Beginner After School Program - Fall 2021
Event Information
About this event
**This course runs for eight consecutive Thursdays - beginning October 14th through December 9th - the same Zoom link & password will be used each week. To receive the Zoom conferencing information, please register on Eventbrite and the link will be sent in the confirmation email**
Course Description:
In 2021, Reel Stories online will host 8 consecutive online classes introducing students to the world of filmmaking. Each Thursday afternoon (PST), our students will meet together online for an hour and a half to learn a new aspect of filmmaking: media literacy, story development, scriptwriting, storyboarding, cinematography, art department, sound recording, foley, and an introduction to animation. Students will be encouraged to complete mini tasks related to each week’s topic that they feel inspired by to enhance their understanding of the filmmaking process and receive feedback from their classmates and their instructor. This program is unique in that you do not have to be based near our offices in Northern California to participate - you can join us from anywhere in the world!
**Our program is open to girls and non-binary students ages 12-18.**
Details:
Filmmaking classes will be held on Thursdays at 4 p.m. PST via Zoom from October. 14th through December 9th. We will have Thanksgiving day off. Every week our media teacher will be focusing on another aspect of filmmaking. We ask that students try to commit to the full 8 weeks to get the most out of the experience, but if you cannot make one week we will be able to send you the recording so you don't miss anything. By the end of this after school program, our goal is that students will have a better understanding of how to create a short film and will be prepared to advance to the next level in their filmmaking aspirations. This is a beginner course - no prior experience is required. We only ask that our students come curious and open-minded about the endless possibilities of storytelling!
WHO: Women and Non-binary youth ages 12 - 18
DATES: Weekly Thursdays October 14th-December 9th
TIME: 4:00 PM PST - 5:30 PM PST
WHERE: Zoom
Media Teachers:
Yasaman Ford: Yasaman is a Reel Stories alum, Instructor and Program Coordinator for the Reel Stories programs at BAVC Media. She graduated from UCLA in 2020 with a Bachelors in Film and Television with a Concentration in Documentary and Digital Media.
Technology needs: Students should have access to a smartphone with video capabilities or a DSLR camera, and a laptop that can run Zoom.
Cost: $250, though we are able to offer sliding scale discounts to students who need financial support. We never turn anyone away due to lack of funds.
Who We Are:
Reel Stories is an Oakland-based nonprofit that aims to train, mentor and support the next generation of female-identifying/non-binary filmmakers and creators. Our small yet mighty team has been working relentlessly to transition all of our in-person workshops into a digital-friendly format for people of all ages, genders and backgrounds.
Virtual Classes:
Since Reel Stories transitioned to virtual learning in March 2020 we have discovered that our youth are craving community now more than ever - and we are working to hold space for their creative needs, while seamlessly staying true to our mission of training the next generation of female-identifying and non-binary filmmakers. We encourage you to share and enjoy access to our content no matter where you are in the world - welcome to our online community!
We never turn anyone away due to lack of funds & have a number of scholarship/sliding-scale options available. For information about scholarship opportunities, or general programming questions, please email
For questions, please email the Reel Stories Program Coordinator Yasaman Ford at yasamanford@bavc.org
Organizer Reel Stories
Organizer of Beginner After School Program - Fall 2021
Reel Stories believes that when women and non-binary people are better represented behind the scenes in the media, they will be better reflected on the screen. We are a non-profit organization that empowers young women and non-binary youth with the skills to create their own media, to view current media critcally and thoughtfully, and to aspire to leadership in their field.
"It's a place where I've realized what my voice can look like. It's a great motivator to have these women come in from the business who have found their voices so totally and seem to know right where they want to be and that's where I want to be." - Reel Stories Student
"I just want to say again how wonderful your curriculum was for this camp. A lot of acting/media/theatre schools and camps forget the larger question of semiotics and a critical stance, and fail to connect the 'yay! I get to be a move star for a day' to the larger questions of what media means, why feminism matters in relationship to it, and how girls' creativity fits into this larger framework. Ella has been daily telling everyone about the Bechdel Test -- it's as exciting to her as getting to see herself on YouTube. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" - Reel Stories Parent