Last year saw the creation of a student-made animated movie about a dystopian future at WHHS, known as “2054: The Wreckoning.” The film was written, directed and animated by Daniel Ruff, ‘24, with numerous students and faculty members voice-acting in the production.
“I thought the original one was spectacular, as is,” Christine Minano, a WHHS English teacher who was a voice actor in the film, said. “Definitely take time to see it, and then you’ll have a greater appreciation for the greatness that comes from Walnut students.”
On April 17, Ruff released the film on YouTube, marking the beginning. Ruff recently announced he would make and release a director’s cut of the film.
“I was a little bit in disbelief that [Ruff] would continue on the series of ‘The Wreckoning’,” Cameron Dunklin, ‘26, a student who played the film’s main antagonist, ‘The Boss,’ said. “I was [also] excited that I got a few more lines and that the story gets a little bit more developed.”
“The Wreckoning” takes place in a dystopian version of WHHS in the year 2054, where people with special abilities are being hunted by the government.
“I’m an English teacher in the movie,” Dawn Wolfe, a WHHS English teacher, said. “I was totally typecast, but I’m also a Yoda-like, resistant English teacher, so I’m pretty cool for once because otherwise I’m kind of boring.”
Many students and faculty have eagerly decided to reprise their roles in order to record more lines, albeit on their own time. Last year, most of the recordings took place in the music lyceum, in practice rooms or in the orchestra room after school.
“We didn’t just do one take and we were done; we looked at our parts over and over again so [Daniel Ruff] could get the best take,” Minano said.
Ruff plans to release the director’s cut at the University of Cincinnati (UC) Zimmer Hall on Nov. 23.
“I am thrilled that he is getting this recognition and support from UC DAAP to be able to expand the reach of this movie because he worked so hard, and it’s amazing,” Wolfe said.
While WHHS offers broadcast and theater classes, students and faculty rarely collaborate on projects, especially student-led ones.
“It’s thrilling that something student-made could go this far,” Dunklin said. “[As a result], people have told me to go into actual voice acting.”
Since the original film is currently privatized on YouTube, fans can only get their Wreckoning fix by attending the premiere at UC.
“I really can’t express my pride for this because Daniel worked on this for a year at least,” Wolfe said. “It was a pretty amazing thing to actually see and watch it happen.”