♪ IN 1918, AS THE WORLD FACED A
PANDEMIC, CHARLIE CHAPLIN WAS PERHAPS THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE
FIGURE TO GRACE THE SILVER SCREEN.
♪ BUT THIS IS NOT A CHAPLIN.
THIS IS THE EARLY WORK OF JASON CONFORTI.
>> I WAS IN FOURTH GRADE, I WANTED TO MAKE MY OWN CHAPLIN
VIDEO.
I THOUGHT HE WAS HILARIOUS.
MY DAD HELPED ME FILM AND EDIT.
WE HAD A PREMIER AND EVERYTHING.
GOT THAT FIRST TASTE OF HAVING AN AUDIENCE.
>> 100 YEARS AFTER CHAPLIN RELEASED THE KID, THIS KID IS
POISED TO FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS.
JASON CONFORTI WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND
DESIGN, ONE OF HOLLYWOOD REPORTER’S TOP 25 FILM SCHOOLS
IN THE COUNTRY.
>> WHEN COVID STARTED, THERE WAS A MOD UP IN THE AIR.
MY MAJOR, BEING COLLABORATIVE, HAVING IT BE VIRTUAL WOULD NOT
BE THE BEST EXPERIENCE.
ALSO, MONEY AS WELL, BEING AT HOME ON YOUR LAPTOP, HAVING TO
PAY THE SAME AMOUNT AS IF YOU WERE IN PERSON, DOES NOT MAKE
THAT MUCH SENSE.
>> THE COST OF COLLEGE IS A DAILY CONCERN FOR MANY STUDENTS
AND THEIR PARENTS.
>> THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM IS THAT COST OF ATTENDANCE.
>> THE LASELL UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT.
>> I GOT CREDITED WITH FOUNDING OF THE WORK FOR INDEPENDENT
COLLEGES, NOW 85 INSTITUTIONS REPRESENTING 160,000 STUDENTS.
HOW CAN WE LOWER THE COST BUT STILL PROVIDE A HIGH QUALITY
EDUCATION?
WE HAVE FACULTY TEACHING COURSES , BUT STUDENTS FROM OTHER
SCHOOLS ARE ATTENDING ONLINE, WHICH IS MORE EFFICIENT AND
REDUCES THE COST.
>> THE PANDEMIC HAS HIGHLIGHTED THAT THE TECHNOLOGY IS ALREADY
IN PLACE FOR THESE COST-SAVING TRENDS, BUT THERE IS NO
REPLACEMENT FOR IN PERSON LEARNING.
>> I DON’T WANT YOU TO GET THE IMPRESSION WE ARE TURNING INTO
AN ONLINE INSTITUTION.
OUR STUDENTS ARE INTERESTED IN THAT TRADITIONAL, RESIDENTIAL
EXPERIENCE.
>> IT IS JASON CONFORTI’S DREAM.
IT IS WHY HE IS ONE OF MANY RISING FRESHMAN WHO HAVE OPTED
TO TAKE A GAP YEAR IN THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC.
AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY, FRESHMAN DEFERRALS ARE 20% THIS SCHOOL
YEAR.
THAT NUMBER DOES NOT INCLUDE UPPERCLASSMAN LIKE JOHN, WHO IS
DELAYING HIS SOPHOMORE YEAR WHILE STILL LIVING AND TRAINING
AT AUSTIN.
>> I GREW UP IN A SMALL TOWN IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA,
LEARNED HOW TO GO IN SEVENTH GRADE, I WENT TO THE NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIPS.
THAT WAS A PIVOTAL MOMENT BECAUSE IT WAS THE HARDEST THING
I HAD EVER DONE.
>> WHEN HE WAS INVITED TO SEE FIRSTHAND THE ELITE HARVARD
ROBING TEAM, IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.
>> I SAW HARVARD DO A PRACTICE AND I WAS LIKE, THESE GUYS ARE
ON SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
>> AFTER WINNING A SILVER MEDAL AT THE JUNIOR WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIPS, HE ROWED FOR THE CRIMSON IN 2019.
IN MARCH 20 20, HIS SEASON CAME TO AN END.
>> THAT WAS SUCH A GUT WRENCHING MOMENT BECAUSE IT WAS EVERYTHING
I WORKED FOR.
>>’S FRUSTRATION GREW AS HE TRIED TO CONTINUE HIS EDUCATION
IN CALIFORNIA.
>> IT WAS NOT A WAY OF LEARNING THAT WORKED WELL WITH.
I DID NOT WANT TO LOSE THE ACADEMICS AND TIME WITH MY TEAM.
>> SO HE HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON, SITTING OUT OUR YEAR OF SCHOOL
WITH THE HOPES AT A FALL 2021 RETURN WILL INCLUDE A SEMBLANCE
OF NORMALCY.
>> THERE IS A SPECIAL BOND BETWEEN ME AND MY TEAMMATES.
WE HAVE TO MATCH SO PERFECTLY.
FIRST PRACTICE BACK, THERE IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF BANGING ON
BOATS.
IT IS GOING TO BE A GREAT TIME.
>> WHILE HE STAYS FIT RUNNING AND AVOIDING DRIVERS, BACK IN
COHASSET, JASON CONFORTI REMAINS SHARP BY PRACTICE OF HIS CRAFT.
I AM EDITING OR SHOOTING SOMETHING.
I AM READING THIS BOOK ABOUT WRITING SCREENPLAYS.
IF YOU LOVE SOMETHING, YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT SOMETHING, WHY
WOULDN’T YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT?
>> JASON CONFORTI SAYS ALTHOUGH HE HAS FOUND A STEADY FLOW O
WORK DURING HIS GAP YEAR, THE PLAN IS STILL TO ATTEND COLLEGE.
IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHETHER HE WILL NEED TO BE APPLY, ARE
VISUALLY THE ANSWER WAS YES, BUT THE SCHOOL HAS REVISED THAT
POLICY.