John Sheesley (12) has directed eight short films to date and his newest is a film titled Once Infinite Yesterdays. For this latest film, Sheesley sought to mesh his first project, Our Love; In Time, and his most recent work; Nothing Before This.
“It follows the story of a girl who has to find a way to tell her girlfriend she wants to break up and an astronaut who’s found himself back where he started. They don’t meet, but their stories are connected. The film explores that connection and the nature of change that they both share experience with,” Sheesley said.
Noah Kelly (12) stars in Sheesley’s latest film. Kelly has acted in 12 theatre productions at Atherton, including Once Upon a Mattress. This is only his second venture into screen acting, however he’s getting a feel for the differences.
“Film acting is much more subtle, I’d say. There’s all these cameras and it’s much closer and more personal. You don’t have to be as much of a character as you do on a stage, you’re more of a normal person,” Kelly said.
Lila Miller (11) is likewise an experienced stage actress who appears in Sheesley’s new film. Once Upon a Mattress will be Miller’s sixth play at Atherton, and she has done eight shows prior to high school in various community theater programs. The latest Atherton theater production, The Great Gatsby, starred Miller alongside Kelly as co-leads, which Miller said benefitted their on-screen chemistry.
“It was nice to get to work with someone I was already familiar with and had established as a reliable scene partner,” Miller said.
Once Infinite Yesterdays was not only Miller’s first project with Sheesley, but her first time ever working on a short film. This was similarly Kelly’s first project with Sheesley, and he explained what about this project specifically caught his attention.
“When John was telling me about the character he said he’d have some drag scenes and my brother actually does drag so this performance almost felt like a love letter to him,” Kelly said.
These actors not only had a wealth of individual experience, but had to work well together, something director Sheesley specifically looked for in the casting process.
“This was a really good group of actors, one of my favorites. They were all very professional, but also fun, and of course talented,” Sheesley said. “They each added personal touches and performance choices that brought the characters to life. They also just worked really well together. This film necessitated good natural chemistry and they just had it.”
Not only had Kelly and Miller worked together on the stage before, but Miller’s costar Idina glass had also been a part of The Great Gatsby. Miller notes the effect her prior working experience with her costars had on her acting.
“Overall it was easier because I was comfortable with everyone and had performance chemistry with them. However, the challenge was not reverting back to the acting choices I made for Daisy Buchanan when working with Idina and Noah, my recurring scene partners from The Great Gatsby,” Miller said.
Though the actors all had great familiarity with each other, they were not only adapting to screen acting, but to Sheesley’s creative direction. Kelly explains how the collaboration process went.
“Working with John was very pleasant. The only negative thing was the weather,” Kelly said. “Sometimes my lips would be numb from the cold and it would make it hard to deliver my lines, but John was considerate, did his best to make sure I was warm.”
Challenges from the weather was a common complaint among the cast and crew. Not only was it physically demanding, but the wind conditions put a strain on the new auditory equipment, necessitating a delicate blend of ADR and reshoots in post-production for many scenes. However, Sheesley commends his cast and crew, not only for sticking it out through this tedious process, but for their endurance through all the frosty days on set.
Looking back on what he found most enjoyable about the experience as a whole, Kelly actually reflected on these cold days on set.
“As cold and as miserable as I was during some of those drag scenes just being there with Nathaniel, Logan, Parker, and all of them cheering me up, there’s definitely some warm memories there,” Kelly said.
Sheesley looks back on the production process fondly.
“The most enjoyable part is always being on set. Being there in the moment, having cast and crew. You get some funny moments. One day we had a lot of crew and it was Parker, Noah, Nate, and Logan, just singing Creed songs on repeat. I like being with people, even on a bad day,” Sheesley said.
For Miller, it likewise seemed that the experience was more defined by the people than the conditions.
“For me, the most enjoyable part was getting to work so closely with Idina Glass. Getting to share the stage and camera with her is always such an honor,” Miller said. “Also, getting to meet new people and gain the experience of being in a short film and discovering something I am passionate about as I continue acting.”
As for John, his films not only serve as a hobby, but preserves memories that will last a lifetime.
“This film preserves things that are important to me. It’s a bit selfish, but as we’re applying to college and preparing to graduate, it’s comforting to know I can have this snapshot of my friends at this exact moment and keep that with me forever. I haven’t quite decided but this might be the last film I make for a while. Even if it isn’t, I’ll cherish it for what it is,” Sheesley said.
You can watch Once Infinite Yesterdays, as well as Sheesley’s prior films from his time here at Atherton, on his YouTube channel, John b.t. Films (@just_johns_films).
