STUDENTS LEARN FILMMAKING AT GRANT MAGNET.

Byline: Rick Coca Valley News Writer

Finish the film. That's the challenge Alex Hakobian, a Grant magnet school film instructor, issues to his students each year. And he's not talking about sitting through ``Porky's Revenge.''

Hakobian has taught at Grant Communications Technology Magnet in Valley Glen for 12 years and he's found there is much more to teaching film to high school students than editing techniques.

``There are certain things that I found when I started teaching that I thought were lacking,'' Hakobian said. ``And one of the biggest detriments to success was the students hadn't learned to finish things.''

With nearly 300 awards, including two student Emmys, it's apparent Hakobian's students have heeded his advice and found success in his mantra: ``Completion is the essence of success.''

On April 29, the film school will display some of its finest work for the annual ``Film Night'' at the Goldenson Theatre at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood.

Junior Rosa Gasparian plays the lead character in ``Rumors,'' one of the featured films for the upcoming presentation.

``It's a high school teenage drama movie,'' Gasparian, 16, said of the short film.

Gasparian said students Josh Smith and Sean Real, who served as the film and directing crew, as well as the handful of students in the movie, collaborated on the story idea and put in long hours and weekends to assemble the film.

Gasparian said when she first came to the magnet school she wasn't interested in making films.

``In ninth grade, I worked on one little film and I said, `That's it, this is what I want to do,'' she said.

She hopes to one day be a film producer. And like all of Hakobian's successful students, she and the cast and crew of ``Rumors'' have one thing on their minds.

``It's almost complete, so we can't wait to show it for film night,'' Gasparian said.

Film Night tickets are $10 for adults and $7.50 for students and children, and include a light dinner. To purchase or for information, call [phone].

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Photo:

Grant film magnet students behind the lens. From left, Madalyn Schiller, Ethan Shapiro, Ashley Jenkins, Robert Reber and Tauri St. Claire.