A Rockwood 10-year-old was recently featured in a school bus safety video that was shown to every Wellington County parent and student who attended school bus orientation on Aug. 29.
Ashley Taylor, a Grade 6 student at Guelph Community Christian School, spent four days of her summer vacation filming school bus safety videos in Toronto with OECM (Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace) on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Education.
“Ashley is the main young actress seen in Buzzy the Bee video, with (the) striped tunic dress and red shoes,” said Tina Pacala, of OECM.
“Her picture is also featured on the certificate that the young riders will have received upon completion of the bus orientation day.”
The videos teach students, parents and guardians about school bus safety while travelling to and from school.
Sara Taylor, Ashley’s mom, said the shoot was scheduled for two days but because of rain delays it was stretched out to four.
Ashley said she learned how to take direction.
“They basically just told us to stand there and walk up to here or get off the school bus or get on the school bus,” Ashley said.
Ashley joined M Models and Talent Agency based in Toronto in April so she hasn’t been in many videos.
She did one for RBC Royal Bank and the school bus shoot for the Ministry of Education.
“On the first day of the school bus shoot I was … really nervous,” she said. “But when it got to four days you kind of calm down.”
While Ashley said it was a challenge to stand still for take after take while the film crew shot different angles she said it wasn’t difficult because the directors were specific.
“If they’re vague and then you do what they don’t want you to do they have to do it again,” she said. “So they were really specific so you don’t have much room to not do it.”
One of the best parts of the shoot was exiting the school bus through the emergency exit, Ashley said, adding there were two older students on either side of the door who helped her down.
She also said another one of her highlights was making new friends who were her age.
“I don’t get to do that a lot because school is always the same kids.” she said. To view Ashley’s video visit vimeo.com/oecmsbrs.
