Story by Cristina Guerra, Producer, Ghetto Talks II
Photograph by Daniel Familia
Name: Craig Wallace
Age: 16
School: Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning School
Role: Grip
Favorite Color: Red
One word you would use to describe yourself: Weird
One word the Media Lab crew would use to describe you: Intellectual
What was your favorite part of the Ghetto Talks production?: My favorite part was seeing the final product come together.
What are you most proud?: Personally, I’m proud that I’m still in school and doing well. As for our crew, I’m proud that we’re back together for the Ghetto Talks Response Project.
Where do you see yourself in five years?: Five years from now I see myself in college majoring in a media-related field.
How do you think being part of Media Lab and the Ghetto Talks production will help you in your future plans?: It will help my resume and show diversity.
Who is one person you would like to meet?: Megan Foxx!
Story by Nicholas Mendez, Producer, Ghetto Talks II
The Media Lab team arrived on the set of New York 1 News in Chelsea at about 8:30 this morning. We were all tired but amazed by the studio and the fact that we were getting to interview a media representative, someone who is part of the process of defining the word ghetto.
News anchor Kristen Shaughnessy has been with New York 1 since 1995. She grew up in upstate New York in a home with no television because her parents wanted her to form her own educated opinions without being influenced by the media.
Today Kristen brings the news into people’s homes every day. “Being a news reporter requires you to be cautious,” she said. She explained that you can’t report the news until it has been confirmed by at least three sources.
Kristen spoke about how she never uses the word ghetto and cautioned others not to use it. She also offered insightful advice on what people that face hardship need to do to get somewhere in life. She held countless jobs bartending and waitressing before becoming a journalist, for example. “It doesn’t matter where you start, it’s where you end up that matters,” she said.
After interviewing her for a couple of minutes, we followed Kristen on a tour of the studio. We got to see the different pieces that go into making a newscast. From the set to the control and make up rooms, we saw how the anchors and other reporters ready themselves for their shoots. We experienced first-hand the steps that go into making a television broadcast. We also got to toy around with being on set: we sat in the very chairs that the anchors sit in to do the news!
After the tour, we shot some extra b-roll and called it a day. It was an extremely early start, but we got some insightful responses from Kristen. Being in New York 1 Studios provided a fun experience that we won’t soon forget!
Story and Photographs by Daniel Familia, Producer, Ghetto Talks II
On Saturday, May 1st the Media Lab crew spent the afternoon with Life Stories. Life Stories is an advanced drama program sponsored by the Urban Arts Partnership in which high school students from across New York City learn acting techniques. We wanted to capture the actors’ reactions to our film Ghetto Talks, so we decided to shoot a response piece in which they acted upon the word ghetto.
I wasn’t sure what to expect because I’ve never worked with a drama crew. Until now, our team has been interviewing parents, educators and media professionals about their response to our film. It has always been non-fiction, one-on-one interview style. This experience really pushed us as filmmakers because we had to be very aware of the filmmakers’ space and the actors’ space. At one point, the two crews even switched roles!
The Life Stories crew performed a series of three acts. The first was the "I am, You are, Thou art" act, in which five students expressed their connection to the word ghetto with the opening lines "Ghetto, I am . . . Ghetto, you are . . . and Ghetto, thou art." The second act was a rant, which was a kind of monologue in which each performer expressed his or her feelings about the word. The third act involved a series of improv skits inspired by information the Life Stories crew had picked up from our film. The skits were very funny and made both crews laugh a lot.
One of my favorite lines from all the acts was "Ghetto: you are 125th Street." I liked this line because it not only evoked the negative side of the ghetto, such as the projects, but it also eluded to the ghetto’s powerful history, such as the contributions made by the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance and community activists today.
I really enjoyed working with the Life Stories crew because their stories were well portrayed. As youth of color, many members of the Media Lab crew felt a personal connection with them.
On behalf of the Media Lab team, I want to give a big thanks to the Life Stories crew for their work! . . . And to all our followers: the Editing Room is buzzing this month as we go into post-production on the Ghetto Talks Response Project. Keep checking back for news on how the response pieces are shaping up!
Story by Cristina Guerra, Producer, Ghetto Talks II
Photographed by Marlin Almonte
On Saturday, April 17, the Ghetto Talks production crew filmed the final segment for our Educator Response Piece. Guidance Counselor Johnny Ventura from Mott Haven Prep Academy in the Bronx sat down with us for an exclusive interview. Mr. Ventura shared some moving stories about his childhood to which many people can relate.
From standing in a cheese line to seeing many of his friends fail, Mr. Ventura has been through life-changing experiences that made him who he is today. He said that working with children in New York City is his passion because many of his students come from a similar upbringing. Several of our crewmembers said afterwards that they felt a personal connection with him.
Mr. Ventura was incredibly candid about his past and present. He talked about being ashamed of where you come from. For example, he once had a friend who saw him waiting on the cheese line and decided to make him the subject of a joke about social standing. Ironically, the kid was from the same neighborhood as Mr. Ventura.
As far as content goes, having Mr. Ventura in for an interview was a step in the right direction for the Ghetto Talks Response Project. His views helped flush out our Educator Response Piece: now we can say that the piece integrates insights from across a spectrum of educators--from the school leadership level to the classroom/curriculum level to the student/family level. In general, we have found that educators’ personal backgrounds shape their views on the word ghetto but that their day-to-day interactions with students give them a more contemporary understanding of how the word’s use and meaning have changed.
What a great interview! Mr. Ventura even performed a verse that he wrote about his life. He is a talented lyricist whose poetry is honest and insightful. We thank him for sharing his stories and art with us!
Now on to the editing process. . . . More to come from the Media Lab editing room!
Story by Sotonye Douglas, Co-Director, Ghetto Talks II
Photographed by Marlin Almonte
Name: Daniel Familia
Age: 17
School: City-as-School
Role: I took part in a little bit of everything.
One Word to Describe Yourself: Unique
What was your favorite part of the Ghetto Talks production?: I loved being behind-the-scenes on the Cora Daniels interview.
What did you gain from the experience?: I gained confidence in approaching people.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?: I see myself as a college graduate with a degree in language.
Who is one person you would like to meet?: I wish I could meet Frida Kahlo; her art was personal, social and surreal.
What are you most proud of?: I am most proud of being an artist. I get to create and express myself.
