Sam Hope has always been drawn to the moment after the camera stops rolling. It is in the editing room, where footage is shaped into something meaningful, that he feels most at home.

“It just feels very natural to me,” he said. “I’ve spent so much time doing it that it’s become a part of me.”

A senior at Croton-Harmon High School, Sam is taking that passion to the next level as a Filmmaker Fellow with the Jacob Burns Film Center.

Launched this spring, the Jacob Burns Film Center’s Director’s Cut: Documentary Filmmaking Fellowship marks the first year of an innovative program for high school students in grades 10 through 12. Developed in collaboration with the New York University Tisch School of the Arts and in partnership with industry professionals from Imagine Entertainment, the fully funded fellowship gives students the opportunity to create an original short documentary while working alongside leading voices in the film industry.

The culminating screening, Q&A, and reception will take place on the evening of June 2, 2026, at the Jacob Burns Film Center.

While the fellowship gives Sam a chance to work across different filmmaking roles, the cutting room remains his biggest draw.

“I think I’m most interested in post-production, especially editing,” he said. “I love everything about filmmaking, but that’s the part that really stood out to me.”

As a child, Sam taught himself the basics using whatever tools he could find, experimenting with free editing platforms and creating videos at home. By the time he enrolled in the CHHS video production course as a sophomore, he already had a foundation. The class gave him the opportunity to refine those skills through more ambitious projects.

“When we started working on longer projects, I was able to explore filmmaking more deeply,” he said. “That’s when I realized this is what I really enjoy.”

Since then, he has continued with the high school course each year, developing his skills across all aspects of filmmaking while continually gravitating back toward editing. In class, students primarily use Final Cut, with more advanced tools incorporated over time. Sam has also begun exploring additional platforms on his own, including Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro.

“The course expects more from you each year,” he said. “You’re introduced to everything early on in the class, but you really start to go deeper as you progress.”

An attention to detail and drive to improve have become defining traits in the video production studio.

For Sam’s teacher, Mr. Aponte, it was clear early on that he approached his work with a high level of care and intention.

“That’s when I knew,” he said. “He wants the work done the right way. Everything with Sam has been, ‘What can I do next?’”

Since then, Sam has become someone his teacher relies on for both his technical ability and consistency.

“Mr. Aponte has guided me in more ways than I can list,” Sam said.

Alongside Sam’s growth, the high school’s video production program has expanded as well. In recent years, the production space has been upgraded with new equipment and expanded studio space, including a dedicated green screen and control room.

“It made a big difference,” Sam said. “The cameras, the microphones, everything improved. It elevated what we’re able to create.”

Sam had not been familiar with the Jacob Burns fellowship before it was shared with school counselors. But when information about the fellowship reached his school counselor, the connection was immediate.

“He was the first student I thought of,” said CHHS School Counselor Tanya Thibideau. “When I read about the program, it just felt like such a natural match for him.”

The application process required a personal statement and a creative portfolio. For Sam, that meant submitting a short film he had created for his college applications, a three-minute horror film centered on the unsettling idea of a doppelganger.

That submission led to a group interview, where Sam said he focused on showing his enthusiasm and interest in the craft. He was ultimately selected for the competitive program, which brings together students to collaborate on a documentary film.

He explained why the focus on documentary storytelling was part of the appeal.

“Out of all the styles of film, that’s the one I’ve explored the least,” he said. “That’s what makes it the most interesting to me.”

The process has challenged him to think about storytelling in a different way. Unlike scripted films, where scenes are planned in advance, documentary editing requires shaping a narrative from real moments and raw footage.

Even so, Sam sees a clear connection.

“Whether it’s action, documentary, or anything else, the editing is where everything comes together,” he said. “I’m interested in a lot of different things, but editing is the one that feels like home.”