'Kids and the Genie' Save Family From Despair of Sandy

For the past year, we've enjoyed posting the work of Ocean City amateur filmmaker John Thornton, including his video diary of Superstorm Sandy and its effect on the community.

Thornton is a resident of the Ocean City Homes neighborhood on the south end of Ocean City and a teacher at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. His latest project is best described by himself:

"My step grandkids (8 and 10 years old) lived in a house that was badly damaged by Sandy. They and their parents appeared in my Sandy movies. Their dad and various relatives worked tirelessly to save the house. Sadly, the cost of raising their house, which they were required to do, was so much that they decided to tear it down and rebuild instead. 

To help take the kids' minds off of losing the only home they had ever known, I asked them to come up with a movie idea, and we'd make it together. They enlisted a bunch of their friends, all Ocean City kids, and we made their film, "Kids and the Genie." 

The fact that these kids are the FUTURE of Ocean City should boost all of our spirits! There is such talent and creativity in this younger generation, it gives me a lot of hope! I think that residents of Ocean City might really get a kick out of seeing what these hometown kids have done.

I am INORDINATELY proud of this movie! The kids were amazing, they thought up the story, brought their many talents to it, and acted their hearts out! I was the technical advisor/camerman/editor but all the credit really goes to these remarkable kids.

The last part of the movie is the "blooper reel." The kids really wanted to show a bit of the process and goofiness behind the scenes and I was more than happy to oblige them.

Please be sure to watch it in HD. Click the little gear thing at the bottom of the YouTube screen and pick the highest quality setting (720p HD in this case)."