Ever since sophomore Brogan Sievers saw Steven Speilberg’s E.T., he knew he wanted to make movies.

“I was in sixth grade when I started making movies with just a home camcorder,” Sievers said.

Since then, he has made around 15 films and plans to submit one of his most recent projects, Tapeworm, an X-Files inspired horror short, to the Focus Film Festival hosted by Lawrence High on April 29. This is the fifth year for this festival, which includes films from high schools all over northeast Kansas.

Sievers makes movies for Film Media II and also in his free time. Next year he plans to be in Firebird Productions. He someday hopes to turn this hobby into a career by becoming a director.

Last year, Sievers shadowed Kevin Willmott, a local film director who recently directed The Only Good Indian. 

“He gave me some inspiration and drive to keep working at what I like doing,” Sievers said.

Besides Willmott, some of his biggest influences are Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, David Lynch and the writings of J.D. Salinger.

Although there are many different elements that go into filming, (storyline, outline, actual screenplay, etc.), Sievers said finding a location and keeping the actors under control are the hardest.

“Where we want to shoot it never turns out where we actually shoot it” Sievers said.

When filming, he usually doesn’t use tripods and tries to use interesting angles. One of his movies was filmed with night vision the whole time, and another was filmed in black and white with slow motion.

“I always try to do something weird with my movies,” Sievers said.

Along with filming, one of Sievers’ favorite parts of the filmmaking process is getting to spend time with his friends, whom he turns to for acting help.

“It’s cool because whenever I’m in his movies, I can always have some input in what we do,” sophomore Jon Fitzgerald said. “He values my opinion.”

When he graduates, Sievers plans to go to either NYU or Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

“If anyone could [make a career out of directing], it’d probably be Brogan,” sophomore Kainen Spooner said. “He’s got good ideas, he knows how to cast, he knows how to direct.”