Forced Perspective will be senior Joshua Burnett’s directorial debut.
Courtesy | Natalie Kottom

Hillsdale’s Film and Production Club will premiere senior Joshua Burnett’s newest film, “Forced Perspective,” Nov. 21.

“I am the writer, director, producer, and editor, so I’m wearing a lot of hats,” Burnett joked. 

Burnett says he has worked on the script for his film for more than a year and served many roles in the production. He has been involved with the film production club for two-and-a-half years, serving briefly as the club’s president. Though he helped produce most of the films the club has made, “Forced Perspective” is the first film that Burnett has made on his own.

“Forced Perspective” will premiere Nov. 21 in Plaster Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. The Film and Production Club will also show some of its previous films, including “A Peculiar Sort of Stairs” and “Shall We,” starting at 7:30 p.m. If viewers want to see only “Forced Perspective,” they can catch one of the other screenings at the same time Nov. 22 and Nov. 23.

The story follows two sisters, played by senior Rachel Dunphy and Fiona Mulley ’25, who are struggling to reconnect due to differing values and priorities. The story centers on art and family, with the title referencing both the artistic concept of forced perspective and the difficult relationship between the two sisters. Burnett said he went through several different versions of this project before settling on the storyline. 

“The first version was about a white-collar criminal running away after he embezzles a bunch of money,” Burnett said. “With that one, there were some stageability things, like not having a middle-aged guy. So that ended up changing quite a bit.”

He later decided to explore the story of the two sisters, but couldn’t pin down the storyline that fit until the summer of 2024.

Burnett said he enjoyed getting the chance to make a movie from scratch. 

“It’s been fantastic,” Burnett said. “I definitely think it’s a lot more fun to be able to direct and kind of lead out my own story. It’s still very collaborative. I’m working with tons of other actors and artists, and filmmakers to make the thing happen. But being able to actually execute a creative vision versus just doing logistical stuff is much more fun.”

As a director, Burnett said he was able to make the film exactly how he wanted. 

“One highlight was after I cast Fiona and Rachel during the research process. We ended up doing a lot of development and analysis, and I ended up actually making some changes in the scripts, kind of tailoring it to them as actors, which was so much fun,” Burnett said. 

This personalization of the script to the actors came with some challenges, though. 

“Because I rewrote the script for them partway through rehearsal, they ended up not having as much time to memorize their lines as expected. So that was an unexpected challenge, for sure,” Burnett said. 

Though Burnett spearheaded the movie, he said “Forced Perspective” was a collaborative effort between the members of the club. Along with Dunphy and Mulley, the two leading actors, Burnett thanked especially Ethan Graham ’25, who scored the film, and senior Abigail Palubinskas, who coordinated the student art used for the studio. 

Film and Production Club Vice President and senior Joseph Johnson oversaw the film’s lighting. Though the entirety of the movie was shot in one day, he said the production was fun and organized. 

“It was a fast shoot, so everyone had to work hard as a team to get it done. The whole time we were helping each other out and enjoying the chance to make something beautiful,” Johnson said. 

Burnett said his involvement with the Film and Production Club prepared him for working in the industry after graduation and cultivated his love of cinema. He said he hopes that younger students get involved in the club to help keep its presence on campus.

“We’re planning to help train and lead up the next generation of men and women, because most of the people who have worked on our bigger projects are all graduating now,” Burnett said. “We’ve got some newer people who have shown up and shadowed or helped out. We’re hoping, especially next semester, to offer some more resources.”

Film and Production Club President and senior Charlie Cheng encouraged students to give the club a try.

“There’s something for everyone, whether they want to make films or simply watch and talk about film,” Cheng said. “Literally anyone can find something to do in our production; everyone who directed a film with the club has been a production assistant of some kind for others.”

Johnson said he is grateful to be able to work on “Forced Perspective.”

“I’m just thankful to be a part of it and get to promote one of the greatest art forms out there,” Johnson said.

Burnett said he loves film because it tells uniquely human stories by immersing viewers in another world. 

“Film is art,” Burnett said. “Art and storytelling are how we put the mirror back to ourselves, how we reflect on questions like ‘what does it mean to be human?’ Such as the pains, the loves, and the struggles.”