By Julian Yang, VI Form

No Accidents: A Remote Chapel Talk

To be perfectly honest, I never thought I would give my chapel talk. I figured that it would be unrealistic for us seniors to be delivering any sort of address in an online or remote nature. However, even though Reverend Talcott told us that chapel talks were, in fact, a “go,” I refused to give a live talk. 

Since September, I wanted to make my chapel talk unique. There were so many clever and well-written speeches this year that set the bar high. There was almost no way that I could give one live that could have made my talk memorable, especially given that I really had no life-changing stories to tell. But here, in quarantine, that opportunity presented itself. Armed with time, space, and equipment, I decided to put my own spin on my chapel talk and make it into a movie that could be watched over again forever. 

My filmmaking career speaks volumes on my hardcore following of Casey Neistat. During Lion Term last year, I made daily vlogs that imitated his style. Before making vlogs, Casey Neistat made these short movies that covered all different topics, from his own life to greater social issues. This “gritty” style captivated me as it combined stop-motion animation, drawings, and handwriting. While it was somewhat time consuming, I loved the entire process.

To everyone who watched it live, on the St. Mark’s Instagram, on my YouTube, or anywhere else, thank you for taking the time to watch my work. At the end of the day, my goal was just to spread the message that there are no accidents in life, no matter how big or how small.

Julian Yang is a VI Form boarding student from Chelmsford, Massachusetts. He enjoys studying social sciences, law, and mathematics. His extracurricular interests include the saxophone, hockey, and filmmaking.