By Lisa Biehle Files
“Filmmakers can shape the future,” says filmmaker and teacher, Jonathan Moeller. “Film and video has the power to expose wrongdoings, right doings, and the cultural context that comes with it.”
Jonathan will teach the Young Filmmakers Live Action Workshops at the River Forest Depot, 401 Thatcher Ave., in early December from 1 to 4:30 p.m. The workshop for grades 6 to 8 is on Sunday, Dec. 2, and the workshop for grades 3 to 5 is on Sunday, Dec. 9. More details and registration are here: https://www.oneearthfilmfest.org/workshops/
Continues Jonathan, “Filmmakers have a significant role in our society today because video is literally everywhere across the internet and social media. Video content is one of the quickest and most effective ways to get a marketing strategy, political idea, news piece, etc. out into the world.”
Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Jonathan developed an interest in film while skateboarding in middle school. At first he documented kickflips, heels and grinds, but eventually his interests shifted from skateboarding to narrative filmmaking.
Jonathan completed a bachelor’s degree in Film, Theatre, and Communication Arts at The University of New Orleans before moving to Chicago to attend Columbia College, where he earned a master’s degree in Cinema Writing and Directing in 2015. For the past six years, Jonathan was Film Program Coordinator at the Beverly Arts Center in Chicago. In that capacity, he taught filmmaking classes to children and adults, ranging from stop-motion animation, to screenwriting, to general filmmaking techniques.
In September, he took a new job as full-time film teacher at DePaul College Prep High School in Chicago. A quick look at his LinkedIn profile reveals that he is also a juggler of sorts. Jonathan has a lot of part-time gigs as video director, editor, writer, and assistant director for a variety of organizations from McDonald’s to The Onion Labs, which makes short comedic videos for YouTube. A sense of humor runs through his work; a prime example is “The Late Fee,” a 7-minute film about budding love in a video rental store: https://vimeo.com/118694953
To see more, his website is at: https://www.jonathanmoellermedia.com/teaching
“A great film comes down to the story first,” says Jonathan. “A filmmaker has to understand what their story is and who they are telling it for.”
As far as the workshops go, he will cover all the basics, meaning lighting, framing, camera usage, blocking, audio, and how it all fits together. “The goal will be to tie all those concepts back to the theme of the stories they are telling.”
Cost for the workshop is $30 for River Forest residents and $35 for non-residents. Register here: https://www.oneearthfilmfest.org/workshops/