In 2014, the Reagan family finished production on a 25-minute family fan-film, called Rise of the New Jedi Order, starring my kids. Written and premiered before the new sequel saga, this film was a follow up to an eight-minute short I created a couple years prior. My son and I wrote the script. Both kids directed and ran camera. My wife was the location producer and head of craft services. My dad was a grip. I’ve directed a lot of TV commercials and sat in a lot of edit bays, but this was the first time I personally used a video camera, Adobe Premiere, or Adobe AfterEffects. The process of making this Star Wars film sparked an idea: How Might I use my skills and experiences to help young people develop their creative confidence?
Believe in the power of students.