The Media Spot

Defying gravity with video trickery Yesterday we wrapped up a high-paced media education program at Good Shepherd Services camp, with an end-of-summer video exhibition at PS 32 in Brooklyn. For 3 weeks in August, I worked with groups of middle schoolers and "tweens" as part of the camp's "choices" hour at the end of each day. Different groups of campers made 2-day commitments to planning, shooting and editing short videos that were projected at yesterday's assembly for the camp community.

The sessions were high-paced, but they produced some hilarious works that made our producers and audience think about how reality had been manipulated through video.

Activities included:

• creating an abstract music video by putting together images students visualized while listening to a song
• deconstructing a scene from a hollywood action movie shot-for-shot using storyboards, then reconstructing a "remake" on the playground
• defying the laws of gravity and physics using carefully set-up video cuts, edits, transitions, and digital effects
• mocking the style of reality television shows

We had a ball, and will be continuing our work with GSS in the Fall at a few of their locations in Brooklyn. We hope to have the videos available here shortly.