CUT is billed as one of the premier short-form film festivals in New Jersey. It was founded by local, legendary filmmaker and photographer, Bill Horin, to celebrate storytelling in the medium of motion pictures, but limited to short stories.
Figueroa-Montero, a 21-year-old Millville resident, began working on the script in March in a Screenwriting 1 class at the college. After she completed the class, the RCSJ grad continued to add layers of depth to the original script, which would eventually become her entry into the international film fest.
Prior to the screening on September 21, Figueroa–Montero said, “I hope to deliver a story that lays out the cautions of going into the unknown without preparation. I want people to finish the film and maybe relate the story to a personal journey.”
“The Signal is the main antagonist of this story,” Figueroa-Montero said. “It almost acts like a subtle reminder of what to keep in mind. The Signal, in a way, is the thing that’s trendy. We tune into this thing until all of a sudden, it’s dangerous. The film can act as one of those cautionary tales.”
Figueroa-Montero—like famous director Spike Lee for his early pictures—wrote, directed, and starred in the short film as the main character, Sam. The movie was shot in Glassboro and took almost the entire summer to film. She also noted that the film was made with little to no budget and “was done with [items] we had locally available to us.”
The director, who is enrolled in RCSJ and Rowan University’s 3+1 program, was assisted by about a dozen of her fellow RCSJ classmates, including cinematographer Alex Calixto. Nathaniel Clark, radio, television, and film professor and coordinator, RCSJ, also played a role in developing The Signal.
“He was the one who was helping us keep things on schedule,” she said. “[Professor Clark] was the one who was helping me with my script. He was the one who kept helping me build it to get better and better. He’s very open creatively. He was just, like, a huge help.”
“I found us the shooting locations [and] Raven and I did the set decorating,” Clark said. “I would jump in on audio if we were short-handed, and I bought the pizza to feed the crew, so I’m the producer. The producer of pizza.”
“We filmed it as part of the Summer Media Program, which I created so that students could collaborate on making short films over the summer,” he continued. “The program was a hit with students … now it’s a yearlong program.”
Figueroa-Montero cried “happy tears,” when she received the news that The Signal was selected to be screened at the CUT International Short Film Festival.
“I didn’t believe it at first. I looked at the message repeatedly, like, is that real?” she exclaimed. “It’s one thing to have made the film, but for it to be actually screened at the film festival is a huge deal!”
“She was thrilled,” Clark added. “I was very happy when I found out that The Signal was going to be screened because I encouraged her to submit it, but I was happier seeing Raven’s reaction when it got in.
“It was a validation of her work, of all of our work. I’m incredibly proud to see my students succeed and to think I had some small part in their success. Seeing them work together, support each other, and have such fun together has been a great joy.”
Figueroa-Montero wants to be a director of films and/or music videos. She is gradually growing her YouTube portfolio, and credits the college and the EOF program for helping her.
“Being a student at RCSJ opened up a lot of doors for me, and a lot of aspects of my mind that I hadn’t really tapped into in high school,” she said. “The overall tones and vibes of the place were very welcoming and helpful.”
“EOF was super helpful,” she continued. “That was one of my main supports when it came to actually going through my classes and being on campus. I felt like it helped me branch out in a way of college life that I didn’t get purely from the classes.
“The screening went well! No awards (this time), but I am going to keep up my film and video work for now and maybe send them to more festivals and see what happens.”
The movie will be out on her YouTube channel and Instagram – Little Rae of Sunshine Productions
For more information about Rowan College of South Jersey’s Communications and Creative & Performing Arts Division, visit RCSJ.edu/ArtsHumanities.
