Jeunes en Action – Video Documentary — Fall 2011
We collaborated with Jeune en Action at the Carrefour Jeunesse-emploi Notre-Dame de Grâce. We conducted a workshop for them to make a video documentary about their program of coaching young people entering the work force.
With Digital Literacy Project facilitator Victoria, we explored the basics of documentary film:
- Types of documentaries
- Responsibilities of media makers
- Different types of shots and hands on techniques
We worked with the Jeunes en Action coordinators and participants to develop a standard series of questions that each participant would answer. Everyone had a chance to be interviewed or to do the interviewing. The participants also spent time collecting shots of the neighborhood and the Carrefour Jeunesse-emploi Notre-Dame de Grâce location to represent their experiences.
After all the shots had been collected, we changed locations and the participants did a series of video editing workshops here at the Atwater Library and Computer Centre.
Early in process, we realized that it would be great to repeat this workshop again in the spring as the process of making the documentary was productive on many levels.
Victoria elaborates:
One of the aims of the Jeunes en Action program is to help its members discover personal and career goals, and also, to help them find the tools and resources in order to realise them. Making a documentary about oneself mirrors the essential step of self-reflection required in this path of self-actualisation, and at the same time, we worked as a team, being energized and inspired in our collective efforts. Turning the camera upon oneself, asking the hard questions, and then being able to reflect on one’s representation was an empowering experience for everyone involved. It’s the kind of exploration that is critical, creative, and very rewarding. At the final screening, everyone felt the sense of accomplishment needed to continue, while new members of the Jeunes en Action program felt the excitement of the next round. The participants in NDG are all very talented, with their own unique voice and experience — I always feel very honoured in being able to work with them.
Following this, we thought it would be interesting see how the participants had changed while following the Jeunes en Action program.
In November, we screened Jeunes en Action – First Impressions at the Carrefour Jeunesse-emploi Notre-Dame de Grâce, and made a plan for how to tackle the next workshop. The Jeunes en Action participants are already collecting pictures and video in anticipation of our next session.
Mary from Jeunes en Action explains:
We highly value our partnership with the Atwater library, and we extend special thanks to Eric and Victoria for their collaboration on the CJE NDG documentary. This is the fourth Digital Literacy Project we’ve embarked on with our Jeunes en Action group, and it keeps getting better! Each time the youth learn new technical skills and develop their creativity, team spirit, sense of initiative and self-confidence. The digital literacy project consistently gets one of the highest rankings in our workshop evaluations. The participants certainly feel proud of their latest accomplishment, and they are excited about continuing the documentary next year. Those who did not yet have a chance to participate also look forward to adding their input and expressing their views on the CJE and on their neighborhood through more interviews, music and video shots.
Check back in the spring to see part two!
Check out these links if want to find about more about Jeunes en Action:
