My name is Noah Herr

​I was born in Tiffin, Ohio on September 17th, 2004. I was raised by both my mom and dad, and occasionally by my cousin Tyiana when I was a toddler. I also had my brother Jacob, who has autism. Jacob was full of imagination; I remember we used to create stories about almost anything—Star Wars, Mario, Legos—whatever we could think of. He gave me something special: an imagination that many kids don’t have nowadays. I took care of Jacob a lot and really helped him focus, as well as improve his speaking and social skills, which are crucial for his development. My grandparents also helped take care of me from time to time, likely because we all lived on the same street. My parents, grandma, and aunt lived on a small street where all the neighborhood kids knew each other and hung out every day during summer break. The only family members who didn't live on the street were my uncle, who lives in Minnesota, and my grandpa, who lived just a couple of blocks away. I remember my grandpa trying to get me into baseball like my cousin; I played for about 30 minutes before saying it was dinner time, even though it was only 2:30 in the afternoon. I got in the car with my grandpa and told him that sports weren't my thing and that I really wanted to be a famous actor when I grew up. I remember him smiling at me and saying, "I can't wait to see on television or even the big screen someday." As a kid, I often felt my grandpa was joking, but I truly believed he meant it. Unfortunately, my grandpa passed away in December 201, just a couple of months after he took me to baseball practice. I remember being quiet the whole time at his funeral; it was my first experience with death, and I didn’t know how to react. When it was time for his auction, my mom handed me his camera, telling me had saved it for me. That's when I knew he was serious about his belief in me.

 

Two years after my grandpa died, my family and I moved to a small town about 30 minutes from my hometown. It didn’t seem like a long distance, but for my brother and me, it was sad to leave all of our friends behind. Most of my childhood friends came my brother’s circle, but they were still my friends too. Thankfully, in my new town, I met many new people and made countless memories. I well-known for my mom a teacher during my 6th and 7th grades, but by 8 grade, I wanted to be known for something else, something more. Over the summer of 2018, I met Chippy, a kid my neighborhood who always made people laugh with his jokes and personality. He showed me his YouTube channel; he didn’t have much on there, but he sparked something in me. I was never part of his videos, but he frequently talked about his upcoming posts. One day after school, he asked if I wanted to make a video him, and I eagerly agreed. We created an improv skit about a chef's restaurant in just an hour, using Apple’s free video editor, iMovie. After posting it, I woke up the next morning to see over 60 views, and I was super excited. I rushed to school to share it my friends, who all loved it. They complimented me and shared the video with friends, and it spread quickly. I ran back to Chippy and asked if he wanted to make more videos with me, and that’s exactly what we did. For a year, we maintained the same improv skit format, never writing scripts or storyboarding; we simply came up with ideas and executed. Then, Chippy moved away. His family sold their house, and I was unsure whether to continue the channel with new friends or stop making videos altogether. I revisited the comments on a video titled "Small House," where viewers expressed their desire to be a part of it! I gathered a group, created goofy characters, and shot another video, then went to bed thinking much of it. The next morning, I was shocked to see almost 200 views, and everyone on social media praised it, wanting to join in. I made episode after episode, but eventually, I grew bored. Despite the demand for more content, I wasn't happy with what I was creating. It felt inappropriate, poorly edited, and overall unfulf. A couple of months after the 6th Small House episode, I posted a video saying goodbye to the channel. During the pandemic, I stepped away from the film industry and focused on myself. I just wanted to get through school without creating content. That was until I decided to make my own videos again. I produced about 7-10 videos for my channel but was disappointed with the editing and. I felt lost and considered giving up on something I once loved.

 

Then, while talking to my friend Alejandro, an actor from Small House, he suggested I attend Vanguard Tech Center for their Digital Media Technologies Program. It wasn't long before I got a callback and enrolled in the 2021-2023 class. After waiting six months patiently, when the class started, it felt like. I learned everything there is to know about the digital world: web design, digital art, programming, databases, Microsoft software, music, and much more! But my strongest skill was video production. For the first time, I wrote scripts, drew storyboards, used real cameras, and edited on professional software. I began to call my projects "films" instead of just "videos." My first year, I completed around three projects, one being "The Crucible," a film about the Salem witch trials. Presenting it to my second period English led to my teacher showcasing it to the entire school, marking my first moment of recognition beyond my mom. Then there was "Mr. Blue Sky," a music video I created as a final project for my first-year wrap-up in the Digital Media class. I was nervous to show it, but everyone loved it and showed immense support. Going into my second year, I was invited to join SkillsUSA Ohio, an organization where trade schools showcase their skills and compete for the best in the state. Although the competition wasn’t until April, I had plenty of time to prepare. During that period, I reflected on what I could improve in the film industry, and it hit me: my acting. I around to participate in others' videos, acting out roles as I should have, until I joined Max Ortiz's project, "Togetherness." My character didn’t speak or move much, but I gave it my all. A few months later, Max invited me to be in another project, this time with a larger role. In "One Way Out," I played Jeffery, a character stuck in a room who can only escape by admitting to his friend Craig that Craig is better at UNO than him. We shot for two days, immersing ourselves in the scene. After the video was posted, everyone at school started asking me about the filming process and even requested me to say a line, making me feel almost famous. For the next two months, I appeared in nearly every video, gaining more recognition from teachers and students alike. Then, April arrived, and it was time for the big competition. I was anxious and experienced panic attacks, hardly sleeping or eating, and struggling to focus. However, with the support of my teammates and friends, I pushed through. Finally, the day of the awards came, and we won! After all the hard work, sweat, and focus, we secured the first win for the TV Video Production Team at Vanguard Center. While I usually attribute success to hard work, this time it was my second family that made the most significant difference.

 

After SkillsUSA, I participated my final film with Max Ortiz, "No Way Out." It was a sequel to "One Way Out," but much longer and delved deeper into the story. The same day we wrapped filming, it was time for me to graduate. Walking across the stage to receive my diploma felt like a tremendous success; I finally knew everything necessary about film and digital media. During summer break, I took it easy and went to Tennessee for some much-needed relaxation. When I returned, it was time to head to college. While signing up for classes, I chose to take a web course to get it out of the way. In that class, met Mark Alan Knapp Jr., an instructor I would come to admire as a mentor. My friends had all had Mark as a music teacher, but I was eager to impress him. For my first website project, I gathered my friends to create a lumberjack-themed site along with a video. I’ll never forget the look on his face as previous classmates helped with my presentation. He told me it was one of the greatest he had ever seen. that year, I was invited to give a speech at Vanguard about mental health and decided to create a video about the National Suicide Hotline, that there is always someone to talk to. In my second semester, I took Video II, embarking on an exciting path ahead. I produced my significant project since "One Way Out," titled "Hollywood: The Disappointing Reality," which discussed the challenges of breaking into Hollywood. I was on vacation when it was presented to the class, but my teacher later told me that the whole class stood and cheered at the end. Following that, I released "A NIGHTMARE OF AN INVESTIGATION," my first submission for the 48 Film Festival, which represents a 48-hour competition but allows four weeks eight days to work on a project. Our theme was mystery, featuring a character named Freida Smith and a line, "Fried Rice and Fish Heads." Everyone found it hilarious, but I knew my final project had to be something significant. The semester's final project was a comedy titled "Accounting," featuring the character Dudley DoRight and the line, "Somehow I thought you’d be taller." Instead of all four team members editing one video, we each edited four episodes to create a mini-series. The joy and laughter I experienced during that class were unforgettable, and I will always cherish the people who contributed to each project.

 

Today, I am currently living in Tennessee with my girlfriend but plan to move back home to complete my college education. Being back home means more films are on the horizon, so keep your eyes open and stay tuned!