— Evanston Community Television (ECTV) launched a new program, Mentors Core Film School, where teens can produce a movie from concept to finish. Upon completion of this inaugural program, the young people will be able to create a short film from concept to fruition. By the end of Film School, the students will have collaboratively produced a finished film and have ownership of that production. Also, once completed, the film will air on ECTV channel 6.
Mentoring kids toward a creative goal that will give them ownership of that goal and the finished product is Mentor’s Core mission. The program makes for an excellent fit and aligns with the Dajae Coleman Foundation (DC3F), founded by Tiffany Rice, who lost her 14-year-old son, Dajae, to gun violence in 2013. The Dajae Coleman Foundation was instrumental in identifying the students who participate in the program.
The twelve-week class brings students together at ECTV after school, where instructors can mentor their innate creativity and nurture the talents of these young artists. The comprehensive training covers: story structure, scriptwriting, story boarding, aesthetics of the shot, camera operations/techniques, composition, acting, casting, scene design, directing, editing and more. The session will end with the production of a short film that youth can watch at home with family.
ABOUT ECTV
Mission
The mission of ECTV is to provide the City of Evanston, including residents and organizations, both civic and private, with the opportunity to have their voices heard.
ECTV Provides
The opportunity to ensure media access for the public, educational and governmental entities of Evanston
The tools, training and support the community needs to effectively communicate using advanced multi-media technology
An outlet for community expression, original content and alternative local media
The Evanston Community Television encourages all segments of the Evanston population to participate in local media through non-commercial video distribution
ABOUT DAJAE COLEMAN FOUNDATION (DC3F)
Mission
It is DC3F’s mission to uplift, encourage, empower, and reward our youth.
DC3F provides Evanston’s youth with the opportunity to maximize their potential by creating an informed and mobilized environment, which aims to enhance their quality of life, and develop them into men and women of integrity. DC3F offers programs that motivate the youth and instill positive values that help to guide them. It is a non-profit, community-based organization founded in 2013 to honor the legacy of Dajae A. Coleman, an exceptional young man who tragically lost his life to gun violence at the age of 14. Dajae exemplified positive characteristics that complemented his reputation as a loving son, model citizen, loyal friend, honor student, and elite athlete.