THE HAND OF THE STORYTELLER
Ages 16-29
Spring 2024, JHU-MICA Film Centre
It may be that everyone has a story in them, but how to make that story interesting to others? In this videography workshop student fellows will refine their storytelling skills, working to shape stories that are personally expressive, rewarding to tell, and also accessible and moving, rewarding to hear. They’ll dig deep from the start, delving into three key themes: grief, joy, and confusion. And they’ll confront a crucial choice of how much of themselves to infuse into their material. They might craft a piece that’s rawly intimate, or step back, becoming an elusive presence even as they explore personally meaningful events and emotions. Process and product might include direct testimony or more indirect poetry or memoir; images of personal items or of shared landscapes. They’ll work in the field and in the studio, making spontaneous discoveries and actively crafting, each developing a short video with a distinct voice--their own. Their work will be shared on the program website and at a public exhibition. Limited to 12 student fellows.
Charles Cohen's recent documentary films include Riding Wild, which follows a group of BMXers into Baltimore's urban wilderness, and The Crooked Tune, an Old Time Fiddler in a Modern World. He holds an MFA in Film and Digital Media from American University and has written for The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, The Washington Post, and Baltimore City Paper.
Stephanie García is an independent journalist who covers labor, housing, climate justice, and education equity. Her work has been published with The Independent, PBS NewsHour, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, AP, USA Today, and The Ground Truth Project.
Gaybriell Paredes is a a Chicago native and graduate of the TV arts program at Columbia College Chicago. Since relocating, she continues her work in post for a D.C. media publication.
