Native American Youth Learn the Art of Film Making at Scottsdale Community College

Scottsdale, AZ (July 7, 2009) – This summer, the Film program at Scottsdale Community College brought the art of filmmaking into the lives of 13 young people, ages 16-18, from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.   Annabel Wong (pictured at left with one of her students) and Jo Sparkes, adjunct instructors at SCC, worked together to teach a special 2-week summer version of the TCM 100 course.

Also known as Introduction to Multimedia, TCM 100 is one of the first classes that students take in SCC’s Film program, providing a hands-on introduction to the major components of a multi media project.

“This has been on my mind since I met Annabel Wong a few years ago at the Salt River High school,” said Anna Thorlaksdottir, instructor in SCC's Film program, about the summer project.  “She has been working with Native youth for a few years and we thought what a great match to get the students to the SCC campus to work with the Film School.”

The summer class was divided into two groups, each given the assignment of creating a 1-3 minute film.

“My goal was for everyone to have hands-on experience in creating their own video projects, to have a chance to explore the film industry, and maybe discover an area they personally like,” said Sparkes.  “I wanted each student to be able to look back with pride at their work.”

The first week of the class focused on Pre-Production in which students did the prep work on their films.  They created a story, identified cast and crew, and got hands-on experience with Avid, a film editing tool.  Senior professors and former students also visited the class to share their work and answer questions about film making.

”The students prepared scripts, storyboards, location and shot lists,” said Sparkes.  “They planned their shoot, and got hands on with the equipment including cameras, microphones, and lights.”

During the 2^nd and final week of class, students shot their films and completed Post-Production tasks such as special effects, sound, and music.  According to Sparkes, the students also gained experience with GarageBand, a software application that acts like a personal recording studio, allowing students to compose a musical score for their films

One of the ways students prepared for their shoot was to collaborate on a group exercise in which the director interviewed the story’s main character – all caught on camera to play later for the group to review. 

As the actors ‘got into character’ for their interview, the studio was buzzing with activity: lighting was checked, equipment and props were situated, lines were rehearsed, cameras were aimed and ready, and scenes were set.  Then cameras began to roll.

Sparkes explains that the exercise helped students get used to operating the equipment prior to the day of the shoot. 

“We thought it might be a good idea for them to actually use the equipment once before being on location,” she said.  “By finding themselves with the responsibility of doing the interview, we thought they may find questions or problems prior to being on location and truly under the gun.”

In the film Troubled Love (originally titled Karma), a young man recently released from jail is looking forward to seeing his girlfriend again.  When he finds her, however, she is with his best friend.  A fight ensues, and the young man finds himself back in jail. 

Marissa Johnson, the film's director (pictured above right with crew member), felt that the interview exercise helped the actor get into character, while crew member Jacob Biakeddy said that it helped him learn what he needed to know about the story.

In The Audition, the main character, played by David Prieto (pictured below on left), is plagued with terrible luck while trying to get to an audition. He is late, gets beat up on a bus, thrown in jail, mistaken for Charles Manson, and when he finally makes the audition, he discovers it is too late. The person who beat him up has already gotten the part.

Although Prieto has experience as an actor, he said the exercise helped him prepare for his part in the film.  Esai Perez, the film's director (pictured above and below right), worked with Prieto while testing the lighting.  Perez, who has experience as a stage crew member in high school, plans to be a film director someday.

The next day, crews went to various parts of the Indian Community to shoot their scenes.  “We spent the entire day Tuesday shooting the projects out on location,” said Sparkes.  “We met at 7:00AM that day, and the last group was finished by 7:00PM that evening.”

After two weeks of intensive classroom, studio, and field work, the students premiered their films at the Two Waters Tribal Council on Friday, June 26, 2009.

“The students were a little shy the first day of class but seemed to become more comfortable each day,” said Thorlaksdottir.  “By the premier they were simply glowing.  Everyone from the class was there, and the directors from each group gave a speech and introduced their crew.”

By the end of the course, students had earned a certificate and 3 college credits.  “I hope that will entice them to come back to SCC,” said Thorlaksdottir.

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Scottsdale Community College offers over 1,500 academic and non-credit classes each semester. Located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the campus is known for its serene atmosphere and beautiful plant and wildlife. With nearly 12,000 students, Scottsdale Community College is proud to offer high-quality, affordable programs in small class settings. From Motion Picture/Television Production and Culinary Arts to Nursing and American Indian Studies, students have a wide variety of programs from which to earn credits for university transfer, launch their careers, train for new ones, or pursue a special interest. The SCC Business Institute offers customized programs to meet the needs of local business. Scottsdale Community College is one of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges.

To learn about the many academic programs at Scottsdale Community College, call us at (480) 423-6000 or visit our website at www.scottsdalecc.edu.

Media contact:
Denise Kronsteiner
(480) 423-6567
denise.kronsteiner@sccmail.maricopa.edu