Documentary

 

My name is Leneya and my first day of MediaLab was Monday, July 11. The first two days we learned the basics of documentary production and researched our documentary topic: Undocumented Youth. I learned the roles of script supervising and set design. My classmates learned how to operate the digital video cameras, the still camera, the lights, the sound equipment, how to set up a shoot and be directors and producers.

The third day, we went to The New York State Youth Leadership Council  which is the only undocumented youth led organization in NY that works on improving access to higher education and creating equal opportunity for immigrant youth and children of immigrants regardless of immigration status through leadership, development, organizing and advocacy. They are working on passing the NY Dream Act, a bill that if passed will allow immigrant youth who have grown up in the US to access to state funded financial aid programs, obtain financial support for their education, ability to enroll in health insurance programs, access to NY state drivers license and equal access to any and all internships. We went there to interview one of their youth leaders, who is a Columbian born undocumented college student at Lehman college, named Melissa. It took us 45 minutes to set up the shoot and make Melissa feel comfortable. As the set designer, I chose the sign that would fit perfectly with the tone of the interview. It read: Pass The Dream Act Now. I also arranged how and where she would sit and helped advise on where the lights and cameras would be placed. It took a few trials to get the set in order.

Through listening to her story, I was able to place myself in her shoes and understand how she feels and the struggles she goes through as an undocumented resident. I was inspired when she shared the quote that her mother and grandmother tell her “ People can steal anything from you, but they can’t steal your education.” This quote is relevant because your education is your key to success and we all need to work on passing The Dream Act so all people have the right to an education. We appreciate how the other members of The New York State Youth Leadership Council  were very open to sharing their space with us and allowing us to interview Melissa so she can make the documentary personal.

Blog Post by Leneya
Photography by Kendra
 

Story by Jemima Osea-Asante
 
Three weeks ago I watched my peers in MediaLab prepare for their big-screen debut at the Tribeca Film Institute’s Our City, My Story showcase, and last Friday night I had the honor to watch their hard work and dedication be brought to light. 
 
We were welcomed to the event by a large billboard sign that read “Bright Lights, Big Screen,” and then we stepped on the red carpet to have our pictures taken like true film professionals.
 

 
MediaLabbers brought their ‘A’ game to Tribeca, looking sharp for the cameras. Behind them is Tribeca’s step-and-repeat wall. (These walls are commonly used at important events like the Academy Awards.)
 
The morning screening, which was exclusive for student filmmakers, was held at Tribeca’s Performing Arts Center in the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), while the evening screening for public viewing was held at Chelsea Clearview Cinemas.  Though both atmospheres were busy I was able to ask Tribeca’s Director of Education, Lisa Lucas, where her motivation to organize the show came from. “We want to connect young filmmakers with an audience,” she said. 
 
When I spoke to aspiring student filmmakers in the audience they shared how they felt that having money to make films was a big factor in being able to participate. “I’d love to have a lot of money to participate in this, but cinematography equipment and key editing programs like Final Cut Pro cost thousands of dollars.  I don’t have that kind of money.” Personally, I feel lucky to be working with MediaLab, where students are provided with the equipment and guidance they need to produce their own films. And thanks to the Tribeca Film Institute, young artists have one less thing to worry about: they have a center where they can go to view and share their work!
 

 
As soon as Type Cast appeared on the big screen the MediaLab crew cheered and the other students in the audience made a short improvisation to the opening song.  It was a proud moment for all of us, as we all knew the secrets behind every scene and the steps taken to make Type Cast possible.  Joshua Diaz, one of the main characters in the documentary, shared how “I got to spread awareness about diabetes, and I did so with MY story… It’s great to see it actually getting out there.”  The entire MediaLab crew was thrilled to share our work with an audience that can take the film’s message to heart and make better decisions to promote good health.
 

 
Tribeca did a fine job when it came to presenting a wide range of issue-driven films: undocumented immigration, gentrification, the politics of food, gun violence, and the education system.   A crowd favorite was the short documentary A Block from Home by students from John Dewey High School.   In this film, gun violence victim Brandon Ragnot re-enacts his near-death experience and shares his remarkable journey to recovery.  Brandon's was the only film to receive a standing ovation, something that has never happened before at the festival according to Lisa Lucas.  
 
All in all, the MediaLabbers had a wonderful time.  Thank you to Lisa Lucas and the Tribeca Film Institute for organizing this incredible event!

On March 17th, Media Lab Students Martin Collado and Joshua Diaz traveled to The Bushwick School for Social Justice to present "Typecast" during the Third Annual Health Fair 2011. The fair gathered health organizations from across the city to speak out on various medical issues from HIV prevention, (Make the Road NY) to asthma, obesity and teen development, (Wyckoff Hospital) to birth control and relationship counseling (NYC Department of Health). 

After presenting the documentary, Martin observed and took notes on Joshua's moving presentation, warning students about the health risks of eating the 'easy' foods and what they can do to prevent having health issues. Bushwick has the highest concentration of citizens with type 2 diabetes, the highest mortality rate of people with type 2 diabetes. Joshua opened up about the availability of healthy foods and gave students tips on how to stay active, even while living in a borough with the 2nd lowest amount of park space and as a result, one of the unhealthiest populations in the city. 

After the Q&A session with Joshua, the students were asked to come up with their own call to action and make health pledges to keep themselves and their families healthy and in shape, some of which included: 

My personal call to action is to eat healthy and run 3 times a day.

My personal call to action is to warn my family about the dangers of diabetes and what to do if they need help.

My personal call to action is to tell my dad to eat good food because he has diabetes and to tell people about it and work out.

Afterwards, Joshua received a certificate for participating in the health fair and getting the word out on the risks of diabetes.

Stay tuned for more news as "Typecast" continues to make waves in the health and documentary film worlds!

 

Story by Jemima Osea-Asante.  Photographs by Craig Wallace.

 

In less than three weeks Type Cast is set to air at the Tribeca Film Institute’s Our City, My Story showcase, and while I feel the excitement in the Urban Arts offices I also see a sense of accomplishment among the members of the MediaLab Team. Today was all about preparing for the event, and while I always knew my MediaLab peers were capable of being proficient, I was really impressed with the leadership skills everybody demonstrated.
 
Our producers worked on making phone calls to other MediaLabbers who were not able to make it to class this week. We confirmed that all filmmakers had turned in their permission slips and booked each one to represent at an afternoon or evening screening.  We are not playing games and are determined to see our documentary on the big screen!
 
MediaLab Producers calling out the troops.  We mean business, people!
 
Every filmmaker also prepared his or her “elevator pitch.”  An elevator pitch is a speech one makes in a short amount of time, usually 30 seconds, during which one shares his or her ideas with a superior, in our case, the producers at Tribeca.  Picture yourself stepping into an elevator on the first floor to find your boss coincidentally on his way to the 40th floor.  You have a short amount of time—the length of the ride—to pitch him your idea.  We have been practicing different ways to make those 30 seconds count.  During our role play, my two personalities were “Roberta De Niro” and “Aunt Jemima Jolie.”
 
Entourage meets entourage.  That's Aunt Jemima Jolie and Robert De Niro on the left, with emerging filmmakers delivering their pitch on the right.  A complicated web of handshakes ensues.
 
We hope to see you on April 29th at the Tribeca Film Institute, where hopefully you will get to see a preview of our elevator pitches!

 

 

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3rd Annual New York Youth Media Arts Show

18 Mar 2011, 2:56 PM by frank, Urban Arts MediaLab

On Wednesday, March 16, 2011 from 10am-2pm, a unique event took place in our media-rich city: The 3rd annual New York Youth Media Arts Show. Students from New York’s high schools and middle schools gathered in the HD theater at the stunningly redesigned Museum of the Moving Image ( 35th Ave. and 36th St., Queens, New York)  to share the varied media works they have created in film, video, photography, and computer multi-media.


 
The MediaLab students screened TYPECAST to a captive audience. The other works covered topics ranging from health and human rights to continent awareness and philosophy using the following forms: documentary making, stop-frame animation, music videos, and PSA. Special guest Stephen Mallon, noted industrial photographer, premiered his stop motion feature "Willis Avenue Bridge" at the festival as well, which documented the transportation of the Willis Avenue Bridge from its original location to the Bronx, NY. Prizes sponsored by the museum and local film companies were raffled between film screenings. Afterward, Urban Arts Partnership Media Lab students toured the pioneering museum exhibits of  communication and media arts, exploring interactive exhibits and hands-on workshops (stop frame and ADR looping stations) which enhanced their interest and understanding of film-making.
 


As a founding member and alum of the MediaLab program, I was proud to see that the program has expanded so much and that our vision of creating change through film is being carried out. I enjoyed chaperoning this year’s MediaLab students to this show and serving as a mentor who can relate to the process of making and sharing ones work with a larger audience.
 
 Written by Zanetta King

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