Jenna Bacon, Campus Carrier arts and living editor
Berry College is no stranger to the Georgia film scene. Berry’s gorgeous campus has served as the setting for many films and TV shows. Some of the most notable titles include Stranger Things, Remember the Titans, Sweet Home Alabama, and The Following. In January of 2023, Tyler Perry Studios filmed several scenes for his new movie, Six Triple Eight, in the Ford Dining Hall.
The movie tells the true story of an all-Black, all-female battalion during WWII. The battalion was tasked with sorting through and clearing a large backlog of undelivered mail in an effort to boost morale. Despite facing large amounts of discrimination and other challenging conditions, the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion sorted over 17 million pieces of mail. Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian, and Milauna Jackson are the stars of the film.
Filming took a couple of weeks, and during that time, several Berry students had the opportunity to work as production assistants on set. Berry Alumni Mathewson Parks, Russell Hendley, and Peighton Williamson Hall shared insights from their experiences working on the movie set. It all started when Professor Curt Hersey sent an email about the movie to his filmmaking class. Williamson first learned about the film through family members and was enthusiastic about the opportunity to get involved.
“When I went to filmmaking class with Dr. Hersey, he said, ‘I hope you don’t mind, but I went ahead and gave all of your information to the Tyler Perry studio because I knew that you probably wanted to be on it.’” Williamson said. “So, I just went ahead and did it.”
Typically, lower-level production assistants perform many essential tasks to help the filming process run smoothly. Some of those tasks include assisting with the construction and dismantling of set pieces, relaying information between different team members, and maintaining the set by picking up trash after scenes are filmed. Berry Alunmnus Russell Hendley shared what his job duties on set were.
“I helped set up things around the film,” Hendley said “We weren’t really allowed to touch the film set itself. They asked us to run errands and help set up snack stands for the actors.”
According to Hendley, he also got to see what is commonly referred to as the “video village’ which is a specific area where producers, the director, and other crew members can view all the different camera feeds during filming. The video village for Six Triple Eight was set up in the kitchen of the Ford Dining Hall.
When getting to work on a movie set, it’s only natural to want to get a glimpse of the stars of the film. That feeling can only be elevated with fabulous actresses like Kerry Washington, Susan Sarandon, and Milauna Jackson on set. For Berry Alumnus Mathewson Parks, that dream became a reality.
“I think the biggest memory for me was when I gave Kerry Washington a space heater,” Parks said. “I just saw the side of her face, and I could tell that it was her. She didn’t make eye contact, but it was still pretty cool.”
On December 6, 2024, the movie Six Triple Eight was released to the public. The movie is exclusively available on Netflix. Since its release, it has received a 50% rating on Rotten Tomato’s “Tomatometer” and a 73% rating on its “Popcornmeter”. Jordan Hoffman of the Daily Beast voiced his thoughts on the movie.
“And yet, despite it all, when the Six Triple Eight get into their mail-sorting groove, it’s impossible not to root for them.”
This movie tells a true, untold story of resilience in the face of adversity, and it is incredible that Berry College got to be the backdrop for such an important event. Furthermore, the filming of this movie allowed Berry College to provide a number of students with the unique opportunity of working on a movie set. If this experience should teach us anything, it’s that even when Berry College is hosting the glamorous faces of Hollywood, they are still prioritizing the student experience.