Having a creative vision isn’t just for Hollywood directors, but for anyone who sets out to make media that will matter to its audience.

To produce something that communicates your message in a compelling way takes forethought. This advance planning and design is how a trio of Adobe Youth Voices students – including Samry, a participant at the Fitzroy Learning Network Computer Clubhouse – focused their thinking for a new media project.

“Hopefully, the video will teach people to be understanding,” says Samry.

“My current project is going to be a combination of video and animation about refugees,” says Samry. She is working with two other people, and notes, “We are all refugees from different backgrounds.” They have a vision for their work: “Hopefully the video will teach people to be understanding and accepting of refugees that come to Australia.”

To this end, they have had to make a lot of choices in the course of the pre-production and production process. There are of course myriad ways to represent the issue, in any number of media formats.

Talking it through together, Samry says that they decided “part of our filming will be a conversation between the three of us about the hardest thing about being a refugee, and our experiences.” She explains it was a deliberate choice to do this “instead of interviewing because we wanted to show a personal experience rather than just talking about ourselves to the camera.”

Thinking about how they wanted their media work to resonate with the audience gave them direction at the outset of the process. They came up with their vision and worked backward from that to craft something that would help them carry out that vision.

Their design choices are key in this process, and Samry notes, “We hope to use animation to make statistics and stuff more interesting.” Being open to mixing media forms gives their project more creative potential. Being open, in general, to the wide array of media formats and tools – and to all the different things that are possible with storytelling, imagery, and sound, etc. – can help media artists realize their vision.

This has been true for Samry and her peers, who find that sometimes, during production, “We try something and if it doesn’t work with the project we will talk about changing it.” They are open to adapting their plans as they work, but the vision had to come first.

Her media project was due in just a few days, and the high school senior couldn’t focus. “I originally started with a completely different subject,” says Nicole, an AYV alum, “and while planning out that script, my aunt passed away.” It became clear to her that she needed to do the media project on her aunt – in her memory.

“I wasn’t quite sure how to do it,” Nicole reflects, “until I read a poem that my cousin had written in honor of my aunt. I wanted to have something just as inspiring.” So she set to work, intending to produce inspiring footage to pair with the poem she wrote. At the same time, she didn’t want the imagery to overwhelm her words.

Like all media makers, she was faced with a number of artistic choices. The ways that she negotiated them could detract from or lend even more power to her finished work. Nicole decided to minimize movement and sound, refrain from elaborate transitions, and use images directly related to the text of her poem. She shot the video to reflect her point of view, focusing in on her actions. All of these choices were very deliberate. By these means, she got the viewer to connect with her as the subject of the media work. She compels the audience to take her perspective in All I’m Left With.

“I started off showing myself getting ready to write, then writing out the first line of the poem,” and, she explains, “from there I switched back and forth between what I was doing and what I was thinking.” Some images, like the sunset and garden, directly illustrate her poem. Other shots capture what she says is her typical behavior, such as “holding my cross while I think, looking at photos.” These unguarded moments invite the audience in, perhaps even more so than if she talked directly to the camera.

Many other choices had to be made in the course of production. Nicole reports that she took simple shots first, without sound, then “added in any opacity changes, transitions, and sound effects later.” Still, she endeavored to retain a kind of simplicity in the film. “I used to think that more effects made the video more interesting,” she says, “but I guess ‘less is more’ was more the case in this situation.”

Having “less” ornamentation dignifies her subject, and brings the audience closer. These artistic choices not only shaped her piece, but also were part of a creative process that helped Nicole “sort things out for myself.” In the end, both media maker and consumer share the power of the experience.

Where to go for a project idea? One that grabs you, and that you want to share with others? Amer, an Adobe Youth Voices artist from Amman, Jordan, says to look around you – and “follow your interest.”

“I get an idea from something that inspires me in my everyday life,” says Amer.

Coming up with an idea can be the hardest part of a media project. When it’s a good idea, often the work just flows. A good subject is motivating and open-ended. It should originate with – and be shaped by – the media artist. And, there’s no telling where a good idea might come from. For example, Amer takes his inspiration “from the news” or “sometimes I see something, or a problem in my community.” He keeps his eyes wide open to the possibilities because he wants “to make a difference in the world.”

Taking a moment to reflect, Amer says, “I remember one of my very first projects which really moved me to get up and work – and do something to express what I felt.”

“One evening a couple of years ago, I was watching news on TV, and they were talking about murders and arrests in Palestine where the other half of my family lives, while in our neighborhood not far from my house, there was a big wedding where music was loud and people dancing and singing happily, and it made me think how life can be really complicated, how some people suffer while other people don’t care – or maybe they just had to move on,” explains Amer.

The contrast really struck Amer at the time. He “wanted all people to be happy and dancing, not to suffer.” This well of feeling prompted him to create “No War,” a short video that depicted “the contradiction in our life” by interspersing music clips and news of war. It was his effort to evoke the same kind of emotional response in his audience that he had originally.

Sharing what inspires you is at the heart of youth media. It can be shooting video on your own, like Amer did to make “No War.” Or, it might be composing music, like Arabic rap, with a crew of friends – which is how he likes to express himself these days. Either way, Amer takes inspiration from his life and the lives of people in his community. Then he turns it into media that reveals something about the world, and carries his message.

Media making lets people participate in a dialogue that they might not otherwise have been able to join. When Prerna and Nishu, a couple of AYV youth from Noida Public Senior Secondary School in India, made a film about the problem of child labor, they injected themselves into the public debate as witnesses and activists.

“Make a project by going deeply into the topic… and have sufficient knowledge about the problem. With this you will be able to explain it to others,” recommends Prerna.

What’s more, their efforts were recognized by experts on the issue, who invited them to screen their video documentary, “Mujhe Haq Hain,” at a Child Labor Workshop with professionals in the field. Having been “selected to screen this video, our preparation should be up to the mark,” Nishu said; “we are very serious about this.” As for Prerna, she “was very excited and willing to express my views in front of everyone. I wanted to share my experience with everyone who would be there at the venue.”

For this forum at the conference, they prepared a speech, with assistance from their team members and teachers. Prerna recalls, “Nishu and I did more corrections when we reached the workshop. My teacher and Nishu gave me confidence to speak when I got nervous.” It was a new experience, mingling and sharing the stage with experts in children’s issues and practitioners working in a variety of social programs. Having government child welfare officers in attendance posed “a wonderful opportunity to tell directly to them what we want through this video,” and, Nishu emphasized, “the most important is that along with officers, children are also present.”

To listen and contribute to the discussions, to view and respond to the film screened by another team, gave these young media artists the chance to truly participate in this vital dialogue on children’s education and labor practices. “I felt very happy to be a part of this workshop,” Prerna proclaimed. She advised that youth who want to have a say about a topic should conduct surveys and interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the issues. “Try to show more and more about the topic,” she urged. Youth should think about “how they can help in covering the topic,” and “try to solve” the problem.

Embarking on a media project that you want to have social impact can be exhilarating, and daunting at the same time. Having reached a critical audience and achieved so much with their project, Nishu advocates that other young people “focus on their work and do it with total dedication – through their work they help in solving the social evils.”

The world needs youth voices to speak up.

“I was at the lowest point in my life. I was lost trying to find myself and a reason to continue to strive,” remembers Francisco, a participant and later mentor at the Peapod Adobe Youth Voices Academy in Redwood City, where he now works as the Video Technology Coordinator.

Then one day, while looking through a photo album, “I compared my baby hands with my current hands and realized how much I’ve grown.”

A memory of his nieces and nephews came to mind. They would be watching television and say, “One day my Uncle Paquito will be on TV.” That lit a fire in him. He suddenly felt confident in “our pursuit of happiness.” An idea formed: to create something that would be a source of inspiration for his family, his friends, the youth he mentors, etc.

That’s when Francisco swept into the “Peapod Adobe Youth Voices Academy music studio making the beat with the rhythm of my heart. I began to write lyrics through the eyes of the youth and rap with a tone of voice that would remind you of the man who has a dream – Martin Luther King, Jr.” This is Francisco telling the story behind his music video, “Lead the Way”.

Like so many creative endeavors, it took a little help from his friends. He put thought into who should be involved in the project: “I decided it would be best to have a strong female singing in the song as well, for the young girls to look up to.” So he asked his friend, Lilliana, to sing the female lead.

The cast would be “my nieces, my nephews, my cousins, my bothers, my beautiful mother, and the man who came to America with nothing – to having a family, establishing a job, and owning a house.” As well as a creative journey, it was a real journey across the miles. On his four-day trip to Los Angeles, Stockton, Sacramento, and Chico, he brought his mother along to see her family.

There were other key elements for the media work he envisioned. In addition to filming members of his extended family, he took video of the youth he mentors at the Mervin G. Morris Clubhouse in Redwood City, California. His friend Carlos filmed Francisco’s own performance shoots, and, he found the right backdrop for Lilliana’s parts at Half Moon Bay State Beach.

Amid these and other production tasks, working on this music video was not his only focus at the time. He notes, “Once I got the footage I needed, I started to edit with a purpose while living on my own, attending college full-time, and working part-time.” As he was pursuing his dreams, he took time to craft a message to share with others that might inspire them. Indeed, that was a dream too. “That moment sparked the fire in my eyes to continue to strive in college, music, and film,” says Francisco.

People used to tell Francisco to be realistic about his dreams and goals – “trying to have me live in mediocrity or a simple life, instead of encouraging and supporting me by giving me knowledge, networks, and resources to live my dream.” But he learned to “direct myself for success.”

“To this day,” Francisco avows, “I continue to lead the way by attending college to get my education, expressing myself with music, and being myself, so that one day when I have a family of my own, my children can say, ‘If my dad can get a degree from college, do what he loves, and still be himself, I can do it too.’” In his music and his story, Francisco exhorts, “Let’s lead the way!”

Contributed by Monica Grover, Global Fund For Children

What can you do with your life experiences? The painful ones, the hardships or loss? How can you make things better, for yourself and for others in the same circumstance? You can share your story – like Tini, a young woman from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, who lost her parents to AIDS.

“I think my dad and mom were like many other people with AIDS,” says Tini, “deserving to be cared for, assisted, and in particular respected by everyone in the community.” She reflects that, unfortunately, they were “isolated, and considered as rubbish… They were normal citizens like others but living with AIDS disease. However, they did not do anything harmful at all. Normally, if some people with the disease do something dangerous to others, they feel world-weary. I understand that feeling because I am among the stigma’s victims.”

Growing up an orphan and estranged from neighbors, Tini “gave up all my faith in life.” Eventually, she found compassion, hope, and friends through the Smile Group, an organization that provides support to youth affected by HIV/AIDS. The Smile Group participates in Adobe Youth Voices, giving Tini the opportunity to work with Photoshop and film-making software, and to transpose her experiences into media she can show others. Tini was raised by her grandmother, who lives for her and takes joy in her success. With the knowledge and technical skills she has gained, she made a video about her life entitled “My Grandma.” In melancholy tones, this video lays bare their struggles together as well as the many reasons for hope.

It meant the world to Tini to be able to capture these reasons for hope and share them with people who would take heart. It helped restore her. As she explains, “thanks to the supports, loves and good cares from some social groups, I could stand up and continue living with my trust and optimism in my life. I never hate my parents as they gave birth, bringing me into this world. So I love them deeply for their mistakes that have made them go far away.”

To “create with purpose” is the mission of Adobe Youth Voices. In her corner of the world, pursuing her goals to educate the community and change people’s conceptions of those affected by AIDS, Tini embodies this mission. “I want to do something simple so that people in my community would have a different objective look to AIDS people,” she explains, so that “hopefully children in the same suffering and sorrowful situation like me could live positive and optimistically.”

Winner of the Silver Award in Animation in the Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards, the film LOOK is one part exhibition of skill, and one part protest piece. Anny Liu and Janice Lee, directors of the film, wanted to tear down the stereotype that art was not a serious subject and that creativity could not lead to a worthwhile profession.

“When it came time to produce a video for the Adobe Youth Voices program,” says Jeff Larson, Anny and Janice’s teacher at Balboa High School in San Francisco, “they were drawn to exploring the idea of how many people in society take art, design and creativity for granted, and sometimes even belittle the dreams of those who want to enter the fields professionally. Thus, the concept for their animation/motion graphic project was born.”

By creating a compelling video that asks the viewer to look around and consider all the creative work around them in their daily lives, from architecture and fashion, to graphic and industrial design, Anny and Janice remind their audience that art infuses our daily lives and comprises an important component of many industries.

“Both Anny and Janice are very intelligent and bright young women who are passionate about being creative,” says Jeff. “From early on, both students demonstrated a strong aptitude for working with digital media, and bringing their fine art, illustration and design skills into the computer seemed very natural and intuitive for them.”

Janice, who just graduated from Balboa High in the class of 2012, finds her artistic inspiration in video games and says that animation is a passion for her, as is her involvement with CAST – Creative Arts for Social Transformation. Janice plans to pursue higher education in the fields of animation and concept art. Anny, also among this year’s graduating class at Balboa High, spends much of her free time exploring the arts and intends to pursue a career in the media. Anny is also a dedicated member of CAST.

From the perspective of an educator, LOOK was a winning project from the start. “From the earliest storyboard and script version of their concept, I was excited,” says Jeff. “I knew that if anyone could pull off the concept visually and technically it would be these two and their team. Knowing that there was a deadline, Anny and Janice worked endless hours outside of the classroom setting to make their vision a reality. The engagement, perfectionism and dedication I witnessed while watching the video come to life was truly inspiring and the best thing that any teacher could hope for.”

Watch Anny and Janice’s labor of love, and if you agree that creativity plays an important role in our society, leave a comment in support of their work – we’ll make sure we pass it on to these dynamic young change makers!

Last weekend Adobe Youth Voices celebrated another great year at WNET’s Celebration of Teaching & Learning. During the conference, which brought together more than 10,000 educators and thought leaders, Adobe Youth Voices led six workshops: three each on the topics of creating music videos and portrait documentaries. Educators filled up the room for each session and gained hands-on experience with Essentials curriculum.

During the music video workshops, much attention was given to the use of rhythm and how to cut video segments to a musical beat. Teaching teams from elementary through high school levels discussed the opportunities for using music videos as a tool to explore social issues.

Participants who attended the portrait documentary workshops started the sessions by interviewing each other about why they became educators, and the interviews yielded many inspired stories. The workshops focused on providing clear-cut interview tips as well as recommendations for taking complex social issues and breaking them down into bite sized pieces, so that students can create projects with clear and concise messages.

The highlight of the conference for Adobe Youth Voices was the panel discussion moderated by Wes Moore, a New York Times best-selling author and host of the television program Beyond Belief. Wes Moore’s panel featured a discussion of educational opportunities and how they can make a difference in the lives of young people.

The panel included two Adobe Youth Voices students: Lorenzo Jackson, a senior in high school and a theater student in the Peapod Adobe Youth Voices Academy at Urban Arts Partnership, as well as Najaya Royal, a freshman in high school who is an accomplished poet, writer and musician.

Lorenzo Jackson has been involved with Urban Arts Partnership for three years, where he has shined as a star student and actor extraordinaire. “Lorenzo is like a tornado,” says Armando Somoza, an educator who has worked with Lorenzo since he first enrolled in the program. Armando refers to the force of Lorenzo’s personality, and his refusal to be stopped by obstacles in his path.

Lorenzo overcame difficult family circumstances in his early teens to develop a keen talent for stage performance, ranging from traditional theater to stand-up comedy. Lorenzo has his eye on Fordham University’s theatre department, where he hopes to attend college next fall. “I made it this far,” says Lorenzo. “Why can’t I make it all the way?”

What is the secret of his success? “It takes faith, patience, and dedication to get anywhere,” explained Lorenzo during Saturday’s panel discussion. “Surround yourself with people who have good intentions.”

Najaya Royal, who just turned fifteen, is already making a name for herself among performing arts communities in New York City. She credits her success to the support and positive influence of her mother. “She’s a really strong person,” says Najaya. “She’s the best role model I could ask for.”

Najaya’s mother has encouraged her creative pursuits since a young age, when Najaya first expressed an interest in poetry. Since then, Najaya’s poetry has been included in five poetry anthologies, and has been set to opera music by the American Opera Project, who performed Najaya’s poetry at Carnegie Hall, as well as a public performance in Ft. Greene Park in Brooklyn as a part of the Walt Whitman Project.

Watch the performance of Najaya’s poem, Brooklyn Cinderella:

Najaya is also an accomplished violinist and saxophone player, and she wants to combine her love of music and her love of writing into a career as a music journalist. “I want to write about up and coming artists, to give light to unrecognized performers,” says Najaya of her plans for the future.

Najaya’s own experience with integrating disciplines gives her ideas about how the education system can be improved for students everywhere. “I think students need an outlet for expressing themselves,” says Najaya. “Teachers should have their students write down what’s important to them on the first day of class, and then teachers should help students use what they are passionate about to help them with the subjects they are struggling with.” Najaya puts this advice into practice in her own life, by setting her class notes to music when she studies for a test.

“Don’t be afraid to do something to help yourself,” says Najaya. During Saturday’s panel discussion, she explained, “We all have a dream. But it’s your choice to go after that dream.”

Guest Post by Peter French

So often it is just a matter of finding that moment, that perfect opportunity to totally engage with a student and give them the chance to really shine.

Matt Calvin had always been a good but fairly quiet, understated student in my digital design class in grades 11 and 12. Matt’s work has always been interesting, and as he progressed through the grade 12 projects, he showed more and more promise as an artist. However, it was when I announced the Adobe Youth Voices program and video and poster projects that he took off like a rocket.

Matt immediately came over to me and told me he had been suffering from serious depression, that he had been hurting himself but now was getting help, and that he wanted to make a video about his journey so he could help others who were going through the same horrible experience.

I was a little taken aback by hearing all of this, but I recall being very excited by this incredible prospect for a really meaningful film. I also recall recommending to him to proceed with caution. He had to be very careful about how much he revealed and the way he revealed it. All of this happened in a few brief minutes, but it led to something amazing.

Matt had lost a dear relative with whom he had been very close, and it had upset him more than he had realized. Unfortunately he had not found ways to communicate this to anyone else, and it had remained bottled up inside. The eventual outcome was a case of serious depression that was finally expressed through cutting himself. Ultimately he made a very deep cut that required him to be rushed to the hospital for several stitches. That was the tipping point which made his parents realize what had been going on and reach out for help. The support he found was rich and deep. I believe that he came out of this as well as he did because of the support he received, and because he is a very strong young man.

As Matt and I talked, I realized that there were several reasons for making this video and poster. Yes, it was a major class project but there were bigger issues here. It would be a part of his healing process – a cathartic release from the depths of this experience. And, it would allow him to turn this very negative experience into a strong healing film that could help others.

The poster and the video are fabulous. He scored a near perfect mark for each item. When I showed this video to my peers at the Adobe Education Leader’s Summer Institute in July 2011, they were very impressed and moved. It is so simple and yet so compelling:

This past December The Toronto Star, a major newspaper in Canada, featured a series about teen depression and suicide. I sent them Matt’s video and asked if they would like to publish it so other teens could see it and hopefully be helped. They did that, and more, ultimately publishing the video and a feature about Matt’s journey with depression and healing through creativity (click to view the article).

In conclusion, it has been an amazing process and a privilege to support Matt on his creative journey. Teachers dream of working with students at this level. The Adobe Youth Voices program not only allows it – it encourages it by creating the environment and opportunity for this type of work to start and then take off.

Peter French
Adobe Youth Voices Lead Educator

Marvin Bugarini is a young man with a plan.

A junior at Carlmont High School in Belmont, California, he is on track to graduate early, possibly as early as this spring. In spite of the heavy academic load that comes along with completing high school in just three years, Marvin has had plenty of time to cultivate other talents.

A long standing participant at the Peapod Adobe Youth Voices Academy in Redwood City, Marvin has had his fingers in many creative pies: for example, he contributed ideas for the plot and scenes, props and costumes during the making of Angel In My Sky, the film which will be premiering next Thursday, November 10th at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City.

On the music side, Marvin participated in the 20/20 Vision project last year, starring in the music video  and eventually traveling to Washington, DC to perform at the Youth Listening Tour. Marvin also traveled to Florida over the summer to open for J. Cole at the Keystone Conference.

A film premiere, a music video, and two national performances would be enough to keep an average teenager busy, but Marvin’s eyes really light up when he starts to talk about his work with Photoshop!

“I do a little bit of everything, and I always master whatever I start to work on,” says Marvin about his artistic talents. He taught himself how to use Photoshop just by cracking open the program and letting his mind run wild. Now he is teaching other students at the Peapod Adobe Youth Voices Academy how to use the program, showing them the tricks and techniques he developed.

Marvin is also making a name for himself in his community as the “go to” for anyone who needs an album cover or concert poster. Not just an amateur, Marvin is paid well for his sought after design work.

Marvin is dreaming of a chance to collaborate with his Peapod Adobe Youth Voices Academy classmates on something big, something that will stand out to the whole world. “We’ve got a lot of creative minds here,” says Marvin about the Academy. “There are many messages that we could send, like helping each other out, no more bullying, no more violence. You’ve got to get into people’s heads and make them think that education is the key to success.”

So what’s the key to Marvin’s successful future? He intends to enroll in a community college for two years after high school, after which point he will transfer to a four year school to earn his Bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a minor in music.

Look out for more great work from this outrageously talented and ambitious young man!