Focus on Film!

What is our responsibility as artists to share our art, our passion, with the next generation?  How do we give back to the community that, hopefully, supports our creative energy?  Two women in Hong Kong have faced that challenge head on by taking their love of film making to the youth of the city.  Their method: Focus on Film. Elissa Rosati is a Director and founder of Focus on Film

I cannot speak highly enough of the effort that Elissa Rosati and Jacqueline Donaldson are putting forward to teach the fundamentals of film making, in a five day format, to  eager minds.  Jacqueline Donaldson is a Director of Photography Nine kids, with little or no experience in film or theater, met for the first time on Monday morning and by Friday afternoon, they screened, not one, but three short films in which they were the actors, directors, camera operators, sound operators, editors and producers.  In between lessons and shooting, Elissa and Jacqueline showed the students clips from movies to emphasize concepts with an infectious enthusiasm.  Actress, singer and dancer, Candy Lo showed her support There was even a half-day tour of Shaw Studios that ate into production time.  Even though the schedule was draining on everyone, the kids were eager to learn.  Sure, they got distracted from time to time, but they truly enjoyed the learning process. My art background is in still photography, but I’ve always been curious to know more about video/film.  So when I learned about the workshop, I asked if I might lurk in the background and take notes, maybe schlep a tripod or two.  Instead, it was suggested that I try to film a documentary about the class.  In five days, I learned the hard way the difference between what I do and what a film crew does; Ken Burns I am not.  Not yet anyway.  Aside from learning where I need to improve my film making skills – planning, planning, planning – the thing I appreciated the most was the way Elissa and Jacqueline conveyed their enthusiasm.  They made it fun to learn and I now have a much greater appreciation for all the people listed in the credits at the end of a film; even the best boy. I encourage other artists in Hong Kong to get involved with Focus on Film and spend some time supporting one of their workshops.  You’ll never have more appreciative fans. To get involved, visit www.focusonfilmhk.com.