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Streets of Philadelphia

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By David Karas, Monitor Correspondent

Fifteen young aspiring filmmakers hailing from parishes and schools across the diocese hit the studio and the streets in Philadelphia Oct. 1 to learn how to develop, produce and edit a short documentary that may find its way to this spring’s RE:IMAGE Film Festival. 

Sponsored by the diocese’s RE:IMAGE Film Festival Committee, the master class-style  immersion in filmmaking took place in the downtown studios of WHYY, and was presented by the network’s staff professionals.  Covering everything from camera operation to interviewing techniques, the intensive course proved to be both educational and fun for its young participants.

Patrick Dolan, one of the coordinators for the RE:IMAGE Film Festival, was on hand to advise participants in the development of their projects; helping them to connect contemporary issues with themes central to their Catholic beliefs.

In an interview with The Monitor, Dolan explained that the workshop was aimed at empowering teens to use their talents to tell stories of faith, and tell them effectively.  “We were looking to provide some technical instruction on how to develop a short film using professional equipment — tools that may not be available to them at school,” he said.  “The focus is for the teens to enhance their skills as media producers, become more mission-centered, and bring new ideas to their classrooms and youth groups.”

 

  

 

The hope is also that the participants will have gained enough knowledge and confidence through the workshop experience to produce a film entry for the diocese’s 3rd annual RE:IMAGE Film Festival, which will take place May 6 in the Algonquin Theater, Manasquan. High school students are invited to compete with their peers for several awards in their category.

“Coming to Philadelphia, a great city, to learn what I am interested in – it couldn’t be a better day,” said Tommy Farrell of St. Joseph Parish and Monsignor Donovan High School, both in Toms River. “I am very interested in broadcasting.”

With more experience on camera than behind it, Farrell said that the workshop gave him insights into the other side of filmmaking and video production, and he plans to take his new skills back with him to the studio, where he can start editing his own pieces instead of relying on others to help. He plans to pursue a college degree in broadcast journalism.

“What we try to do is teach people to express themselves through digital media,” said Craig Santoro, director of media instruction at WHYY. He added, “We are really excited to work with the diocese; these are great kids.”

Steven Dixon, a media instructor who works with Santoro, said that the teens came ready to learn and practice. “They already have a spark in them and want to learn more,” he said of the Trenton delegation.

The workshop was about giving the students hands-on experience.  Dixon observed that many students are hesitant to approach strangers for interviews, especially when they are just starting out as filmmakers, but that experience whittles away their inherent anxieties.

He said some first-time filmmakers are unsure of how to approach what seems to be a monumental task, but that the workshop gives them the tools on developing an outline and steering their progress on their own.

After quick lessons in Final Cut Pro, an editing software, interviewing techniques, tips on shooting “b-roll” (or supplemental footage), equipment and general shooting techniques, the teens broke up into three groups and hit the streets of Philadelphia to begin conducting person-on-the-street interviews.

Tackling serious issues like global starvation, morals in the media and how technology interferes with faith, and with Philadelphia’s historical landmarks providing the perfect backdrop, the teens recruited interviewees young and old to share their thoughts on the topics. The group then returned to the studio to process their footage and put together their pieces from start to finish.

St. Gregory the Great, Hamilton Square, parishioner Allie Morris, a sophomore at Steinert High School, had just finished recording her first voice-overs for her team’s piece, and she could not have been happier.

“It is so much fun,” she said. “One of the things I aspire to be is a news reporter.”

She said that, with only rudimentary video editing experience revolving around You-Tube, the workshop really opened her eyes. “Video editing is more than just putting things up on the computer and hitting ‘upload’,” she said. “It is a lot of tweaking.”

And for those with editing experience already under their belts, the experience proved enlightening in other aspects of the process.

“It’s helping me to understand more about reporting, and how it is done,” said Joseph Lyncheski, a member of St. Joseph Parish and student in Msgr. Donovan High School. “I didn’t really understand all of the steps before this.”

His classmate, Chris Ingraham of St. Dominick Parish, Brick, said he has previously been involved primarily in behind-the-scenes work.

“I learned a lot about what to ask people, how to approach people,” he said.

And for Gunther Billhardt of St. Pius X Parish, Forked River, the workshop will give him the tools necessary to work with his youth group to create their submission to the festival.

To view the students’ film projects from the workshop and for more information on the RE:IMAGE Film Festival, go to reimagefilmfestival.com.

 


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