00:00:08,000	S1:
Have you ever watched a movie and wondered how you could be involved in the process of making it? We'll be talking today about a program which offers teens this opportunity to hone their storytelling skills and learn how to make their own films. We have with us today. The co-founders of this program, Benjamin Patton and Scott Kinman. Welcome to the show.

00:00:30,667	S2:
Thank you. Thanks for having us.

00:00:31,868	S1:
So can you tell me what is Fred?

00:00:35,000	S2:
Well, Fred is, as you said, it's a it's a workshop that Scott and I created last summer. And it gives teens an opportunity to come to a natural setting, which happens to be Green Meadows Farm and right here in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, which my family happens to own and learn how to tell stories, how to develop the tools to to tell their own stories really through through the media of video and film.

00:00:59,467	S1:
And why the name Fred?

00:01:03,501	S3:
Fred is a little like ask Jeeves. Who is Jeeves? You know, Jeeves is an emblem. Fred is an emblem. Every workshop, every organization begins to develop its own personality. We've decided to name that personality. Name that persona. And it's Fred. And, uh, over the next couple of years, as Fred continues to grow and evolve with the student, filmmakers will begin to develop that personality. Who exactly Fred is so that before long, when people say, Fred, people know exactly who Fred is. Fred is now a toddler and growing into them, but before long, everybody will say, oh, I'm hanging with Fred this summer and everyone will know. That's the team workshop.

00:01:43,968	S1:
Mm. So can you tell us a little about yourselves and how you collaborated to create Fred?

00:01:49,567	S3:
Sure. Um, I'm a filmmaker in Denver, Colorado, and I have an organization called Educational Media Organization, or Emo, whose mission is using film video as a way to work with teens. So I work with a lot of schools and organizations in Denver. Um, been doing that for a number of years. And a couple years ago, through a mutual friend, Ben and I were introduced. Uh, he had been looking for an opportunity to do something like that. And his family had Green Meadow Farms, and we decided it was the perfect setting for a summer teen workshop.

00:02:19,467	S2:
And I've been down in New York City for about the last decade, working primarily for PBS, doing various specials for them in production. And as I said, we came up here and we looked at it and we saw this was our field classroom we looked at in the back fields of the farm down the street from here. And Fred was born.

00:02:37,167	S1:
Wow. So what kind of things do you think teens will be learning or taking away from the experience they have at Fred?

00:02:44,267	S3:
One of the keys to this workshop is is our focus is on story rather than not. We're using we're deep into using the technology as a tool. But the essence is, is story. I always tell people that that the camera is to our workshop what a pencil is to algebra class. It's a tool, but it's not the content. The content comes from our lives and our experiences. And so we want to, um. Number one, get kids deeper into understanding what film is. Why? What is this powerful experience that we pay $9 and spend two hours sitting in the dark, do fairly regularly? Uh, what is the power that caused us to do that? So they become critical consumers of film, and they begin to understand the theory, and then they get the opportunity to actually make film. And that that is, is a narrative skill. Um, there's project management skill, time management, collaborative skills. There's a lot of, uh, opportunity for kids to get deep into a process that's very valuable on a lot of different levels.

00:03:55,100	S2:
And I would add to that to say that, I mean, a key part of the fact that its story is that it's their stories as well. Sort of the Scott kind of kind of said, we're not putting something on on their plate that they have to then produce their what we're trying to draw out of them the stories that are most important to them. And and it's quite fascinating really to to experience that both for them and for us seeing what kinds of stories comes out of that, come out of these, these teenagers. And they're incredibly compelling, as you'll see later in the program.

00:04:22,100	S3:
I'd say that I'm I'm a better filmmaker of having worked with teens. Uh, you guys have fresh eyes. Um, we're kind of old and jaded now. Um, you guys have fresh eyes and a fresh experience. To be 1617 in 2007 is different than what it was to be that in the 70s, like we were. And so you have a whole different set of experience, a whole different relationship to technology, a whole different relationship to storytelling. And I think that's very important that that be brought out and nurtured and honored.

00:04:54,267	S1:
So is Fred only for teens who are interested in a career in filmmaking?

00:04:59,767	S3:
Not at all. Fred is for any teen who wants to have a really fun, deep, powerful experience for two weeks this summer. Some of these kids will get very deep into it and go into film, and maybe we'll go off into whatever direction they go off. But the skills and the experience we hope will resonate throughout whatever they do. Storytelling and the construction of narrative is a central skill for all of our lives in the workplace and our personal lives in understanding our own personal narrative. And that's what we hope kids will take out of it.

00:05:35,400	S2:
And there's a certain there are all these ancillary benefits as well, just in being able to work in groups. That's certainly an element of this. Is the group dynamic the responsibility of taking care of thousands of dollars worth of equipment. There's and really all that go along with these skills are also a confidence. You know, you develop a confidence in yourself, whether you're on camera or behind the camera or post-production, and all these things apply to someone, whether they're going into film or going to become an architect.

00:06:03,100	S1:
So tell us a little bit about this summer's workshop. When is it and what do you have planned?

00:06:08,567	S2:
Well, let's see the dates. This I think you'll be showing them up on the screen. This year we're going to have a two week program. It starts on July 16th through the 27th. It's a day program Monday through Friday. And, um, we're going to have 24 kids. We've about doubled the size from last year basically because the last year was so successful. And we've we've going to have four instructors and a bunch of equipment. And maybe Scott, you can talk a little bit about some of the ideas we have.

00:06:32,367	S3:
You know we're going to it takes us to 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. And it's going to be, uh, partially at Green Meadows Farm and partially at the Hamilton Wyndham Community House here. It will culminate on the 27th with the big community premiere of the film. Um, and, and, um, we'll, we'll spend the first couple of days doing theory and watching and talking and thinking about film. Then there'll be a number of film exercises where we get deep, and then and then teens will break up into, uh, smaller groups and begin to go actually into production on their movie. We're also looking at an opportunity for some of the more advanced and returning teens who have some, uh, some real skills now of working in the community to get a video commissioned that an organization actually pays us to, to make a film for them and get those kids involved, and actually making that professional production and and delivering that.

00:07:30,367	S1:
Wow. So how can kids sign up for the workshop?

00:07:33,767	S2:
Well, we have a number of ways. There is a although the program is here in Massachusetts, there's a number in my in my office, (212) 876-2528. There's also an email address which is Fred's Films at maximum. And then we were setting up a website which will be up in about the beginning of April, which is Fred's films. So there are a number of ways we do have spaces available, and we'd love to have folks from the local community sign up and bring their friends.

00:08:05,167	S1:
So what's the future of Fred? Do you hope to expand the program?

00:08:09,968	S3:
Absolutely, Scott. Do we hope that Fred like like all new parents, we hope that Fred will grow strong and and, uh, deep. Uh, we would love to. Um, we love our base here in Hamilton. And we think that that's a great thing. We would also look to bring kids from other areas, either from farther in the metro area or perhaps internationally. There may be opportunities to do Fred in the West or in Europe. So we're looking for because we also would like to get Fred deeper into places like the station and have some content development relationships with with this channel or with local businesses. I'd love to see the local teen production company sponsored by Fred.

00:09:01,467	S1:
Great, that sounds fabulous. So now we have two films that were made by past Fred's students that we can show you there, called An Eye for an eye and Info link. Do you think you could tell us a little bit about the films and set them up?

00:09:16,167	S3:
Sure. Eye for an eye is a very interesting film. It's very impressionistic. The story is is less linear and literal and more impressionistic, more moody. It's essentially about a blind witch doctor who, to regain his sight, must give an amulet to an unsuspecting person, who will then take his blindness and the rich doctor will get their sight. And it's, uh, it's a little creepy and moody and, uh, very imaginative in its in its visual sensibility.

00:09:52,968	S2:
And what's interesting about that film, too, is that, as Scott said, it sort of comes really out of the the work we did in theory and the and the and the various, um, exercises we did, because we showed a number of films which really focused on camera angles and, and light and dark and, and this was an example of somebody really taking that to heart and drawing it out in their film. And, uh, and then we have info link or mind control. It has kind of a combination title there, both of which are relevant. It's kind of how would you describe it? Kind of a big brother scenario.

00:10:26,000	S3:
Much a young, young farm kid who's become very interested in technology, uh, has a chip implanted in his brain that gives him full internet access, etc. in his eyes. And there's these amazing scenes of him walking down the street with the screens appearing in his vision, but unfortunately, his chip is hacked into by corporate America and they begin to control him. You'll see the consequences therein.

00:10:54,901	S1:
Wow, those both sound really intriguing. So let's take a look.

00:11:46,601	S4:
And.

00:16:31,801	S2:
The test subject is ready. I suggest that.

00:16:35,567	S5:
We now move into the next phase of the operation.

00:17:52,868	S6:
Michelle, I'm going to put your finger down right here. Right. Thank you. I'm just saying. Okay.

00:18:03,767	S7:
Are there any drinks?

00:18:06,100	S3:
You can get yourself? Some water.

00:18:12,667	S8:
Don't give the answer.

00:18:15,000	S3:
So how was your day?

00:18:18,200	S7:
It was fine. It's fine. All right. Chop more wood. And, um. I used the tractor and brought it over to the Westfield. Want to work as usual.

00:18:34,868	S3:
It's good. You're becoming a farmer, son.

00:18:38,868	S9:
They own this farm.

00:18:43,667	S3:
We want you to know just what to do when that day comes.

00:18:47,868	S7:
Sell it. Sell it.

00:18:50,501	S8:
To them.

00:18:52,367	S9:
This has been in our family for centuries.

00:18:56,367	S3:
The technology won't grow. The food. It's been good enough for several centuries. And it'll be good enough for a couple more centuries.

00:19:07,267	S7:
So, you know, I've been thinking. Maybe I can start working in town. My friend from school, he. He said he could get me a job at his dad's work.

00:19:20,467	S8:
You know, we need you on the farm here.

00:19:23,367	S7:
You have, like, 30 people working, but we don't. We need someone for your.

00:19:27,701	S3:
Family making sure they do it. All right. It's our family farm.

00:19:32,801	S7:
Can I be excused? All right.

00:19:35,901	S8:
Tuck in your chair. George, I'm worried about you. I found another one of those technology magazines in this room.

00:19:45,601	S10:
This is. This is the third one this week. I am really getting upset about this. I mean, he just. It's only hears about it. He doesn't seem to care about the porn anymore.

00:19:55,801	S8:
Doesn't care at all. I took three away from him, and he just keeps buying more. He knows we disapprove.

00:20:01,868	S10:
And now he wants to get that. That chip in his head. All that going on in his head, the music and information, it'll distract him from his work here.

00:20:12,167	S8:
It's just. He's just turned into such a selfish boy. I didn't know I raised him. Just selfish boy.

00:20:17,400	S10:
Even the farm is at stake here. For generations, it's been in our family and my only heir. There's only about technology, and I would be damned if I let him be taken over by technology. He is a farmer.

00:21:17,100	S6:
And a broken hill. I know it's not.

00:21:25,868	S7:
Hello, I'm Doctor Jim.

00:21:28,300	S10:
How are you?

00:21:33,501	S2:
So I understand you're here for the info link procedure?

00:21:36,667	S7:
Yep.

00:21:38,367	S2:
Well, then, let's get started. First, let me have a look at you.

00:21:45,467	S2:
Let's have a look at you.

00:21:49,000	S7:
Uh.

00:22:00,467	S10:
All right. So, Jim.

00:22:03,367	S2:
You have the info.

00:22:04,267	S7:
Link. Yeah.

00:22:04,968	S10:
Software on.

00:22:06,667	S11:
Uh, yeah.

00:22:13,100	S11:
Yeah, yeah.

00:22:16,100	S6:
I like that.

00:22:19,501	S11:
Looks good. All right. Here.

00:22:26,167	S11:
Let's have a look here.

00:22:30,367	S7:
Sure. Those are safe.

00:22:32,567	S2:
Oh, yeah. This has done this a hundred times.

00:24:31,400	S2:
So, Jim, what seems to be the problem?

00:24:34,300	S7:
Well, uh. My. I've been tripping and falling over. My motor skills are off a little bit. Uh. I'm twitching. You see that? And I, uh, you know, everything's going wrong. I, I, you know, I crashed my car. You know, I, I don't know it. I feel like there might be something wrong with the info link. Maybe.

00:24:53,667	S2:
Well, I've seen this from time to time. I doubt it's anything serious. Why don't you just keep an eye on it for a couple of weeks and then come back and see me?

00:25:14,067	S2:
As you can see. Gentlemen, the info link is causing.

00:25:17,000	S5:
The test subject to buy our products without question. Though minor errors still do exist.

00:25:47,501	S12:
Yo yo yo yo yo.

00:25:50,167	S13:
I believe we should remove the device within the next 48 hours and move on to stage three.

00:26:47,000	S5:
The experiment was a success within weeks. Our plan for global economic domination will be complete.

00:27:28,100	S1:
So we're back. I'm your host, Sophie Pitt, and I'm here talking to Benjamin Patton and Scott Kinman about their summer program, Fred, which is a workshop for teens who want to get involved in the filmmaking experience. So we just watched two of those student films, and I'm wondering what were some of the processes and procedures that students went through when making those films?

00:27:53,000	S2:
Let's do it. Yeah. Well, I mean, basically we first start by trying to get a sense of what films and what kinds of films matter and are compelling to the to the teens in the program. We spent a bit of time on that trying to find out what their likes and dislikes are, what kind of films they like. We show them key scenes, which I think demonstrate important filmmaking techniques from from classic films. And we also do something which I personally have found really rewarding for me, and a number of the students enjoyed it. Are these a number of exercises where we give kids a limited amount of these, these students a limited amount of time to go out and do a quick field shoot to achieve a certain certain objective and come back. And then we, uh, we show the films, talk about them, and from there we give them a few more tools, technical and otherwise teach them to storyboard again how to create a beginning, middle and end to a narrative and send them on their way wherever they want to go to make their films. And there's much more to it than that. But those are sort of the the key elements. Scott.

00:28:53,367	S3:
The key is, is, uh, you know, there's all this procedural stuff, there's scripting and storyboarding and shooting and editing, production, all that stuff. Uh, but the other piece is getting the kids to understand that they have something to say and that they have a story to tell that they're uniquely qualified to tell. And really validating that that everybody has something they need to say in the world and that this is an opportunity for them to do so. And I think, I think that's a, uh, one of the central tenets of this camp is, is helping kids to find their voice. And one of the, one of the, um, things that that's interesting from a teaching standpoint is to know when to jump in and when to back out. In the beginning, we're really trying to light a spark and get kids interested. Then there's a moment in which they get really into it and just take off. And at that point, our job is more like being the banks of a river. Their job is to flow, and we just sort of keep it from flooding and dissipating and just sort of keep it, uh, in a direction and, uh, you know, it. Film, video is this generation's world. This is where they live. This is their medium in a way that it hasn't been for any generation prior. My generation was all about watching, but this generation is all about production. They they own it. They get to make it. They get to create it. Things like YouTube and Myspace and that the accessibility of the equipment has made a whole revolution in terms of people's understanding that they can create content. Um, and so we we want to honor that kids and say, this is your medium. You know, go deep.

00:30:45,300	S2:
And we found, you know, they they they go in their own direction, both geographically but also and in terms of the story, but also in terms of the various media that are at work. For instance, we had one, one student who was one of the producers of the, of the film that, uh, the film was the name of it, the An Eye for an eye. Um, and in his film, one of the things he did is he composed the score? He had brought a brought a keyboard in there, a Midi keyboard, plugged it into the to our Final Cut Pro system or and began to just compose. So they they as I said, there's this there's this moment where just they just they just begin to, to follow their own path and we just step back and watch and just make sure that, you know, we keep them in the river. And it's it's quite a thing to see.

00:31:29,367	S3:
All the music that you'll see on the films that you saw in the films was composed during the workshop by kids using either GarageBand or soundtrack software using loops. Um, so this, this ideas are there, the stories are there. They shot, they directed, uh, they edited, they scored. Um, so this is really their work. And then they have an opportunity to show that, uh, at the premiere, uh, that we have at the community house, 100 people came and we had a big, uh, gala. Uh, but then they also on channels like this, we just showed films. All these kids now can say, hey, I filmed this on TV last night, and that's a that's a powerful sense of ownership. And they get to not only create content, but then see their content out there for other people to see.

00:32:14,167	S1:
And what effect do you think that has on on teens?

00:32:18,000	S3:
Uh, one of the things that I hope, um, first and foremost is kids, uh, feel that their voice is valid, that they, they have a voice, they have something to say in the world, and that they should say it, that not only do they need to say it, we need to hear it. And I'm all about kids standing up and being heard. Um, and, and I hope that they get the opportunity and the understanding of, of how to work with technology to tell stories, how to work collaboratively, etc..

00:32:53,167	S2:
You know, there's an interesting thing that came up early in our workshop last year, which is where we were going through and talking about some of the some of the students favorite films, and we would make a careful distinction or a directive, if you would, if you will, and say, tell us. You can say that you like or dislike a film, but if you say something is good or bad, then you have to defend it. If you say that's a lousy film, well then you've got to defend it. Nobody, nobody can question your vision if I like this or dislike that. But when you start to place a judgment on it, we make them defend it. And that's kind of interesting.

00:33:23,501	S3:
It's I think it's very important because we want to create an environment where people are safe, feel safe to have whatever opinion they want. And and we all get to like whatever we want, like doesn't equal good necessarily. And that's an important distinction. If somebody says something is good or bad, including us, we need to be prepared to tell our criteria that we made that distinction. But there's plenty of bad things I like. I love early 60s beach movies. Are they good? No. They're terrible, I love them. That's an important distinction. Um, and and that's, that's about creating an environment where kids feel really safe to be expressive and to

00:34:09,367	S3:
really show who they are and what their vision is.

00:34:13,467	S1:
It sounds like kids are really getting at a lot out of this.

00:34:16,667	S3:
We hope so.

00:34:17,367	S1:
Yeah. So, Scott, I know that you worked in the past as an educator in Denver. What kind of educational aspects do you try to bring to the workshop and how do you keep it fun?

00:34:27,267	S3:
Um, there's a number of ways to keep it from that. Making films is a fun thing. It's also a lot of work, but it's a fun thing. Uh, we also try to keep the mood light. Um, one of my strategies as an educator is not that I know it all, and they know it. My job is to impart information, but it's for us to explore together. Um, I also keep a large catalog of very bad jokes that will lighten the mood. Um, but in terms of what they learn, you know, there's there's some real tangible skills. Project management skills, collaboration skills, technical skills, and most importantly, I think narrative skills. Um, you know, and when I teach in, I teach a lot of inner city kids and in Denver and what I always tell people is it's sort of a sneaky literacy program. They come in excited to make films, but they leave knowing about the construction of narrative. And that is a skill that's transferable in a number of places. Whether they become lawyers, architects, plumbers, or the ability to construct narrative is is critical.

00:35:35,901	S2:
You know, there's there's something I want to add to that, just both from my experience in the, in the workshop, but also with Scott, is that there are sometimes these wow moments that both we have as instructors and they have as students, where, for instance, a film might be ostensibly about mapmaking or something like that, or geography. And and there's a point at which we as instructors realize that, gosh, that it's not there's a subtext there. And we do talk about that, and it's not necessarily about what it seems. And then the end and the greater epiphany moment, if you will, is when the student realizes that the film isn't necessarily about what they set out to make it about, it becomes it's got some other meaning underneath it, as you'll see, probably in all the films, uh, virtually all the films that we have, you'll see, you'll pick up a sub current that is.

00:36:21,000	S3:
Well, we're always as humans. There's there's always what we're talking about here and what we're meaning. And my our hope is that that the films operate on both levels. The teens are bringing, um, subtext in as well. And I think that's an important realm to understand and to work at. And it's important to say that we get a ton out of this experience, too. I think it's a it's it's a really, truly a dialogue. We get the epiphanies. There are moments where I, there are ecstatic moments where I feel like somebody just enlightened me to something. There's moments where I feel like together we've discovered something and it's a very powerful experience.

00:37:03,701	S1:
Wow. That it sounds like it would be a very valuable experience for anyone that was interested. And if you would like to get involved, you can call the number on the bottom of the screen and get in touch with Fred's Film Workshop. So thanks for watching. Bye.