2018 - First Steps - SHERIDAN BFTV CORE 1 DOCS

First Steps

An observational documentary following her dream of being a ballerina, 12-year-old Arianna Barillas recounts her story of practicing for years and how this goal has changed her.

After months of hard auditioning, young Brampton native Arianna Barillas has achieved her dream of performing ballet on stage by entering the National Ballet School Of Canada’s prestigious student program. Living in Toronto surrounded by talented dancers from around the world, Arianna has now set her eyes on a new goal that will make her stretch further than she has ever stretched before: to be one of the lead dancers in the school’s annual Nutcracker play. Faced with heavy competition, Arianna has to overcome her own anxiety as she dances furiously to achieve her goal.

This documentary will address both the overall pressure faced by young dancers at the National Ballet School, as well as the joy they find in performing their art, through the experiences of Arianna in firsthand interview and observational footage. Due to her example, the short will also examine the hopes and dreams of other girls involved in dance, particularly at the studio Jessica’s Dance Innovations in Brampton (Arianna’s previous dance education). Through interviews with her past teacher at the studio, the audience can learn about how difficult it is for beginning dancers to break into a career.

The Storyteller

Ariana Barillas is 12 year old dancer studying ballet at the National Ballet School Of Canada! She loves her family, God, non-coffee Frappes and dancing her heart out to the Nutcracker soundtrack. She has loving Hispanic parents, four crazy siblings, and resides in Brampton, Ontario.

Behind the Scenes

Ariana's self introduction

Behind the Scenes Documentary

Directed/Edited by: Reily Vanderpost

The Team

Ander Barillas
Writer/Co-Director
Ander Barillas is scared of heights & clowns, but thankfully he doesn't have to deal with either when working on movies. Ander is excited about co-directing "First Steps" and has been a dance aficionado since watching "Riverdance" as a kid. He is the older brother of Ariana, the film's subject.

Sean Nicholas
Director of Photography
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Evan Droog
On Set Sound Recordist
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Chris Borecky
Gaffer
Christopher Borecky is a passionate and supportive individual within the First Steps film crew taking on the positions of Gaffer and Grip. From an early age his father nicknamed him “Gaffer” and Christopher likes to think it has foreshadowed his success in the role. He wishes to help the DP and camera division reach their cinematic goals using his knowledge of light and equipment setups.

Eden Sanders
Producer
Eden Ocean Sanders is a creative and hardworking Honours Bachelor of Film and Television student; specializing in the fields of Producing, Cinematography, Editing and Assistant Directing. He is hoping to take the knowledge he is learning at Sheridan to help tell unique stories that will create beautiful experiences with the audiences who view them. Eden is known for his outstanding communication and group management skills as well as having a very well-rounded knowledge base of each step in the film making process. Although he excels when given creative control over a vision, perhaps Eden’s greatest strength comes from his ability to bring a film from conception to completion and is very capable of keeping projects on schedule without sacrificing quality.

Matthew Mioduszewski
Assisstant Camera
Matthew Mioduszewski is a very dedicated Honours Bachelor of Film and Television student with experience in cinematography, camera operating, editing and gaffing. He is commended for his teamwork skills, resourcefulness and knowledge of film equipment. Matthew is great at prioritizing tasks, is a pleasure to work with and works well independently. Matthew is always seeking new opportunities to expand his knowledge and gain skills related to the Film and Television Industry.

Ruoning Song
Transmedia
Iris Song, a third-year student in the Bachelor of Film and Television program at Sheridan College, specializing in picture editing and sound editing. She grew up in China and has lived in Canada for around 3 years for her studies in Film and Television Production. Although studying abroad is a challenge for her, she is grateful for the experiences she receives. After graduation, she would like to go back to her home country and continue learning writing and to achieve her goal of becoming a scriptwriter.

Josh Casale
Co-Director
Josh Casale somehow fumbled his way into film school and each year has discovered why. His passion for writing and directing has made him eager too want to push the boundaries of conventional film even if it gets him burned. His biggest achievement thus far is somehow surviving the first 2 years and hopes to create something incredible in the 3rd. How could you not have trust in a director that has nothing (and I mean nothing) to lose!

Alexandria Pakenham-Troth
Editor
Lexy Troth is a student in the Honours Bachelor of Film and Television Program. She is driven and passionate about film-making, specializing in Editing and Cinematography. Constantly seeking new opportunities, Lexy is looking to gain valuable knowledge and skills. She is also completing a Certificate of Creativity and Creative Problem Solving, equipping her with the training to effectively solve problems both on set and in the edit suite.