Teens showcase short films they created during SBIFF Film Camp
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— Teens showcased the short films they created thanks to a summer camp collaboration between 2 local non profits.
We spoke to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Education Center and The United Boys And Girls Club Of Santa Barbara County about this dynamic collaboration.
“We love getting to watch these young teenagers come in. Some may have never had any sort of opportunities in film or may not have access to film at school. Or maybe they don't go to the movies at home. So we want to show them that working in film is an option for them,” said SBIFF Education Manager Claire Waterhouse.
Last month teenagers with The Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara County enjoyed a week at Camp Whittier to learn filmmaking and storytelling from industry pros last month.
This is the 6th year of SBIFF’s Film Camp
SBIFF leaders say that money doesn’t have to get in the way of making a good movie. The kids here learn to shoot and edit their stories using Iphones and basic editing software.
“They can make a movie at any point during the day. They can go home. They don't need the fancy equipment. They just need a really good idea and the confidence to be able to tell that idea and share it and work on it and be creative,” said Waterhouse.
These kids learned everything from writing and directing to shooting and editing, but the real emphasis here was on visual storytelling.
Santa Barbara County Boys and Girls Club Ceo Michael Baker explains how storytelling here isn’t a luxury. It’s a life skill.
“In life, even in work or what field you go into you've got to be able to talk about the work that you do…You've got to tell a story, get tell a story of your life. This is why I think I should have this job. This is why I think I'm the best fit for this organization or that organization. Being able to do that, public speaking, being able to to get up in front of people, being able to to in a logical order to make people go, okay, that makes sense. That's why I want to support this,” said Baker.
Thursday night the teens showcased what they learned about visual storytelling on the big screen.
“It just kind of opens their world in a way because they're doing things they might not have ever thought whether that's getting in front of the camera and acting or whether that's holding the camera or whether that's drawing the poster for their film,” said Waterhouse.
