Erin McGrath
Published: March 26, 2008

In January, the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library held a contest for teens ages 12-18 to make a video promoting “The Big Read.”
Schuyler resident Helen “Heddy” Hunt, 16, won third place in the contest that this year encouraged students nationwide to read Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Hunt is a sophomore at Charlottesville High School. Below is a partial transcript of a recent interview with Hunt about her aspirations as a filmmaker.

How did you hear about the Big Read film contest?
“Through my English teacher. And I did the Lighthouse camp (Charlottesville) in the Live Arts building a couple years ago. I get e-mails from them about film contests and they sent me an e-mail about it.”

Are you into film making?
“Yeah. That’s what I want to do. I did the Virginia Film Festival, the Adrenaline project earlier this year. It’s a contest where you make a movie in 72 hours with two other people.”

What’s the first video you ever made?
“When I was in eighth grade, I went to a small private school and I had been in a class with people for 10 years and I decided to make a documentary one day about our experience at the school. We got a camera from our math teacher and made a movie the whole year. I spent most of the year on a computer editing that movie. That was fun.”

How did it turn out?
“Well, the camera work is a little shaky but it was nice. It was sentimental and it was something that we could all take away.”

Have you read To Kill A Mockingbird?
“I read it in eighth grade and my English teacher just made us all read it. We have a test on Monday.”

Do you have a favorite part in it? Favorite character?
“Atticus. I just like everything he says in the book, basically. He gives such good advice that I follow. Or try to. And I love the courtroom scene after the trial where everybody stands up for him. And I love that scene. None of my friends get why I love that scene but I do.”

Have you ever seen the 1962 movie starring Gregory Peck?
“Yup. I like it. I like him and he deserved the Oscar for it. It’s a great movie and I watched it with my dad.”

What are some other things you’ve done with video?
“I’m in the film class at my high school. I did Lighthouse and I made a couple movies that summer and then Adrenaline and this project. And I’ve made little movies all the time. I have a whole book that I write all my ideas in. I dream movie ideas and I write them down. And I make whatever comes to my mind.”

How did you come up with the idea for The Big Read film?
“Well, I guess my idea was that I wanted people to see teenagers reading the book. Cause people tend to think teenagers don’t read big books like that. I’d read it when I was in eighth grade and so I got my friends to help me and I just wanted it to be simple because it’s only 60 seconds and you can only get so much. I meant to do it way earlier than I did, but I did it a week before it was due and I got a camera from my drama teacher, but I kept missing him and that pushed it back … I edited it the night before it was due.”

How do you think it turned out?
“I like it. I was really happy with it. I made the music with it and I was very proud of it.”

What do you want to do in the future?
“I like making films. I really like editing, that’s what I’m good at. In my film class, we’re all separated into groups and I’m the editor for my group’s movie. I really like it and I’m looking at film schools like Columbia University (in New York City) and stuff like that. That’s what I really want to do. Hopefully it’ll happen.”

What are some of the other movies you’ve made?
“The first movie I made that I wrote the script for and the idea for and stuff, with friends also, it was about this couple who were heading to a movie and they dropped their movie tickets on the ground and this homeless guy picks them up and starts to follow them. But they don’t know that he has the tickets so they think he’s stalking them. He followed them to a garage and he pulled out this gun that’s a water gun. Just to scare them or something, and he gives them back the tickets. It’s kind of a ‘turn-around movie.’”

Do you have a next project coming up?
“There is another film contest coming up in May that I’m probably going to do. And I’m trying to do more of a comedy for that one, hopefully. I’m still writing the script for it and trying to find people who will act in it.”