Do you like movies? Do you want to learn how to make movies? Well if so then you’re in luck because your own school, Washington Irving, has the right after-school program for you: the Video Lab.
The Video Lab is a film making workshop that teaches high school students how to create short films. The classes are free, and take place each and every Monday, from 3:00pm-6:00pm at The New School. The Video Lab website, thevideolab.org, explains what takes place in the workshop. The students learn how to handle a camera, lighting, sound and editing, including concepts such as cinematography and media studies.
This past semester, Washington Irving students involved in the Video Lab included seniors Michael, Marryam, Naresh, Carlos, Jahmel, and Tevin, the only junior. “It has opened up my creativity that I never knew I had,” Marryam expressed. “Live, laugh, film,” are the bold words coming from the senior Jahmel who teamed up with Carlos on their group project about the kind of music people listen to. Carlos himself also had some comments on his experience with video lab. “It’s a baby step to Hollywood
According to sources within the Video Lab, during the previous semester, the students started out creating self-portraits videos about things that identify who they are. As the semester winded down, for their last project the students were paired into groups of two. Tevin and Naresh made their video on what people like about New York City
The videos have apparently not yet been posted online, and Tevin had a few words to say about that. “I don’t know what’s taking so long. I am dying for them to be put up so everyone can see.”
The new semester of Video Lab has already started and the whole semester will solely and entirely be based on documentary films about communities, according to Alex, one of the film mentors. So if any students are interested in joining Video Lab next fall, see Emily in the college office.
