TheYoungMediaMakers & BIG SCREEN SHOWCASE news is going to bring a smile to your face.
I have been directing the activities of the TYMM since 2000. Thanks
to support from the Humboldt Area Foundation and the North Coast
Cultural Trust; Carl Nielsen Memorial Fund : James Irvine Foundation;
the Kroenenberg Family Fund all funds focused within the Humboldt Area
Foundation. I have also received an enormous amount of web support from
the Doug Renwick and Rose Panofsky at HostGIS. Venlo Chocolates on the
square in Eureka has been a source of sweet inspiration and unusual
prizes. The Vision Center has always been there for The Young Media
Makers and Big Screen Showcase with door prizes and printing costs. Our
professional association with the Fortuna Theatre, the largest movie
theatre with the best projection and sound system on the west coast, is
our new venue hosting TheYoungMediaMakers Big Screen Showcase each May.
All this is due to the initial encouragement of Muriel Dinsmore.
The Young Media Makers program was developed as an educational
program to teach video production and editing to young people. Although,
most of the parents wanted to join in the learning too. It started
simply as a community project to prepare young people for the burgeoning
telecommunications age we all face today. Not surprising from our
early pilot programs to today the students' video work is good.
Initially, when viewing all the amazing student movies it seemed natural
to form a competitive exhibition and public forum for their work. A
place where young media makers their families and friends could come to
listen to professional film presenters, have public speaking
opportunities , watch youth made media and win prizes. In 2001, with
the help of the pilot program schools and others in the Humboldt County
Office Education we launched BIG SCREEN SHOWCASE. Many of my students
and others that participate in the SHOWCASE have gone on to be
collegiate film students and then professional producers.
In 2006-07 I witnessed another leap in the quality of work coming
from the young people (average age 15) It seemed to to exponentially
improve over the previous year. This gave me the idea that we now have a
pool of very young people that could benefit from real production
experience. So I created the The Young Media Makers WORK PROJECT. During
the school year of 2007-08 I discovered a need in our community and
then sent out a “request for participation” to several of the
participants of the SHOWCASE. The TYMM Work Project matches the
exemplary young media makers with non-profit organizations. The
non-profit then provides a media out reach challenge to be fulfilled by
the young media maker. It could be web photos, video PSAs or radio
PSAs. Dependent on the NPOs need, the media maker will get the
professional experiences that a young person may not find in a
classroom.
From the first client meeting regarding the creative concept the
young producer had to take charge and fulfill the clients' request. Most
often these meetings are with a board of directors or sub committee and
followed by storyboard and script presentation / approvals; product
approvals and final approvals. Then comes distribution to the outlets
either web master or broadcast television station. It’s quite the
commitment for both parties.
We launched the TYMM Work Project with a commitment from our local
food bank FOOD FOR PEOPLE and a young entrepreneur stepped up to produce
a set of television PSAs for them. The PSA can be seen on our web site
www.TheYoungMediaMakers.org under previous winners in the 2009 Senior Division.
At The Young Media Makers and Big Screen Showcase we aim to inspire.
