The film by first-year students Malaika Menezes (left) and Sami Smith was selected as one of the five finalists in the 2023 Coca-Cola Refreshing Films program.
The film by first-year students Malaika Menezes (left) and Sami Smith was selected as one of the five finalists in the 2023 Coca-Cola Refreshing Films program.
This past fall, first-year cinema and photography students Malaika Menezes and Sami Smith were named one of the five finalists in the 2023 Coca-Cola Refreshing Films program.
The goal of the program is to help participating student filmmakers further their careers and provide a real-world professional opportunity to work with a global brand and see their work shown on the screens of some of the biggest theater chains in the world.
The production was given use of state of the art equipment, including a RED Weapon camera. (Photo by Xinyi (Dona) Qin '26)
Finalists were given funds to create and produce a 60-second film. They were also given access to a premium RED Weapon camera to do the filming, and during post-production, access to a Company 3 color studio to master their spot with some of the industry’s top colorists.
“I’m still kind of shocked by the entire idea of this happening,” Smith said about she and Menezes being selected as finalists.
Smith said it was wonderful to find out, the day after Thanksgiving, that their pitch for their spot had been picked. But the pair couldn’t let the excitement take charge for long. With only a few months to complete their film, they had to get to work quickly.
“We had a lot of ideas for this,” she said. “We decided that our target audience was technologically savvy individuals aged 15 to 25, and that’s how we came up with ‘Phone Date.’”
With their idea in hand, they went about the task of creating their film. And they weren’t going to be able to do it alone. So, Menezes and Smith called upon some talented and eager friends and teamed up Park Productions, the student-staffed media production company in the Roy H. Park School of Communications, to assemble an able crew of more than 60 fellow students to work on the project.
Jaqueline Pereira ’25 served as the production manager and worked tirelessly for months to prepare for the two 12-hour shoot days.
The Cinemark Fan Favorite Award is an opportunity for participating finalists to share their work with the world, while giving the public a chance to vote for their favorite film. From now until April 30, you can show your support for Malaika Menezes ’26 and Sami Smith ’26 and cast your vote for “Phone Date” by clicking here.
“I never before worked with a production that involved so many people,” Pereira said. “I loved getting the opportunity to build my skills. Having programs like this offered at IC is great, because it gives us the opportunity to work in a professional set and that is incredible.”
“This is something that not all film students are to experience and that really helps you understand what you could be doing for your career,” said Guadalupe Fanelli ’24, who served as the production designer. “I have a whole new appreciation for all of the elements that go into filmmaking.”
The pre-production planning took months, with the actual shoot taking place in early February. Several scenes were shot using the college’s state of the art LED Virtual Production Studio Wall that can provide “on location” settings without students needing to leave the studio.
Production of the film took place over two days in two states, including the halls of the Park School of Communications and an overnight session in a theater in Pennsylvania.
Production of the film took place over two days in two states, including the halls of the Park School of Communications and an overnight session in a theater in Pennsylvania.
The second day of shooting was done in Scranton, Pennsylvania, at a Cinemark movie theater that agreed to allow the team to shoot there after closing time. This required the cast and crew to start their day at 11 p.m., work through the night, and call it a wrap at 9 a.m.
The film was then tirelessly edited by Aiden Henderson ’25, Liam Donavan ’25, and Camryn Olmstead ’23, before Company 3, a post-production company, provided a color session to color the film for theatrical screenings.
There will be a premiere screening of the film “Phone Date” on Tuesday, April 4, in Emerson Suites. The event starts at 7:30 p.m., and the screening starts at 8 p.m. There will be a Q & A with the students who worked on the film, as well as raffles. More information about the event can be found here.
The team also shot a short behind-the-scenes documentary chronicling the film’s development as well as a “making of” spot utilizing behind-the-scenes footage to showcase the cast and crew.
“Everything just came together, and at one point, it hit [me and Sami] like a truck! ‘Oh my God we're making a Coke film! It's that feeling of waking up excited, going to sleep exhausted, and knowing that the work that we did that day is going to be out there in the world to be seen and appreciated by the public.”
Malaika Menezes
Although the process was at times a whirlwind, Menezes says the experience was unforgettable.
“Everything just came together, and at one point, it hit [me and Sami] like a truck! ‘Oh my God we're making a Coke film!’” she said. “It's that feeling of waking up excited, going to sleep exhausted, and knowing that the work that we did that day is going to be out there in the world to be seen and appreciated by the public.”
The production truly was a team effort involving dozens of students.
The production truly was a team effort involving dozens of students.
“I think it just shows young people that it's possible to create and show their stories and have the ideas in your head become real... it's something special.” Smith added.
All finalists’ films will be reviewed and judged by a Red Ribbon Panel of industry professionals, including Coca-Cola, AMC Theatres, Cinemark Theatres, Cineplex and Landmark Cinemas, and Company 3 representatives as well as influential members of the entertainment and film industry. The film that receives the highest score will receive the Grand Prize Award. The grand prize winner will be announced in the spring of 2023, after which the winning film will make its debut in AMC Theatres, Cinemark Theatres, Cineplex Cinemas, Landmark Cinemas and other Coca-Cola pouring theaters nationwide.