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Short subject's like high school, 'only it's exaggerated' Photo by Jim Craven Steve White, left, uses a light meter to set up the lighting for the first shot in the short film he is making in Medford. The Phoenix High School graduate, assisted by crew member Eric Peterson (right), is studying filmmaking at the Tisch School of Arts at New York University. Young filmmaker's art imitates his life By JESSICA SMITH When Steve White was looking for a group of actors to bring his coming-of-age script to life, he turned to his friends. "It's basically my life in high school," said White, a 1998 Phoenix High School graduate studying at Tisch School of Arts at New York University. "I grew up in a small town and there's really nothing to do but go get a cup of coffee and wile away the night." White, 19, drew inspiration for his 12-minute short, "Zach's Deli," a school project, from the countless cups of coffee he shared with friends at Shari's restaurant in Medford. White enlisted those same friends, students and graduates of PHS, to tell the story of another close-knit group that meet at a diner to help one character, Gary, get over a tough break-up with his girlfriend. The group began the three-day shoot Tuesday evening at Zach's Village Deli, just a few doors down from the Harry and David's Country Village store on Center Drive. "They basically talk about relationships, and what they'll do when they graduate. They talk about nothing, really, like patty melts and pickles and how do you order a 7-Up or a Sprite," said White. "It's kind of like what we did in high school, only it's exaggerated," added White's 17-year-old brother, Richard. "The atmosphere is a little different. There's so many random things we do," said Susan Kerlinger, 19. But more than a group of friends rallying for a wounded peer, the film is about how the leader of the bunch, Dave, learns to let his friends make decisions for themselves. "It's about Gary doing things on his own, without Dave's approval, and their friendship moving on," White said. White and his friends also have moved on with their lives, going off to different colleges and taking jobs, but all agreed to pitch in on the film student's project, some sacrificing time for studying and others taking time away from work. Armed with a $25,000 camera on loan from NYU, a $1 million personal injury insurance policy and 500 feet of film, White met up with the group about 6 p.m. Tuesday, although the first shot didn't come until after 8 p.m. It's a lesson in patience, said White, who hopes to work as a cinematographer after graduation from art school. "The first shot of the day can take forever," he said. "But the more patient you are, the better it's going to be." There was a lot of sitting around late Tuesday, with plenty more down-time to come, since each shot requires precise placements of lights and cameras, a process that can take 15 minutes to several hours, White said. But most were glad for the chance to meet up with their high school friends. "This is a really cool thing to be doing over spring break," said Kerlinger, a 1998 PHS graduate who attends Vassar College in New York. "Most people go do something really exotic or go home and sleep. ... If we weren't here, we'd probably all be over at Shari's." Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA