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MEDIA SPIN
Mission
Integrating media literacy education with production, Media Spin empowers youth to be conscientious consumers, telling their own stories and using media as a democratic tool toward positive social change.
Demographics
Media Spin is designed to engage pre-high school students between the ages of nine to fourteen. This group is often neglected by media educators, but frequently targeted by media producers and advertisers.
Introduction
Youth aged eleven to fourteen in the United States spend an average of 6 hours and 45 minutes a day using media; more time than they spend doing anything else except sleeping.
(Kids and Media in America by Donald F. Roberts, Ulla G. Foehr, Victoria J. Rideout, and Mollyanne Brodie)
At no time in history have children consumed so much media. Most youth media literacy programs focus on teenagers or young adults. Our goal is to provide much needed media education to a younger generation of students who are increasingly vulnerable to the powerful messages of media producers and advertisers.
We seek to provide students with the critical skills necessary to deconstruct the messages they are receiving, laying a foundation of literacy for youth before they hit the critical teenage years when media and cultural messages of body image, sex, addiction and violence often have a tragic impact.
In addition, we seek to empower students with the technical and creative skills to tell their own stories. Media Spin provides tools to give youth an active, democratic voice in the media and social landscape.
This will be achieved through a twelve-week after-school workshop, integrating media literacy with production. In addition to a comprehensive media literacy curriculum, students will work collaboratively in small groups to produce two-five minute documentary short films focusing on issues in their lives and/or communities. They will learn the craft of digital filmmaking from pre-production to distribution, as well as the power of media, how to deconstruct the images and messages they are receiving, and how media can be used to impact positive social change.
OUTCOMES
Media Literacy
Students will master the Alliance for a Media Literate America is (AMLA) Core principles for Media Literacy Education, including the increased development and expansion of critical thinking and literacy skills.
AMLA Core Principles:
- All Media Messages are “constructed.”
- Each medium has different characteristics, strengths, and a unique language of construction.
- Media messages are produced for particular purposes.
- People use their individual skills, beliefs and experiences to construct their own meanings from media messages.
- Media and media messages can influence beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors and the democratic process.
Production
Students will learn the technical and creative skills necessary to create a documentary
digital short film from pre-production to distribution.
Pre-production: Students will chose a topic, research it, write a treatment, and present it to the class for feedback.
- Students will develop skills in research, writing, public speaking and presenting,
- Students will be exposed to an overview of documentary film history as well as learn about different cinematic genres and storytelling techniques.
Production: Students will work in small collaborative groups on production, rotating roles of director, cinematographer, interviewer, editor, etc.
- Students will become technically proficient in use of a digital video camera (mini DV), lighting (both studio and natural), sound recording and computer editing,
- Students will become well versed in interview techniques both as interviewer and interviewee,
- Students will learn creative skills and techniques such as composition, framing, lighting, sound recording, and editing.
- Students will learn the grammar of film production, such as terms depth of field, panning, long shot, medium shot, paper edit, rough cut, etc.
Distribution: Students will present their films to friends, family and community members at the end of the twelve week session.
- Students will also brainstorm additional screening opportunities in the spirit of sharing the messages of their projects as a tool for positive social change or dialogue.
- Students will be presented with the opportunity to submit their projects to Media Spin collaborators such as KRCB, NPR & PBS, The Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival, and The Red Cross Young Filmmakers Showcase.
Educational
Media Spin will address key grade level standards in English Language Arts and History Social Science skills, Visual and Performing Arts as established by California Department of Education.
Key Personnel
ELIZA HEMENWAY, M.A., is a documentary filmmaker and media artist who has worked in still photography, radio and film. She holds a M.A. in media studies and a B.F.A. from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Tufts University. During her undergraduate education, Hemenway created and directed an award winning
photography program for inner-city youth. She is currently the founder and director of Trinity Productions, an independent documentary media production company, as well as the founder of the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival, which she directed in 2007. Eliza is a film reviewer for KRCB-FM and has served as a guest judge for the Red Cross Young Filmmakers Showcase.
ALAN SCHER graduated from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts in 2002 and is currently attending Sonoma State University where he will be awarded a Masters of Education in December 2008. In addition, Mr. Scher supervises the daily operation of three CalSERVES AmeriCorps programs: After School, Literacy Tutoring, and Family Literacy. He also serves as board member for Sonoma County Theater4, as well Bay Area Regional Council member for the Progressive Jewish Alliance.
Timeline
We have recently partnered with KRCB NPR and PBS as our non-profit fiscal sponsor. Our next step is to work on the curriculum as we begin fundraising for a pilot program. Our goal is to launch the pilot in the spring of 2009 and to begin implementing Media Spin by Fall of 2009.
For more information about Media Spin email eliza@hemenwaydocs.com.
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