Artist Profile: Children’s Film Academy of Madison
Ben Fritz is the founder of the Children's Film Academy of Madison—as well as co-founder, with his Los Angeles partner, Mike McGuire, on their professional production company Stash. Ben grew up in Monona making films with other neighborhood kids by raising budgets with lemonade stands and garage sales. Now he enjoys mentoring and helping kids create high quality productions in tangent with realizing working in this industry is not just for California residents. Ben has worked on all size projects: from blockbuster films, documentaries, indie films, web shows and commercials. His work has won awards from festivals all over the world for writing, producing, and directing.
Elijah Edwards is a sophomore at Madison Memorial High School. Elijah has starred in the award-winning feature film "Survival Guide," plus the C-FAM production "Make A Wish" that he also wrote and directed. ("Make A Wish" is an official selection of the Wisconsin Film Festival and Wildwood Film Festival.)
Daniel Ratcliff is a junior at Monona Grove High School and an actor in C-FAM's first production "Make A Wish." He also is in C-FAM's current production "Transaster," which he also wrote.
1) What challenges have you encountered starting (and growing) Children’s Film Academy of Madison (C-FAM)?
Ben: We started only a year ago when quarantine restrictions were loosened last June. Adjusting to the requirements to maintain safe sets hasn't necessarily been a challenge, but is new territory to navigate. By now we are getting pretty used to it though. However, it does make it harder to get additional people to help out. Our biggest challenges are financial at this point because not many people know of us and we are working on getting our 501c3 status. Thankfully since this is a service in super high demand that no one else is offering, we've made significant leaps and bounds in getting on people's radar.
2) Do any of the following words accurately reflect themes you’ve explored in your writing or acting: 'diversify,' 'disrupt' or 'decolonize'?
Daniel: They have been explored more recently—especially diversify and disrupt. I want to show that people like me can be in the film industry regardless of what people say. I also want to disrupt the way people think about what is normally seen on screen. As well as showing people that it doesn't matter who you are; you deserve representation in film. Especially those in the LGBTQ+ community. More importantly, trans people and/or non-binary people.
Elijah: The term “disrupt” speaks to me. In my future works, I hope to exemplify this term by disrupting common practice in film, acting, writing and art in general. I believe that disruption is necessary for progress because in a world full of so many artists, it is not enough to try, but rather to stand out and be different. To disrupt the status quo in a sense.
3) Are there filmmaking resources are you have found to be particularly useful?
Ben: No. Madison is way behind when it comes to the film world. We are failing the youth by not providing more experiences like these. All day long, people consume video. Kids want to be a part of that; and they either give up or settle for a theatre experience. Personally, I have found theatre not to be a good stepping stone for film since it's a very different art form. (Working with actors to find more subtle and real performances has been something I've spent much time on.) Theatre is a very privileged art form that is mostly attended by people with money so it's reach into a community can be very limited. Film reaches across all aisles—making it so much more accessible and affordable to everyone. Many of the current resources available for the arts in our state go to theatre because of the long-standing relationships established years ago. But I feel once people become aware of what we are doing and what it is today’s youth are really asking for, change will come with time.
4) How would you like to see more young performers and creatives' work showcased in Wisconsin or in the Midwest as a whole?
EIijah: I think the program (C-FAM) is going to be a catalyst for a boom in young creatives. I would like to see many more programs like this arise so people like me can express themselves through a medium that was long thought to be a far off dream. I would also be interested in seeing films that are completely self-produced by the youth.
Daniel: I would like to see young performers and creatives' work showcased in the Midwest by having different voices be shared and different points of view on issues too. To not only show that you don't have to either live in or go to Los Angeles or New York (or any other big film area) to make film or make your vision come to life. You can start anywhere—It doesn't have to be one of those big cities.