A team of Kalispell Middle School eighth-graders in Noah Couser’s class took a crash course in movie making.

For the second year, students in Couser’s study hall picked up video cameras and umbrella lights to create an inspirational five-minute movie on body image, self-confidence and self-esteem titled “You Are Beautiful.”

Last year, students made a video on empathy that has received 41,604 online views.

“For the past couple of years we looked to do public service announcements,” Couser said. “I looked to these guys to decide what would be powerful what would be relevant.”

Couser said the video battles a “culture of comparison.”

“These social media platforms we have established quantify how good you look; how many ‘likes’ did you get on this picture of your face; ‘I got more comments then her.’ They are set up to compare if she’s hotter than her, or I wish I looked like her or had her face.”

“You Are Beautiful” was posted May 27 and has been viewed 3,742 times. Students Kassidy Keller-Pulse, Trinity Kurr and Keiana McGinnis hope their message reaches people who can benefit from it.

The video captures images of girls in scenarios of self-doubt and frustration as Couser talks about statistics of serious issues on body weight, eating disorders, suicide and body image that are pervasive among young girls.  

The video slowly takes on a hopeful, empowering tone as girls write on mirrors and chalkboards messages such as “I am talented,” “I am confident,” “I am strong” and “I am creative.”

The scenes are familiar, girls looking at themselves in the mirror, putting on makeup, standing on the scale, checking images on their cellphone and leafing through images of idealized women in magazines.

Couser said the scenes the student actors had aren’t out of the ordinary.

“We weren’t forcing them to act out something that they all haven’t already felt or done or deal with,” Couser said. “I think it’s pretty seamless because it was so relevant to their every day.”

The four-minute video took seven months spread out over 20-minute periods. Students wrote the script, created a story board, helped film, held auditions and cast students.

“Fifteen students made the video and we used over 35 students in the video. We had 45 girls come and try out to be in the video, so it was really cool for these guys to be part of that,” Couser said.

Keller-Pulse said it was cool to be part of making a video that strives to empower others.

“It’s a really good feeling to know you at least you did things to change the way people think about themselves,” Keller-Pulse said.

Kurr and McGinnis echoed the same sentiment — although Kurr said it would be great to go viral.

“I definitely hope it will go viral because that means the more people it potentially helps,” Kurr said.

To view the video visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_H4Gf2g8Bo.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.