Youth and the Art of Mobile Filmmaking

Craig Goodwill is Creator and Executive Director of Mobile Jam Fest, a Canadian based organization that brings youth, ages 14 to 29, from around the world together to collaborate in the areas of creativity, education, and social awareness. Mobile Jam Fest works with nonprofits, government agencies, schools, and for profit institutions to organize events and activities that connect young people to their talents – and to each other.
What is your professional background?

I’ve been a producer/director for the past 13 years and have traveled extensively making films for National Geographic, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, MTV, and others. Much of my work has focused on inspiring young people to embrace the arts and tap the abundant creativity they possess.

What motivated you to start Mobile Jam Fest?
I created Mobile Jam Fest to explore the concept of creating however, wherever, and whenever you want. I realized that there are barriers to people exercising their creativity. A lot of people don’t know they’re creative and that they can make a film and be artistic. I wanted to create a platform where young people could create content and upload it as well as provide them the education to become creators. We wanted to engage youth in the ideas of creativity and filmmaking and show them all the avenues available for them to express themselves. Not everyone is going to be a director, a producer, or a world famous musician, but there are many, many ways to be creative.

What happens at your mobile film camps?
We’ve carried out, with our partners, about 15 camps in countries around the world, including Canada, Brazil, India, and the UK. An average of 50 youth, ages 18 to 25, attend each three-day camp. On the first day we talk about story development -- how you tell a story and the key structures to follow. The second day is made up of tutorials in production including editing, sound, and post-production. On the third day, participants shoot and edit their films. Each group is teamed up with a professional that works with them to design and edit their film. Then the films are uploaded and registered to the Mobile Jam Fest website.

We also work with sponsors to offer mobile film camps in conjunction with large concerts or all day events. We provide mobile video phones to the audience to go out and shoot short films. We come equipped with portable editing stations and when they return we give them a tutorial. Once the films are completed, they’re broadcast throughout the event on Bluetooth over giant screens where the audience can view and vote for their favorite film. You can view videos from our most recent event in Canada at: http://rogerspicnic.com

What are the essential aspects of filmmaking that you teach youth?

We start with the idea of storytelling. Why are you making this film? What is your role as a filmmaker? Who is your audience and what is your point of view? Once you’ve answered these questions you can begin writing a story outline. If my story is about skateboarding culture, it would be important to know who my audience is “ are they 16 or are they adults? We then have them write up a synopsis“ a creative treatment of how they want the film to look and feel, including a shot list. The more prepared you are, the more creative freedom you’ll have at your location and the more successful you’ll be. You can then build in extra time for the beautiful accidents that are bound to happen. It’s really about creativity and how young people engage with their environment and explore other people’s lives and perspectives.

How does mobile filmmaking further young people’s development?

The small size of mobiles and the fact that people carry them everywhere, all of the time, makes them easy to use in an instant. It’s like having a video camera attached to your hand. It allows us to capture the really special, creative moments that happen in our lives. It allows us to capture sad and depressing things that need to be discovered. Now, if youth see someone throwing a container out the window of a car, they have a tool that allows them to make a statement about it. They have a tool that allows them to speak the truth. They can follow whatever cause they feel like pursuing. It’s very empowering.

How do you work with nonprofits and other institutions?

We work a lot with nonprofits. About 80 percent of what we do is based on education. Our partners include United Nations, Plan International, Make Poverty History, the Canadian International Development Agency, Schools Without Borders, and others. We offer NGOs the ability the increase the capacity of their youth media programs.

We just recently announced a partnership with Plan International aimed at developing a global digital cultural exchange program, called “Creative Class”. This user-generated, social networking platform will connect young people through classrooms around the world. When you try to discuss social issues with youth their eyes tend to role back in their head. A lot of social issues tend to get expressed through art and media. Having proximity to arts and media from different countries will help them understand social issues in these countries and their own

We’ll be piloting the new program in Haiti, where kids will be able to connect with youth in classrooms in Montreal. As part of our work in Haiti, we’ll be working closely with Plan Haiti to enable youth to use mobile technology to register for birth certificates is a big problem, especially for orphans  as well as setting up a child abuse hotline for children.