On November 19th, Jack and Tyler Production Studios released their first-ever film: a glimpse at life on the Circle during the pandemic. Filmed and planned by Tyler Weisberg ‘22 and edited by Jack Sperling ‘22, this video sought to show a first-hand experience from the student perspective. “Because in-person admission tours were not possible this year, the film was the perfect opportunity to illustrate what it’s like to be a Groton student,” explained Jack. 

“It is just something I always wanted to do,” wrote Tyler. The film was not originally produced for the admissions office, but once the final result was out, admissions considered it ideal to show prospective students what life is like at Groton. The video can now be found on the Groton Instagram and Youtube pages.

Jack, a remote learner this Fall, reflected on the difficulties they encountered during the production of the film. “I think the most difficult portion of this project was us being in different places. Because I was in Minnesota, we couldn’t walk around the Circle together to frame shots or sit around a monitor to edit together. Because of this, the project had to be chunked into segments where Tyler would film around 20 clips, send me the files, and then I tell him if anything needed to be reshot,” said Jack. The duo eventually conquered the problem of long-distance by using Zoom frequently, which was the most efficient way of collaborating to compose the final product. 

Tyler agreed with Jack that communication was the most challenging part, and, as a cameraman, he found it difficult to shoot the hyperlapses — the fast zooms which can be seen during the first 45 seconds of the film. Each zoom is a time-consuming process, requiring 120 consecutive pictures. Filmmakers Peter McKinnon and Casey Neistat were a great source of inspiration for Tyler’s filming. 

While editing the film, Jack chose to complement the electric music bass drops with special transitions to mimic similar ‘vlog’ type videos. This more casual approach, rather than formal interviews with teachers and students, contributed to the film’s aim to portray student life at Groton. The video impeccably captures the friendly atmosphere and connections between students on the Circle.

We encourage you to check out their work and stay tuned for future works; Jack and Tyler production studios expressed its interest in a second version once Groton is back to normal!