The feature-film crew from Skoche Films shoots inside the McArthur Center at Eckerd College. Photo by Michel Fougeres
Two Eckerd College alumni and several students are involved in an independent feature film production Skoche Films is shooting on campus and throughout Florida.
Hailey Escobar ’15 is the script supervisor and Joe O’Brien ’08 is the producer for the project. The film, “The Things That Remain,” follows a group of friends from Bible college who reunite 15 years after graduation for a surprise retirement party for their professor to boost his ebbing faith while confronting their own faltering spirituality.
“It feels wonderful to be back on campus and filming. I’ve always wanted to film a project here,” Escobar says.
Escobar, who studied interdisciplinary arts at Eckerd, has worked as a script supervisor and in various other roles since 2015—the year she graduated.
“I’m very used to having to explain my job, because it is one most people don’t know exists,” Escobar says.
A script supervisor maintains the script’s integrity throughout production. For example, Escobar tracks actors’ movements between scenes, like use of their left versus right hand, to ensure continuity.
Two current Eckerd students served as production assistants for Skoche Films while filming took place on campus. Photo by Penh Alicandro ’22
The film shot in part on the Eckerd campus is named “The Things That Remain.” Photo by Penh Alicandro ’22
Escobar worked on one of her first features as an Eckerd student. She began writing “Following the Tracks” in high school and adapted it for Greek Tragedy in Modern Film and Literature, a course taught by Associate Professor of Classics and Associate Dean for General Education Heather Vincent, Ph.D.
For the filming on campus, Eckerd seniors Brooke Hand and Ila Khare acted as production assistants.
“I love being on set; there’s nothing quite like it! Most of my professional experience has been on productions smaller than this, so I was a bit wary going into it, but it was a good time,” says Ila, a film studies and French student from St. Petersburg, Florida.
As PAs, Ila and Brooke moved equipment around on set, maintained the cast’s food and beverage station and notified people when to head to set. Brooke also stepped in as an assistant production office coordinator, scanning documents and sharing them with the set producer. Brooke says they shadowed multiple roles too, including the camera operator and director.
Brooke hopes to go into the production or post-production side of the film industry or sports videography, as she has worked extensively as a sports videographer for Eckerd’s athletics department.
Skoche Films was founded in 2007.
“Working on this set helped me network and connect to local resources. I was able to put this on my resume, and just overall experience being on set is helpful to know more industry-specific details in real life,” Brooke says.
Escobar says her Eckerd education has made her more adaptable, which prepares her every day to work on set. She also carries lessons from Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Elie Wiesel, author, human rights advocate, and Holocaust survivor who served as a visiting Winter Term professor at Eckerd College for more than two decades. Escobar was one of the last classes to experience his presence on campus before he died in 2016.
Escobar encourages Eckerd students to branch out of their major to make the most of their time here. That knowledge may take you in unexpected—but exciting—directions.
“Definitely branching out and not just figuring out what you want to do, but what you want to know,” Escobar says.
