Cameras rolling, microphones on, directors making wild hand signals. The atmosphere was frenetic but focused at Summer Film Club workshops across the region. And it’s not over yet.
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In January Arts Out West ran three intensive weeks of filmmaking sessions with young people aged 12-25. The three-hour, twice-weekly sessions in Cowra, Forbes, Blayney, Orange and Molong were focused on making short films with basic film equipment in a short turn around.
The project continues in Bathurst in February and March with an opportunity for young people to join a documentary making team connected to the upcoming Catapult Festival.
“The Film Club offered basic skills in film production and storytelling in intensive but relatively short sessions. It was really rewarding to see the variety of films being made across the region,” Arts Out West youth development officer Zoe Rodwell said.
The Summer Film Club participants worked on storyboarding, shot composition, directing and filming skills. Around 25 short documentaries, comedies and stop motion animation films were made. At the end of each week tutors Ben Morris and Andy Cavenagh edited up the films and put them online ready for the next week of workshops.
“Ninety per cent of the participants kept asking about when we would be coming back,” Mr Morris said.
“They really loved learning about film and having the chance to make their own film products. It was great to see their skill level and understanding of storytelling increase throughout the three-week process."
The Film Clubs were hugely popular, Ms Rodwell said
"I received some lovely feedback from parents, calling up to express thanks at the chance for their children to be so enthusiastically engaged,” she said.
“Some of the kids even made their parents change family holiday travel plans so they didn't miss out on any of the film sessions. I take that as meaning they were enjoying themselves.”
The Film Club project was part of Arts Out West’s youth media program (YAOW!), which has also included radio and media skill workshops. In late January a three-day radio production workshop with the Australian Film Television and Radio School was held in Oberon, linked in with the town’s HighTop FM community radio station.
The upcoming Bathurst classes will run Tuesday afternoons after school out of Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC).
“These classes will teach participants the basics in film production and documentary making. They will be producing short doco film pieces each week on varying aspects of the Catapult youth circus festival,” Ms Rodwell said.
“Short film pieces will be uploaded to the internet each week and the participants will also do some filming and documenting at the festival in March. These classes are a great way to learn the film basics, including: storyboarding, interview techniques, camera skills and voiceovers.”
The classes are open to 12-25 year olds.
For more information on the Bathurst classes call Arts OutWest on 6338 4657 or to book a spot call BMEC on 6333 6161.
See the already completed films at www.youtube.com/artsoutwest
The YAOW project is funded by Arts NSW, Better Futures and by the federal Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations, with equipment support from Charles Sturt University.
