Jenna Bacon, Campus Carrier arts and living editor

On Aug. 5, filming began on a five-day shoot for a short documentary about the life of Martha Berry and the founding of the Berry Schools. The documentary will be shown at Oak Hill Museum as a part of its guest experience. The making of this documentary was a highly collaborative project with a crew comprised of professional filmmakers, student volunteers, Berry Alumni and staff. 

Ryan Simmons, the film’s director, also serves as the executive director of Brand Red Studios, the agency that oversaw its production. Simmons worked alongside Oak Hill Museum Curator Rachel McLucas, the film’s co-producer, to offer Berry students an opportunity to participate in its creation. McLucas and Simmons received support from the department heads at the Berry Theatre Company as well as the Communications Department. 

McLucas was impressed by the outpouring of student interest in participating in the project.

“Ryan Simmons has served as an adjunct professor at Berry with the communications department, so he got the word to students that we were doing this, and we had such a response,” McLucas said. “I really didn’t expect to have as many students eager to come back and work in the heat, but they did, and the production was just made all the better for it.”

Some of the positions students held on set included set dresser, hair and makeup artist, grip assistant and cast member. Filming took place at multiple locations on campus such as the Hoge Building, Roosevelt Cabin, Greenwood, the original cabin, the grounds surrounding the Oak Hill House and the Formal Gardens. 

Junior communications major Emma-Louise Ramus, who worked as the film’s set dresser, shared her favorite filming location and why it stood out to her.

“I love them all, but I would say Judge Moses’ office was really my favorite because there was a lot of things that went into it,” Ramus said. “Some of the other locations are already set, at Greenwood we didn’t have anything, so we had a completely stock it to make it look historically accurate. We looked up how an office from the early 1900s would look, used things of our own and bought antiques we could use.”

Historical accuracy was something the filmmakers tried to achieve in any way they could. That included the sets, the costuming, and the dialogue in which the               actors spoke. 

The documentary has been in development for several years, with McLucas and Simmons collaborating to create and refine the script, ensuring an accurate portrayal of historical figures in the film. According to McLucas, they were partly inspired by historical shorts that have become prevalent among historical preservationists and museum curators. 

“We were impressed by the way that action and seeing these actors and the people sharing these stories really made you feel more connected with it in a way,” McLucas said. “There’s something about seeing an actor communicate a story that really can connect with audiences on an emotional level.” 

The Oak Hill Museum has a collection of fascinating artifacts, while the Berry Archives holds an array of historical images and footage. This documentary will include acted scenes paired with a narration backed by archival photographs. The immersive performance from the actors paired with the original photographs aims to create a new kind of learning and viewing experience for audiences. 

This project is just another example of how the Berry community supports one another and works together to accomplish certain goals. This film was made possible through the support of Berry Alumni, Jason and Melinda Sweatt making the lead gift, as well as through crowd funding at Berry. Additionally, this film provided students with a hands-on learning opportunity that they might not have had otherwise while providing them with a unique outlook on who Martha Berry truly was. Sophomore Max McClain shared why they feel this project is significant to Martha Berry’s legacy. 

“For the sake of her memory, we should do our best to present her in a way as she was,” McClain said. “Not like some mythical being, but as the successful woman and entrepreneur she was. This film really gets to the heart of her story.” 

The Martha Berry documentary is the result of the Berry Community’s creativity, generosity, hard work and connection with our school’s history.  The film is predicted to be released in spring of 2025 and will be played exclusively at Oak Hill. Mu auditorium.