MediaLab

MediaLab Update: The Final Week

Story by Jemima Asante

Photographs by Monae Blackwell and Darius Marte

Hey all, my name is Jemima Asante but people just call me Jem for short. I’m a 17-year-old junior approaching my senior year, and this is my first time participating in an Urban Arts production. I learned about Urban Arts through my school, but this year I really got involved with the organization when my teaching artist, Elliot Montague, recommended I sign up for MediaLab.

My job for our documentary Type Cast is to create the titles and credits. I have to put together the names of everybody who participated in and contributed to the making of the film. I also have to add the educational statistics that our audience will read during the film.

While this has been a great experience for me I will admit that in the beginning I wasn’t too crazy about all the things that were going on. Since it was my first time in a program with people who have been participating for years and already know each other, I often found myself feeling like I wasn’t contributing enough. To top it off, I am an extremely shy and reserved person. Because of this I stopped coming to the program for a week, but after I discussed it with my visual arts teacher, Monique Shubert, they got me a job I came to enjoy. When I met up with Elliot to start creating the titles and credits I was very excited and happy about all the ideas we came up with. This experience has taught me that instead of backing away from situations I should include myself in them confidently.

Right now my crew mates and I are in post-production. I’d say this is my favorite part because this is when we get to really put the film together and come up with refining ideas. At the All-Crew Meeting my crewmates discussed what we could do to make the movie a learning and relatable experience for our audience.

I hope that you guys enjoy the documentary and learn more about diabetes and how it’s affecting our neighborhoods. I’d recommend it to anybody young or old, but I feel that young people will benefit especially.

I feel proud that I am contributing to spreading the message of diabetes prevention. I hope the film informs and teaches our audience to take care of their bodies and not just become a Type Cast.

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MediaLab Summer Program 2010: Here We Go!

Story by Wilmar Castillo, Cinematography Team

Photographed by Ihor Hrynivetskiy, Cinematography Team

Hello, my name is Wilmar Castillo and I am a new member of the Urban Arts Partnership MediaLab film crew. I joined the video production class because I wanted to try something new and meet new people, and my goals are already being achieved. We began the summer program on July 7, and in just three days I’ve already learned so much.

We are currently in pre-production for a documentary about diabetes, which will require good research, hard work and dedication. We chose the topic of diabetes because we are concerned about the high rate of diabetes in the United States. We feel it’s a social justice issue because access to healthy food and healthcare is related to income. The students in my session will interview a teenager diagnosed with Type I diabetes who has limited access to healthcare. In the process, we’ll learn how to utilize a professional video camera, editing equipment, and much more.

Our class is divided into four groups: one of producers, one of cinematographers, another group of editors, and the director. The producers will be in charge of preparing interviews, researching our topic, and overseeing the budget. I’m in the cinematographer’s group: we will be in charge of the video equipment, lighting, and making sure the audio is precise. The editors will be in charge of cutting the footage, graphics, music and animation into a ten-minute short. The director will oversee the production crew and the set. We will use all of these skills to complete our project.

So far the producing team, led by mentors Cristina Guerra and Nick Mendez, has taught us about two of the different types of diabetes and the role insulin plays in the disease. Robert Matos, the cinematography and editing mentor, has taught us how to maneuver a camera while filming and how to scout a location for potential sound issues.

Video production is very exciting and fun. Everything I’ve learned so far is really helpful and fascinating to me. I’m looking forward to everything this class has to offer. My goal right now is to learn more about editing in Final Cut Pro.

Thanks for reading about our latest production and stay tuned for more updates from the MediaLab crew!

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Meet the Filmmaker...Shamrod Lockwood

Story by Omar Cyrille, Cinematographer, Ghetto Talks II

Name: Shamrod Lockwood

Grade: Rising Senior

School: Heritage High School

Neighborhood: Harlem

Role: Cinematographer

Favorite color: Navy blue

Favorite activities: Skateboarding and playing video games

Besides New York City, where else would you like to live? California

What did you gain from the Media Lab program?: I gained experience with cameras and expanded my knowledge of the film industry.

What would you like to take up as a career?: I plan to be a video game designer specializing in character development.

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A Ghetto Talks Response Project in East New York

"Early Sunday morning, May 23rd, the Ghetto Talks crew had a b-roll shoot at my home in East New York, Brooklyn. This was a follow-up shoot to our interview with my mother, Carmel Sanon. The two-part parent piece we’re working on also includes Anthony Davis, the father of Ghetto Talks II Producer Joshua Davis. The parent piece is important to the Ghetto Talks Response Project because each person’s family life creates a blueprint for the person he or she will become, in many ways shaping the person’s beliefs and logic. Surroundings are influential, and one of the goals of this piece is to show how a family operates in an area some people would consider 'the ghetto.'"

Read on for more of the story!

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Meet the Filmmaker...Omar Cyrille

Story by Craig Wallace, Editor, Ghetto Talks II

Photo by Daniel Familia

Name: Omar Cyrille

Age: 16

School: Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning School

Role: Interviewing, lighting and sound

Background: Haitian

Favorite color: Red

Favorite sport: Basketball

Favorite activity: Writing poetry

Three words you would use to describe yourself: Optimistic, upbeat and knowledgeable

What aspect of Ghetto Talks are you most proud of?: I am most proud of all the hard work we put in to the production.

What career are you considering at this time?: I would like to go into the film and marketing business.

How will the knowledge you gained from the production of Ghetto Talks benefit your profession later in life?: It will help my resume and show diversity.

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Ghetto Talks I and II Screen at the NYC Festival of Young Artists & Leaders

On Saturday, June 5 the Ghetto Talks crew spent the day at the NYC Festival of Young Artists & Leaders sponsored by Downtown Art. Read on for the story of our experience!

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Meet the Filmmaker...Nicholas Mendez

Story by Robert Matos, Editor, Ghetto Talks II

Photograph by Daniel Familia

Name: Nicholas Mendez

Grade: Graduating Senior

School: The Facing History School

Role: Producer, Interviewee

What is your experience with the word ghetto?: It’s been said that I grew up in the ghetto for 17 years, and the African-American side of my family considers themselves to be “ghetto”.

Have you ever referred to anybody as “ghetto”?: I refer to many people as “ghetto”. I label you as I see you. If I see you in a negative light then I will refer to you as such.

How do you feel about the word?: I feel it’s a mindset, but you don’t have to give it a negative connotation. You can come from an underprivileged neighborhood, but it’s what you do with your experience that matters.

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Meet the Filmmaker...Regina Bonsu

Story by Joshua Davis, Producer, Ghetto Talks II

Photograph by Daniel Familia

Name: Regina Bonsu

Grade: Sophomore

School: Mott Haven Preparatory School

Role: Producer, Interviewer

What are you planning to do with the knowledge gained from working on this project? I plan to get more people involved on important issues like language use and to enlighten them on how to be activists.

Why did you choose to be in the Media Lab program? I wanted to gain more knowledge and experience within the film industry.

What did you like most about working on this project? I got to meet new people and to learn a technical skill set.

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A Minute With...the MediaLab Team

A Minute With Daniel Familia and The Media Lab Team 2010

In this installment of our monthly series, we have a minute with Daniel Familia & The Media Lab Team 2010. Last month, the Media Lab youth producers screened their original documentary “Ghetto Talks” at the Tribeca Film Festival. This exciting event was just one of the stops on the film’s festival circuit this year.

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