A behind the scenes still of a scene in the empty housing at Wheaton.
The production of a Wheaton student’s senior capstone film is turning heads on campus.
The film, “Doors,” by Lily Maguire ’26, melds poetry with film and is based on a long-form poem Maguire wrote during the faculty-led Arts in Ireland summer program in 2025.
When planning her senior thesis, Maguire—a creative writing and film double major—knew she wanted to combine her poetry and passion for film. The poem “Doors” follows a young woman named Clary and four pathways of guilt in her various relationship dynamics. Maguire decided to focus her film adaptation on the crafted relationship between Clary and her boyfriend, expanding the story into a full-length script and using “poetry to tell the story” through Clary’s narrative thinking style.
Maguire commented that Wheaton filmmakers inspired her. “It feels embarrassing sometimes to be really passionate about your art, but to see other people do it…I wanted to be like that…I should just go for it,” she recalled about the beginning of the process.
Behind the scenes still of the Lyons Den, made to look like a diner.
Building a crew
Maguire has built a crew consisting of peers to bring her vision to life. Abbie Cramer ’26 is the director of photography and in charge of camera work, while JP Tehomilic ’26 works as the gaffer, responsible for lighting design. Sierra Seetin ’28 was brought onto the project as co-producer. For the casting process, Maguire used Backstage, a professional casting site, and cast one actor from outside Wheaton and one from Wheaton, Ajwad Nasir ’29.
Cramer commented on the experience her role provided. “Being on set was when I could really let my creativity come through,” she explained, “I got to decide what lenses [to use], and the composition, and the camera movement.” Having worked on sets before in swing roles (temporarily covering for other roles when needed), stepping into this film with more responsibilities allowed her to really apply her skill set.
The Logistics
The equipment used for “Doors” was provided through the Film and New Media Studies Department. “When Lily’s film came in, they basically took everything that the department has,” joked Patrick Johnson, the Associate Professor and Chair of Film, Media, and Communication. He oversees the allocation of the pieces for the student filming process and coordinates with students to ensure they have the tools they need.
Johnson elaborated how the Film and New Media Studies Department has “pretty deep resources in every department found on a film set.” Examples range from the camera department’s Sony FX3 with cinema lenses to lighting grip equipment such as silver C-stands, used to hold heavy lights and for lighting adjustments, as well as LED-powered lights and light sticks.
Maguire not only used Wheaton gear but also filmed in empty housing on Wheaton’s campus, which required a multi-month effort to obtain permission. Because she knew the space from working on a previous film there, Maguire was able to keep it in mind as she planned filming shots. “I could envision it perfectly in my mind becuase I know the actual house, I know what that shot is going to look like,” she said.
Heavily involved in this process was Seetin, who was also stepping into the larger role of co-producer for the first time after three years of having a hand in independent films. A fundamental part of filming “Doors” also involved feeding the crew and cast, so Seetin helped to develop a crowdfunding campaign which raised $500 towards the film’s production. Seetin is now working on sending thank-you bundles to all the contributors to the crowdfunding, including 3-D-printed keychains she made in the Fab Lab.
A film still of the two main characters embracing.
The Filming Process
Filming lasted five days, from Friday through Monday, with an additional Wednesday just last month in February. According to Maguire, the first day took 12 hours to complete, and each subsequent day’s duration decreased by 2 hours. Filming was incredible because “everybody there wanted to be there,” said Maguire, while recognizing the commitment it required. “It felt like its own semester,” she said.
Cramer recalled one essential shot that they did through a window slightly above the ground floor. “I was sitting on a ladder, in the dark, in the cold, with the shoulder rig,” she said. Tehomilic, the gaffer, was busy making sure she wouldn’t tip over.
Seetin worked hard on set to create a shooting schedule and connect the script with the work that Cramer had done. “I would call, ‘quiet on set,’ and then all the departments would state that they’re ready, and then we’d go ahead and shoot,” she explained.