Every time you go to the movie theaters, you always wonder how the lead actor is going to portray the character, you wonder how the plot is going to unfold and at the end of the film, you usually decide on whether you love it or hate it. However, most moviegoers don’t put into consideration on what happens behind the scenes. How the directors, produces, screen writers put in countless hours for the audience.

Nevertheless, there’s one student here at Alisal who pays attention to all the aspects when creating a film – the acting, crew work, direction, camera movements. Senior Ivan Ramirez was 10 years old when he found his first love. “I remember in school one day, everyone around me was interested in math or reading. Except for me, I always sat in the back of class, doodling storyboards and writing out scripts on binder paper. That’s when I realized I wanted to become a filmmaker. I saw films as an escape from reality. You get to sit there for an hour and thirty minutes to focus on that one story, and appreciate the film making behind it. It’s art,” he said.

Ramirez is also enrolled in the Cinema Arts program, which gives him time in the school day to work on his passion. “It’s work-experience. I don’t learn like in a regular class, I work on documentaries, narratives, music videos and commercials,” said Ramirez. Being in the class is a joy for him, as he gets to do what he loves everyday. “Ivan is a quiet student whose actions speak -or show, in this case- louder than words. He has a great talent with huge potential,” said Jacob Jun, Ramirez’s Cinema Arts Instructor.

Last September, Ramirez was on Instagram and saw that James Franco posted an announcement saying he is going to teach a film workshop in Palo Alto. Ramirez was sold, but had only three days to create and submit a film when he applied to the workshop. The same day, he rushed home, thinking what he can film. “I didn’t know what to do at first, but then I got all my videos and compiled the best scenes together into a one minute reel. And sure enough, two weeks later, I got an email from Franco’s producer saying I’ve been admitted,” explained Ramirez. Also, classmate and friend Luis Marquez reacted to the great news, “He’s been a long-time friend and I’ve seen him work back then and I knew he was passionate about films. When I heard the news, I was excited for him because James Franco is one of his favorite actors.”

The workshop takes place in Palo Alto High, Franco’s alma mater. The group is around 30-40 high school students, most being from the Bay Area. The mentors who teach are James Franco, Tom Franco (brother), Iris Torres (producer) and Betsy Franco (mother). The premise of the workshop is to teach all the aspects that go into creating a film – everything from pre-production to budget finances – and have collaborations within the industry.

On top of the lessons, the group has one final project where they put all their knowledge and teamwork to create a film with James Franco and the mentors. The film, “The Art of Love,” is about a high school kid named “Ovid” and he’s dealing with personal issues: relationships, family turmoil, and his sister being an addict. “There are eight groups, and each group is assigned a character and the corresponding part of the script. Each group is responsible to direct and film their own scene for the movie,” said Ramirez. The class was scheduled once a month, on Sunday, for 10 classes.  However, due to the film’s complex nature, they will have to meet extra dates to complete the film that will be later entered into film festivals, such as the Cinequest Film Festival.

When asked about James Franco, he simply replied, “He’s serious, but he’s a relaxed dude. On the first day, everyone got to their seats on time, but he wasn’t there yet. As soon as he walked in, everyone was silent. You could feel how amazed we were.” Being mentored by a group of celebrities can be quite odd. However, as the workshop continues, it becomes more realistic on how the industry can be. “At first, it was a little overwhelming seeing James Franco. But, as the classes went by, I no longer viewed him as a celebrity, I saw him as my mentor,” expresses Ramirez. Jacob Jun also commented on Ramirez’s acceptance into the workshop, “[Ivan being accepted into the workshop] proves we have local talent. Students should aspire, like Ivan, to apply themselves wherever they can.”

According to Ramirez, Franco knows that all the kids are talented, and he will continue to gladly lend the aspiring filmmakers a helping hand. He lets them be creative, but makes the students understand that this is all business. This is an experience of a lifetime, and Ramirez is very fortunate and grateful to be apart of this year’s Franco’s Workshop. His overall goal is to create independent movies that are personal to himself. “I feel like this is my first job in the industry, getting to work with not only James, but with other talented student filmmakers. I’m lucky to have a head start on my career,” said Ramirez.