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 During the earlier presentation by Chapman and Lima, Chapman had
mentioned that in diving into her current career as director and
head of story in animated film, she had first applied for jobs as a
cleaner. The cleaner position, Chapman said, was one area in the
industry where female talent was utilized. However, those women did
not get the opportunity to show their personal talent as animators;
their job was only to refine the work of others in preparing it for
the filming.
When applying for cleaner, Chapman had included in her portfolio a
storyboard she had put together while studying at CalArts, with a
note attached that her career goal was to work in story. She was
hired for story rather than cleaner, but only because she was a
woman as at that time the film company was taking heat for not
hiring women in creative positions.
On Saturday afternoon, Pearl's discussion began by illustrating that
in the last 25 years, little progress has been made in integrating
women into film production careers. In addition, Pearl said that in
front of the camera, female roles still take a back seat to the
stronger, more prominent male role in most films.
Pearl cited that in 2015 only 32 films contained a female lead or
co-lead, with males still dominating the best roles. In addition,
females were more likely to be exploited based on their looks, and
their roles more often than men included at least some nudity, and
included sexually suggestive wardrobes. She also explained that
there was little discretion used in these roles, as young women ages
13 to 20 years old were just as likely to be depicted in sex-symbol
fashion as the older 21 to 39 year-old age group.
In addition, Pearl said there is still a racial gap in that movie
directors are not only not women, they are almost 74 percent of the
time white males, with very few African Americans having been able
to break into the industry.
Pearl said that she formed Camp Reel Stories as a resource for young
women who may aspire to be in the film industry, behind the camera.
The week-long program is set up to educate girls ages 13 to 18 about
the film industry. The goal is to give camp members the opportunity
to write, direct, and produce their own films using tools that are
easily attainable in their everyday lives.
Pearl explained that the camp goers will learn how to create a film
using a Canon DSL still shot camera with a movie feature. She said
these are cameras can be purchased anywhere, they have a good video
option and enable the girls to continue filming after they leave
camp utilizing the tools they have learned to work with.
The camp curriculum has three goals:
- Attain a basic comfort level within the technology
demonstrated in camp.
- Gain a critical lens, and heightened awareness about the
messages received in the current media and how it affects their
self-esteem and views of the world.
- Gain public speaking experiences; become comfortable
expressing creative ideas that need feedback from others; learn
to give and receive constructive criticism; and work
collaboratively to achieve a shared goal.
Pearl said the camp is rigorous with a heavy schedule for
each day, but at the end of the five-day period the young women
have achieved all their goals, and have written and produced a
short film. The group will have opportunities to hear from
successful women, such as Brenda Chapman, who address the group
about the journey they will be on as they build their own career
and the obstacles they will be challenged to overcome.
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Pearl said that in the camp, it is all about hands-on
experience, and everyone will do every job involved in creating
a film from the most important to the least favorable. This will
include writing, acting, directing, editing, and much more.
During camp, the girls will form their own film company. Once
the company is formed, they must work together, and no one is
allowed to leave their company for personal or creative
differences, they must figure out how to overcome those
differences and work together.
In addition to creating their film, they must present it at their own film
festival.
Pearl explained that Camp Reel Stories will have an annual film festival with
about 500 guests. Each company’s film will be shown with members of the company
introducing the film and fielding questions about it.
A large portion of Pearl's discussion involved showing films that have been made
by camp members in recent years. Pearl said that these films are well made, and
many Camp Reel Productions have gone on to win awards.
In the films that the audience saw on Saturday, several were dark with political
or personal messages about self-esteem and depression. The films touched on
topics that impact many young people of both genders today, such as peer
pressure and popularity. One film spoke to young women in particular about
seeing themselves as less than perfect, and even worthless in society. Another
film featured a second youth program that is ongoing in California; Mamacitos,
is about a small business project that allows young people to manage a small
restaurant for a short period of time as a learning experience they can utilize
in the future.
The collection of films ended on a much lighter note. Bearing in mind that this
training is for girls only, a film was made about a young fellow (as portrayed
by one of the female camp members), who though he was awkward, and lacked
talent, saw himself as the next big rap star. In the midst of the comedy film
there was a moment of irony when the title character, Brett, did not get chosen
to perform in a local talent show and he loudly proclaimed it was because he was
a male when all the others trying out for the show were females. He had been
discriminated against because of his gender.
When the film presentations were over, Pearl explained that she had chosen the
“Brett” film because it was a light-hearted poke at the gender gap, funny, and
entertaining. She said she wanted to end the film presentation on a lighter
note. She also noted that Brett was not filmed during a regular Camp Reel
Stories boot camp week, but that it was done during a more intense program that
is the second step after boot camp.
Pearl began wrapping up her presentation by saying that she was pleased to
announce that hopefully, as soon as next summer, Camp Reel Stories would be
coming to Logan County. She said the plan includes utilizing Lincoln College and
local talent and leadership, such as Jennifer Keith, who teaches speech and
drama at Lincoln Community High School.
The camp program will start with only the boot camp being offered. It will be a
five-day camp for girls ages 13 to 18 and will follow the same curriculum as the
original program offered in California. It was also announced that though the
California program is a day camp only, where the girls must provide their own
overnight accommodations, in Lincoln there are plans to make it a stay-over camp
with housing possibly provided by Lincoln College.
At the moment, the local boot camp is still in the planning stages. It is
expected that there will be more conversations about the camp in the future,
again with hopes of holding the first camp in the summer of 2017.
[Nila Smith] |
