The Young Media Makers

The Young Media Makers 2009 Big Screen Showcase Winner's List

2009-06-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

We are very proud to announce the winners of the 2009 Big Screen Showcase. As is our tradition, all the winners under age 20 will be sent to the youth division of the Chicago International Film Festival next April. We will make every attempt to distribute all the movies to other festivals that invite us and to venues such as Access Humboldt.

Special thanks to our 2009 keynote speaker, David Scheerer for his great motivational talk and for his further assistance with handing out the winner's statuettes and certificates.

Congratulations 2009 Big Screen Showcase winners !

Big Screen Showcase
2009
Winners List

SENIOR DIVISION

Documentary

Drive To Stay Alive:    Mathew Roscoe & David Loring

Portrait :    Anais Kane Sydney Matterson

Narrative

Candybar Thief:     Caitlin Jackson

Promotional

Bridgeville 4H Metal Works:    Paul Mullen

Commercial

Food For People:     Dominick Roney

Experimental

The Mustache:     Aaron Green

Other / Spoken Word

Everywhere:    Brendon Villanueva

Drama

I Am Insecure And I Like Girls:     Ryan Roney

Big Screen Showcase
2009
Winners List

JUNIOR DIVISION

Promotional

The Battle of Pomojema (INDY from England):    Nathan Wilkes

Instructional Video

Crafting with Dalas:     Clarrissa Borges

Documentary

John Brown; The Fight For True Humanity:    Jules Coronado

Other/Horror

Bat Boys Episode 2:     Nathan Vanella & Dylan Vanella

Comedy

Best Friends On Cell Phones:    August Domanchuk

Animation

The Amazing Monster v. Alien:     August Domanchuk

DIRECTOR’S AWARDS

Uphill Struggle:    For Documentary Story telling; Terra Stolberg

The Day The Earth Spun Around:    For Special Effects; Nick Johnson

Big Screen Showcase

2009-05-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone:

The Young Media Makers 9th Annual Big Screen Showcase is at College of the Redwoods this Saturday, May 30th. All media makers, friends, families and movie fans are invited. The Admission for this powerful show is free and doors open at 12:30p.m. Showtime 1 p.m. Come early to enjoy the pre-show reel and stay for the awards ceremony and a reception with the filmmakers that is immediately following the Showcase.

Big Screen Showcase is proud to announce that our keynote speaker is David Scheerer, Director-Producer and Professor of Film at the Humboldt State University Department of Theater, Film and Dance. Professor Scheerer is opening our Showcase with a presentation on The Digital Future in Humboldt County.

If that is not sweet enough Big Screen Showcase will also announce its new program The Young Media Makers Work Project. It’s a form of community service that exemplary young media makers can’t refuse. To help launch the new TYMM program we will be offering sign – ups and showing a TYMM Work Project PSA shot this winter for Food For People by Dominick Roney. Dominick is a three-time participant in Big Screen Showcase. Food For People enjoyed Nick’s PSA so much that they have kindly offered to partner with Big Screen Showcase. FFP representatives will be on hand to encourage those who have to be generous! In this bumpy economy even those of us that were “all good” question the stability of the future. So reach out if you need to and lend a hand if you can. We are a community ! That may mean only two hours a week packing bags at the FFP location in Eureka. If you can swing it make a donation. There will be a food collection barrel at the Big Screen Showcase. Bring bags of dry food or cans to the Big Screen Showcase. Be creative.

We aim to inspire !

Sincerely,
Barbara

One more notice

2008-03-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Just wanted to give one more notice to you busy media makers out there. I have had a few more calls and emails than usual this year. Probably because our CALL FOR ENTRY deadline is earlier this year. We want all of you to enjoy the Showcase. So the the deadline has been extended to the end of next week, March 28. Please use the online entry form to state your intended entry by March 21.

Best of luck to all of you!

Sincerely,
Barbara

Big Screen Showcase
P.O. Box 204
Carlotta CA 95528

Any questions or just want to talk about your films give a call
(707) 768 -1738
Please forward to those who need to know.

Many Thanks! Big Screen Showcase Winners Online

2007-11-25T10:15:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone:

I hope you had a rather splendid holiday weekend.

I would like to give a special thanks to Doug Renwick of CopiaGroup and Derek Howard. These two have made it the best year ever for our web site.

Our web master, Derek Howard, released a new version of the site TheYoungMediaMakers.org that contains a NEWS / blog section and a variable access display of all the winning entries of the 2007 Big Screen Showcase. Please go to TheYoungMediaMakers.org and enjoy the success of our youth.

Derek is a senior at Fortuna Union High School. He developed TheYoungMediaMakers.org in his elective computer applications class, "Students Working In The Community of Humboldt" (SWITCH).

The site is supported by HostGIS, a CopiaGroup company. Doug also helped to design the entry and release forms. I can't wait to experience the newest movies coming in for our spring festival.

Enjoy.

Sincerely,
Barbara Domanchuk

Get Ready!

2006-12-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

      Now is the time to start buttoning up your edits on the 2007 movie submissions to the Big Screen Showcase. We have made the festival slightly more competitive this year by moving up the CALL FOR ENTRY to March 14, 2007. All producers that want to compete for prizes must have their movies in by the deadline. Go here to enter your movie, print entry forms, and mail them in with your media.

       Winners from the Big Screen Showcase are automatically entered into the Chicago Film Festival. Last year, three movies from the 2005 Big Screen Showcase were selected for screening. Its a huge deal because they solicit world wide and received 581 submissions. Of all those movies, Humboldt County based Chisa Hughes won a Certificate of Merit for her first movie, "Working to Survive Behind Barbed Wire: The Nisei Interned." Her documentary portrays the living conditions for Japanese Americans in the interment camps set up in the United States during WWll.

       Central Recycling Agency- Director/producer Caleb Price gives up a sci-fi twist to this educational movie about the importance of our recycling effort. Good acting, great special effects, and conceptually sweet.

       Another noteworthy movie that entered itself into the Chicago film festival, after screening at the 2005 Showcase is Wiggyman Productions' "Waking Up," a spellbinder about a young man capable of seeing the future. Producer/director Rameen Aryanpur, good writing and good acting. The editor was really paying attention.

Another News Article

2006-06-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

A News Article, by The Eureka Reporter.

      A 16-year-old budding filmmaker’s work featured in Young Media Makers 2006 Big Screen Showcase has garnered a Certificate of Merit from the 2006 Future Filmmakers Festival, which was presented by Cinema/Chicago June 16-18.

      Young Media Makers founder/director Barbara Domanchuk submitted North Coast Preparatory and Performing Arts Academy student Chisa Hughes’ documentary “Working to Survive Behind Barbed Wire: The Nisei Interned” and the film was one of 581 submitted to the festival from across the United States.

      The documentary is about the second-generation Japanese Americans, the Nisei, interned during World War II. Her film research included interviewing her grandparents, aunts and uncles and friends, who were all interned.

      Hughes made the film at age 14. It was a culmination of a research project, completed during the first semester of her freshman year at the Arcata-based North Coast Prep.

      Hughes said that she hopes to educate fellow teens through her film.

      "I believe that it's easier for teens to absorb and learn through visual means than through text," she said.

Click here to view the original article

News Article by the Times-Standard

2006-05-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

A News Article, by The Times-Standard

      Young filmmakers converged at the College of the Redwoods last Saturday to present their work at the fifth annual Young Media Makers Big Screen Showcase. Shot and produced by Humboldt area students, 23 short films were shown at CR's Forum Theater to a small but attentive audience. The event not only gave young media artists a chance to show off their wares, but a diversity of film styles and methodologies where clearly in evidence.

      In her introduction, Showcase director Barbara Domanchuk explained that the program began in 2001 and was aided in part by grants from the Northcoast Cultural Trust and other organizations. Domanchuk has spearheaded a movement to bring media awareness into area schools, and has worked with others to develop programs at Arcata, Eureka and Fortuna High Schools. Also, speaking about a related media program at Bridgeville School, instructor Virginia Howard-Mullan explained how she uses technology to support the standard school curriculum.

      Brent Rasmussen of Cox, Rasmussen and Cross kicked off the Showcase with a lively discussion of the role of film in media advertising, and described the world of a commercial media producer. His agency-produced “Start Here” was shown to demonstrate how some of the tools of his trade are utilized in the business of promotion. In a phone interview, Rasmussen said he has to stay open minded because the technology changes so fast.

      ”Video software becomes more intuitive as it advances and improves,” said Rasmussen in a phone interview, “and I always like to see young people using this sophisticated software because they're going to be the ones to do something new with it.

      ”People who are in their 20s are the ones cranking this stuff out because they have the energy.”

      A high point of the media showcase was a documentary on civil rights activist Shirley Chisholm featuring an interview with her campaign manager of 1972, when she ran for president. Other memorable moments include a glimpse into a large Portuguese family, animation shorts lasting only a few seconds, and a comedy featuring local actor Rick St. James. All short subject media projects were presented in filmless digital format and put on the big screen by means of a DVD projector.

      Student participants included Anita Law, Genny St. Charles-Monet, Pat Flannery, Eli Purpura-Pontoniere, Mark Bradford, Alicia Butler, Cris Weiderman, Lars Rasmussen, Alex Church, Clark Parvis, Nic Flenghi, Mathew Salano, Markis Shirley, Alan Norton, Zack Loheed, Dara Katzdorn and Desi Adams. Special honors were passed out for “best music video” to Genny St. Charles-Monet; “best documentary” to Dara Katzdorn; and “best in experimental film” to Pat Flannery. With Chris Weiderman, Flannery won best in animation.

Caught on Screen

2005-05-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

A News Article, by The Eureka Reporter

      She dedicated a poem to her friend, who was suffering from anorexia. The tribute is now a powerful visual narrative.

      The one-minute film is one of nearly 30 entries for this year’s Young Media Makers Big Screen Showcase, which will be held Saturday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in College of the Redwoods’ Forum Theater. Admission is free.

      The showcase includes digital documentary, narrative, animation and experimental movies by young people, whose ages range from 10 to 20 years old. The filmmakers include those from the Bay area as well.

      Some of the “media makers” who have entered their work and/or will make presentations this year are the Bay Area Video Coalition YouthLink; Bridgeville Elementary School’s first- and second-place Humboldt County History Day video winners; the CEDAR Academy of Arcata High School; Fortuna Union High School’s Environmental and Spatial Technology Lab; and participants in The Ink People Center for the Arts’ Magic Action Reface Zone.

      Prizes will be awarded in the following categories: commercial, documentary, narrative trailer, experimental and animation.

      Megan Johnson, 18, is a MARZ participant. Her film is titled “Dying To Be Thin.”

      “It’s a poem that she wrote about how much she loves her friend just the way that she is,” said Barbara Domanchuk, Young Media Makers’ director.

      The film includes magazine images, which Johnson scanned, to illustrate how “(her friend) doesn’t have to try and look fake, like all the images that are in the magazines” Domanchuk said.

      With the help of The Ink People’s video equipment, Johnson completed all the film’s preparation, including its titling.

      “What stands out for me is all these movie submissions come into the Big Screen Showcase with an obvious love for the art and science of movie-making,” Domanchuk said. “They apply … loving creativity to each of the subjects.”

      Virginia Howard Mullan’s sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students at Bridgeville School have entered three films.

      “The videos allow students to excel in their area of interest and also in their talents,” Mullan said.

      She said she especially appreciates documentary filmmaking. One of the films entered into the showcase is titled “Redick McKee,” a documentary about an Indian agent who negotiated treaties.

      “It gives kids more buy-in,” Mullan said. “People that did documentaries, … they felt like they really had a purpose for this. … It really helps with … interview skills.”

      Of the 25 video projects from Humboldt County that made it into the state’s history competition, seven of the projects are from Mullan’s students.

      Caleb Price is an EAST lab student and junior at Fortuna High. He has entered a recycling promotional video into the showcase.

      The plot: “Bottle Boy” throws a plastic bottle away and is caught by agents from the “Central Recycling Agency.”

      Price has used computer programming to “rewind time” and layer the film with different scenes that interlock, such as the “boy” being caught red-handed on the security camera, while the agents watch.

      “My passion is film,” Price said. “When you see a movie, it plays with your emotions.”

      “It’s so exciting for them to be able to see their ideas solidify and become more than just an idea, it becomes a product,” Domanchuk said.

Click here to read the original article.