Bruno Bornsztein
Special to the Star Tribune
Published 02/18/2004

He was lying in a white hospital bed, beneath a blinding light. People were standing over him on all sides.

It was only a dream, but the feeling of claustrophobia was overwhelming.

Throughout December, the image kept coming back to Ryan Wetherall. In dreams and waking thoughts, he couldn’t forget it.

And now, he doesn’t want to; it’s the basis of his newest movie script.

Wetherall, 19, is more than just a dreamer. The Eagan High School graduate has already received national attention (a Student Award for Excellence from the National Television Academy) for a collection of videos he created last year. Now he’s working hard to achieve his next goal: to become a successful film director.

Wetherall says there’s no proven formula for doing this, but one thing is certain: You have to make movies. So that’s exactly what he’s done. He’s created dozens of short films and written five scripts. He’s not sure what his new script will be called (”I’m really bad at naming them,” he said), but he knows what it will be about: dreams.

Ryan Wetherall and his camera. Renee Jones, Star Tribune

He has spent the past month working on the story in his free time. And after saving for more than a year (he works at a video store), he bought a professional quality digital video camera. It’s a big investment; one that he hopes will pay off.

But Wetherall’s passion for making movies has already generated rewards.

His award-winning video collection, which included a “Star Wars” parody and a short, moody thriller, scored higher than any other entry. When the National Television Academy (the same group that gives out the Emmys) announced last June that he had won, it was a stunning achievement.

Especially to Wetherall, who had entered his video months earlier and had already given up hope of winning.

Encouragement

“I’d never won anything in my life,” he said. “It definitely told me I was doing something right. It encouraged me to keep going.”

His mother, Heidi Wetherall, 54, said that encouragement was not always something her son had enough of. He was diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in third grade, she said. He couldn’t sit still. He wouldn’t pay attention.

His inability to focus was a big obstacle. Sometimes, his disability was written off as a lack of intelligence.

Heidi Wetherall, a biology teacher at Inver Hills Community College, understood instructors’ impatience with her son but tired of hearing that he needed to focus.

“I told one teacher that saying that Ryan needs to focus is like telling a blind person that he really needs to see,” she said. “ADHD is a hidden disability but a disability nonetheless.”

Salvation

When he reached Eagan High School, help arrived, in the form of an artistic release. The school’s emphasis on technology in education appealed to him. Before long, he found himself in videography classes and working on the school’s weekly news program, “Eagan A.M.”

Working on the show, he learned to function as part of a team and meet deadlines. He also learned that the challenges of making films — such as failed shots and unpredictable actors — didn’t bother him.

“I enjoy the actual movie-making process,” he said. “It allows me to think.”

So, for now, he is focused on completing his next script.

“I’m just going to keep making movies,” he said. “As many movies as I can.”

Resources:

The Independent Feature Project Minneapolis/Saint Paul: Classes in digital editing, screenwriting and video production are a few offerings. Classes range from $70 to $270 for nonmembers. Equipment rental (including digital cameras and microphones) is available for members. Student membership costs $55 yearly.

http://www.ifpmsp.org

651-644-1912

Minnesota Film and TV Board: Check out the job and casting hotline (also online) if you’re looking for experience working on someone else’s film or want help making your own.

http://www.mnfilm.org

612-332-6493

Studentfilms.com: Getting an independent film into a theater can be difficult, but getting onto the Internet isn’t. At Studentfilms.com, filmmakers can submit their work and have it seen by the site’s 40,000 monthly visitors. Submissions must be no longer than 30 minutes, and there is a $20 fee to pay for bandwidth.

http://www.studentfilms.com

DV-Cinema: If an Internet screening doesn’t cut it, submit your film to DV-Cinema. There’s no cost to submit, and films that are accepted hit the little big screen at showcases in Twin Cities venues. The group’s Web site also has a comprehensive resource guide for local filmmakers, which includes an equipment listing and links to more online resources.

http://www.dv-cinema.com612-396-8580

Screenwriters’ Workshop: A good place to go for writing tips and screenwriting classes.

http://www.mm.com/user/mnsww/

MN SIGGRAPH: A local group dedicated to graphic effects and computer graphics.

http://minneapolis-stpaul.siggraph.org

MNArtists.org: MNArtists.org is a free online gallery of work by local photographers, artists, writers and filmmakers. Create an account (it’s free), and upload your work for all to see.

http://www.mnartists.org

Intermedia Arts: http://www.intermediaarts.org

Center for Independent Artists:

http://www.c4ia.org/education/

Burnsville/Eagan Community Television:

Burnsville and Eagan residents have access to BECT’s equipment and production facilities. Classes in digital production and nonlinear editing cost $20. 651-882-8213 or http://www.bect.tv
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