JLT

Students had 20 minutes to answer… What do you want this program to be? What do you want to learn?

“This is your program and you are in charge. We’re working for you,” we told them in the hopes of encouraging their sense of ownership and continuing our overarching goal of youth empowerment.

BLAIR

For me it means fun and learning how to make movies. Reflect ourselves what we think what were against of what we like to do show our family and our friends.

What I expect from you guys is to help us when we need your help. Teach us different stuff and to not be boring.

Teach us how to do:
Editing
Acting
How to have a perfect movie

DYLAN

*I want to learn how to edit and make film
*Also I want to get along with you guys, be friends
*And expect to have a short film done
*A little profession in directing and acting
*Also know how to operate a camera
*And to accomplish (end of sentence erased)

WHAT A FILM NEEDS:
according to the kids of LA Academy Film Camp (some assistance provided by Remedee Staff)

· Idea
· Special Effects
· Coffee. “And food.” “Yeah… Kraft Services.” Blair: “Or BK!”
· Talk about the plan
· Look around for a location. Alex Perez: “So how do you film at Burger King?” Dylan: “Don’t you have to ask the manager?”
· Script. Blair: “Somebody’s going to have a problem.”
· Director
· Extras
· Sound (specialist and equipment)
· “The person that goes around and tells people to get stuff done” (Production Manager or alternatively Assistant Director)
· Writer
· Camera Guy (or Gal)
· Editor
· Art Director. “What’s that?” Ana Trinidad: “The person who imagines what the area you see will be. And they decide props.”
· Costumes
· Makeup
· Cinematographer
· Actors
· Financier and a Budget. Will: “You need money to buy stuff. And pay the actors.”

WHAT WOULD THE LAAMS STUDENTS WANT TO DO?

Dylan: “Directing.”
Will: nods. “Directing”
Lucía: “Filming.”
Blair: “Costumes.”

After a two-week breather, the Remedee team was recharged for LA Academy Middle School day camp, ten days of extreme film and media literacy action. The sights, the sounds, the documentaries, the lesson plans, and (finally!) enough equipment. We’d gathered it all for our classroom of highly select student participants.

At 10 AM we strode into Jason Duchan’s familiar classroom, filled with the sweet sound of waiting students…

Scratch that. Student… singular.

A lone computer illuminated Dylan. He threw us a wave before returning to read about the new Weezer album.

“I’m surprised anyone showed up.”

"Two days and two weeks? It's going to feel like two years!" -Orlando

We're leaving LAAMS for a few weeks between the end of school and the start of filmmaking day camp. Students have a break from us. Orlando, for one, is sincerely disappointed. So am I. The candidly sweet remarks of middle schoolers are really one of a kind.

Today, the Remedee team handed out a contacts list for each student in the LA Academy Media Literacy Class. With this one sheet of e-mail addresses and staff bios, the students can contact Remedee staff and associates for anything, whether it is professional, educational, or just to catch up. As the class continues their education, in filmmaking and beyond, the hope is that they will benefit not only from the techniques learned, but also from the people met. This is one of the reasons why we often refer to our instructors as “mentors.”