Serendipity

I haven't volunteered at Film Action/Hollywood Theatre for... well... ever due to everything else going on. When I connected with Justen yesterday he suggested I take part in the Project Youth Doc. from Noon - 5 rather than my regular gig at the front desk of the office.

I had no idea what to expect and had the most wonderful afternoon! The big idea is that high school students spend a week with real filmmakers learning how to produce, direct, shoot and tech their own documentaries. The students are a hybrid of kids who pay for the opportunity and Boys/Girls Club students.


It started by me spending a little bit of time with a student from Boys/Girls Club who was working to edit his own video documentary on bonding with adults through cooking. As near as I could tell, the person with real influence in his life, who he also cooks with, is his youth pastor. Pretty sweet.

Then I got to sit in on a screening of the documentary Bloodlines and the Portland filmmaker, Rebecca Guberman, who was featured as an HIV positive teen, was there. Following the film (which has won big awards and been featured on MTV's True Stories) we sat with Rebecca while she talked to the students about creating something. She was delightful and challenging. She is a capital A artist, breathes in life and exhales beauty. I dont know that I have ever had the opportunity to sit with an artist, in this informal environment who spoke so passionately about the creative process and the value of art and following your heart, challenging the status quo in our expression, not settling. I think God must be delighted in her, while she is exploring life and the creation of the Creator who inspires her. It was invaluable and inspiring.


Then, I was placed with a team of 3 students who were given the following project. Shoot a short film on this block. Theme : compassion. In camera edit, tripod and handheld shots, wide, medium and close angle shots, creativity and 20 minutes. It was so cool to see this team of kids who come from different worlds come together to create something I was really proud of at the end of our 20 whole minutes. And again, training for me, while also putting to use what I have learned at Sunset. For the next week they and several other teams will be creating documentaries which will be shown at the Theatre on August 22nd.

I loved this whole experience.

I'm not sure what is going on... but the past few weeks I have been given amazing opportunities to serve, been challenged, yet loved every minute of it. I used to feel this way at work... but lately this muscle is being stretched outside of work... and I'm not going to think too hard about it, because I am totally loving it.