Storytelling is a timeless art that manifests itself in multiple forms and mediums, one very popular medium being film. The art of film has enraptured many generations of those who create and enjoy it.
Senior Daniel Schroeder is one such creator and enjoyer. Daniel has a passion for screenwriting stories and has competed at the state-level with his screenwriting abilities.
“I just enjoy being able to create a new world by expressing my observations through another lens,” Daniel said. “It’s nice knowing I can always come down to a pencil and a piece of paper and write about anything I want, you know?”
Daniel deeply treasures the idea of a good story, especially one that contains refreshing ideas and new perspectives. To Daniel, it is essential to get out of your comfort zone and to embrace uniqueness in film.
“I feel like I just have a different mindset where I want to find new movies and new books that show me new ideas, new philosophies, new themes,” Daniel said. “I want to talk about a movie that has done something that no other movie has done.”
To offer a place where like-minded students can discuss and watch films, Daniel has created Lambert’s new Film Club -a club that hosts meetings every two weeks.
“I was meaning to create the club last year, but I didn’t do it for whatever reason,” Daniel said. “I could say I regret not starting it sooner, but I don’t believe in that; I don’t believe in regrets.”
One year ago, Daniel diversified his movie palate from exclusively watching American movies to watching movies from all parts of the world. So far, his favorite foreign films arise from Japan; citing movies by Studio Ghibli and Akira Kurosawa to be very awe-inspiring.
“Japanese films are quite legendary,” Daniel said. “They broadcast Japan as a whole different world.”
Daniel believes that expanding one’s cultural worldview through film and language is essential to seeing that the world’s full of more than just English-speakers. Daniel emphasizes that non-English speakers are not that far apart from you as a person.
“I’m very passionate about learning languages,” Daniel said. “There’s something very interesting that touches your heart when you can talk with other people in another language.”
Another artistic pursuit by Daniel is photography. He often takes pictures of ordinary objects and landscapes that he believes hold deeper meaning.
“I enjoy taking pictures of my life, of reality, of just what I see when I’m riding my bike,” Daniel said. “Sometimes the road will just look like it is significant in a way that most people don’t really value.”
Outside of the arts, Daniel is a proud cross country and track runner. He regards the school sport as a great way to motivate students to maintain their hard work and keep pushing, regardless of the outcome.
“If you lose, it’s not really the end of the world, and you don’t really cry about it,” Daniel said. “You just continue walking on and you learn from it.”
As Daniel traverses through his senior year, he makes plans to attend the University of Georgia or Georgia Tech to major in International Business or International Affairs. Regardless of what he decides to pursue in the future, he will always have his love for film.
