepened my appreciation for the art and craft of film making.”

Schatell also found directing interesting. “As a director, you're a leader. You have to unite people and motivate them to work on the production. Every day, I tried my best to get everyone excited about the project and ensure everything was organized and planned well.” He noted that he and his team ended up being ahead of schedule and was able to devote time to fine-tuning everything.

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“I love creating a visual story and seeing it all come together. The whole process of storytelling through film is very fulfilling for me.” He also mentioned that this was the first real film he ever worked on, although he had co-directed a couple of plays. “It felt very good to place in this competitive contest. We worked hard on this film, and it was exciting to hear the results.” Schatell learned that they only lost first place by one point!

Regarding casting, Schatell shared, “I thought about who would be good for each role. Some people volunteered to act, so I cast them based on who I thought would fit the roles best. I tried to include as many people as I could, so we wrote many roles.”

Schatell and Jaskott also co-edited the film. Schatell and Hayley Goldberg were co-directors, and Nicole Elizondo Prado and Amelie Swayze created the cinematography.

The cast included:

Alyssa Nicholson Lewis played Charli Burns

Craig Stanley, Jr. played Cyrano

Jacsyn Scott played Friend

Nico Espinosa played Student #1

Saina Methelus played Student #2

Javier Jaswal played Student #3

Mrs. Mapes played Receptionist

Schatell was very happy with viewers’ reaction to the film. “Everyone said they liked it, especially the jump scare. When they heard the film won, they were excited and congratulatory.”

Schatell will major in Political Science at Rutgers University in New Brunswick in the fall and is considering minoring in film.

Watch the film HERE .

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