Activist Documentary Program

Activist Documentary Program

It has always been the hope of those of us at GIFTS that our alumni would use their guerilla media-making skills to make waves in this world. And indeed, many do, as do our mentors. Whether it's preserving ancestral stories, or striving to protect an arctic wildlife refuge, GIFTed folks have made their mark in the world of activist-oriented independent media.

For this program, Leanne Allison (director, "Being Caribou") and Diana Wilson (producer, "Being Caribou" & "100% Woman") will mentor a Media Intensive Program with the goal of bringing together and empowering today's voices for change. Jennifer Abbott will be giving a workshop and providing critiques for the projects. If you are passionate about a cause, be it environmental, cultural or social justice, this course will give you all the skills and inspiration you need to spread the word with visual impact.

To get an idea of how far you can go, check out "Scared Sacred," a provocative and inspiring film by GIFTS co-founder, Velcrow Ripper, or Canada's most successful documentary to date, "The Corporation," co-directed and edited by GIFTS mentor, Jennifer Abbott.

We have decided to extend this course to allow for extra editing time, resulting in a cleaner completed project. The course will continue onto Sunday, April 9th, with the screening at 2pm on Sunday.

This is an excellent choice for any serious aspiring documentarian to fulfil the prerequisite for our Independent Media Producer's Program.

General MIP Outline - Focus on Documentary

• Sunday: Students arrive on Galiano Island (you will be met at the ferry terminal by the film school bus); check into rooms; introductions & ice breaking exercises.
• Monday: Media literacy, visual storytelling. Project development.
• Tuesday: Pre-production, Prepare & Schedule shoots, Tech workshops: camera, lighting & sound.
• Wednesday: On-location shoots, begin post-production - digitize and log/transcribe source footage.
• Thursday: On-location shoots, if needed; Complete transcribing, paper edit, begin editing
• Friday: Continue editing, sound design
• Saturday: Complete editing, creation of credit sequence, polish up odds and ends.
• Sunday: Public screening of the videos at 2 pm. Family and friends are welcome to attend. Catch the ferry home with a copy of all videos produced during the session.