In an eerily lit room with paper thin blinds, an empty coat hanger, a book case, and a desk with a typewriter on it, a man dressed in suspenders and a white collared shirt with a black hat walks in. He sits down to write a letter, covered in blood.

This was the first scene of the detective cop film Order of Precedence. Pearce Healey, senior, and 16 of his friends and others interested in helping him volunteered to work on the 48 Hour Film Project over the summer. The 48 Hour Film Project is an organization providing creative people of all ages with a chance to show an audience their passion for the arts. Healey’s team was given a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre with only 48 hours to complete the film, which is later viewed at the Tivoli, a local movie theater located in University City, a cultural district of St. Louis known as the Loop.

“The experience was a reward in itself,” Healey said. “I’m hoping to do more contests in the future to get a wider perspective.”

Healey has been working on films since he was in eighth grade. Over that span of time, he has developed a love for films and has created around twenty of them.

“It is invigorating,” Healey said . “I try to create movies that I would want to watch.”

Healey gathers his inspiration from other movies, books and works of art. His favorite type of film to create is film noir, or black and white 1940’s style, His favorite movie from this genre is The Third Man.

“You get to create a world and bring it to life,” Healey said.

Healey’s fans have said that he has a natural talent when it comes to creating his films.

“He really has a great eye (for filming),” Julie Healey, Healey’s mom and school assistant librarian, said. “[He has] the ability to frame shots beautifully and in ways other people would not see. He captures the shot and it is more interesting.”

Healey observes the world around him silently through the lens of his camera. Yet, when he is working on the set of a film, his voice is listened to and the chaos of filmmaking focuses for him as he encourages others to attach to the piece.

“When we lose track, he tries to get us more invested into the film, emotionally or otherwise,” Eric Alseth, junior, said. “He knows when we have to get things done, and he is strong about that, but he’s never mean about it. He’s efficient.”

Karl Weber, the bloodied man from earlier, a detective who strives in the film for justice and order, finishes his letter with, “My last act as an officer is to write this letter with the intention that someday justice will once again rule supreme of the law,” Weber said. He then stands facing the wide window and falls back through it to his death. Healey’s film has ended, but the next project is only beginning.

**Pearce is currently working on a film for college portfolio submissions. The film is about a man whose best friend died and he has to learn to deal with the loss.