“Accomplishments individually and in my group have been exceptional. Even though the thought that the year is halfway over I think what we’ve already accomplished will change our lives forever. My goals are still the same – finish this documentary and open people’s eyes, for better or worse. For at least a day, or week, or whatever, they’ll see they are not the only ones on this planet.” STUDENT
STUDENTS
Ever wondered what it would be like to edit National Geographic quality footage? To shape a story about a place halfway around the world - and put it up on a big screen? To hear an audience gasp or laugh and know they're going to drive home deep in a discussion about the issues you raised? To realize that you are changing people's opinions and their view of the world?
This is your opportunity.
If you haven't already looked at them, check out the two videos on our homepage. The first follows a school in Florida that worked on the Sudan footage. They showed their documentary to a public audience of 500, got interviewed by their local television station and newspapers, and got their project accepted into a film festival. This video clip has a sample of the kind of footage you would be working with if you chose our project on Sudan. If you're interested in what it takes to do a three-month field shoot, check out our film locales page, equipment list, and logistics. And if you want some behind-the-scenes stories from the shoots themselves, they're on our Cuba and Sudan pages. And don't forget to sign up for our newsletter (on our homepage) to get behind-the-scenes stories of what it's like to film in a war zone.
Putting a documentary together is a lot of work, and easiest if your teacher makes it part of a classroom project, but we have had a few talented young men and women who have decided to do it entirely on their own. Andrew Kamen, a 17-year-old sophomore from Florida, put together a documentary on Jeda, a student in the Sudanese refugee camp. It too, has been featured in festivals and Andrew has gone on to speak in regional media conferences about his project and his experience.