NC senior aims for filmmaking
Martin Scorsese once said, “Now more than ever, we need to talk to each other, to listen to each other and understand how we see the world, and cinema is the best medium for doing this.”
Greta Carlson, a 17-year-old senior at North Central High School, would agree with Scorsese, who happens to be her favorite movie director.
The middle child in a family of three, Carlson has discovered that drama can get you pretty far in the world.
After she graduates in May, she might be moving to Manhattan to attend Hunter University, unless she chooses to go to Columbia College in Chicago. Both schools have noted film-production programs, and both schools have accepted Carlson. She hasn’t made her decision but is leaning toward Hunter.
“Being successful in the movie business requires making very good connections. Larger cities provide a better opportunity to make those connections,” Carlson said.
Production hasn’t always been Carlson’s passion, however. When she was in the seventh grade, she appeared on stage in a few productions at Spokane Civic Theatre.
She also has portrayed Rosalind in Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” That production took place last spring at North Central High School. Also at NC, Carlson has appeared in “Doll Shop,” which is staged there every three years.
Aided by classes in drama, digital tools and television production, Carlson has written, produced and edited five feature films and three news features.
Among her favorites is a short film, “Of Different Minds,” in which a young screenplay writer experiences writer’s block. In an effort to alleviate his problem, he brainstorms with a group of friends as the audience watches the plot advance through each individual’s idea in several different genres.
Carlson’s film talents also include documentaries. She produced and edited one, “Blast Radius,” that follows her cousin, Mark, who has Down syndrome. The title reflects the scientific term for the effects of a major disaster, such as the radius of destruction from the detonation of a bomb.
This documentary was entered in the National Festival for the Advancement of the Arts last fall. While it scored well (in the 75th percentile for all entries nationwide), the film didn’t win an award.
“Psychological thriller is my favorite genre,” Carlson said. When asked whether she has done a psychological thriller, she quips, “Done them, yes. Succeeded at them, hmmm.”
Neither her mom, Paddy, a nurse practitioner, nor her dad, David, an engineer, has appeared in any of her films. But her younger brother, Burt, has had turns, as well as her dogs, Ole and Seamus, and her 11-year-old goldfish, Fins.
However, Fins will not be playing the lead role in Carlson’s upcoming feature, “Dead Fish,” a film she describes as “somewhat like ‘Crash’ only a lot lighter and funnier.”
During First Night Spokane last New Year’s Eve, Carlson and her team competed in the 48-hour Film Festival, in which teams have just 48 hours to produce a film. Her team was two minutes late and did not get to be included in the judging. However, her film was put on the B reel, which allowed the public to view it anyway.
Carlson says of the experience, “It ended up being cool because one of the guys from North by Northwest came and spoke in our film class at school. It was a fun way to spend a winter weekend.”
Whether it is Manhattan or Chicago that Carlson soon will call home, chances are that here in Spokane, we will hear about – and maybe even get to watch – her successful career in film.
Readers can check out Carlson’s film, “Of Different Minds,” on googlemovies.com.