Video transcript
CApture Film Festival 2025 – Student interview – 05. Someone Like Me – An Allegory About Belonging

[intro music]

MEGAN WEST: So the film was inspired by the theme of identity and belonging. So we wanted our students to explore who they are, how they fit into the world, and how they can celebrate their own authentic selves. Stop motion animation is incredibly rewarding, but definitely, it demands effort. It's challenging, it's detailed, and it's really time-consuming.

So our students had to plan, organise and problem solve constantly. Every frame tested our patience, but it also strengthened our teamwork. And in the end, the process itself became just as meaningful as the finished film.

This project is vital because it gives students with diverse disabilities an accessible pathway into storytelling and artistic expression. And stop motion allows every student to participate meaningfully. Whether through designing sets or moving characters, recording sound, or making creative decisions, it builds their confidence. It builds their communication and independence. But most importantly, I think it shows our students that their ideas are powerful and that they belong in creative spaces.

Seeing their work celebrated on screen-- well, it's transformative. It validates their identities and shows them that they are capable and valued filmmakers.

My biggest tips are patience and bravery. I mean, just go for it. Enter your films in as many festivals as you can.

Don't worry about what other people might think or about getting everything perfect. Trust your ideas, and keep experimenting. And don't be afraid of failure. Because every project is a chance to learn and grow.

[inspirational music]