Rising Stars Unveiled: MEET STAPLES’ TALENTED ACTORS AND FILMMAKERS

Madison Mayr '24 - Paper Sports Editor
Photos by Storey Ahl '25

Actors Cameron Mann ’24 and Grace Power ’24, along with filmmakers Will Stout ’26 and Charlie Scott ’24, share their passion and experience in the entertainment industry.

Charlie Scott

Charlie Scott ’24 grew a passion for filmmaking and video editing by posting videos on YouTube at 10 years old and by watching movies.

“The film that changed my trajectory the most was probably ‘The Batman’ (2022),” Scott said. “That film allowed me to truly see film as an art and take it more seriously.”

Not only can Scott be found at any court or field with his camera set up to film the highlights of each game, but he also created his first short film early this winter titled “Limbo.” Scott said he is proud of the film, but is most satisfied with what he learned from the experience.

“Specifically, I now understand the importance of taking all necessary actions to ensure a successful film creation,” Scott said. “Walk throughs with actors before filming, capturing test shots and finding ways to better bring the screenplay to life, to better realize the writer's vision.”

Scott’s videos can be found on his Youtube @charlie33, Instagram @charlie.scott33, or his TikTok @charlie.scott33.

Grace Power

Grace Power’s ’24 love for acting began when she was a child at a summer acting camp and her experiences grew from there. Power is most known for her role as young Liz in HBO’s “Life & Beth” with actress Amy Schumer. Aside from acting she has discovered a passion for writing and directing.

“Last year I wrote and directed two short films which were so much fun,” Power said. “I worked on each script for about two weeks and then started to plan filming. It was a lot of time and effort but it was so worth it.”

After the planning of the films, Power stepped right into action by creating shot lists, held rehearsals with actors and gathered all props and set pieces. Power shares that each film took about six hours to shoot and once finished, the editing process takes up to a few weeks.

Power explains how a lot of her skills and experiences are dedicated to the theater classes at Staples but also the film programs she continues to do every summer where she gets to act and direct.

“I think directing is also helpful to acting because you learn more about developing characters,” Power said.

Will Stout

Will Stout ’26 discovered his love for film editing during basketball season. After receiving a camera and lens for his 15th birthday, he started attending and filming the games. Aside from filming basketball highlights that are featured on his Instagram page, @wsprodz, Stout enjoys creating them for football and lacrosse and hopes to include baseball too this spring.

“My favorite sport to edit definitely depends on how each team is doing,” Stout said. “But if I had to choose, it would probably be basketball to film and then football to edit”.

Stout has also filmed for local stores and companies including clothing store Rhone, THC cannabis drink Cann, local AAU girls’ basketball clubs, Norwalk sports facility The Sports Haus and the Stamford Police Department.

Stout credits a lot of his success to Staples classes like Advanced Video Editing.

“Mr. Heiter shaped my organizational skills when it came to editing,” Stout said. “He improved my work ethic and he was and is still a very supportive person regarding my editing.”

All of Stout’s videos are featured on his Instagram page, @wsprodz.

Cameron Mann

Cameron Mann ’24 began his acting career when he was 8 years old at community theater Centerstage in Westport.

“My brother, Jamie, was always very involved with acting,” Mann said. “He’d been auditioning and working professionally for a while and one day his agent requested I submit for an audition.”

Since then, Mann starred in his first film in 2017 and played roles for television companies such as Lifetime, Netflix, NBC, ABC and HBO. Most recently, Mann acted in episode of “Law & Order: SVU” that aired in February.

Mann also has an active role in Staples Players.

“Players has also prepared me very well for my professional acting career,” Mann said. “I’ve learned to be a lot more comfortable performing in front of people and I’ve also gained experience working behind the scenes as I am now a senior manager of the props crew.”