Students Actualize Their Vision in “The Arena”
By Ronnie Walker
Realizing long-term goals is a critically important tool for successful individuals. While actualizing these goals is a tedious and often painful process, the rewards are profound. This aptly describes the filmmaking process of “The Arena” —a multi-part web series directed by Jarrett Moody starring Ben Ricketts, Kylie Kesterson, Logan Dawson and others. The series will be released in December of 2021, commemorating two years of trial and tribulation.
The project began as the brainchild of Jarrett Moody, a 2019 Owasso High School (OHS) graduate, with Ben Ricketts joining in sooner after. Ricketts is currently a senior at OHS, widely known by his peers in the classroom and band section. The duo began scripting, and months passed as they tweaked, polished and solidified their vision. Eventually, Moody and Ricketts completed the script, and the film crew had expanded to include Kylie Kesterson, Zane Underwood and others.
Ben Ricketts (Left) and Jarrett Moody (Right) filming “The Arena.”
“It was Spring Break of last year,” Ricketts recalled. “[Moody] was like, ‘Be at my house at this time; we’re gonna start shooting.’ And I… you don’t know how excited I was.”
The filmmaking process was not without its unique assortment of challenges. Expectedly, Oklahoma's typical spring weather proved troublesome, which was problematic for the crew, as filming locations were primarily outdoors. The biggest challenge, though, was one most people can relate to: finances. In the winter before filming, Moody launched a 60-day Kickstarter campaign. It was unsuccessful, reaching just 15 percent of the goal.
Ricketts elaborates, “Everyone got refunded since we didn’t meet the goal, so a lot of it came out of Jarrett’s pocket.”
These obstacles, though, are beginning to pay off. With the filming completed, production and editing are all that remain before “The Arena” is released. The choice to cast many OHS students has generated substantial local hype, both via word of mouth or promotional materials. Moody released the teaser on July 23 and the official trailer on August. 17.
Rickett’s reaction was one of excitement, stating, “When Jarrett first sent me the finished version of that teaser, I was jumping up yelling, I was so excited. Then we released [the trailer], and everyone was coming up to me and texting me ‘Dude I love the trailer, it looks so cool.’”
The crew plans to release Season One of “The Arena” on the “MoodyPlayz” YouTube channel in December of this year. This date is sure to be a fulfilling moment for the dedicated, hard-working crew.