Documentary

MediaLab Update: The Final Week

27 Jul 2010, 2:52 PM by Elizabeth Rodd, Urban Arts MediaLab

 

Story by Jemima Asante

Photographs by Monae Blackwell and Darius Marte

Hey all, my name is Jemima Asante but people just call me Jem for short.  I’m a 17-year-old junior approaching my senior year, and this is my first time participating in an Urban Arts production.  I learned about Urban Arts through my school, but this year I really got involved with the organization when my teaching artist, Elliot Montague, recommended I sign up for MediaLab.  
 
My job for our documentary Type Cast is to create the titles and credits.  I have to put together the names of everybody who participated in and contributed to the making of the film.  I also have to add the educational statistics that our audience will read during the film.
 
While this has been a great experience for me I will admit that in the beginning I wasn’t too crazy about all the things that were going on.  Since it was my first time in a program with people who have been participating for years and already know each other, I often found myself feeling like I wasn’t contributing enough.  To top it off, I am an extremely shy and reserved person.  Because of this I stopped coming to the program for a week, but after I discussed it with my visual arts teacher, Monique Shubert, they got me a job I came to enjoy.  When I met up with Elliot to start creating the titles and credits I was very excited and happy about all the ideas we came up with. This experience has taught me that instead of backing away from situations I should include myself in them confidently.
 
 
Right now my crew mates and I are in post-production.  I’d say this is my favorite part because this is when we get to really put the film together and come up with refining ideas.  At the All-Crew Meeting my crewmates discussed what we could do to make the movie a learning and relatable experience for our audience.  
 
 
I hope that you guys enjoy the documentary and learn more about diabetes and how it’s affecting our neighborhoods.  I’d recommend it to anybody young or old, but I feel that young people will benefit especially.
 
I feel proud that I am contributing to spreading the message of diabetes prevention. I hope the film informs and teaches our audience to take care of their bodies and not just become a Type Cast.

On Mon, Aug 09, 2010 at 11:52 PM, Math Man wrote:
I am glad you stuck with it Jem. I am really looking forward to seeing the film (and reading the credits).
VIEW ALL COMMENTS

 

Story by Viandra McCarthy, Producer
Photographs by Courtney Gayle and Eduardo Luna
Hi, my name is Viandra McCarthy, and I am a new producer in the MediaLab program. As a producer I oversee my colleagues, research information and prepare everyone for the day or week. Producing is a big but rewarding task. My focus for week three of the Type Cast production is to continue collecting research, make sure interviews with our subjects are on point, and organize what we’ve captured so far to figure out what’s missing.
 
One accomplishment I’m really proud of is the interview fellow producer Kenya Zeigler and I did with student actor and poet Joshua Ramos. The interview ran smoothly and it was our first studio set-up. I was really moved by how open Joshua was about his personal life and struggles living with Type I diabetes. I’m not sure if I would have had the courage and strength to let everyone see the skeletons in my closet. Joshua was a very good interviewee because he was realistic, down to earth and relatable. 
 
Viandra McCarthy and Kenya Zeigler conduct internet research.
I’ve learned through my own research and through interviews with doctors at the Naomi Berrie Research Center that Type 2 diabetes, the adult onset version of the disease, is totally preventable and that sometimes our health is related to the neighborhoods we live in. For instance, in lower income neighborhoods there are a lot more fast food restaurants and cheap unhealthy substitutions for fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
 
Teaching Artist Elliot Montague leads All-Crew Meeting 
Being a part of the Type Cast production I’ve learned how to take the lead a little, and I’ve become more outgoing and confident in my work. This was a huge step for me because I am a reserved person. I’ve also learned skills that could help me in the media world—skills that I might not have learned until college. Best of all, I’ve made some really good friends.
 
That's all for now.  Next week we move into post-production. Keep checking back for more updates on Type Cast!

 

 

Story by Kenya Zeigler, Producer
Photographs by Courtney Gayle and Eduardo Luna
 Producers Kenya Zeigler and Viandra McCarthy

My name is Kenya Zeigler, and this is my first summer in MediaLab. I’m having a great time, learning lots of new things and getting a lot done.  I joined MediaLab because I want to pursue a career in journalism, and I feel this program is the perfect place to sharpen my media production skills. Currently I am one of four fantastic producers.
 

During week two of the program we began the production phase for Type Cast, a documentary about diabetes. Our objective was to capture footage to illustrate our concerns about the diabetes epidemic, so we spent the week focusing on first-hand accounts from people either living with or treating patients with the disease.


 Mentor Cristina Guerra leads the set design.

Early in the week while our set designers worked on the backdrop for our interview with Joshua Ramos, a teenager with Type 1 diabetes, the producing team developed interview questions for both Joshua and his doctor. First we focused on becoming experts on the topic. We did tons of research online and even took a trip downtown to the Bodies Exhibit with volunteers from Virgin Mobile USA.  There we had the opportunity to examine the human body up close and learn about body systems that are affected by the disease.

 

The Sprint Prepaid team enjoyed working with the MediaLab students on their nutrition projects, and we talked in detail about the impact of a healthy lifestyle on different biological processes and organs.  They are very well-informed about complex biology and chemistry!

 

Our triumph of the week was a visit to the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, located in New York’s very own Washington Heights. The Center is committed to helping youth cope medically and emotionally with having diabetes. Our film crew captured some amazing establishing shots of the Center, b-roll of Joshua, and an interview with Dr. Ileana Vargas.


 Joshua Ramos at the Naomi Berrie Research Center.

We had twenty minutes for the sit-down with Dr. Vargas, so the producers had to pick out only those questions that seemed most vital. This was no problem: we made content decisions on-the-spot, asking only the most important questions and listening attentively to detect whether Dr. Vargas had already answered questions on our list. Thankfully, the doctor was incredibly open. She shared with us her extensive knowledge of diabetes and gave us some background on her work with Joshua.
 

I am enjoying my time in MediaLab, but I still want to learn more about the camera and go deeper into my role as producer.  
 

That's all for now. . . . Stay tuned for more updates from our producers.

 

MediaLab Summer Program 2010: Here We Go!

16 Jul 2010, 12:12 PM by Elizabeth Rodd, Urban Arts MediaLab

 

Story by Wilmar Castillo, Cinematography Team
Photographed by Ihor Hrynivetskiy, Cinematography Team
Wilmar Castillo behind the camera
Hello, my name is Wilmar Castillo and I am a new member of the Urban Arts Partnership MediaLab film crew. I joined the video production class because I wanted to try something new and meet new people, and my goals are already being achieved. We began the summer program on July 7, and in just three days I’ve already learned so much. 
 
We are currently in pre-production for a documentary about diabetes, which will require good research, hard work and dedication. We chose the topic of diabetes because we are concerned about the high rate of diabetes in the United States. We feel it’s a social justice issue because access to healthy food and healthcare is related to income. The students in my session will interview a teenager diagnosed with Type I diabetes who has limited access to healthcare. In the process, we’ll learn how to utilize a professional video camera, editing equipment, and much more.  
MediaLab producers prepare interview questions
Our class is divided into four groups: one of producers, one of cinematographers, another group of editors, and the director. The producers will be in charge of preparing interviews, researching our topic, and overseeing the budget. I’m in the cinematographer’s group: we will be in charge of the video equipment, lighting, and making sure the audio is precise. The editors will be in charge of cutting the footage, graphics, music and animation into a ten-minute short. The director will oversee the production crew and the set. We will use all of these skills to complete our project.
 
So far the producing team, led by mentors Cristina Guerra and Nick Mendez, has taught us about two of the different types of diabetes and the role insulin plays in the disease. Robert Matos, the cinematography and editing mentor, has taught us how to maneuver a camera while filming and how to scout a location for potential sound issues.
The Cinematography Team preps for their first interview set-up
Video production is very exciting and fun. Everything I’ve learned so far is really helpful and fascinating to me. I’m looking forward to everything this class has to offer. My goal right now is to learn more about editing in Final Cut Pro. 
 
Thanks for reading about our latest production and stay tuned for more updates from the MediaLab crew!

 

Meet the Filmmaker: Shamrod Lockwood

01 Jul 2010, 1:04 PM by Elizabeth Rodd, Urban Arts MediaLab

 

Story by Omar Cyrille, Cinematographer, Ghetto Talks II

 
Name: Shamrod Lockwood
Grade: Rising Senior
School: Heritage High School
Neighborhood: Harlem
Role: Cinematographer
Favorite color: Navy blue
Favorite activities: Skateboarding and playing video games
Besides New York City, where else would you like to live? California
What did you gain from the Media Lab program?: I gained experience with cameras and expanded my knowledge of the film industry.
What would you like to take up as a career?: I plan to be a video game designer specializing in character development.

 

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