BYFA

THE MAKING OF ME: PERSONAL FILMMAKING
Ages 16-29
Summer 2019, YO! Baltimore, 1212 N Wolfe Street

In this personal filmmaking workshop student fellows will focus on the events and people that have shaped their lives, developing their stories through a collaborative process, then creating individual films.  They’ll share their stories in a constructive setting, and through group exercises and discussion, help each other identify key elements in their material: the most telling details, the most moving moments.  Fellows will be encouraged to challenge each other’s and their own perspectives.  And they’ll consider a range of ways to frame their experiences for an audience: through images, words, music; in an interview, a narrative, a montage; in styles ranging from gritty and realist to lyrical or abstract.  No two films will be the same as no two storytellers are the same.  They’ll learn the basics of videography, including shot composition, audio recording, and editing; and they’ll refine critical thinking and storytelling skills.  Each fellow will create a short (2-3 minutes) film to be shared at a public screening and on the program website.  Limited to 8 student fellows.

Taelor Clay, a Morgan State University graduate, is an independent film producer and screenwriter, largely focused on stories that address and attempt to heal infighting in struggling communities. 

Vonnya Pettigrew is CEO of Root Branch Productions & Film Academy.  A writer and filmmaker, she has produced content for a wide range of clients, including the Discovery Channel, Disney, and Starz.