Junior Kimberly Vela has always enjoyed performing on stage or in front of a camera. Growing up, she performed in countless school plays and always received the lead role.

When she entered high school, Vela joined Beginning Drama freshman year and began experimenting behind the lense of the camera that same year.

It started off with short videos that she would make with her friends, but her love for film quickly grew. Vela’s acting experience has allowed her to understand what it’s like on both sides of the lense, enhancing her directing skills as a cinematographer.

At school, Vela acts in Advanced Drama and works behind the scenes for Redwood TV. Outside of school, Vela auditions for plays all around the Bay Area and directs short films.

To help with her auditions outside of school, Vela meets with an acting coach about once a week.

“My acting coach helps me tremendously. We go over the scripts together and piece everything together like facial expressions and body movement,” Vela said.

To receive an audition, Vela submits her portfolio to SF Casting, an acting website. If the directors of the film or play are interested, they will send her an email.

Vela has found great success through SF Casting––she’s gotten almost all of the parts for which she’s auditioned. When she’s not on the site, she will hear about an audition through other friends in the acting industry who connect her with casting agents.

During spring break, Vela starred in “Highwayman,” a film by the San Francisco State University Department of Theater Arts that will be premiering in May.

“I really enjoyed the film because it was futuristic and different from what I had been used to doing. I got my hair and makeup done extremely different than I would have in other plays,” Vela said.

Vela played the lead role, Poe, who leaves home to find a cure for her brother’s sickness, but then is stopped and drugged by a human trafficker. In the end, Poe is saved by another man known as the highwayman.

Vela also stars in films outside of school with other high school students. Recently, Vela played a student in “That’s Democracy,” a film about a teacher who pulled a gun on his class. Junior Jessica Flaum also starred in this play and uses the same acting coach as Vela.

While Vela still puts a large focus on her acting career, she has also begun to head more into the video world. With quick learning, Vela has already produced multiple short films.

“There is just so much creativity in film. There are so many angles to take. A certain shot or clip can change the whole meaning of something,” Vela said. “I’ve always wanted to be the director figure and it’s fun writing my own scripts and watching them premiere.”

Vela is in the process of directing three short films for which she wrote the screenplays: “Eighteen,”  “Rosia,”  and “Flounder.” In her films, Vela stars other Redwood students or friends she knows from acting.

Vela makes the films to show to friends and family––she does not expect to make a profit from them. In the near future, Vela plans to submit some of her work to local film contests.

Prior to making films, Vela didn’t receive any knowledge on how to direct or write a screenplay.

“I learn on the job. I’ve learned most by doing and experimenting,” Vela said.

Depending on the shoot and the timing of auditions, Vela sometimes has to leave school early.

“It has been fairly difficult because sometimes, like in “Highwayman,” I had to drive all the way to the city for rehearsals and such,” Vela said.

While Vela writes and directs each of her films, she has a crew that helps out. Her crew is composed of the junior Annie Forsman and sophomores Garet Jatsek, and Sam Slade, the Redwood TV Crew.

Vela said the her first film was most difficult because she had to do all the filming, editing, and directing by herself.

“It’s hard to take on every job. When I have a crew beside me, it’s easier to just focus on one thing,” Vela said.

This summer, Vela plans to create more in-depth projects, including a feature-length film she will be directing with juniors Annie Forsman and Campbell Nolan, as well as a friend from Virginia.

While Vela usually casts Redwood students, she said she is looking outside for more experienced actors for the feature length film. Vela said that she may decide to submit the film to local film festivals or contests.

Vela also plans to tour colleges with renowned film programs and take some summer classes there. She has already participated in several film workshops located in San Francisco, but this summer she plans to do a longer program at a college.

“I never knew I would have such a love for making films and now I want to go to a college that has film,” Vela said.