Video: Manalapan Filmmaker, Jenna Bush, Discusses Latest Short

At age 21, Manalapan-native Jenna Bush is already an award-winning director, cinematographer, and filmmaker. Earlier this month, her short film narrative, The Ground Keeper, was screened at the ninth annual Garden State Film Festival in Asbury Park.

Bush, a 2007 graduate of Manalapan High School and a senior communication studies major at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, discussed The Ground Keeper during a Q&A following the screening and spoke candidly about her work in a private interview.

“It’s an internal story about a young man dealing with an emotional issue,” said Bush in regards to her, approximately six minute, film.

The film follows an old man reminiscing about a difficult time in his past that tested the emotional limitations of a young woman, according to the film's synopsis.

An internet article on how to fly a kite inspired Bush to run with the idea.

“I was reading it, and I was like, this is a beautiful metaphor in itself,” said Bush during the Q&A. “We really love the idea of having it very open to interpretation, like the flow of life, old and young, love – you can really take anything you want from it.” 

Combined with a moving soundtrack from Jónsi, the images on the screen made for a stunning and emotional presentation.

The character “Young Woman”, is played by Bush’s friend and fellow TCNJ graduate, Cat Consentino. Consentino, a singer, song-writer, and musician, spoke of her prior experiences working in films and performed a song during a .

When asked about any challenges that she had to overcome for this role, Consentino admitted that she had an “issue with heights” in one scene, but Bush coached her through it.

The cast also included the character “Young Man” played by TCNJ junior John Cherney. “Old Man” is played by Jenna’s grandfather, Jerry Bush, and her grandmother, Edith Bush, plays “Old Woman”.

“It was easy and very interesting - my first feeling and first sense of it. I enjoyed it very much,” said Jerry Bush about working with his granddaughter. He jokes that this is his first role in what he hopes is a long career in film.

Bush said that working with her grandparents was a special experience and was thrilled that they could attend the screening. When she introduced them after the Q&A, they received a big round of applause.

Bush was assisted by cinematographer Justin Smith, a sophomore at TCNJ. Smith also helped with a crucial detail in the movie: deciding on who should narrate the film and provide the voice of the “Old Man”.  

They chose Dr. Harold Eickhoff, a professor and former president of TCNJ who, according to Bush, completed the voice over on a first-take.

“We had a few people try out and he was just spot-on,” said Smith. Members of the audience agreed.

Bush worked on production over the course of seven months, from May through November of 2010.  The Ground Keeper is Bush’s second acceptance to the Garden State Film Festival, a multi-day event that drew approximately 30,000 this year, said Joe DeLong, a comedian and playwright, who volunteers as a coordinator and host of the event.   

“It’s a wonderful occasion. Everyone is so glad to just have an opportunity to show their film even if it’s five minutes long – to get an audience that they never would have had before," said DeLong. "Everyone is very appreciative and grateful for what we’re doing here."

The screening of The Ground Keeper took place at the Berkeley Hotel in Asbury Park on Sunday April 3, the last day of the festival, along with seven other short films.

“The GSFF is special to me since it was the first festival that accepted me and the first festival that I was truly a part of,” Bush said.

Last year, Bush submitted her documentary short Minor Details (2009), which tells the story of James Henderson, a TCNJ student and soldier who transitions back to civilian life after returning from a 15-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. The film took home the award for Homegrown Student Documentary Short and was also accepted to the 2010 Manalapan Independent Film Festival.

In the past few months, Bush has written, directed, and edited another short film, Apollonia, which is in post production for a 2011 release. She plans to submit her work to next year’s GSFF.   

Additionally, she is pursuing musical projects including a video for the indie rock band Big Baby Ernie, and a behind-the-scenes look at a Bon Jovi concert; Bush is collaborating with fellow TCNJ students on both projects. She has also agreed to direct and shoot a music video for Novae.

These projects will add to an already impressive resume. Prior to being a director and screenwriter, Bush worked as a Production Assistant for a documentary feature film Demon On Wheels directed by Christina Eliopoulos and Two Pints Lighter directed by Matt Lawrence.

On campus, Bush worked as a producer, camera operator, and editor of the college television program The Early Late Show and was the production manager for TCNJ's Lions TV.

While The Ground Keeper did not take home any GSFF awards, the submission was an invaluable experience from a professional standpoint. Bush, who graduates in May, walked away with two potential freelance jobs and a possible internship.

Her work caught the eye of director Ryan Geiger who won Best Homegrown Drama Feature for Stealing God’s Money. Geiger has recruited her as director of photography for his next film entitled Bury It.

During the awards gala, Bush also met the executive director and co-founder of the GSFF, Diane Raver who is “so wonderful” and actress Lainie Kazan who is “sweet and down to earth," said Bush.

“What I was most pleased with was the comments I received after the film. A few people came up to me and told me that my film really touched them,” she added. “That is all I'd ever dreamed of - to communicate with people on a deeper level. That's when I knew I had succeeded.”

To find out more about Jenna Bush and her latest projects, visit her on the web at jennaabush.net.

You can also view some of her work, including a trailer of her award-winning documentary Minor Details, on Vimeo.

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