YOUTH FILM PROJECT
The Youth Film Project was first developed by Beyond Visions Foundation in 2005 with the goal of using education and hands-on activities in the performing and visual arts as an alternative activity to juvenile delinquency. When children are given cameras, they are given the opportunities to express their real lives as demonstrated by the title of the movie series developed by the first cohort of participants Realest Films.
The three sessions of the program are Photography, Dramatic Shorts, and Documentary.
Photography
The Photography session is the first session of the Youth Film Project since it gives the participants a basic understanding of the elements of capturing images. The youths are given instruction in elements such as composition, lighting, exposure, f-stops, etc. immediately followed by a hands-on photo capturing exercise to help then better understand the key elements of photography. The participants are then taken on photo excursions to put their skills to practice and develop their photo portfolios. Some of the photo outings include fashion shoot in a clothing store, dramatic theme shots on the beach, family portraits, and action sport shots at the race track.
Dramatic Shorts
The Dramatic Shorts session guides the youth participants in all the stages of pre-production, production, and post-production of a dramatic movie short. The participants developed their movie concepts into fully written scripts which they then marked up in preparation for videoing. The youths then worked in groups with assigned positions to video all the scenes of their movies. They then edited all their captured footage into a complete short movie. The shorts are then compiled with behind the scenes footage into a dramatic movie series such as Three Wrong Choices.
Documentary
The Documentary session perhaps allows the youth participants the most free range to express their views on the world and their environments. The participants are first exposed to sample documentary films that are poignant, topical, or that utilize innovative story-telling techniques. They are then given free rein to choose any topic that they feel affects them or their community as long as their statements are factual and supported with testimonies and do not put a positive spotlight on violence or sex. They then write treatments for their documentary concepts, make contacts and arrangements to video their subjects at desired locations, video their subjects, and then edit the large amounts of footage into a completed documentary movie. The participants also take an active role in marketing and promoting their movie projects. One of the completed documentaries To Fish in the series Realest Life is embedded in the video below:
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