Reel Talent Productions

LAST WEEK F EDITING

2011-08-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

well let me start off by saying it was crazy for me because i thought i wasn't going to able to make it in for any of the days because school is starting.I been busy all week getting ready and it really hard fitting in that in my schedule but i made it through.I came in on Tuesday and started the fly er hm at first iwas getting frustrated because i didn't know how to start off,that's why my first and second fly er was um bad.But at the end i got through it all and made perfect one well i think i did .Then when i got done, i went to go help with the last idea on douncementary by telling her what when should added because ididnt wont to feel like ididnt do any work because iwas work on the fly er all day.Okay day two was crazy because i was stuck in Harvey Illinois getting school stuff and soo i really don't know what happen that day but i came and Marquita sent out the fly er to people but through it all ithink we did a good on editing at the end of day,we got over 10mins. I cant wait to see it on big screen :).

My First 3days editing

2011-08-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

On the first day of editing our douncementary it was fun,we had everything planned out and all the steps we were going good.But the next day everything went crashing like everybody was spitting out ideas but wasn't anybody moving.My teammate got frustrated and we didn't know what to do on that day.Following day after that it was the same, everybody just sit their mindless n i get angry because we were getting nowhere but on down the line,the team got back up and start working together and thought things through.I guess teamwork is really hard,that's why you have to communicate more.On Friday I really enjoyed seeing the interrupters it was really great movie,i loved everything in their,i really didn't have a favorite part because the producers and cast did excellent.I hope our documentary be good as that.

Post-Production has begun!

2011-08-07T15:24:00.001-07:00

Oh yes, our Reel Talent Productions interns are hard at work, brainstorming how to edit all the great footage they've captured! 2.5 weeks to our big premiere! Come celebrate with us, enjoy some light refreshments & catch the screening!

Date: Aug 26, 2011
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Cabrini Connections (800 W. Huron, Chicago, IL)

Third Day Video Shooting (An Indiana)

2011-08-02T14:59:00.000-07:00

When first got to the camp grounds,i was very angry because i knew it was going to be alot bugs.Ughhh I got bite like 5times and it really sucked.But as the day went on i really enjoy all the experiences coach Jenny and coach Lauren introduce to us.I had fun shooting the girls on camera and its was kind of funny because they kept laughing and saying funny stuff and you couldn't control it.However, it was very hard to control the boom because their so many freaking bugs out but i tried to stay in control even though it was really hard.The trip was great .The kids that between ages 12-13 were going nuts when we had to show them the way to their cabins because bugs and very high hills.Through it all i enjoyed the new experiences we had at camp buttercup and i enjoyed shooting and booming the microphone.

My Interview Experience

2011-07-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

Some lessons that I have learned while I was doing the interview was to make sure the setting in the place was right and that the background was a nice place to interview a person. The lesson was important because you want to have a background that have something to do with the subject that you are interviewing that person about. My thoughts about it was that you can interview a person where every you want to interview a person at and that it really don't matter where the location is. It changed me because I know that the place have to be right and that the place have to have a good light and quite. It make me feel more important and like I really know what I'm doing. The progress of my documentary is that we have a lot of interviews done and we followed the person down that we was suppose to. Our next step is to edit the movie and put some of the footage together.

First Day Video Shooting

2011-07-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

When we first got there i didn't know any of the staff at girls in the game but when we started interviewing and setting up the staff and me became very open.They were very nice and understand everything that was going on when we explained it to them.At first I thought i was going to mess up because that boom mic was very heavy but i went on through the day and handle it very well.My thoughts before this week were if the ladies were going to nervous,will they all shaking and we have to calm them down. I learned that everybody different in front of camera.This makes me feel like wow,i wish everybody else was like this.Right now Reel Talent Productions Internship Girls is done documentary why boys get more attention in sports or why they don't get involve in sports.Our next step is to edit our documentary in the up coming week.

My First Day At Reel Talent

2011-07-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

When i first got to work ,we seat down and talked because we were early.Later on at 11pm,we started discussing coverage,storytelling,set etiquette and interview techniques.To me and my point view while they were discussing.I Think coverage and storytelling is basically describing other people point view and letting other people see how it feel to be in their shoes.Set etiquette is just saying the roles of each person and telling them important responsibilities they have to follow.I learned Interview techniques and this is important to me because this can help you in the real world one day when your trying to do media and technology in the future.This changed me because it will help me see what being reporter really is and it isn't simple at all.You have to go in and be prepared for anything.This make me feel little nervous because I'm not that out-spoken when it comes to talking to a person face to face.

Summer Squad

2011-07-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

My week at Summer Squad was very different, I learned so many different things there like looking at somebody beauty in the inside not the outside. Like if you ask someone, how do she look? The first thing they would say is her smile, but it's really what's in the inside. That is important to me because, I never though about it that what's in the inside really makes somebody beautiful. It changed me because, the next time I say somebody is pretty i am going to think about what makes them look that way from the inside. It makes me feel like a different person because I can think before I say how a person look. I ask questions to the coaches about the program and they gave me a lot of details, and how they got involved with the program. My next step is to talk abut it with the other girls.

Girls in the game

2011-07-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

Working with the summer program Girls in the Game has been an amazing adventure. I have really enjoyed meeting all the girls in the group, and also the leaders Coach Jenny and Coach Lauren. While I was there I have learn a lot from this program. Some of the things I have learn is inner and outer beauty. The thing about inner and outer beauty is that when someone ask you what make a girl beautiful? Someone would answer her eyes, nose , or even her smile. That would be her outer beauty, but her inner beauty would be something like she is very positive. She is an outgoing person. That is one of the MANY things that I have learned. In this program the girls do a lot of exercise, but at the same time have fun with it. They do a lot of running, jumping jacks, and my favorite toe-touching.

There were times I was there when we went on field trips. One of my favorite field trip is going to an elementary by the brown line Kimball station. We went there as a leaders of the younger girls. We did many workshops, and played games with them. The game that they really seemed to like the most is the flag grab game. They had to go around and get as many flags off people as they can. If your flag was pulled you had to do 10 jumping jacks. They loved it so much that they didn't even want us to leave them. This week was very nice and exciting. I had a real nice time with this summer program. I encourage other teenage girls to join this program. Girls in the Game you are doing a great job, and keep up the good work!

Announcing our Reel Talent Productions summer interns!

2011-07-10T20:26:00.001-07:00

They applied, they were interviewed, and they conquered! We’re happy to announce the 3 budding filmmakers who’ll be going through an intense 8 weeks working on their own documentary about health and fitness in their communities.

Melissa Young, Marquita Fisher and Alicia Ward

We’re kicking off the first week with an immersive learning experience by sending our interns to participate in the Girls In The Game Summer Squad, where they’ll be playing sports, going on field trips and learning about issues around Sports and the Media.

Keep a lookout for the girls’ updates and reflections on their filmmaking journeys every week right here!

Much love and gratitude goes out to my amazing team for leading this with me. Jonathan, Jane and I are going to work our butts off to make this as memorable and fulfilling of an internship for the girls as possible. :)

Stepping Up To The Challenge

2011-06-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated the end of another successful year at Cabrini Connections. In front of over 250 people, Reel Talent Productions got to showcase our work. We screened 3 pieces that bookended the year pretty nicely - 2 fun music videos we made last summer, and 1 more serious Public Service Announcement video we'd finished just days before.

Many props to my fellow club leader Drew, regular teacher Jane and the staff of Cabrini Connections for the success of the last year. The journey wasn't always smooth-sailing, and we hit a few challenges along the way, but that's precisely why the experience was so valuable for us all. To everyone who's supported the members of Reel Talent Productions along the way, thank you for understanding the value and importance of the media's role in society today. This was an outlet for our teens to express their views and creativity, and to share it with the world.

Here's to more good times ahead. Our Summer Internship Program is coming up. Leave a comment below if you'd like more details.

I'll leave you now with the newest creation by Reel Talent Productions. Congrats to Melissa Young and Ana Tate for stepping up and taking the lead on this one.

Special Guests Visit Video & Filmmakers Club!

2011-04-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

This week, two special guests came to speak to the students of Video and Filmmakers Club. The filmmakers Ronit Bezalel and Mark Pratt, talked to the club members about their films, Voices of Cabrini and Cabrini Green: Mixing it UP.

After introductions, Mark and Ronit showed a clip from one of their films depicting students from Jenner Elementary School asking Mayor Richard M. Daley and Alderman Walter Burnett pointed questions about the demolition of the Cabrini Green houses. As one student in the film asked of the Mayor, “If you grew up in Cabrini Green would you want them to take your memories?”

After showing the film clip, Mark and Ronit led a discussion amongst the club members. The students expressed mixed feelings about what Daley said in the film and about displacement, public housing, and the pros and cons of the Cabrini Green demolition.

Mark, a former Cabrini Green resident and father, talked about what an emotional journey it has been watching the demolition process from the beginning through the end.He offered the students a history of Cabrini Green, discussing how its first residents were immigrants and it was an integrated development. He asserted that it was only during the recession in the 1980s that the housing project became a place of crime and gang activity.

The speakers also emphasized the importance of education in general. Mark encouraged Cabrini Connections students: “Find like-minded individuals.” He and Ronit urged students to surround themselves with people who share their values and also want to pursue education.

Finally, Mark and Ronit spoke about what an exciting time it is to be a filmmaker. As they discussed, when they first started making films they had to search for festivals and opportunities to showcase their work. Now, films can easily be shown to people all over the world through online platforms like Vimeo and YouTube. In addition, technology and software is cheaper for film editing.

All in all, the session was a great opportunity for students to catch a firsthand glimpse of the power of film to tell stories, ignite conversation, and empower people to take a stand.

2011 off to a fine start...

2011-01-25T14:07:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's been awhile... but it's only because things are busy and brewing here at Reel Talent Productions. 2010 was a great year for us, with completed projects about everything from short stories to music videos to spec commercials under our belt. We're excited and hungry for more great projects ahead.

Moving forward, we're turning the spotlight to non-fiction filmmaking and focusing on real issues, real people. With discussions about what our community's most urgent needs are, we will be working to raise awareness about them through the power of video. Reel Talent Productions will be creating two Public Service Announcements and working to get the important messages out.

But this production will not come easy. Our students currently have to share 1 camera among almost 10 of us. When it comes to post-production, the mere two laptops we have means that the other students have to miss out on in-depth, hands-on learning. With only 90 minutes to work together each week, not everybody gets a chance to spend time working with the equipment. We are thankful that the Fish Foundation's grant last year enabled us to go from absolutely nothing to this... but our supply is still unable to meet with the demand. We will be able to raise our productivity by 2 or 3 times if we had more equipment to work with. We learn a lot more by doing, not by watching someone else do it while crowding around one computer with 4 others.

First-hand experience with technology is tremendously important for our young ones. We know that nothing comes for free, but we're determined to work for it. That's why we're kicking off the new year with our next project - Fundraising Videos. Meet our talented and smart young filmmakers, get to know what we do, and see for yourself how our students gain valuable skills applicable to life in Reel Talent Productions.

Keep your eyes peeled for them come this Feb!

Happy Holidays from Cabrini Connections!

2010-12-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

Click here to donate.

Club Leader Shuling Spotlighted

2010-10-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

Get to know club leader Shuling a little better: here.

WGN Tour: A Photo Blog

2010-09-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

On August 25th, 2010, The Cabrini Connections Video and Filmmakers Club was fortunate to get a tour of WGN Television Studios. The tour included conversations with weather reporters Tom Skilling and Mike Hamernik, a look at the newsroom, being able to sit on the stage where the morning news is shot, a tour of the creative services department, and a talk with Cris Allen, Supervising Producer (and a whole lot more).

What a great opportunity!!! Thank you to Juana, and everybody else who took time out of their busy day to talk to us. Below are some pictures from the trip. Enjoy!

Our Summer Music Videos!

2010-08-26T13:59:00.001-07:00

And so you have it... the fruit of our labor over the last 8 weeks. Reel Talent Productions is proud to present our finished music videos! These videos were entirely conceptualized, shot and edited by our teenage talents.

This is a music video for the popular song by Lil Mama called Lip Gloss.

Lip Gloss - Music Video from Cabrini Connections on Vimeo.

Yu-Gi-Oh! is a music video based off the opening theme song for the Japanese animation, Air Gear.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Final Battle - Music Video from Cabrini Connections on Vimeo.

Go Bears!

2010-08-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

The summer session may be over, but the fun certainly hasn't stopped! Over the course of 8 weeks, our Reel Talent Productions members earned Frames (points) for good attendance, participation and performance. You read last that our overall winner Sean very kindly donated his prize to our third place winner, Reggie. So second place winner Melissa and Reggie were the lucky ones who got to take a trip to watch the Chicago Bears live at the magnificent Soldier Field!

To keep our trip green, we decided to hop on the El and bus there. As we approached the stadium, we witnessed the streets just flooded with hundreds of bears fans decked out in blue, orange and white. It looks like Chicago came out in full force to support our Bears as they took on the Oakland Raiders. We were also awestruck at how big and grand Soldier Field was. Simply amazing!

We got seats really high up, so the view of the thousands of fans in the arena was fantastic. Being close to the goal line was great too! We got to witness Matt Forte score that brilliant touchdown for the bears, after sprinting a whopping 89 yards! Pure stunning action.

We also couldn't resist checking out the view and enjoying the breeze blowing in from Lake Michigan during halftime... and of course, taking a few photos for memories. And to complete our live sports experience, we bought a ton of snacks... nachos, fries, popcorn, peanuts and pop! :)

One of the highlights of the night was when the crowd went crazy doing The Wave! It took a couple of tries for it to get around... but we eventually got it going not 1, not 2, but 6 times around the entire stadium! What fun!

Though it was a bummer that the Bears weren't able to beat the Raiders, we're proud of them for putting up a good fight anyway. There's always next time! And maybe by then, we'd have successfully memorized the Bears fight song! Haha.

Bear down, Chicago Bears, make every play clear the way to victory;

Bear down, Chicago Bears, put up a fight with a might so fearlessly.

We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation with your T-formation.
Bear down, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you're wearing the crown.
You're the pride and joy of Illinois, Chicago Bears, bear down.

By the time we got home, we were tired, but definitely happy. Thank you, Cabrini Connections, for this opportunity!

Video and Filmmakers Club's Summer Session at Cabrini Connections (A Photo Blog)

2010-08-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

A fun and educational summer session: Making Music Videos

Editing Air Gear Opening in Final Cut Express

Club Leader Jane Giving Input: We will miss you Jane!

Editing the Lip Gloss Video in Final Cut Express

Creating a DVD Cover in Photoshop

Students Earn Points for Attendance, Behavior and Performance

The Frame Game

Watching a Rough Cut of the Lip Gloss Video

Photos by Yong Shu Ling and Jane Wang

That's a Wrap!

2010-08-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

Over the last two weeks, we've wrapped up our first summer session. Last week, we started with a little show and tell. Club Leader Jane brought in her Canon 7D DSLR to give our young filmmakers a first look at the type of camera that a lot of independent filmmakers are using these days. The Canon 7D shoots full HD quality video at various frame rates, at a reasonable price, and can be found on many movie, music video and commercial shoots, so our young filmmakers were getting a look at the latest technology.

Later the students wrapped up the editing of their music videos, and created a DVD cover in Photoshop (see below). Then we said goodbye to Club Leader Jane as she was leaving for the rest of the summer. She will be missed.

We started our final day of the summer session by gathering permission slips for our trip to WGN studios and discussing "The Real World," which included copyrights, and getting a job/internship (making a reel, making a resume, and making business cards).

We then played a game we like to call "Film Terminator," where our young filmmakers get points for guessing film terms based on clues (kind of like the old television game show, $10,000 Pyramid). These points went towards a point system that we started this summer called The Frame Game. Students get points for attendance, good behavior, and performance, with the top two performing students getting a ticket to the Chicago Bears game this weekend.

After Film Terminator, they had pizza and snacks, and the students showcased their music videos (we will post links to their works at a later date). You got the feeling that our filmmakers were really proud of their accomplishments, and they should be. They have come a long way in a short period of time, and personally I am looking forward to seeing how they progress in the future.

Production, Post Production, a Production Company Name and Logo and a Planned Field Trip

2010-08-05T06:32:00.000-07:00

At Cabrini Connections Video and Filmmakers Club, we have had a busy July. The young filmmakers shot their first music video. They were up against the clock, only having one session to shoot, and you could tell they all realized that shooting a music video can be quite challenging. See below for more production pictures.

Also, they have begun editing their music videos, and we are excited to see the results.

In addition, they came up with a production company name to put on all of their productions from here on out. They brainstormed and voted on production company names and talked about what they thought goes into making a successful production company. The name they agreed upon was Reel Talent Productions.

Below is the logo for their production company, which they designed and created in Photoshop.

We also found out that we are going on a club field trip at the end of August. We will be taking a tour of the WGN television studios. This is quite an opportunity as WGN has a storied history in both the Chicago area and nationally, and it will be great experience for the young filmmakers to see television production up close.

Everybody loves Music Videos!

2010-06-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

On the first day of Film Club for the summer, we (Shuling, Drew, and Jane) revealed to the kids that our big exciting project of the 8-week program is to create an original music video. Why a music video? Because they're AWESOME!

Good music videos can tell a story, can be a spectacle, or even both, but most importantly they enhance the music through visuals. With the producing of a music video, we'll learn about camera movements, set design, directing performers/actors, all the preparation that goes into planning before the shoot (pre-production), editing, and so much more.

This first week we went over some basic film concepts such as framing, storyboarding, director of photography...and the list goes on. Then after going through same basics of film concepts, we watched many cool examples of music videos to get our creative juices flowing. One of the main questions we asked the kids was: How in the world did they do that? The kids thought long and hard and were able to figure out some of the cool effects that were used in the music videos!

Here are some of the music videos we watched and you'll know what we mean:

OK GO's "End Love"-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2fpgpanZAw

MuteMath's "Typical"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XVWR-5fiG0

Sour's "Hibi no Neiro"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfBlUQguvyw&feature=related

After being amazed by the numerous crazy, mind-boggling videos, we took on the difficult task of choosing two songs as our music video inspirations for our two groups. With 14 potential songs, we finally narrowed it down to:

Lil Mama - Lipgloss

Air Gear Opening

If you listen to them, you'll find that they're completely different songs with their own very unique feels (one of them even has Japanese in it!). The three of us are super excited to see what creative ideas the kids come up with.

In the upcoming week, the kids will pitch their ideas for the music videos and we will decide which ideas to pursue. We're off to a great start! We've chosen two songs. We're excited. We're pumped. Now, we need to get prepared!

Video Showcase

2010-06-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

The 2009-2010 Video & Filmmakers Club premiered their work at Cabrini Connections' annual Year-End Dinner on Thursday, June 10th, at Cornerstone Center. All four films, embedded below for you to view, were created entirely by students in middle and high school. Scripts, storyboards, audio, video, acting, editing... everything! And, each director introduced his or her piece at the Year-End Dinner. It was a beautiful segment in an overall incredible night. For more about the Year-End Dinner and all of our work at Cabrini Connections, visit http://www.cabriniconnections.net/. Thank You and Enjoy!

Learning a Craft

2010-06-09T21:52:00.000-07:00

This week marked the final meeting of the Video and Filmmakers Club for this school year. I have only been working with these young filmmakers for about a month, but I feel like they are making gains every week, and I have even learned a thing or two myself. They have come a long way considering the program didn't even have a camera or computers to edit on until very recently.

The goal of Cabrini Connections is that every child who joins the program in 7th or 8th grade is starting a job and career of his or her choice by age 25, and if the youths continue at the pace they are going, I think they are on their way to that goal. Like Club Leader, Michael Alexander says, the students are learning a craft. Who knows, one of these kids might be the next Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) or Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker).

This week, we put the finishing touches on projects for the Year End Gala Dinner (I will post more on that later), handed out awards (Most Valuable Team Member, Best Writer, Best Actor, Most Improved Camera Operator, etc), and celebrated a successful year with pizza and treats. Then we watched the four short films that the students put together (with the student's permission, I hope to post links to their work soon), and had fun taking pictures. You can see a couple of the pictures above.

Although, the school year is over, the work doesn't stop. Shu-Ling is taking over as Club Leader (Michael, we will all miss you), we are putting together an exciting curriculum for a program for the summer that will start on June 21st, and we are bringing on Jane, a new volunteer. We are all excited for the summer.

Donations to Cabrini Connections, make programs like this possible. In addition, if anybody is looking for an editor, one of our students is looking for summer work. Let me know, and I will point her in your direction.

Learning By Doing

2010-05-10T05:46:00.000-07:00

Last week, I had the opportunity to be a guest at Cabrini Connections' Video and Filmmakers Club. If you are unfamiliar with Cabrini Connections, as I was, it is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a volunteer tutoring/mentoring program for teens in the Cabrini Green neighborhood.

When I arrived, the president and CEO of Cabrini Connections, Dan Bassill was being interviewed on camera by some of the young filmmakers for a video for a Year-End Dinner. Afterwords, Dan gave me a run down on Cabrini Connections and the citywide Tutor/Mentor Connection, and then Shuling, a mentor, introduced me to the filmmakers.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous. I don't have much experience working with youths, but they made me feel right at home. The task for the day was to shoot the first of two short films from a mini-assignment. The film should have no more than 2 characters, consist of 6-12 shots and have an unexpected ending. The writer and director of the short was Reggie. The short was called Lost, and it was about a teen (played by Marquise) who meets a mysterious woman from his past (played by Brittany). The camera operator was Melissa. Audio was done by Kierre and Yahshua, and the narrator was played by Anna.

One of the best ways to learn filmmaking is by actually creating a story, picking up a camera and doing it, and that is what these young filmmakers were doing. Learning by doing is key because it allows you to learn from your mistakes. What they were lacking in experience, they made up for with energy. In the future, the young filmmakers will benefit from being able to go and watch how other sets operate. I know I learn something every time I am on a set.

While the shoot was going on, another filmmaker, Sean was storyboarding his short that will be shot at the next meeting of the Video and Filmmaker's Club. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes of it. I also had the opportunity to make a cameo as an extra in the short. I don't get in front of the camera too often, so that was a treat.

On set, it is a challenge for an experienced director to get ideas out of his or her head and executed by the cast and crew, so you can imagine how difficult it can be for a first time director like Reggie. Saying that, Reggie was able to get all of his shots completed and most importantly the cast and crew were having fun. Filmmaking should be fun!

Big plans to close out the year!

2010-04-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

With the Year End Gala Dinner only weeks away, we're looking to close out the semester with a big bang! We're currently hard at work on several projects!

The Cabrini Connections Video and Filmmakers Club was proud to provide documentary coverage of the wildly successful Art Show, which took place on April 16th. Armed with our Panasonic TM300 and a mic, we captured the sights, sounds and excitement of the night! Many thanks to all those who agreed to do interviews with us! Melissa is now in the trenches of the edit room, carving out a great piece with all the footage we've collected for the event over the last few weeks.

Just this week, we all had the chance to come up with our own scripts too! This second mini assignment was to develop a story with no more than 2 characters, where someone overcomes a challenge or a conflict. The goal set was to tell it with 6-12 shots and if possible, to also have an unexpected ending. After snack break, we took turns pitching our story ideas to everyone around the table. It was great to hear the wide range of ideas that came through... everyone's certainly got talent! At the end of the night, we all voted for our 2 favorite stories. The 2 winning stories will be shot and edited in the upcoming weeks. How exciting!

Congratulations to Sean Mayfield and Reggie Murphy for winning the vote! They'll both be directing their own short films. I'm sure everyone will be looking forward to pitching in, either as a production crew member, or an actor!

And as if all that wasn't enough, we're looking to start a series of simple webisodes featuring the organizing committee of the Year End Gala Dinner, so get pumped for that! :)

Mesmerized and Motivated

2010-02-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

Film club recently had a special guest, Bianca Alexander, a local producer in Chicago. Bianca answered questions and talked to the club about how she accomplished her dreams.

Bianca helped the club get prepared, inspired, and motivated to make their best work yet for Cabrini’s spring showcase. Everyone in the club was so deep into the discussion with Bianca that we lost track of time and ended up hanging out for an extra half an hour! With only an hour and a half scheduled for the club a whole thirty minutes extra is a lot of time. I think it’s safe to say Film Club appreciates Bianca’s insight and is welcome back anytime. Check out some photos below.

Find out more about Bianca at www.consciouslivingtv.com

Cabrini Film Club makes a splash

2010-02-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

Film makers and members Shaquille Strauther, Melissa Young and Ashaunti Roby wrote, produced, edited and directed this video to promote their upcoming fundraiser this Saturday 2/27/10 from 4pm-7pm. Buy tickets here to come to this fun event and support Cabrini Connections: http://theawesomes.eventbrite.com

Watch:

The Awesome's Shop & Sip for Cabrini Connections from Cabrini Connections on Vimeo.

On MLK Day Film Club gets a gift

2010-01-18T15:45:00.000-08:00

Today Film Club took the day off to show some love for Martin Luther King Day. However last week the club met and we all had a blast editing the mini assignment. We all screened the dailies together, had a good time giggling at the (my) acting, and then broke out into three groups (one group of three and two groups of two) to begin editing.

In the group of three Brittany, Reggie, and Cantrell teamed up with Shuling hanging out to answer any questions. They cruised through the scene and had a solid rough cut well before the club ended. Marquise and Sean were worked together while I helped with questions and the final group of Melissa and Kierre with Michael backing them up took a bit longer to finish. They were both cutting and cutting. I sure they would have kept going strong all night but we ran out of time. Everyone managed to flesh out the whole scene. Check out Sean and Marquise’s rough cut below!

Cabrini Connections Film Club Mini Assignment 1 Rough Cut from Karl Geweniger on Vimeo.

In other Film Club news, I am happy to announce that we will be getting some shiny new equipment! A new camera, sound gear, and tripod just to name a few of the new tools we will have at our fingertips in the coming weeks. We are going to be making some amazing, funny, moving, eye-opening films so stay tuned!

Mini Assignment!

2010-01-06T11:31:00.000-08:00

It was the first club meeting of the year. Michael, Karl and I decided to change things up a little with how we were going to conduct our weekly meetings. We're putting our big horror movie on hold for now and working on short mini-assignments each week. We're going to take time to focus on each aspect of filmmaking, such as camera, sound, lighting and editing, so we understand them well.

This time, we kicked things off with Brittany, Melissa and Reggie! The task was to come up with a story, and tell it in 6 shots. Additional requirements? Their 6 shots had to include 1 pan and 1 tilt.

Check out the video to see how we did!

-Shuling

Building Momentum

2009-12-16T14:51:00.001-08:00

Greetings, I wanted to start this blog out by thanking Cabrini Connections Film Club for accepting me as a new group leader! This week was another busy week for film club. We continued to make shot lists and storyboards. At this point there is a shot list and boards for about a third of our short film. Working through this process never ceases to inspire me. Everyone in the club has helped to contribute ideas to the film each week and with each new idea I can see it taking shape.

We had a few less members this week due to Brittany and Reggie’s birthday, but that did not halt our progress. Mae gave a great tutorial on the basics of screenwriting formatting. Formatting for screenwriting can be overwhelming at first, it is something that becomes easier with practice. I can’t wait to see the script for our film formatted like a true screenplay.

After our writing discussion we jumped right back into creating shot lists and storyboards for two more scenes. Kierre was on fire this week! He had such a great vision for the kidnapping scene. He managed to transform a fairly simple scene into one with great dramatic and cinematic potential. Melissa and Marquise were feeding on Kierre’s vision as well and we powered through ten shots in just a few minutes!

This week we managed to build a great deal of momentum. I am confident that we will have completed storyboards for the film early next year when we all come back after the holidays. Stay tuned for our photo storyboards.

Thanks for reading,

Karl Geweniger

Work in Progress

2009-12-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

Video and Filmmakers Club has continued to meet through the month of November and into December, and they've added three club leaders: Mae Moreno, Shu Ling Young, and Karl Geweniger. The group is currently working on a script and storyboards for their first film project. Members' roles for the project are as follows:

Executive Producer - Kierre Halbert
Producer - Melissa Young
Associate Producer - Marquise Cook
Director - Brittany Murphy
Assistant Director - Marquise Cook and Cantrell Strauther
Writer - Kierre and Melissa
Camera - Cantrell
Audio/Sound - Reggie Murphy
Lighting - Sean Mayfield
Editing - Reggie, Melissa, and Sean
Production Assistant - Cantrell, Marquise, Kierre
Design - Brittany
Actors - Everyone!

Stay tuned for more updates! Thanks for following.

Role Playing

2009-11-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

I connected with Cabrini Connections via 'United We Serve' hoping to assist in the process of grant writing.
After my first visit with Dan at their facility, I met Bradley and inquired about how he came to vounteer with the organization. He discussed the variety of afterschool clubs and mentioned I might be interested in sitting in on Film Club later that evening, as my degree and much of my post-degree work experience involved camera and talent assisting while working in the Texas and Louisiana film industry.
Since that time I've had the pleasure of joining the Film Club on three occasions.

It's evident that the kids in the club have come to love and trust Michael as their mentor but
the downside of this is that Michael's eco-conscious production company is incredibly demanding, often taking him out of town to film special presentations.
It's clear that he needs a partner to help man the ship and keep the kids engaged and committed to filming their Cabrini Connections short horror film.

When he phoned last Saturday to say that he had to leave for Nashville on Monday, I knew he was calling to ask if I could sub for him.
My initial reaction of terror would have made a great close-up clip for the Film Club project as I must admit the thought was intimidating.
I'd never taught anything in my life, aside from managing and training a host of renegade children while working as a traveling store manager for American Apparel.
As a retail manager you are trained to know company policy and proceedure inside and out; in other words, the manual comes with the job - you supply the confidence.
Leading Film Club, there is no manual. You have to dive in head first.

Despite Michael's absence, this week's meeting accomplished the goal of storyboarding Scene Two and was full of energy thanks to the latest club addition - smart and sassy 6th grader Narae.

We stumbled a bit in the beginning as there was some confusion as to whether or not we'd need to start the storyboarding process over and due to missing dialogue and storyboards due from the previous meeting.
With Melissa and Sean's help we worked around this and resumed tbe process of storyboarding from Scene Two Shot Two.
Melissa was assigned to direct this particular scene and using the shot list crafted over the month of October, we worked on visualizing each shot under her guidance.

For the storyboarding of Scene One, Sean and Reggie had volunteered to sketch the shots out.
Unfortunately Sean was called away from the meeting for family reasons and it seemed the brunt of the illustration would fall to Reggie alone this week.

When it came time to sketch Scene Two, to our surprise Narae and Marquis both enthusiastically volunteered to do a shot a piece.
Then suddenly everyone wanted a shot a crafting a panel on the storyboard - except Kierre and Cantrell . Both asserted they did not know how to draw.
I assured them there is no right or wrong when it comes to drawing and encouraged them to each map a shot.
Kierre contributed Shot Four and learned that he could draw afterall.

Towards the end of the meeting, Cantrell shied away...anxious to begin shooting and using equipment rather than dealing with the hassel of pre-production.
Bradley joined the group after snack time and, sensing the restlessness, promised that next week we'd take a break from pre-production to film the Art Club.

Next week is certain to be just as action packed.

Editing good times at Video Club!

2009-10-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

We got down to the basics of editing today with two guests, Karl and Shuling, who work for our club leader Michael!

It was great getting to hear editors and directors of actual Hollywood movies share their stories in the first video clip we got to watch: The Cutting Edge. The Kuleshov Experiment clip we got to watch next was pretty amazing because it showed me that the exact same picture can bring about very different emotions when it's juxtaposed with different images. Neat! We also got to learn about different continuity editing techniques though an action-packed video featuring clips from V for Vandetta.

What we found pretty intriguing was the fact that there are about 24 frames for every second of film we watch. So in that short 45-second clip we watched in Video Club today, we calculated that there were 1,080 frames! Yikes, now that's a lot of pictures!

The best part, though, was getting to have hands-on practice actually making our own editorial decisions! It was challenging to splice together 4 shots, including a wide shot, a close-up and two two-shots from different angles, but our finished products turned out great! It was refreshing to see the different edits made by both our groups, as well as the cut that Karl had originally done when he edited this scene for his college project. It's amazing how 1 scene can be cut in so many ways!

We're really excited to apply all that we've learned today about video editing to the horror movie we'll be making. Check back next week for more on our learning journey when Michael returns!

Film Club's first crack at editing!

2009-10-05T19:28:00.001-07:00

Today we all learned about editing and editing techniques. There were tons of video clips illustrating concepts like the 180 degree rule which we talked about a few weeks ago with Brad. We learned about eye-matches, cut on action, and cross cutting. After a lot of talking about editing we finally got a chance to edit a short scene trying out some of the techniques. We split into two groups and each made a cut. We ran out of time at the end but the time we did have actually making edits was fun.

September 21st, 2009

2009-09-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

Video and Filmmakers Club held its first fall meeting on Monday night. Tutoring and mentoring began last week so there were some new recruits in attendance: Kierre and Marquise (pictured below in mysterious blur). Last week's cameraman, Cantrell, showed both of them how to use the camera and they proceeded to shoot two scenes: our entry into the main room of Cabrini Connections and our characters' introductions.

Before shooting, we discussed elements of pre-production including screenwriting and storyboarding. Though we do not have the time to write a thorough script and draw a detailed storyboard, it is important to get a general idea about what is going on in a particular scene and how it should look. Based on camera techniques we learned earlier this summer, group members came up with some great ideas (for example, the following shot of Reggie walking into Cabrini Connections was all Melissa's idea).

Thanks for following our work. We hope to have a video ready soon!

Week 6 (summer)

2009-09-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

Today was our first day of filming!

We accomplished a lot in 90 minutes including writing and capturing the first two shots of our first scene.

The first day of a shoot is always exciting and everyone who was in attendance did a great job including Sean, Melissa, Reggie, Brittany and Cantrell (as our director and shooter for the day)!

Week 5 (Summer 2009)

2009-09-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

Video and Filmmakers Club did not meet this week because of Labor Day, but we were on CBS 2 Chicago at 10pm! Click HERE to watch!

Week 4 (Summer 2009)

2009-08-31T18:16:00.000-07:00

Video and Filmmakers Club met tonight for a video camera lab. Club Leader Michael Alexander brought in a "procorder"(professional camcorder) to show eight students in attendance how to use it. They executed four shots - still, pull out, pull in, and pan - and then watched their work in playback mode.

After a lot of hands-on work, the meeting concluded with a long brainstorming session. The club has decided to shoot a horror film on the premises of Cabrini Connections. Each club member will star in the movie (they've already decided on roles) and direct a scene. A script will be collectively written next week and shooting will take place on September 14th.

Lastly, Video and Filmmakers Club was paid a surprise visit by CBS 2 Chicago! Footage of the club was taken and several students were interviewed. Look for the piece on Cabrini Connections to air tomorrow night (Tuesday) at 10 PM CST!

Week 3 (Summer 2009)

2009-08-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

Video and Filmmakers Club met on Monday for a photography lab. Students learned about framing, aspect ratio, camera angles, and other elements of filmmaking before using digital cameras to practice an array of shots, such as...

Medium shot of Jon'nita

Medium close-up of Melissa

Low angle shot of Charles

Everyone seemed to enjoy the introductory lesson, but they are really looking forward to next week's lab with real HD video cameras!

Week 2 (Summer 2009)

2009-08-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

Video and Filmmakers Club met last night to discuss documentary composition. Club Leader Michael Alexander showed clips from several films, including Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, What the #$*! Do We (K)now!?, and our very own Cabrini Green, 'This is What I Know': Our Lives, Our Truths, Our Stories, an award-winning film created by Cabrini Connections students and volunteers. We discussed effective strategies for documentary filmmaking and how we may apply elements from the films watched in our own work.

Next week there will be a photography lab. Ultimately, videos are just a long string of individuals images, so that is where we will start! Students will work on framing, camera angles, and more. The club, current in week two of its six week summer session, plans to make a short film about Cabrini Connections to be shown at the first nights of tutoring on Wednesday, September 16, and Thursday, September 17. Thanks for following our progress as this new version of the film club gets off the ground. Please stay tuned!

Week 1 (Summer 2009)

2009-08-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

9th grader Charles Hill is here to give us a recap of Week 1:

The video club just started Monday, August 10. The video club's first day will always be tedious work, getting started and planning such ideas. As for now Michael has shown the group the basics in learning the video camera, editing, and watching how to interview people. I have learned a lot of what we will be doing. I predict that the video club will be very spectacular at Cabrini Connections.