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Keep Filmmaking in San Francisco

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It was great to see 500+ people in attendance at the #FilmItNorcal Rally on June 14th at the Fairmount Hotel. With a full host of actors, producers, directors, elected officials, celebrities, media from all parts of California, it was clear that the filmmaking community of San Francisco (and California) wants to support the improved tax rebate program to keep our jobs HERE. BAYCAT is proud to create the pathway from education to employment especially through our TechSF Internship Pathways Program so our young people from make their dreams to work for HBO, Showtime and Netflix a reality.  Even more so, it’s about creating new films by them for the world that we hope to continue to nurture.  They are the present (I’m too old to wait for the future) of filmmaking here in San Francisco!

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BAYCAT with The San Francisco Foundation Artistic Hub Organizations

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It’s a real honor to be part of a cohort of some of the most respected artistic hubs of the Bay Area! We had a great discussion with Maria Rosario Jackson about the trends she has seen and written about arts, culture and social justice at the national level. Though these topics naturally go together in our everyday worlds as an arts nonprofit in the Bay, it seems there is a trend at a national level to infuse placemaking, new urbanism, various medical research and even transportation as part of this sector’s work.

It was clear from our dialogue that most organizations do so much more than what their descriptions or missions reflect, and that each Executive Director’s impact goes far beyond their typical job descriptions. So what does this all mean?

It truly does take people with great resiliency to stay on the roller coaster ride of running a nonprofit, and funders like The San Francisco Foundation create the safety bars and connectors between our carts. They gave us something we never get to do: time and space to rise above the details and with hands raised together as a cohort, to look toward the future.

#Selfie includes:  Steven Jones from Lorraine Hansberry Theatre;  Madeleine Lim from QWOCMAP; Cristy Johnston-Limon from Destiny Arts; Tere Romo from The San Francisco Foundation; Tomiko Wong from Oakland Asian Cultural Center

Our cohort also includes: Ani Rivera from Galeria de la Raza; Elena Serrano from EastSide Arts Alliance; Eugene Rodriguez from Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy; James Kass from Youth Speaks, Janette Gitler from Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet ; Jordan Simmons from East Bay Center for Performing Arts; Kristen Sbrogna from La Pena;  Latanya Tigner from Dimensions Dance Theater, Linda Harrison from MOAD, Mabel Teng from Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco.

 

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Creating the pathway from education to employment in digital media: one story at the time.

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On our new website, we feature stories of some of our young people sharing their experience in learning and working at BAYCAT. It’s a way to tell you how we create a pathway, from education to employment in digital media.

Every week for the next few weeks, we will unveil new videos. Today, we want to share Miguel’s story and how he finds a second home at BAYCAT. A place that helps him stay out of trouble and to learn how to make cool media.

You can also check out, Lamar’s story, another youth media producer, who’s been attending the BAYCAT ACADEMY for 4 years. Lamar likes to draw. At school, and while waiting for the bus. He needed to find a place that would help him to express his creativity. “You will figure out your future, if you come to BAYCAT.”

Finally, you can also learn about Liz’s story. How she left Nicaragua to follow her dream to work in the filmmaking industry. Her dream has come true at BAYCAT. She is employed full time as a Production Coordinator in San Francisco.

As you watch their stories, are you reminded of a creative young person who could benefit from our free media education programs at BAYCAT?  or does it remind you of your own story and the importance of having an innovative environment and a mentor in your life to show you the way? Tell us what how these stories move you.  Share them with your friends.

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Making LGBT representation in media a reality

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This past Sunday we had the pleasure to be part of “Spotlight on Diversity” an event in LA to discuss the impact and importance of LGBT media representation. BAYCAT was invited as beneficiary of the Box Scene Project’s Mirror Scholarship & Fellowship, but also to celebrate our “10 Years Bold”. This was a perfect example of throwing us a “party with purpose.”

We are humble and honored to be part of such an important movement and to be surrounded by so many great people, sharing their own experiences. We had the chance to interview some of them, from Lea DeLaria (Big Boo in Orange is the New Black), to Amy Fox and Julie Vu (The Switch). And maby others like Sean Maher (Firefly), Dylan Marron (Welcome to Night Vale), Jasika Nicole (Fringe, Welcome to Night Vale), and Crissle West (The Read). A gigantic thank you to Amelia from The Huffington Post for delivering such a moving keynote address.

We will share some of the video highlights soon.

BAYCAT is turning 10 years old, and for a decade our young media makers from low income communities have been at the cutting edge of producing poignantly untold stories from very diverse POVs.  From Carlean, a 14-year old came out as she made an award-winning short film called, Finding Your Voice, to Isaac, a teenager telling his story of living with Aspergers.

We are supporting The Box Scene Project’s new campaign, the Mirror Scholarship & Fellowship, as a way to facilitate the entrance of diverse and underrepresented youth and independent content creators into the media and performing arts. We need to raise $35,000 in 35 days. Check out the Indiegogo campaign we just launched and help us spread the word.

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BAYCAT Youth Media Producers in the House!

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Although the signs of Fall may not be so obvious to us Bay Area residents, it’s clearly the first day of Fall for us at BAYCAT! Our first youth group are in our Studio, and we have many new and returning media producers, who are here to produce music, music videos and films for the next episode of ZOOM IN.

Quiet on the set. Action. #selfie
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Zoom In 31: State of Our Minds! Got any media or stories to share?

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Crazy. Isolated. Dependent.

Happiness. Depression. Self-esteem. Stress.

Needs to be addressed.

How can we help.

These are some of the words and phrases that came to mind when BAYCAT ACADEMY’s latest cohort of youth film and music producers were asked to respond to the question, “What does mental health mean to you?” The youth media producers brainstormed ideas to commence preparation for their upcoming collaborative project, the newest episode of their award-winning TV show: “Zoom In”.

 

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This 31st addition to the series, to be titled “State of Our Minds,” will explore a variety of issues and perspectives orbiting the topic of mental health & wellness, and addressing stigma created by the media revolving mental health issues. BAYCAT’s Youth Media Producers will film documentaries, write songs, and produce music videos to tell these stories through the art of digital media.

Mark your calendars for 6pm on Thursday December 4, 2014 when BAYCAT will hold our next open house and our Youth Media Producers will premiere “Zoom In 31: State of Our Minds”.  You can also follow the show online at BAYCAT live.

Are there videos, songs, blogs, and other media about mental health that have inspired you? Do you have a story you’d like to share with us? If so, become a part of the conversation and share in our comments section


Turning 10

Earlier this year, BAYCAT celebrated it’s 10th anniversary, a decade of empowering underserved youth and young adults in the San Francisco Bay Area through education and employment in the creative digital media industry. BAYCAT believes that every story matters, and by providing youth with access to education and resources in filmmaking and music production, we encourage and aid young people to create media that positively impacts themselves, their communities, and the world. If you dig what we’re doing, we encourage you to get involved. There are so many ways that you can make an impact, and we can always use your help!

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Got any media or stories to share?
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The Beach: My Diary – Officially Selected For Two Film Festivals!

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BAYCAT is proud to announce that Youth Media Producer Alia Gabrielle has garnered two official film festival selections for her short autobiographical documentary, The Beach: My Diary. Alia’s film will be screening at the I Hella Love Shorts Film Festival later this month, an Oakland-based festival celebrating its second year exhibiting the work of talented San Francisco Bay Area filmmakers.

 

The Beach: My Diary will also be featured exclusively for the online film festival channel of the International Black Women’s Film Festival, MOVING IMAGES FORWARD. Alia’s documentary was selected to be celebrated along with works from the U.K., Australia, Senegal, South Africa, Zanzibar, France, Canada, Malawi, Kenya, and more. Alongside these films, The Beach: My Diary helps to continue the festival’s tradition of pushing beyond the Hollywood-construed stereotypes of black women populating popular media, and instead showcasing the the stories of black women as self-represented through their own voices.

Alia

The film centers on Alia’s relationship with the beach- why it’s special to her, how it gives her peace, and how it helps connect her with her mother. BAYCAT recently conducted a short interview with Alia; during the interview Alia shared that her mother was also a filmmaker, and spoke about one film in particular she helped her mother make: “it was actually about the beach…and it was a story about a little girl finding her way in life.” Earlier this spring, Alia found her way to BAYCAT Academy. While taking classes as a Youth Media Producer, Alia found the inspiration and opportunity to tell her own story. “I kinda had all that bundled up inside and BAYCAT let me express it finally.” Her reaction to her film’s success: “I was shocked: I was like, wow my film was that good that it got into those film festivals.”

 

Alia shared that while she plans to continue making films in the future, she also hopes to pursue her passion for helping kids in the foster care system. Alia says that before becoming adopted by her mother, “when I was younger and I was in the foster system, I wanted someone to support it more…the thing I wanna do is kinda be like a big sister…And help them out and make sure that they’re not alone. Make sure they don’t feel alone.”

 

You can catch Alia’s film on September 28th at the I Hella Love Shorts Film Festival and online from midnight December 4th to 11:59PM/PST December 14, 2014 at the International Black Women’s Film Festival’s MOVING IMAGES FORWARD.

 

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Zoom In 31 Update: The Kids are Fed Up, Take a Cooking Class

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La Shea Sanchez got the fall 2014 BAYCAT Academy Youth Media Producers excited about healthy cooking ast Wednesday, Oct. 1

La Shea Sanchez surveys the room as each student, nose scrunched and lips pursed, holds a piece of fresh, raw broccoli to their mouths. She instructs everyone to take a crunchy bite, and almost immediately protestations begin. “What does it taste like?” she asks. “Gross!” “Dry!” “Like broccoli!”

How does the food you consume influence the state of your mind?

 

For the past couple of weeks, BAYCAT Academy’s youth media producers have been exploring answers to that question. This past Tuesday, the media-makers enjoyed a cooking class as research for this fall’s artistic theme: mental health. Students learned how to cook simple, nutritious meals with La Shea Sanchez, supervisor for the Bayview Opera House Dare 2 Dream Arts Enrichment program, events coordinator at the BVOH, and healthy eating instructor. At first hesitant to munch on raw veggies and gulp smoothies blended with spinach, the class soon gave way to enthusiasm and cheers for second and third helpings as the kids learned how to positively fuel their minds with healthy food for their bodies.

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BAYCAT Youth Media Producer Jade helps make a healthy salad with La Shea and her fellow media-makers

The culinary class followed a community screening of the documentary, Fed Up, which details the profound impact of America’s sugar industry on obesity in this country and the poor health of our children. After the screening, the students connected the film’s arguments with Zoom In’s theme: “A lot of people when they’re sad they eat a lot, and that can affect their physical health as well as their mental health,” shared Ginger, BAYCAT Advanced Filmmaking student. The media producers were so inspired by the film and its message that they elected to make changes in their own lives: the Music & Advanced Filmmaking students deciding to eliminate juice as a class refreshment option and Jazzy, a Music Production student, pledged to give up eating Hot Cheetos.

Since the two workshops, the filmmaking students have solidified themes for their group projects and will begin production soon…

You can catch the premiere of Zoom In 31 in person at BAYCAT on December 4th at 6:30pm PST, or online through our livestream!

 

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A Giant Exclusive this #OrangeOctober: BAYCAT Intern Grads Turned SFG Productions Interns! A Win-Win Combo!

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We’re pumped about Orange October. You too? We thought so!

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BAYCAT grad Iman Rodney gets interviewed at AT&T Park. To learn more about Iman, check out hist story

As the Giants advance on to play for yet another National League Championship Series, we at BAYCAT want to celebrate a few of our Pathways Intern graduates who are advancing their careers in the media industry – with San Francisco Giants Productions! Introducing: Pathways Grads-to-Productions Interns Latiece Brown, Tyre Brown, and Iman Rodney…

Before getting their start with the Giants, Latiece, Tyre, and Iman honed their craft first at BAYCAT Academy and then as 2013 BAYCAT Pathways Interns. While here, the Pathways Intern grads prepared to make their mark on the media production industry, developing their artistic expertise in scriptwriting, cinematography, editing, and more. They created award-winning documentaries, helped share stories of positive community change, produced promotional videos for local small businesses, and even worked on productions for HBO and the Food Network. Now equipped with the fundamental tools they need to begin their professional careers in the media field, these talented BAYCAT grads have moved onto to the AT&T Field, and are continuing to contribute their unique skills and creative ingenuities towards telling stories that inspire, entertain, and unite. As Blake Wilberding, Video Editor/Producer at SF Giants Productions, shares:

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BAYCAT grads Latiece and Tyre capture fan excitement outside AT&T Park just before Game 3 of the NLDS!

“It’s been a great partnership between BAYCAT and the Giants. With wonderful, dedicated and hard-working interns to be involved with SFG productions, it only makes our department stronger.”

If you are a want-to-be intern, or wish to learn more about our internship program, please visit our BAYCAT Academy page.

So as the SF Giants keep winning, so do our Intern Graduates at SFG Productions!  If you are working for a company that needs media or a fresh new marketing campaign, or perhaps you want to employ a media production intern of your own, contact us at studio@baycat.org.  It’s a Win-Win formula!

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BAYCAT’s on a Roll: Official Selections & Motion Graphics Workshop at the BAYMN Film Fest!

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BAYCAT Academy’s Youth Media Producers have gotten yet another two films officially selected for festival showcasing! On the heels of Alia’s success with her moving autobiographical short, The Beach: My Diary, both Ginger Chen’s The Perfect Mayor and Amaya Thomas and Demaire Hughes’ History of the Dogpatch have been chosen amongst films from across the globe to be featured at this year’s Bay Area Youth Media Network (BAYMN) Film Festival.

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BAYCAT Academy’s Fall 2013 Youth Media Producers imagine the perfect San Francisco mayor.

The Perfect Mayor, a collaborative piece created by writer-director Ginger Chen, cinematographer AJ Martin, art directors Stella Gutierrez and Miguel Rivera, and editor/star Maceo “Moony” Mayorga, is a fun exploration of who the perfect San Francisco mayor would be, if he or she could embody every ideal of his constituents. He speaks Spanish, Russian, Tagalog, and Samoan! He represents districts from the Haight to the Sunset! He’s gender-fluid and he supports nonprofit organizations! He maybe twerks!

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BAYCAT Academy’s Fall 2013 Youth Media Producers invent an alternative history for the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco, CA.

 

 

Miguel Rivera also narrates BAYCAT’s second officially selected film, the Amaya Thomas and Demaire Hughes animated short, History of the Dogpatch. The young storytellers imagine an alternative history of the Bay Area’s Dogpatch neighborhood, when butchers ran meat banks and lawbreaking pups kept eating their currency.

The BAYMN Festival will be screening these shorts on Saturday, October 18th at 2:30pm at the San Francisco Public Library.

In addition, every year the BAYMN Film Fest offers workshops to empower youth communities to create media that inspires social change. This year, BAYCAT’s resident filmmaking teacher, Zara Ahmed, will be giving a free motion graphics workshop this Saturday, October 18, from 12 to 2pm at the SF Public Library.  

 

Want to check out more of our festival-selected films? Head over to our BAYCAT YouTube page!

 

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Bye Bye Bullying: The BAYCAT Youth Speak Out

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In New York City, a young filmmaker screens his documentary at the Media That Matters Film Festival. The young man, Isaac Haney-Owens, meets a fellow filmmaker and Bay Area native, Yusef Haroun, at the festival. Their conversation soon drifts towards the topic of the nonprofit production studio where Isaac developed his passion for media and learned (for free!) how to make his films – BAYCAT.

the-bully-project-movie-poster-2-001Since bumping into Isaac in 2011, Yusef has been eager to meet the team and young media producers at BAYCAT. So this week when the opportunity arose, he came to volunteer his time and skills to mentor our youth. BAYCAT’s Filmmaking and Music Production students recently partook in a community screening of the powerful Lee Hirsch documentary, Bully. Inspired by the film and its anti-bullying message, the filmmakers are, with Yusef and BAYCAT Lead Instructor Zara Ahmed’s mentorship, creating short, 60-second original pieces to enter into the San Francisco District Attorney Office’s Bye Bye Bullying Video Contest. Written, directed, performed, and edited by the youth, the films explore how to confront cyberbullying (“Being Bully-Free Starts With Me”). These shorts will be submitted, and the top prize for winners is the chance to appear in a anti-bullying PSA with the Golden State Warriors.

“Pretty much a good day for me would be people leaving their hands off of me.”

“People think that I’m not normal.”

“I’ve never had real friends that would stick around and help me.”

-students from the documentary, Bully (2011)

IMG_2841For Yusef, his career as a filmmaker comes as a surprise. A self-admittedly “bad kid” growing up, Haroun shared with the young media producers that he was not the ideal student in school, nor expected to achieve great things. Despite this, he has gone on to graduate from the Berkeley Digital Film Institute, earning degree in directing and screenwriting. In addition to working as a production manager, casting coordinating, and director, Yusef includes the title, music video producer, within his repertoire, having worked with such artists as Mike Mills (2Ls) and Snoop Dogg. BAYCAT appreciates his volunteering his time and talents at Academy this week, helping the youth create media that hopes to inspire positive change in the community.

In music news, Academy’s music production students have just wrapped recording of their newest track, “Stay Strong.” The State of Our Minds Intro is currently in post-production, with the Advanced Filmmaking students having directed and filmed a music video for the track originally written, performed, recorded, and produced by Academy’s Beginning and Advanced Music Production students. Preview release for the video is slated for mid-November.

Can’t wait to see what the youth are creating for this fall? Only one more month until our Open House on December 4, 6-8pm — Come check it out! And if you can’t make it in person, be sure to tune in for our live stream.

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A Shared “State of Mind”: Filmmaker Debra A. Wilson Visits BAYCAT

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BAYCAT Academy youth media producers Zette and Bella chat with Bay Area filmmaker, Debra A. Wilson

This week at BAYCAT Academy, Bay Area filmmaker, Debra A. Wilson, stopped by to chat about mental health and share her documentary, “A State of Mind,” with our youth. Affected by Robin Williams’ recent passing and his struggle with mental illness, the youth decided this fall to explore the subject of mental wellbeing through their own eyes and films. As the young media producers prepare for the world premiere of their works at our Open House on December 4th, they enjoyed the opportunity to share inspirations with a fellow filmmaker exploring the same issues.

Wilson’s latest documentary examines the stigma of mental health through Alexander and Timothy’s love story, a couple who have both been diagnosed with schizophrenia. As Wilson’s camera allows us a look into Alexander and Timothy’s daily experience of mental illness, the film challenges us to consider the inadequacies of our mental health care system, confront our fears about acknowledging the mentally ill, and recognize our collective responsibility to end stigma.

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BAYCAT Academy young filmmakers Bella, Zette, and Orione watch a preview for Debra A. Wilson’s moving documentary, “A State of Mind”

Wilson’s relation to Alexander (being cousins) fuels her passion to create this film. Witnessing his personal struggle motivates her to give his story a voice, and by doing so, hopefully spark a dialogue, a movement, and a desire for change. We at BAYCAT support Debra’s mission, and ask you to consider donating to “A State of Mind”’s Indiegogo campaign so that the film may continue production, and Timothy and Alexander’s story can be told.

 

Can’t wait to see what our young film and music producers have been creating this fall? Look out for upcoming previews of their producitons and join us at Open House this December 4th for our world premiere of Zoom In 31: State of Our Minds. Can’t make it in person? You can still tune in via our livestream.

 

Debra A. Wilson has been featured on Showtime with her previous documentaries, The Butch Mystique and Jumpin’ the Broom: The New Covenant. Her films have screened in film festivals worldwide and have garnered Juried and Audience Awards.

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You shop. Amazon gives – to BAYCAT!

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What if another way of supporting BAYCAT was as simple as a one-time update to your Amazon account settings? Good news: it is!

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The AmazonSmile Foundation makes it easy to support your favorite charities – without costing you a cent. Whenever you shop on AmazonSmile and purchase an item marked, “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation,” the foundation contributes 0.5% of your purchase price to the organization of your choice. (You’ll still find the same great prices, huge selection of products, and convenient shopping service that you already do on Amazon)

So how to begin? Go to smile.amazon.com and under “pick your own charitable organization,” select “BAYCAT”. That’s it. Why wait? Start empowering youth today! (Just be sure to always shop through smile.amazon.com, not the regular site.)

 

Not an Amazon-shopping fiend? You can still support us by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and sharing our content!

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WATCH, SHARE: NEW RELEASE! BAYCAT Pathways Interns ask, “What About Water”?

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What About Water director Alyssa Hailemariam on set

What About Water director Alyssa Hailemariam on set

We’re in a drought. While that’s been a big issue and concern for Californians this year, BAYCAT seized the opportunity to learn more about what we can do about it.

This past summer, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission funded a Summer Learning Grant for our Pathways Interns. The goal: to learn more about our Bayview Hunters Point community’s perceptions about water, how the Bayview makes the most of our vital resources, and what we all can do to conserve water everyday.

Our 2014 interns have just wrapped producing, directing, and editing the new documentary, entitled “What About Water”! WATCH the film on our Vimeo page now, and SHARE with your friends!

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Heroic Celebration: BAYCAT Original Shorts to be Featured at MY HERO Film Fest!

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Our BAYCAT Academy youth media producers are enjoying continued success on the festival circuit! We are proud to announce that three our youths’ films have won awards and will be featured at the MY HERO Film Festival this Saturday, November 22nd!

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A BAYCAT Academy youth music producer raps at Candlestick Park for an original track, “Just Maybe”.

BAYCAT Academy’s music video, Just Maybe, directed and edited by young filmmaker Anthony Rivas to an original track written, recorded, and produced by BAYCAT youth music producers, has won 3rd Place in the Student/Mentor Music Video category! Originally produced for Zoom In Episode 29: Outside Your Door, the film was created in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service. Challenged to express how they feel about the outdoors, the youth shared their complex perspectives on whether the outdoors are always a safe space for urban youth.

 

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BAYCAT Academy young filmmaker, Maceo ‘Moony’ Mayorga plays The Perfect Mayor

The Perfect Mayor, which has also recently won 2nd Place at the 2014 BAYMN Film Festival and was selected for the 2014 Project YouthView Film Festival, has garnered 3rd Place in the High School Experimental category at the MY HERO Film Fest! Written and directed by Advanced Filmmaking student Ginger Chen, the film takes a fun look at who the perfect San Francisco mayor would be, if he or she could be everything that her young constituents would want her to be.

 

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Alia in a scene of her short autobiographical film, The Beach: My Diary

And last but not least, Alia Gabrielle’s moving autobiographical short, The Beach: My Diary, has won 3rd Place in the Student/Mentor category at MY HERO! Alia’s film was also officially selected for the I Hella Love Shorts Film Festival this past September, and will be featured exclusively online this December 4th – 14th as part of the International Black Women’s Film Festival. In telling her story, Alia shares why the beach is so meaningful to her, and how it helps connect her with her family.

 

Congratulations to our youth! Thanks for being our heroes and inspiring us to work for positive change. Can’t wait to see what new stories the youth are telling this fall? Come to our Open House at BAYCAT on December 4th for the world premiere of Zoom In 31: State of Our Minds, or join us via our livestream!

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BAYCAT to Host Fall Open House & Premiere Zoom In 31 – December 4th!

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It’s finally time!! BAYCAT will be hosting our Fall Open House next Thursday, DECEMBER 4th at 6p.m.! As we all begin our holiday-season celebrations, we at BAYCAT want to celebrate our young media producers, our community partners, and our 10 years (and running) of educating, empowering, and entertaining. And we’ve got some exciting new things to share with you!

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Young music producer & BAYCAT Academy student, Angela, films a music video for State of Our Minds, the 31st episode of BAYCAT’s award-winning television series, Zoom In.

Our youth have been hard at work these past few months writing, planning, producing, directing, editing, and recording their original songs and short films for the 31st episode of our award-winning television series, Zoom In. This fall, our young media producers explore the topic of mental wellbeing. Some have been creating documentaries about social pressure, like Angelica and Bella, who in “Expanded Minds” talk about stress at school and how it affects them everyday. Our music producers have been writing songs about persevering through times of struggle, with original tracks like “Mood Swings” and “State of Our Minds.” And finally, our young storytellers will allow us a glimpse into their personal experiences of hardship and coping, with Zette sharing the story of her recent move from Japan to San Francisco in “Between Here & There”; and, Stella will premiere her short autobiographical documentary, “Tangles,” in which she opens up about her struggle with OCD.

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BAYCAT Academy Youth Music Producer, Precious, films a music video for State of Our Minds, the 31st episode of BAYCAT Academy’s award-winning television series, Zoom In.

 

We’ll also be sharing our latest BAYCAT Studio and Pathways Internship news, and will be screening our intern-directed and -produced, “What About Water” – a short documentary created in partnership with our latest clonor, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Through this project, we learned how the Bayview Hunters Point community makes the most out of its water, and what we all can do to conserve water in this California drought.

 

So come join us!! We can’t wait to see you there. And if you can’t make it in person, you can still join us via our online livestream of the show!

 

And, stay up to date on all of our new projects, partners, and programs! SIGN UP NOW to subscribe to our e-newsletter!

The post BAYCAT to Host Fall Open House & Premiere Zoom In 31 – December 4th! appeared first on BAYCAT.

Every Story Matters: BAYCAT’s Impact Goes Beyond Making Media

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You never know what event will change your life, forever. For Stella, that was walking through the doors at BAYCAT. Like many teens, Stella would head home after school and watch TV, but never imagined being the storyteller. BAYCAT was able to show her something different.

baycat youth, media production

For Stella, learning storytelling at BAYCAT was a bridge to understanding her own journey.

Over the last three years at BAYCAT, Stella has found her voice through filmmaking and the digital media arts. Learning to tell the stories of others helped Stella understand her own journey: learning to manage her OCD. Exploring the topic through media gave her the courage to share her struggle with her parents, and an autobiographical documentary short Stella wrote and directed will be premiered in Zoom In 31: State of Our Minds on December 4th. Through her film, Stella wants other young people to know that they are not alone, and that there is always hope.

Supporting BAYCAT isn’t just about making a donation, but it is about making a difference in the lives of young people. Stories like Stella’s can’t be told without your help. We hope you join us in our mission to ensure that every kid left out by the digital divide has the opportunity to find their voice at BAYCAT.

Come in person to applaud and to meet Stella, or bring other youth who would be inspired by her story! And if you can’t make it in person, you can still join us via our online livestream of the show!

For more stories on youth like Stella, SIGN UP NOW to subscribe to our e-newsletter. You can stay up to date on all of our new projects, partners, student stories, and programs.

The post Every Story Matters: BAYCAT’s Impact Goes Beyond Making Media appeared first on BAYCAT.

Film & Music Production Teaching Assistants

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BAYCAT is seeking energetic, creative and resourceful Teaching Assistants to be part of our education team for the Spring Semester. The ideal candidate is someone with some knowledge of media practices (video, music, motion graphics) who would like to broaden their production and teaching experience by assisting in our media arts classes. This is a great opportunity for someone interested in media arts education who would like a hands-on experience in an after-school classroom.

DETAILS:
Length of commitment: February 9th – May 7th, 2015 during one of the following classes:

Beginning Film: Tuesdays & Thursdays 4:00-6:30pm
Digital Music Production: Mondays & Wednesdays 4:00-6:30pm
Advanced Film: Mondays & Wednesdays 4:00-6:30pm

About the classes:
Each class will have a maximum of 10-15 students, and will be lead by an experienced head instructor. As the TA, you can help teach lesson plans, learn about classroom workflow, and be a positive mentor to our youth.

We can often provide internship credit through schools (inform us during the application process).

If interested, fill out an application and you should hear from us within a week.

 

The post Film & Music Production Teaching Assistants appeared first on BAYCAT.

Join BAYCAT Youth at the Bay Area Int’l Children’s Film Festival

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BAYCAT Youth will speak on their experience as young media makers

This year BAICFF has invited BAYCAT youth as featured speakers for both days as part of their, “Young Filmmakers Showcase!”  It’s a FAMILY AFFAIR!  Join us, our youth, and some of our Board members!

BAYCAT youth, Stella, Hugo and Miguel are presenting Stella’s short documentary film on Saturday (5-6pm), and music video students, Angela, Omari and Zevonte, are presenting their music videos on Sunday (5-6pm).

The Festival offers families a cinematic view of the world’s varied cultures and traditions through short films, and has lots of optional workshops for youth as well. This event is all day Saturday and Sunday, and tickets include full day passes that let you into the Festival and activities of the Chabot Space and Science Center.

The post Join BAYCAT Youth at the Bay Area Int’l Children’s Film Festival appeared first on BAYCAT.

New Zeal To Our Updated STUDIO Reel

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We’ve updated our BAYCAT STUDIO reel to include some of our awesome new clients in 2014. Check out the diversity of people with whom we get the pleasure to capture, from our youth, community to notables like Mayor Willie Brown and Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, Olympic Champion Kristi Yamaguchi, and Orange is the New Black’s Lea DeLaria.

From social media billboard campaigns, to promotional videos, websites, graphic design and music videos, BAYCAT does it all. Take a peek at our 2015 BAYCAT STUDIO Reel!

Like what you see?  Share this Post.  Request a Quote.

 

The post New Zeal To Our Updated STUDIO Reel appeared first on BAYCAT.

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