The Gift: A Creative Short Film on Environmental Preservation and Advocacy

Trees hold memories. I might forget it all one day, but the trees never will.

The Gift is a short film directed by Kellie Schaffner. Set in the 1800s, a young woman grows physically ill when she learns that a forest she cherishes will be destroyed. Her anxious sister is then determined to help save the forest.

The unique techniques you can accomplish with filmmaking are amazing, especially with short films like Kellie Schaffner’s The Gift. Filmed entirely with dolls, this short film marveled audiences at the Lois Weber Film Festival. The Gift is a creative story about environmental preservation, with themes about standing up for what you want.

Kellie Schaffner has always had a deep love for filmmaking, and she studied the craft in college. After the release of her first directing project in 2020, Schaffner worked on an assortment of screenplays and directed projects. Her film Mismatch also used dolls for the characters.

Not only is Schaffner a passionate filmmaker, but she is also devoted to advocating for the environment. The inspiration behind The Gift came about when a tree in her school’s playground was cut down. “I really wanted to make a film about how much nature can mean because I felt a lot of people didn’t understand my devastation,” Schaffner explained.

The characters all have depth, particularly Samantha. Samantha’s growth is admirable as she finds the courage to plead her sister’s case. Schaffner used most of her own personality for the character, who also has reservations about public speaking.

Voice work credits Xander Haan (William), Jadyn Parks (Samantha), and Lucy Murphy (Daisy). When casting, Schaffner and her boyfriend (the assistant casting director) held auditions in a classroom at her college, where 14 people auditioned. Although she had cast films before, this was the first time she did it independently. “Watching everyone audition made my film seem more real,” Schaffner said.

While I always enjoy films, the behind-the-scenes stories fascinate me the most. While Schaffner was director, cinematographer, and editor, a total of ten people helped work on The Gift, including puppeteers and voice actors.

One always has to find unique ways to make films, and Schaffner’s creative choices are astounding. It was her own decision to make the film with dolls because it allowed for more creative freedom, which meant a lot of work needed to be done in pre-production.

The doll-making process took a total of 25 hours! She chose from certain fabrics, sewed the dolls together, and added wires to help position them. Dolls from Mismatched were reused for this film. Her mother helped with marker caps, using air-dry clay and small tools to help with facial details.

Along with making dolls, Schaffner designed 1880s-style houses, furniture, and clothes with matching color schemes. The brighter colors, the better, Schaffner noted. In the end, Schaffner spent a total of 30-40 hours working on the house set and furniture pieces.

Time restraints and doll malfunctions impacted the production, but that didn’t stop Schaffner from finishing the film. Altogether, filming took 20 hours to complete. And this was all before (and during winter break) her senior year in college!

The Gift is an educational film for all audiences and appeals to younger viewers to help them learn about nature. It’s also a film about being confident in yourself. “I want this film to empower people and allow them to find their confidence,” Schaffner said. She hopes it inspires people with anxiety to make changes.

The Gift is a fascinating film from start to finish. Schaffner’s patience, determination, and creativity are commendable. It even earned a merited applause from audiences at the festival.