Film hits a home run

Two aspiring film students from Laguna Beach High School were recently awarded first place for their film about hometown hero Skipper Carrillo at the fifth annual My Hero International Short Film Festival.

“Have a Home Run Day,” directed by John Barrett and produced by Austin Dodge, tells the story of what it means to be a hero, and how heroes like Carrillo’s father inspired him to become such a positive role model himself.

Barrett, who has known Carrillo — Laguna’s biggest baseball fan — since his Little League days, said the idea for the film came from Carrillo’s constant support as a mentor and ability to put a smile on everyone’s face.

“I wanted to share Skipper’s story with the world because he is well-known in Laguna for his good deeds, and I thought he should be recognized on a higher level,” Barrett said.

The title reflects Carrillo’s token phrase, “Have a Home Run Day,” which has become a popular bumper sticker on cars around town.

Dodge, who said he has frequent encounters with the local hero and is always uplifted by this phrase, said he also wanted to make a film about him to pay tribute to the person who’s made such an impact in his own life.

“Despite his situation, he continues to live each day to the fullest and inspire others,” he said. “He’s someone I look up to, who makes me want to inspire others myself.”

Carrillo, after whom the Laguna Beach baseball field is named, has long been known for the great support he lends to the Little League and school baseball teams. Always clad in a complete baseball uniform, he sits in the dugout at nearly all of the high school’s games, cheering on the team.

“It’s hard to imagine a Laguna Beach without a Skipper Carrillo,” Barrett said.

The students were able to create the film as part of a MY HERO filmmaking workshop, funded by a SchoolPower grant and taught by media arts educator Wendy Millette, in Pam MacKay’s video production course.

MacKay said she loved having her students work on a project that salutes people who go the extra mile for others.

“Skipper is the most deserving person to be honored in such a way,” she said. “He’s an amazing human who really does make everyone’s day a home run.”

For my more information, visit www.myhero.com.