Four seventh graders eat their lunch with their eyes focused on a computer screen.
Their teacher sits nearby.
They are captivated by an animated character named Sam who is in virtual view as Jason Richards, director of information technology for Wonder Media LLC, an animation production company that helps young people produce films, instructs the students.
“How do you want Sam to move?” Richards asks. “He can wave his arms to the left or right. He can move one arm or both arms. It is your decision.”
That is one of many choices students at Dorseyville Middle School in Indiana Township have been making and will continue to make throughout the next five months — all the while collaborating with nine other schools in Western Pennsylvania.
Through this experience, the students can add film study to their curriculum. Courtesy of a grant from The Grable Foundation, they are learning how to make a real, animated Oz-themed movie created for children by students in grades K-12.
The Grable Foundation is covering the costs for Beaver Area, Brownsville, Deer Lakes, Elizabeth Forward, Fox Chapel Area, Keystone Oaks, New Castle Area, Shaler Area and South Allegheny.
The foundation is collaborating with Wonder Media, which is working with 17 Pennsylvania school districts overall to produce “Finding Stories of Wonder in the Land of Oz.” It tells the tale of Dorothy, whose worries about transitioning from elementary to middle school lead her to the magical land of Oz.
Along the way, she interacts with Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman and Cowardly Lion who help her find the wisdom, heart and courage to enter middle school with confidence.
The Oz theme was chosen because the classic “The Wizard of Oz” is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year.
The film “Wicked,” which was released at the end of November, is now the first movie musical adaptation to pass $300 million in the U.S. It also is the fourth highest grossing musical of all time at the domestic box office — behind “Beauty and the Beast,” “Frozen II” and “Frozen.
“Wicked” also is the fourth movie to pass $300 million at the domestic box office in 2024, with the others being “Inside Out 2,” “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Despicable Me 4.”
Student teams are writing, narrating and producing sound effects. Each team will animate one sequence from the story’s script, which then will be edited together into a complete student-generated movie.
On a recent Tuesday, the Dorseyville Middle School students were going through the second draft of their part.
As they read their lines, they discussed the character Sam, who they are trying to give a title such as fire safety expert, fire marshal or maybe fire wizard.
“I would not say wizard exactly,” said Sam Ettinger, who coincidentally was reading the character of Sam.
Richards talked to the students about what they want to call Sam since they get to make many of the decisions in the project. Dorseyville teacher Cathie Gillner said the school districts involved are creating a collaborative storytelling experience.
“They are demonstrating how classic narratives can become powerful tools for education,” Gillner said. “Students are tackling complex scientific concepts into an accessible, magical story that shows how community and knowledge can overcome even the most devastating challenges.”
Children everywhere are reconnecting with the magical stories of the Emerald City more than ever before, said Terry Thoren, president and CEO of Wonder Media and the former CEO of Klasky-Csupo, which produced “Rugrats” and “The Wild Thornberrys.”
“Through his project, it’s amazing to see how students who didn’t always love school before do now, and the excitement from these four-student animation teams is unfolding in incredibly powerful ways as they get excited about contributing to something bigger than themselves,” Thoren said.
Gillner said the students are offering something truly unique — a fresh perspective on the Oz universe that tackles real-world challenges.
Sam Ettinger said it is a new opportunity to do some things they’ve never done before. His classmate, Alex Stiokis, said it has been challenging knowing what to include in the movie and what to leave out.
“I like that we get to use our creativity,” Laila Tobe said. “This is such a good opportunity to be creative, and we are learning to do a lot of things. It’s been really cool.”
The students give up their free time to participate, and they meet with their teacher and professional animators who offer feedback.
Cali Bender said they understand the benefit of giving their own time.
“It’s fun,” she said.
Gillner said her students have told her the absolute highlight so far has been meeting with the professional team and that the students have been treated like real writers and not just middle school kids. They said the feedback is making the script better.
The students went on a field trip to Shaler and connected with other students in their district and other districts.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the kids,” Gillner said. “They get exposure to so many different facets of movie production and access to different avenues of career choices.”
The project is of real value, said Shaler teacher Michael Penn. He and teacher Heather Oros are co-leaders.
“Years from now these students will look back and see that they contributed to what is a real movie production and that they learned what professionals who make real movies do,” Penn said. “We are so honored to be a part of this and we know there is no way we would be doing this without the help of The Grable Foundation.”
Ryan Rydzewski, spokesman for The Grable Foundation, said this is a perfect time for this project with so much interest around “Wicked” and “The Wizard of Oz.”
Rydzewski said it is a collaborative effort with Thoren, whose success in animation and skills he is sharing with the children are invaluable.
“The kids get to see their writing come to life,” Rydzewski said. “It is such a cool idea because it gets the kids excited and it engages them. There is validation is seeing your work on the big screen. It is something they will never forget.
I wish I were able to do something like this when I was their age.”
Penn said the Shaler students are the youngest participants as sixth graders. Oros said she is really impressed with their initiative and their focus on deadlines.
“They listen to each other and they take criticism from the professionals and go back and work on revisions,” Oros said. “They are being challenged at a high level.”
Shaler student Neva Cosentino said she likes having the opportunity to do the project.
“I love seeing it all unfold and the work is interesting,” Neva said. “I know we are giving up free time to do this but it’s worth it.”
Her classmate, Peter Laing, said his favorite part is seeing what everyone else is creating and then combining all the pieces.
“I like getting to interact with all of the people from the animators to the directors and to learn the process of film making,” classmate Evey Mikan said. “It has changed my view of making animated movies.”
The fourth Shaler student, Andrea Weisser, said she wanted to do the project because it was a cool opportunity that not a lot of students got chosen to participate in.
“I was honored to get this amazing experience,” Andrea said. “I can’t wait to see the end project!”
Thoren said he always wanted to be a filmmaker. A teacher in high school helped Thoren find his path in life.
He said the journey can be scary because the students will be critiqued, but they will learn about compromise and they will learn life skills.
“Young people need love, and they need to learn the process and teamwork,” Thoren said. “This is all about keeping the wonder alive for children.”
That wonder was evident in the classroom at Dorseyville Middle School. After timing the students reading their lines, Richards said it took 4 minutes and 16 seconds.
The goal is 3:30.
“It is more important to get the lines read clearly,” Richards said. “We can work on cutting down the time. I really like the story you have written.”
The plan is for the movie to debut during Remake Learning Days. The event will celebrate 10 years in 2025 from April 19 to May 31.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at [email protected].
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