Youth Out Loud

goodnight goodnight

youthoutloud — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:54:51 +0000

So it’s all over. Youth Outloud 2008 has ended, but we went out with a bang. Our showcase was tonight (you know, that one we’ve talked about for SO long) and it was great. Everyone had the opportunity to introduce their final projects (FP’s) and all three of the PSA’s were screened.

There were TONS of family members in the audience, so many that we actually ran out of food! Even with somewhat empty stomachs, though, the crowd was happy to see all the hard work that the YOL participants had put into their projects.

Before I sign off for the last time, though, I’d just like to say thanks to everyone at YMI and YOL; you guys have all been so great over the past seven weeks, and I can’t imagine a better place to work. I hope all of you will stick with YMI and use what you’ve learned, and I hope I’ll see some of you when I spontaneously pop in throughout the year.

Stay fun, stay crazy, and stay true.

Julia

wait… it’s the last week already?

youthoutloud — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:12:48 +0000

So apparently, time really flies by when you’re busy at YMI, and it’s already the sixth and final week of Youth Outloud. Everyone is buzzing with excitement (well, maybe not buzzing, but you get the gist) about their final projects. You’ve already read about those final projects, I’m assuming, and they are actually ALMOST complete. Today is, for nearly everyone, the final day of working on them before preparing the FP’s for the showcase.

Speaking of the showcase… PLEASE COME! I’ve made several attempts to upload one of the flyers onto the blog, but the technology gods get a kick out of smiting me. Anyway, here are the details:

Friday, August 22, 2008

6:30 – 8:00 PM

Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW

Art show, live performances, audio recordings, and video screenings

FREE FOOD

All of the work is created by the youth outloud, and all donations given that night go straight towards helping these and future program participants

So be there, or be square. And really, no one wants to be square.

Final Project Filming Day

youthoutloud — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:46:41 +0000

So I showed up at YMI today at my normal time, expecting to get to work, when I try to get into the office but find there’s people filming in there! Huyen was filming Tirhas’s interview with Estevan, discussing the upcoming election and the need for change in America.

Now that the PSA’s are nearly complete, it’s time for the YOL crew to create their Final Project. The FP, as I affectionately call it, is a culmination of all that they’ve learned over the past five weeks at YOL. Some teens are filming a video, like Tirhas’s Obama-endorsement video, while other projects range from graphic design to handmade zines.

All of the project will showcase the skills that everyone has learned thus far, and are created almost solely by the youth of YOL (we just can’t stop ourselves from helping every now and then). If you want to see them (and I know you’re dying to), all of the FP’s will be on display and/or screened at the Showcase on next Friday, August 22.

PSA Update

youthoutloud — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:27:56 +0000

Now that our first week of filming is nearly completed, I thought I’d bring you up to speed on what our videos are about. Each group (comprised of four YOL members) is filming a PSA, or Public Service Announcement, that showcases an issue impacting our lives today.

Alex, Michelle, Nina, and Star are focusing on fitting in; Henry, Isaias, James, and Saul are showcasing the battle of downloading vs. purchasing music; Nai, Tim, Tirhas, and Yuri are focusing on the teen impact of voting.

Each group is given a camera, three weeks, and the help of our guest instructor, to film their PSA. The process includes learning camera-handling techniques, scripting and casting within their groups, then actually filming the videos, and finally editing, which requires a bulk of the allotted time. All three of the PSA’s will be screened at the showcase on Friday, August 22, 2008.

PSO Pays?

youthoutloud — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:02:07 +0000

Now, I’m not entirely sure how much truth there is to this rumor, but I heard from a little bird (a.k.a. in the office) that Puget Sound Off (PSO), the social-justice/social-networking site we blog on, is offering to pay teens to help promote the fledgling site.

I’d say it’s worth looking into, because who doesn’t want to get paid for using the internet?

www.pugetsoundoff.com

IT’S VIDEO TIME

youthoutloud — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:49:14 +0000

So YOL is already half over (I know, I’m shocked too) and now that there’s only three weeks left, the gang has begun their biggest project of the summer: PSA-making. For the next three weeks, it’ll be all video, all the time. Filming, editing, scripting, etc will be the focus until the program ends. All of the PSA’s will be screened at our Showcase on Friday, August 22, and will be the culmination of all that we’ve learned in the YOL program.

Tuesday: Audio Recording

youthoutloud — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:26:48 +0000

Tuesday, the first day with NO INTERNET, was scheduled as audio recording day. Each group of three stepped into the studio to record the interviews with each other that they had brainstormed the previous day; after they finished, they “edited” the recordings for the rest of the day.

That’s when the mayhem began.

When I arrived, the Internet had been down for approximately 30 minutes, and many activities had to be shafted to future days. The gang ran around Youngstown with cameras, photographing everything in sight; played around with the PhotoBooth tool on the Mac’s, and occasionally edited their interviews.

As my job basically revolves around using a computer with a functioning wireless connection, I was at a loss for what to do with myself; after a long, hard brainstorming session, I decided to interview the YOL folks about their experiences thus far. The gang is halfway through the program as of the end of today, and their thoughts on the program are posted below:

Subject: Michelle
JO: What makes YOL interesting?
MN: The people in the class, because you get to communicate with the other students in the class and you get to see not only what you’re doing, but what they’re doing too.

JO: How has this been different from your previous summers?
MN: This is kind of new to me; there’s less people, it feels more hands-on, there’s more teachers, and lots of available help

JO: What have you liked so far?
MN: Using the cameras, because when you buy a digital camera, you think it’s good, but the big black camera is just better; you can change the lens and the zoom, and it takes better pictures

JO: What would your first move as ruler of the world be?
MN: I would try to help the needy, because I just went to a homeless shelter this weekend, and you just see too many young people struggling

Subject: Talon
JO: What makes YOL interesting?
TW: The wide variety of activities to do

JO: How has this been different from your previous summers?
TW: I get to work on projects; I get to use the media to my advantage

JO: What have you liked so far?
TW: The Photoshopping things I’ve scanned for projects

JO: What would your first move as ruler of the world be?
TW: I’d move and establish my own city as a capital

Subject: Tirhas
JO: What makes YOL interesting?
TG: The youthful atmosphere; the teachers actually care about what we’re doing (AND THE COOL INTERN)

JO: How has this been different from your previous summers?
TG: I’m more active; usually you just hang out with your friends

JO: What have you liked so far?
TG: Our field trips; they’re really educational and fun

JO: What would your first move as ruler of the world be?
TG: End world poverty

CATASTROPHE: NO INTERNET

youthoutloud — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:04:45 +0000

YMI has suffered a major fiasco over the pasted two days: NO INTERNET CONNECTION. Nearly everyone at Youngstown was without access to the internet, and it was chaos in the media lab. And after two looooooooonnnnnnng days, we are FINALLY back online.

Also, there was no internet at KBCS, our Monday field trip, so I was unable to update you on the exploits of the YOL gang that day as well.

Thus the reason for the lack of blogging over the past week.

week TWO est fini

youthoutloud — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:39:00 +0000

YOL ’08 is already a third of the way done. Damn. Time just flies when you’re learning about media justice, doesn’t it? I hope everyone has had a fun time so far, and that no one has died from our (sometimes questionable) cooking skills.

Next week will kick off with another field trip; this time, though, instead of downtown Seattle, gang will be headed to KBCS (FM station 91.3) to learn about the audio portion of the program. Instead of bussing this time, we’ll be vanning (taking the van) and permission slips MUST be turned in to come…

see you all on monday

youthoutloud — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:29:41 +0000

it only took me an hour and some change, but there is FINALLY a picture on the YOL blog!

thanks to alex for unknowingly being the guinea pig