PROVO — Dennis Packard is a Brigham Young University philosophy professor who has helped teach classes ranging from dance to science to illustration.

So it should come as no surprise that on Monday the versatile Packard was at locations around Utah Valley, helping direct BYU's first feature film planned for theatrical release.

The film, called "Silver Creek," tells the story of a man who watches his best friend die in war.

Upon his return, the man wonders why his life was spared while his friend, a married father of two, was taken.

Packard is bringing his multidisciplinary approach to the film. The film is the first in a series based on novels written by BYU students, faculty and alumni that Packard hopes to bring to the screen. Work on the movie is expected to be done in spring 2006.

The project is the work of Lifesong, a mentoring group of BYU faculty from four different colleges.

"BYU has long been creating stories and films that deal with real problems in artistic, life-affirming ways," Packard says. "We have been helping writers the last few years to write visual stories easily transferable to film."

The first of those stories is "Silver Creek," written by BYU English professor Nathan Chai.

Packard's integrated approach to teaching is influencing all aspects of the film's production.

He uses dance instructors, for example, to teach actors to be aware of their body language, and scripture to help them memorize scripts.

"(LDS scripture) tells us to treasure up in our minds the words of life, and it shall be given us in the very moment what we should say. We follow that idea in acting. Our actors study the text, treasuring up what is meaningful to them. Then they are given in the moment what to do and say," Packard says.

Packard also teaches a class on writing novels that read like movies.

He said he hopes the film appeals to LDS and non-LDS audiences alike.

"We want it to be accessible to a large group of people."

The film is slated for release next spring.

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E-mail: jhyde@desnews.com