Up Close with Jason Allard, Director of Woonsocket HS Documentary

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Anthony Faccenda, GoLocalProv Lifestyle Contributor

Check out Jason Allard's documentary 'My Old School' when it premieres on RI PBS Thursday, March 6 at 9:30 p.m.

My Old School, the documentary tracing the history of the largest abandoned school in New England, will premiere on Rhode Island PBS Thursday, March 6 at 9:30 p.m. The historic building, constructed in 1914, housed thousands of students over the years as Woonsocket High School, then as Woonsocket Middle School. After the school closed in 2009, Director Jason Allard and Executive Producer Scott Gabrielson sought to preserve memories of the old school they had both attended.

GoLocal spoke to Allard, a recent graduate of the University of Rhode Island (class of 2012), to learn about how the project came about; how the story of Woonsocket Middle/High School reflects on the rest of Rhode Island and the country as whole; and what he hopes viewers take away from watching the film.

An Interview with Documentary Filmmaker Jason Allard

What was the inspiration behind My Old School?

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

My Old School began as a small project with my friend and executive producer, Scott Gabrielson. We originally wanted to document the building itself – just the architecture and how it was left abandoned. We both attended the school, so we already had a connection to it. Then former students and teachers started contacting us from as far back as the class of ’38. This old school really had history, and when the stories started coming in about the memories, the wars, the cultural changes, we felt we had to preserve those things. It was really inspiring to hear how much happened within those walls, and to hear people remember the school so fondly.

What was your reaction when you found out that PBS wanted to air your documentary?

Having a documentary air on PBS is a filmmaker’s dream come true. Since I was contacted the first week of January it made for a nice start to the New Year. Rhode Island PBS has such an impressive track record with local and national directors, so to be able to share My Old School with their audience is a great honor.

How were you able to produce the film on such a small budget?

Most of our filming equipment is gathered from past independent projects. It is a combination of old mics, studio lights, and a camera I bought after working a semester in college at a coffee shop. What we didn’t have, we created ourselves. I wanted something to capture the long hallways of the school and evoke a ghost-like feeling. To accomplish that, I ended up welding together a custom dolly from yard sale bicycles and steel rods in my basement. But that’s what made the whole project so fun – we didn’t have a huge budget so we had to get creative.

What surprised you the most when researching the film?

I was most surprised when we were talking with former students about huge historical events that happened while they were in school. Every generation has that defining moment that’s just stuck in their minds. For me, it’s 9/11. I’ll always remember sitting in class hearing the news. When you watch the film, you’ll hear former students talk about JFK the same way my generation speaks about 9/11. They remember exactly what class they were in and what they were doing when they heard the news. I was surprised that despite enduring so many other things in their lives, there’s always that one defining moment that every generation goes back to.

How does the story of Woonsocket Middle/High School reflect on RI and the rest of the country as whole?

When we began to spread the word about My Old School, I had people tell me they didn’t go to the school so they weren’t interested. I told them that this film isn’t just for the alumni of Woonsocket Middle/High School because the stories go beyond the school itself. It’s about growing up – every school had classes, sports and pranks. It’s really a nostalgic look back at any American school. This is a film that everyone can relate to – we just have it set to the backdrop of the largest abandoned school in New England.

What do you hope viewers take away from the film?

I hope viewers can watch this film and gain a new appreciation for the history that abandoned sites contain. Maybe it will inspire people to take the steps necessary to preserve these places, whether directly, or through film, print or photography. Based on the reaction we’ve had from My Old School it’s clear that these places are extremely important to communities. During this project we discovered so many untold stories, and it’s sad driving past vacant sites knowing what they once were. Ultimately, I think when the end credits roll viewers will be feeling nostalgic, hopeful, and curious about the future of places such as the old school.

Watch My Old School on RI PBS on Thursday, March 6 at 9:30 p.m. For more information about the film and to view the trailer, click here.

Up Close with Jason Allard, Director of Woonsocket HS Documentary

An Interview with Documentary Filmmaker Jason Allard

Related Slideshow: 25 Movies Filmed in Rhode Island

Moonrise Kingdom

Mr. North

There's Something About Mary

Federal Hill

Age of Innocence

True Lies

High Society

Thirteen Days

Little Children

RIPD

Amistad

Outside Providence

Me, Myself & Irene

Evening

The Great Gatsby

Self Storage

27 Dresses

Dan in Real Life

Hachi: A Dog's Tale

The Education of Charlie Banks

Meet Joe Black

Reversal of Fortune

Underdog

Tanner Hall

Dumb and Dumber

1994

Related Articles

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

Sign Up for the Daily Eblast