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‘Life through a 50mm lens’
7/28/2010 10:40:58 AM
<To view Kendra's latest video, visit this link on The Splash Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=416975073158&oid=215689579160>
By Josh Johnson
Splash Staff Writer
Profiles:
Kendra Sherrill
Kendra Sherrill calls Oct. 25, 2007, "the fateful day." A lifelong lover of all things video, her grade-school aspiration was to become an actress. In eighth grade, her ambitions switched to broadcast journalism. Then on that autumn day 33 months ago, she created a YouTube account, and a light switch - along with her view of video - flipped.
"I realized I wanted to be behind the camera, not in front of it," she said. Advertisement
Filmmaking has taken over the life of the 17-year-old Liberty Lake resident and Central Valley High School student to the point that her friends and family have taken to calling her "Kondra," a name derived from her YouTube alias, "Kondra the Snail."
"My mind is always occupied; I am constantly searching for inspiration," Sherrill said. "I have several journals containing all my ideas and scene breakdowns. I view life through a 50mm lens. My thoughts now transfer into moving pictures on a silver screen that plays inside my head."
Recent successes have fed Sherrill's filmmaking ambitions. She won two online video contests in the past year and this month received $200 as one of 10 finalists in a national contest. The Splash recently corresponded with Sherrill to find out more about filmmaking, growing up in Liberty Lake and how she was nicknamed after a snail.
Q: How many films have you made and how much time does it take to put together a video?
A: As of now, I have a total upload count of 32 videos. But that's just on my YouTube account. I have so many unfinished projects and a few "lost relics" from my childhood movie-making days. The amount of time it takes to make a video really depends. If I'm making just a quick little update video where it's just me talking in front of the camera, it takes about 30 minutes to shoot and two hours to edit. But if it's an actual short film or carefully mapped out video, it can take about two to four hours to film and a couple days, sometimes weeks, to edit.
Q: What's your favorite type of video to make?
A: What I have been making for quite some time are quick comedy bits, which are always a ball to film, especially with friends. A lot of my YouTube videos fit this bill, from a video about an "easy button" stalking me to telling a random story on how I got a Band-Aid on my face. But I just recently started to make some more short inspirational films that actually have a story to tell, and I'm really enjoying it. My future videos are really going to be focused on that genre. I just finished a video called "Interpretations." It goes along the theme that different people can have different interpretations of the same thing. But unfortunately, I couldn't upload it to YouTube due to a copyrighted song.
Q: Kondra the Snail - where did that come from?
A: Well, the actual origin is a bit blurry. A girl in my sixth-grade class just gave me that nickname one day, and it kind of stuck in my brain. No one really called me it until I created my YouTube account under that alias. Now, my parents, aunts, uncles and friends all call me Kondra. My dad even detailed the nickname on the side of my car.
Q: You seem to have a supportive network of friends and family who help you with your projects. Talk about the collaboration that goes into your videos.
A: Well, my family has always been very supportive. My parents even took the lead roles in a parody I made of "Twilight." My little brother Luke also loves to make videos with me. I love that I can teach him ways he can express himself, which I believe is a very important part of growing up. We have a little show on my YouTube account called "The Lukie and Kendra Show." He absolutely loves being in front of the camera. … My mom is my sounding board. I will ask her about ideas, and she will give her opinion on what would fit in the video and she helps me edit the video as well. But when I first started making videos, even with my family's support, I was pretty much a one-woman show. …
Now, I have been fortunate enough to find friends who are into making videos as much as I am. My close friend Elissa and I are a dynamic duo when it comes to making crazy random videos. My good friends Trung, Dexter and my boyfriend Jacob are always ready to help me film anything. It's just so much better and a lot more fun to be able to make films with your friends, and it produces a lot more bloopers.
Q: Tell me about this national contest you are currently a finalist for. How did this come about?
A: "Become The First Braganaire" is a video contest being held by a company called Bragado. The company provides a network where people can browse for service professionals and read the reviews of their work. The contest was to make a 60-second video answering the question "What you would do with your own entourage." Well, my mom called to tell me about the contest the day the submissions were due. I quickly thought of an idea and mapped it out. Then I called my boyfriend Jacob and asked him to come over to my house as fast as he could. We ended up filming, editing and submitting the video all in about four hours. I have never made a video in that little of time.
Q: When do you find out if you win?
A: The winner is decided by the most votes it receives from people who visit the site and vote for their favorite video. Currently, I'm really behind. It's really simple to vote, all you have to do is go to braganaire.com and click "vote" - my video is on the top right corner. That's it! But voting ends on July 31, so I don't have much time left. I'm really hoping to win this one, since the prize money will be a pretty generous amount for my college fund.
Q: What other hobbies and interests do you have?
A: I'm really getting into graphic design. This year, I had the honor of designing the promotional posters and the show's programs for the Central Valley Theatre Department's productions of "Brigadoon" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream." I am already working on the designs for next year's shows. I also enjoy making vinyl record bowls which I have sold at the Liberty Lake Farmers Market. I also have an uncanny obsession for making sandwiches. I love it so much! I plan to open up a gourmet sandwich shop after I retire from being a filmmaker.
Q: How would you describe yourself to people who don't know you?
A: I'm very quirky and a total nerd. I am also full of crazy energy and can be very odd at times. I love to laugh and read self-help books. I am a very family-orientated person who has a strong faith. I have enough ambition to power a small city. And I can eat as much as a grown man … and still want more.
Q: What do you like about living in Liberty Lake?
A: It's the epitome of the white picket fence community. It's absolutely gorgeous. I love and participate in all the markets, festivals, concerts and movies. Everyone is so friendly and very active; there is always someone running or riding a bike. It feels like such an intertwined community - especially when I can see my 2-year-old handprints imprinted on the sidewalk at Five Fingers Park. It's an amazing environment to grow up in.
Profiles:
Kendra Sherrill
Date and place of birth
May 20, 1993, in Seattle
Family
Parents, Ken and Mary Sherrill; brother, Luke, age 7
Years in Liberty Lake
16
YouTube alias
"Kondra the Snail" - her channel includes 32 uploads and 820 subscribers
Involvement at CVHS
Drama, Green Club, broadcasting, Key Club, JSA and Spanish Club
Best day of the week
Wednesday or Friday
Mac or PC?
"I own a PC, but I wish I was cool enough to be a Mac person."
Hot or cold?
"Well, when I'm hot, I'd have to say cold. But when I'm cold, then probably hot. But if I had to choose, cold."
Musical favorites
Band: Los Campesinos. Artist: Sting. Song: "Mr. Jones," Counting Crows
Favorite movie
"500 Days of Summer" - "The epitome of what I hope to create with my films."
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