Aspiring filmmaker learning ropes at Disney studios

Jon Cortizo, who won a "student Emmy" for a film he produced while in Canton High School, is working on the filming of the movie "The Surrogates." (Zara tzanev for the boston globe)

Aspiring director Jon Cortizo's first fascination with film brought with it his first production challenge. Cortizo was only 4 years old when he began shooting video, and in those days the equipment weighed about 10 pounds - too heavy for him to maneuver.

He switched to a still camera instead, and kept on shooting.

His persistence paid off. Cortizo - known in his days at Galvin Middle School and Canton High School as the "movie guy" - was recently awarded what is commonly called a "student Emmy" for a film he produced two years ago while in high school.

The honor, officially called the Student Television Award for Excellence, came from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences New England Chapter. Cortizo was one of seven high school students who received the first place award on June 20.

The 19-year-old Cortizo has landed a job this summer as a production assistant for Walt Disney Studios. He is working on the set of the movie "The Surrogates" alongside Bruce Willis and director Jonathan Mostow.

"A lot of this was just luck and the good will of other people," Cortizo said of his recent success. "I've got a lot to be grateful for."

Cortizo knows he is entering a world defined by subjectivity. He quickly points out that after his film "The Escape" - about a few friends who skip classes at Galvin Middle School - won first place at the Hockomock Film Festival in 2007, it then failed to make the cut at about nine other competitions.

"If you had five different judges you'd come out with five different outcomes," he said.

Cortizo said he is learning a lot working on the set of "The Surrogates."

The film is an action murder mystery that takes place in 2054 and stars Willis. It has been shooting in Boston, Lawrence, Lynn, Wayland, and other area locations this summer.

Cortizo said he has been working around Willis - known on the set as No. 1 - but has not spoken with him. "I'm impressed. He's always in character. He's always practicing to himself when they aren't shooting," Cortizo said.

Cortizo's own role is not exactly glamorous; he's been doing a lot of crowd control, getting breakfast for the crew, and working 12-hour days. But in the process he has been able to get to know the supporting actors and other crew members.

"You learn so much from just being around people. It's worth it just to learn about how people communicate," he said.

"The Surrogates" is set to be released Nov. 20, 2009, and by then Cortizo hopes to be well into his career as a sophomore in Emerson College's film production course. Last year he attended Suffolk University and worked less at filmmaking and more at "getting good grades."

Cortizo said he produced the first film he showed to anyone when he was 10, with his best friend and collaborator, Andy Fanar. Cortizo, of Pleasant Street, and Fanar, who lives around the corner on Oak Road, formed their own company, Pleasant Oak Productions.

Fanar, who is attending the University of Nevada and hopes to go into marketing films, has been visiting the movie set when he can. The two dream about going into business together someday.

"He was always good at the things I was bad at. He was good at talking to people while I was concerned with placing the camera," Cortizo said.

Ed McDonough, Cortizo's television production teacher at Canton High, called him a great kid who has the innate ability and drive to make it as a director some day.

"I usually advise students to think twice before going into this," McDonough said. While the broader field of video production is expanding, he said, the market for filmmaking is difficult. He called the recent efforts to bring additional studios to the Plymouth area and Weymouth encouraging.

McDonough called the cinematography in "The Escape" "unbelievable" and said Cortizo typically gave credit to everyone, including a janitor who made appearances in the film.

"He's perpetually making himself better," McDonough said. "He's a good collaborator. He identifies talents in others and draws them out."

Cortizo, the son of Jorge and Michelle Cortizo, said he has about 50 favorite movies.

"I don't think there's ever been a movie that I have seen that doesn't have something in it that I like. There's always something I see that makes me say: 'I'd like to try that,' " he said.

"The Escape" can be viewed at Schooltube.com.

Elaine Cushman Carroll can be reached at elaine_carroll@msn.com.