Forrest Lorenzen (’18) and John Puckett (’18) are making their mark in the film industry, but not necessarily where you might expect. Working as film editors in Nashville, the two ACU alumni are helping bring stories to life through projects like Homestead, a post-apocalyptic movie and television series, and Drummer Boy, a historical musical drama released in theaters Nov. 6.
While directors and actors often get the spotlight, editors play a critical role in shaping the final product, transforming hours of raw footage into a cohesive and compelling story.
“They say a film gets written three times,” Puckett said. “You write the script. You rewrite it when you shoot it, and you rewrite it when you edit it.”
That process requires more than technical skill. For Lorenzen, editing is an art form.
“We slowly craft this story. It feels like molding clay. You get the form of it right … and finally, you glaze it and throw it in the furnace.”
For their most recent project, Drummer Boy, they worked closely with directors Joel Smallbone and Ben Smallbone to tell a story of faith and forgiveness amid the American Revolution, featuring songs by For King + Country. “The music is amazing,” Puckett said.
For both alumni, the foundation for their creative work was laid at ACU, where FilmFest, ACU’s annual student film competition, gave them both the permission to fail and the support and connections to succeed.
Learning to Fail, Learning to Create
Lorenzen and Puckett had been making films together since childhood. But their first attempt at ACU wasn’t exactly a triumph.
Their freshman entry in FilmFest, Tim, earned some harsh criticism from the judges. But instead of giving up, the pair took the feedback to heart.
“We had a really brutal note session with the judges,” Lorenzen said, “and they were like, ‘Hey here’s all the things you need to work on.’ And, sophomore year, we worked on all of those things, and our film that year ended up bringing back the Audience award.”
That experience taught them that taking a risk and failing is not the end of the story.
“Your first film isn’t supposed to be good,” Lorenzen said.
Both alumni credit FilmFest with giving them the freedom to experiment, make mistakes and develop their skills early in their college experience.
“With a lot of film programs, there’s a lot of people there and you don’t get an opportunity to create something until you’re a senior,” Lorenzen said. “But FilmFest gave us the opportunity to create something as freshmen all the way through senior year of college.”
Puckett believes those early opportunities to learn through trial and error are essential for aspiring filmmakers.
“Failure is the best teacher,” he said. “So ACU FilmFest gives you a very safe space to fail. In that process of embarrassing yourself or making mistakes, you learn and you grow.”
Connection and Community
The FilmFest judges offered more than constructive criticism. They also became mentors and professional connections who helped Lorenzen and Puckett navigate an industry that’s notoriously difficult to enter.
Both alumni developed relationships with judges Brent McCorkle and Randy Brewer (’93), connections that eventually led to opportunities to produce and edit reality television series and other projects in both Los Angeles and Nashville.
“I got to skip a lot of rungs on the ladder because of the people that I knew,” Puckett said.
Those ACU relationships helped the pair build careers that have brought them together on a variety of projects, including several for Angel Studios, a faith-focused entertainment company.
For current students hoping to follow a similar path, Puckett recommends looking beyond the feedback judges provide and getting to know the people behind it.
“Don’t just take the judges’ critiques and leave,” he said. “Go and meet them. Try and build a relationship with them.”
Lorenzen echoes that advice, encouraging students to make the most of the community and connections available to them at ACU.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help. All of my opportunities have come from people that I met at ACU,” Lorenzen said. “Had I been too shy or too proud to reach out and ask for opportunities and cultivate those relationships, then I wouldn’t be where I am today. We have to lean on our communities, and we should lean into that.”