Clemson students hit a 'High Note' with second full-length film

Clemson University students are creating their second feature-length film.

Sam Sokolow, the two-time Emmy Award-nominated producer and professor of practice at Clemson, led a batch of students this summer through the process of making a drama called “The High Note.”

The film follows a music student’s relationship with his professor, who pushes him to pursue his dreams. The main theme is “with the right education and opportunity, anyone can rise from the streets to the stage.”

Sokolow’s goal during the five-week summer class was for students to be able to walk onto any set in the professional television and movie industry and know exactly what to do.

“When they come out of this program, they’re ready to work at the highest level, in film and television and digital production in this industry day one. And I’m very proud of that,” Sokolow said.

Aug. 4 was the last day of filming, and the next step is post-production. Sokolow plans to work with Filmpool, a post-production studio started in California that moved to Greenville. With the success of the summer class, Sokolow expects to make a third movie next summer.

Bringing in the Upstate

Sokolow worked alongside consulting producer Julia Fowler, a South Carolina native. Last summer, Fowler wrote and directed the film. Sokolow’s goal is to build filmmakers.

“It’s about cultivating the upstate and working with the best talent that is here to let these students know that their dreams are possible,” Sokolow said. “The goal is to build it from the ground up here, and it’s working.”

This year, Clemson was able to open the summer class to non-Clemson students. Of the 31 students in the cast and crew, two were from University of South Carolina, three were from the Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, and two were from The Fine Arts Center in Greenville.

The film score was played by Clemson student musicians. The “Hero Song” (as Sokolow dubbed it) was written and performed by Connor Chase, the male lead of the film. He has been a musician for most of his life. For the last five years, Chase has written his own songs. When he auditioned for the lead role, Chase asked for the chance to write a song for the film.

“We had a meeting later that day,” Chase said, “I played the director … the first verse and chorus and he was like, ‘That’s it.'”

Full circle

The female lead is a Clemson grad from 2015. Adrian Eppley has worked on 10 films but this is her first lead position. The director for the film, Jason Lockhart, is also Eppley’s agent. When he heard about the film, he suggested she audition. He thought she fit the essence of the character but didn’t know she had attended Clemson.

“I trusted her talent and professionalism, and that makes the director’s job easier,” Lockhart said.

As one of the professional actors on set, Eppley knows her attitude affects the students around her.

“I really tried to be intentional about positivity because at the end of the day we have to just try and be kind, no matter the circumstances around us,” Eppley said.

Her positivity affected those around her. The students described how she took time to mentor and encourage them in their careers.