LAST WEEK F EDITING

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

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!

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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!

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...

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!

Click here to donate.

Club Leader Shuling Spotlighted

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

WGN Tour: A Photo Blog

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!

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!

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)

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!

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.