Photo courtesy of artsBHAM.
Blanca Tallaj, Hayley Mikell and Grace Sullivan learn about camera work and lighting from local photographer and Sidewalk Youth Board mentor Jason Wallis.
Courtesy artsBHAM
Since October, a group of high school students have been getting together on Saturdays to learn everything it takes to make a short film — from writing a screenplay to post-production. The Sidewalk Youth Board’s work has spanned more than 10 Saturdays, and their final product will show this month.
Kiwi Lanier was hired in February as education/outreach coordinator for Sidewalk Film Festival, so she came into the picture well into the process.
She said she acts mainly as a facilitator: “I find mentors to teach the kids the technical skills and help facilitate the film shoot and answer any questions they might have, but I try to let them do as much of the real work as possible.”
Lanier said that work is truly hands-on, which helps “prepare the kids for college and adulthood, where they will need to be able to plan ahead, think quickly and make sure they have a backup plan when things inevitably don’t go their way.” And she loves working with teenagers. “They’re incredibly funny, curious and unique,” she said.
The process begins with each student writing a short film screenplay. The Youth Board considers all of the members’ scripts and chooses the one they think will work best for their purposes. From there, Lanier said, “they cast their actors, pick their locations, secure their props, set up shooting schedules and begin to film.” It’s a process that takes several months and requires the expert guidance of film professionals.
Several mentors have helped the teenagers through this process, including commercial photographer Jason Wallis, documentary filmmaker Michele Forman (director of UAB’s media studies program) and screenwriter Dan Goforth.
Lanier said the Youth Board provides an opportunity for students to learn about every aspect of filmmaking, from writing and acting to sound and editing. The Youth Board also helps screen films in the teen submission category for Sidewalk’s annual film festival, held downtown in August.
With just $1,000 — which comes from donations, festival ticket sales and sponsorships — to fund the short film project, the Youth Board must decide how to use their budget wisely. Lanier said this year’s board chose to rent a van for transportation between locations and to pay their actors. A vital component to keeping costs down is also the time volunteered by mentors.
Youth Board applications will be accepted until April 22 and are open to high school students. Visit sidewalkfest.com/youth-board.
