“We’re doing a Zombie film about Zombies created from pollution,” pitches Brianna Pereira from Boynton High School. And with that, week 1 of the Adobe Youth Voices program in partnership with Cinequest 2010 film camp kicked off last Saturday at Adobe HQ downtown San Jose.

31 next generation film-makers arrived on the scene ready-to-go. There are five teams: Flash Animation, Motion Graphics, Music Video, Stop Motion, and Video Documentary.

Over the next three weeks, they will work together with an educator that will lead and mentor them through the complete production life-cycle. Final films, all 10 minutes or shorter, will be screened a the Cinequest Film Festival 20 on Saturday, March 6 at Camera 12 Cinemas.

This was my first time covering the program and I was anxious to see how the creative process would play out in such a collaborative environment. Also, secretly in the back of my mind, I hoped I would learn a thing or two from all of these talented youth.

I’ve seen what teens can do with video and special effects these days, and it’s unbelievable. Imagine what a movie like Avatar will look like twenty years from now!

But those who know me, and read StarkSilverCreek, know that first and foremost, I believe in a solid story, with compelling characters, and a strong message above all else. After all, effects are great, but we are still moved by human emotion.

So I was pleased to see the week 1 pre-production sessions start off with heavy emphasis on exactly those elements. Storyboards, brainstorming, objectives, messages were all important discussion points, and you can see some of this happening in the video.

Community is also important. Bringing who we are into the creative process accentuates truth and believability. We must be honest and cherish our family, friends, streets—both good and bad—if we’re to deliver a real message.

This upcoming weekend the teams move into production. Time is of the essence! I can’t wait to see what happens next. And I’ll be there at the Cinequest screenings with a big smile, happy as punch to witness such an exciting creative process, beginning to end.

Oh, those Zombies. Just get them to water and then… well, listen to Brianna’s pitch to get a sneak preview of what may or may not happen.

Clinton Stark

Clint writes about new media, arts, wine, indie film, and tech (including his trusty Droid). An aging ice hockey player, he tries in vain to direct Loni in SSC videos. He's held executive marketing roles at tech companies including Cisco, EMC and Salesforce.com. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, he now lives in Silicon Valley. More »

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