It's part of Pack to the Future, an 11-minute film produced by first-year Webelos in local Pack 411. The trip back in time and the encroaching lava were all scripted, but the whole process tested their mettle at remembering lines and editing digital video. The youngsters made their film debut as part of a badge, but their efforts have not gone unnoticed—Pack to the Future was featured at the inaugural Danville International Children's Film Festival the weekend of May 21.

Such cinematic projects are not uncommon to those in Pack 411 completing the Showman badge. "Every month, a certain den is signed up for a movie or a skit," says Marcus Schorow, 9. Past pack productions have become legendary, including a documentary on water rocket launches and a Harry Potter spoof.

Den 4's opportunity came calling via a bona fide DeLorean, much like the one seen in the 1985 film Back to the Future. Bethel Lutheran Church, which hosts the den's meetings, was using the car for a service last October. "The church was doing a special production," says Mona Schorow, the den leader.

The den filmed the DeLorean's owner driving the car—but the boys weren't allowed in the driver's seat. That footage became the backbone of the production. "It was the most amazing thing to see—these boys brainstormed at each meeting," Schorow says.

After watching the original film, the group of 11 boys scripted a premise that sent them traveling to March 2005 to see their future selves graduate from Cub to Boy Scouts. But when they got there, the Scouts found that they were unable to advance because of a missing geology badge.

The solution? Go back in time to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and collect some unique geological evidence.

The filming took over a month because camera time was spotty. "We were working just on Mondays and some weekends," says nine-year-old Jared Kim. The script provided basic guidelines, but a number of lines were ad-libbed, which challenged the young thespians. "It's hard to act out everything you do. It's hard to remember lines," Marcus says. "There were a lot of outtakes."

Several of those involved the makeshift volcano, created in Schorow's backyard. The vinegar/baking soda mixture didn't work on several takes, and the model DeLorean kept flipping over. Other flubs were featured at the end of the movie and proved that it was a learning experience. "They had no idea that you could shoot things out of order," Schorow says.

However, editing the footage was the real challenge. Pack leader Charlie Schrey let the boys splice the digital footage together using Apple's iMovie, a task that took two months to complete. Through a Back to the Future website, Schrey found a composer in France who put a theme song together. "It was hard work," says 10-year-old Devon Koning, "but I enjoyed the sound effects."

Of the 30 DVD copies of Pack to the Future, one made it to the creators of Danville's first International Children's Film Festival. Much to the surprise of the Scouts, the movie was chosen for the festival's slate.

While their cinematic counterparts let procrastination get the best of them, Den 4 doesn't intend to follow suit. The Showman badge is just one step to becoming a full-fledged Boy Scout, but there are few others that require such projects.

"This is our big one," Devon says.

Their work paid off when Pack to the Future premiered at the Pack 411 Pinewood Derby in January to good reviews. "Seeing the finished product was the best part," says Sandeep Peddada, 9, and Devon reports that a number of audience members clapped.

"But they were looking at the car," Marcus adds.