School Portrait Can’t Stop Smiling

By Lauren Shipman / December 5th, 2011 in Film / London / 529 views

The dreaded school photo: everyone had to sit for one of the infamous uniformed photography sessions and most of us can admit to taking every opportunity to hide the results behind their parent’s couch.

Instead of wishing this mundane topic could be ditched along with the old school uniform, director Nick Scott recently took up the opportunity to delve into the trauma of photo day with the comedy short, School Portrait. In the film, actor Johnathan Rhodes plays a cynical photographer who has chosen to use the otherwise mundane moment as an opportunity to ‘educate’ a group of unsuspecting children on the realities of growing up.

“No, stop smiling, we’re going to do something different today,” the photographer says as the first student sits down, and proceeds to wipe the smiles from the nervous faces of each of the unsuspecting children who seat themselves before him.

From the reality of lodging a tax return and the high cost of university tuition, to the banking crisis and getting rid of a koala, each of the kids get their own individual serving of reality check. That is, until a cute little girl with freckles and curly red hair comes along. This girl is different to the rest.

Although it must have been difficult to keep up the facade, the man continues to throw every depressing reality he can think of her way. And, just when you think he might win her over with his hard earned life lessons, the girl’s relentless smile and her persistence find their way into the grumpy cameraman’s heart.