A in-depth report of the study and media creativity taking place over in Antigua, Guatemala (24/6/2016 – 26/7/2016)
A separate typed statement addressing the following statements
- A brief overview of your planned mobility activity
- How this activity will benefit you academically and professionally
- A brief overview of your planned mobility activity
I am Michael Serpell a first year student studying a Bachelor of Communication (Media) at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. Throughout my course I am to gain as much experience as possible towards my career goals to become a TV or Radio presenter or a film and documentary director, editor, presenter and producer. The mobility activity which I have chosen was highly recommended by the media cohort during the introductory week at RMIT. The mobility activity is the Documentary Outreach program with Actuality Media which is hosted in the Central American country of Guatemala, departing on the 25th June 2016 and returning on the 24th July 2016.
To give a brief overview of the organisation, Actuality Media offers international service learning opportunities for media students, whilst studying the art and practice of documentary storytelling which is a major highlight of Actuality Media programs.
In each of the Actuality Media programs students travel to a foreign country and live in a developing community for the duration of production. On location Actuality Media’s documentary instructors conduct regular briefings with students to acclimatise them to the local culture and guide them in their production process. Throughout research, writing, shooting and editing, they emphasis visual character-driven storytelling.
The students who participate in the program are taught to have clearly defined characters, conflict, stakes, arc and resolution which they discover and develop through ample research and planning time within their documentaries. Students learn to tell their story cinematically, relying more on visuals than talking heads. Once the films are completed they are premiered on location, final fixes are made and then the films are shared with the world through a multifaceted distribution campaign.
Never have I had the opportunity to travel overseas and receive expertise to undertake a career in documentary making whilst also doing my part for the greater good by promoting the work of a changemaker who are small not well known group who are making a significant difference in the community but need recognition, financial support and publicity (through film) to be able to successfully continue their powerful work in the local communities of Guatemala. The changemakers we will be working with are as follows:
BiciTec-
This is a social enterprise that works creating different bicimaquina technologies around the Antigua community. They take bicycles, utilizing the sustainable design of pedal-powered machines by adapting them into machinery that can help solve a range of issues. They’ve built bike powered maize de-griners, pedal operated deep-well water pumps and even smoothie makers and coconut shredders! It is part-bike repair shop, part-social innovation, part-bicimaquina education. They will be running a bicimaquina training school while I am there.
EcoFiltro–
A Guatemalan based social business whose mission is to reach 1 million rural families with clean water by the year 2020. The filter removes pathogens via gravity as water passes through the ceramic walls. It is not a charity; their delivery method is a hybrid model where urban sales in financially wealthier areas of Guatemala allow them to provide financing to rural families. They are one of the best examples I’ve seen of how a social business model can be scalable, sustainable and effective in meeting a national and global such as water scarcity. Watch this video to understand how it works.
Los Patojos–
An organization that works with children and youth, promoting art, dialogue, critical thinking and promoting an environment where young people can actively participate in their own growth and transformation. They have a medical clinic, educational program, nutritional program and all sorts of awesome arts programs in the arts like juggling, journalism, dance, photography, performing arts, all of which instil confidence and empower youth. They are changing the way that young Guatemalans interact with the world by providing positive alternatives to the often violence-filled environments many young children see modelled at a young age. Check this out!
- How this activity will benefit you academically and professionally
This program in my opinion is an opportunity that combines everything I want and need in an experience abroad, which will enhance my personal development but will also offer so much expertise towards my future career and university course I am undertaking.
The Actuality Media Documentary Outreach Program to Antigua, Guatemala is such an enriching opportunity for students at my age as it will give them a perspective of the world that can change their outlook and can inspire them to make a difference in the local or international community. Professionally, the expedition is quintessential to gaining important industry and practical experience with film making and understand how to complete a successful documentary, that will not only empower change makers in third world countries but the results of the documentary will aim to educate western audiences about their importance and it will aim to inspire others to support them financially or physically. Academically, the chance to discover my film producing, editing, directing and cinematography skills whilst working abroad with inspirational change making organisations will not only help with my aspirations to become a film maker but will also educate me about those who make a difference in developing countries. The current course I am undertaking at RMIT is based around the creation and distribution of media. Video portrait and documentary making have all been areas of study in my course. A real emphasis through my course is to enhance and have hands on experience with equipment and knowledge of producing media. What this Documentary Outreach Program will offer is an opportunity to work in many pivotal film making roles which will expand our professional experience. One of these many roles is as a producer, which means on the expedition you will have the responsibility to decide on a story for the documentary as well as the subject which appear in the documentary. As a producer, the responsibility is to be a motivator, a scheduler, an arbitrator, holder of the crew cellphone, signature and information collector distribution planner and more. Also the producer could be assigned with many roles such as holding the boom mic or being the calm presence amid franticness. Another assigned role on the Documentary Outreach program is as a Cinematographer, which entails being the chief over the camera and lighting crews working on the documentary and is responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image. The cinematographer on the Documentary Outreach is in charge of the look and feel of the film the crew creates. Another vital role on the Documentary Outreach program is the Director, whose responsibility it is to supervise and creative aspects of a dramatic production and instructs the actors and crew. As the director, they are charged with making the final decisions on the story and subjects in the documentary, as well as managing the crew during the filming process and guiding them in achieving the goal. The final role is the Editor who is the one who works to prepare the final product to be seen or heard and changes, moves or removes parts from all the filmed footage and audio. The editors primary job on the documentary outreach program is to piece together the story in the short documentary film the crew is making, and in short, the last line of creativity ends with the editor. All the roles are paramount to the outcome of the documentary and every role will give me that professional industry experience that I will need to make it into the film making industry. Academically, the experience to work in these highly regarded film-making roles will put me in good stead for completing my studies at RMIT and getting me into the career I am aiming for in the film industry.
Our documentaries will be published at large film festivals to promote the work for these changemakers; festival 500 allows Actuality film creators to showcase their film to the general public and sponsors. Plus it is also a beneficial way for students to promote their work and filmmaking talents and will go a long way towards the students creative portfolio, which can contribute to the students recognition as a media creator. In giving back to a foreign community, I will also gain a deeper, more informed understanding of the world and those who come from very different backgrounds. Unlike most other study abroad programs, the Documentary Outreach program requires and encourages direct interaction and collaboration with the locals. This type of first-hand experience will allow me to step outside the perspective of your typical tourist, and will allow me to walk away with a raw, honest perspective as an active participant in the world.
DONATE: https://www.gofundme.com/serpguatemala/donate
Michael Serpell