KIDS FIRST! News

The mission at Listen Up! is to help youth be heard in the mass media, contributing to a culture of free speech and social responsibility. Listen Up! is a national Youth Media Network that helps youth producers and their adult mentors exchange work, share ideas and learn from one another.What do youth fear? How do they build security in their lives? Check out their Peabody Award-winning short documentaries by youth filmmakers worldwide — Beyond Borders: Personal Stories from a Small Planet. http://listenup.org/beyondborders In this interview with Austin Haeberle, Creative Director at Listen Up!, tells us how his work with Listen Up! affects his own life.

CP: Could you please give me an overview of how your organization works and a sample of a typical day for you?

AH: At the Listen Up! Youth Media Network, we provide technical, organizational and financial support to over 100 organizations that help young people tell important stories through media production. Our mission is to help young video producers and their allies connect to resources, support, and projects to achieve an authentic youth voice in the mass media. While most days seem humdrum in meetings & sending emails, it can be pretty exciting stuff.

I’m producing a worldwide project with 14 youth production teams in nine countries, showing how they interact with the environment and what youth are doing to solve environmental problems.  We’ve had a little luck in the past with similar projects, landing broadcast homes on PBS, the Independent Film Channel and Current TV.  Our last project, “Beyond Borders:  Personal Stories from a Small Planet,” even netted us a George Foster Peabody Award which many consider the highest honor in American Television.  

So, while most days I’m behind a computer screen, helping groups make connections, other days find me working with groups in different parts of the United States or other countries.

CP: Some of the kids’ films I saw dealt with some pretty heavy topics. Do you have counselors on staff that help the kids work through their issues while filming?
AH: You don’t ask easy questions, do you?  Youth filmmaking has a history of dealing with really heavy topics:  suicide, war, homelessness, sexuality, abuse, AIDS & HIV, environmental destruction, etc.  For many youth filmmakers, their films are attempts to work their way through issues that have dogged them from very early ages.  They’re also reaching out and touching other young people who may be experiencing the same types of issues. 

AH: In order for youth to be able to honestly reflect on their own experiences and communicate those experiences in a manner that others will understand, empathize and learn, it takes great mentorship that balances youth development skills and filmmaking talents.  So, while many youth media organizations don’t have counselors for traumatic issues on hand by default, youth media experts are adept at finding resources on the fly — getting help when they need it.  It’s one of the great skills that come with filmmaking — you are very quick at accessing resources that you don’t immediately have at your fingertips. 

CP: Please give me an anecdote of a student whose life has been significantly affected in a positive way through Listen Up!

AH: Meet Mohamed Sidibay, a 15 year-old soccer player going to high school in an affluent New Jersey suburban town. Listen Up! has had a lot of influence on him, but we’re only a part of caring network of individuals worldwide who have made the security and health Mohamed their business.  

He was born to a good family in Sierra Leone, but like so many tragedies there, he was swept into an unthinkable situation.  By the time he was 5 years old his parents and family were killed and he was forcibly recruited into a rebel army to carry weapons and kill.  We met him when he was 10, demobilized only two years prior, and learning computer skills with the iEarn center in Freetown.  Mohamed and his team made a film with us about his life — a film that has been broadcast on TV here in the States, on CNN International and in film festivals worldwide, earning awards along the way.

Mohamed joined us in New York last June to receive the George Foster Peabody Award.  Long story short, he never went back and now has beautiful host family in New Jersey and is doing what he has always wanted to do:  play soccer & go to school.

CP: Please give me an anecdote about a student who changed you and your way of thinking through film.

AH: Youth filmmakers often give me perspectives that I haven’t been able to articulate or they sometimes outright challenge assumptions that I’ve made about what it means to grow up in times of enormous complexity and change.  Usually, youth don’t mince or filter their words, or as they say, they like “keepin’ it real.”   Salim Muslim’s piece “Losing My Way,” which is featured in the Kids First! film selection, keeps it real by dealing directly with Salim’s own bi-polar disorder, his struggle between the “positive and the negative.”  He fits the part of a disenfranchised black youth growing up in Brooklyn, or does he?  Through movement and sound and word, he helps me grasp the enormity of his disorder and what it means to grow up in troubling times.

CP: What advice would you give producers/educators who want to work with kids in film?

AH: Stick with it and be patient.  If you don’t have a high tolerance for “things not going as planned,” youth filmmaking is probably not for you.  There’s usually an element of drama involved in youth filmmaking, and that drama is not always on screen.   With a lot of patience and good spirit, youth will rise to the occasion and meet the high standard of work that you should demand from them.  It will take longer than you planned, but the impact will be on the faces in the audience as well as the kids behind the camera.
 

CP: Are your daughters involved in this program directly? If so, in what facet?

AH: Don’t get me started with my daughters Anna and Bella who are now nine and six.  Anna and her friend Lily are in pre-production on some sort of docu-drama and have already began to shoot.  At times they ask for input, but most of the time, mum’s the word.  I’m sure I’ll make a fine driver between shoots.  While too young to be a part of Listen Up!, they’re only a few years behind in age and maturity.   

CP: Is there anything you would like to add?

AH: The Listen Up! Youth Media Network is only a small part of a movement that values the ideas, experiences and voices of youth.  The work of organizations like Kids First! and the many venues across our country and around the world that feature youth-made films helps bring our work full circle.  This is valuable work, not just for us, but youth filmmakers and their organizations who are constantly looking to reach new audiences to broaden what it means to be young and live on this planet.

The first five readers who go to http://www.kidsfirst.org/contact-us/ and tell us what they love about the “Kenny the Shark Series” will receive their very own copy of “Kenny the Shark: Catch a Wave!” Make sure you include your email address so we can let you know you won.Hang ten with Discovery Kids¹ human-friendly shark when “Kenny the Shark: Catch a Wave” splashes onto DVD June 3rd from Genius Productsand Discovery Kids. This is the 3rd volume of the “Kenny the Shark” series, which continues to attract fans on the Discovery KidsChannel. A two-time Environmental Media Award Nominee for Children¹sAnimated Series in 2004 and 2005, “Kenny the Shark” allows kids toabsorb a wealth of fun fish facts by sinking their teeth into thedaily adventures of a loveable Tiger Shark. In “Kenny the Shark: Catch a Wave,” Kenny and his human friend Kat make waves in and out of the water as they learn how to surf, create home movies and discover special talents. There¹s no telling what exciting things will happen when these two friends get together for some summer fun, with 77 minutes of summer-themed episodes including Kenny¹s Home Movie: Attack of the Flying Sharks featuring real-life shark footage from Discovery¹s³Shark Week² and a special bonus episode of “Growing Up Creepie.” The“Kenny the Shark: Catch a Wave” DVD will be available for thesuggested retail price of $12.95.

CP: Please tell me the story behind Wubbzy. How did it come about and what direction do you see the show taking?SM: Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! is the first television series from told Bolder Media, Inc.. A company I and formed with my partner Fred Siebert. Fred and I combined our experiences in creating entertainment for children (the movie, “Ella Enchanted”; television series “Fairly Odd Parents”, Shari Lewis’ “Lamb Chop”, ‘Powder Puff Girls”). to create a company focused on television, books, digital media and films for young children and their families.Wubbzy was created by Bob Boyle and is based on the story told to him by his then 10-year-old niece Viviana Ogawa. We are in production of our second season (in Burbank, California) and we are introducing exciting new things including a new girl named Daizy, a disco dancing Wubb club and a magical Wubbmobile.CP: What were some of the more difficult elements in animating, and how did you overcome them?SM: Creating a great cartoon takes the work of over 100 people — artists, writers, actors, composers, animators, directors, editors, directors and more. We are lucky to have a great crew, led by Bob Doyle and our supervising producer Kevin Kolde. They manage to keep the creative process moving, while paying attention to team morale, budgets, contracts, computers, deadlines and all else involved in creating a hit cartoon series.CP: Please give me an amusing/interesting anecdote from the filmmaking process that readers can relate to and make them feel like they have a connection and inside scoop to the film.SM: Our creative team really enjoys the characters of Wuzzkeburg. And one of their favorite things to do is create their own art with Wubbzy and his friends and all kinds of crazy places and poses. A few months ago they sent us a Spiderman version of Wubbzy… red and blue outfit and all. They also create movie posters with our characters based on classic films like “King Kong” and others.CP: In your opinion, with all the great shows out there, what makes Wubbzy so appealing and such a hit with children?SM: Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! has the elements that we think make a children’s television series a hit with children. The three H’s… heart, humor and huggability. Wubbzy is the type of character children can relate to and want to be their friend. Also, Wuzzleburg is such fun-filled place… I know I would love to live there, too.CP: What does it mean to you to have “Wow Wow Wubbzy” in the KIDS FIRST! Festival?SM: It is Wow! Wow! Wonderful! to have Wubbzy and his friends participate at the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival. We hope that children along with their mons, dads, teachers, grandparent have a chance to see our show and get to know Wubbzy and his friends.CP: Is there anything you would like to add?SM: Our show appeals to children all of the world. Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! is currently airing in England, Australia, Argentina, Brazil and throughout Latin America. The show is being dubbed into Spanish, German, Arabic, Hebrew, French and Italian, with many more countries and languages to follow.

Kevin Watkins, of the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival selection “Hose” tells the story behind his story in which a garden hose in search of adventure discovers that the grass isn’t greener on the other side. In fact, there isn’t any grass on the other side.

CP: Where did you get the idea for this film? What’s the story behind it?

KW: I came up with the idea for “Hose” over 10 years ago. I had just been promoted to ‘Creative Director’ at an advertising agency I was working at in South Africa. At the end of the first week I realized that I had started a transition from a creative person to a manager. I was suddenly dealing with minutia like parking allocations and approving expense accounts. The recognition that I was not going to be happy was pretty swift. So I started pondering what else I could do. There were aspects of the job that I enjoyed more than others, in particular making commercials. I had just completed a campaign involving stop-frame animation and was intrigued by the magic of film – a series of still images presented sequentially creating the illusion of movement and time. The idea that between each of those frames a great deal of time and effort could go into making each frame was, and still is, fascinating to me. I really wanted to create something more meaningful than 30 second commercials. Something that had emotional resonance. But I had no idea what that would be.

As I was thinking about all this, my sister was watering the garden. As I was watching, the garden hose struck me as being ‘sad’. I started thinking about the characteristics of a hose – like when you turn on the tap and the back-pressure causes a hose to move on its own. I pondered the world of a hose – what happens when everyone is away at work? What would the hose think if it explored the inside of the house for instance? I dismissed the idea initially, but it stuck with me. More and more ideas started to generate, almost automatically. Eventually I decided to write a script and from there we get to where we are today…

CP: What is your background? What got you into filmmaking and what has been your favorite project so far?

KW: When I was 18, I wanted to get into filmmaking, but my parents discouraged me – very few people were making a living in South Africa shooting films. So I went to art school and then took a job in as an Art Director. I did quite well, winning awards all around the world, getting written up in the press etc., but I yearned to create something that had more depth. In 1999, I was brought to the USA by a large multi-national advertising agency. That was the beginning of the end.

New York has a wealth of adult educational opportunities, which I took full advantage of – learning more about all the disciplines of filmmaking; editing, writing etc. As with a lot of New Yorkers, 9/11 had a huge impact on me – I decided to get out of advertising. Using some of the skills I had learned, I developed and sold a series of viral ads for RCA. With the money, I set up a production company. Slowly but surely, I started to escape the dark, murky world of advertising (aIthough I still freelance occasionally– it’s better than bartending, but not much!) “Hose” has been the most challenging and the most fun I have had so far. During the course of shooting I spent an entire summer outdoors, creating this crazy film. I was super fit, tanned and grinning from ear-to-ear most of the time. The fun of it was to be a child again.

CP: How did you go about making ‘Hose’ and how long did it take?

KW: When I first came up with the idea for “Hose” (1999) it was practically impossible to make the film as I envisioned it – stop-frame animation shot outdoors. I had also written the film as a feature. As strange as this might seem I had never been exposed to short films. Growing up in apartheid South Africa, with sanctions and international isolation, I had no concept of a film outside of a full-length picture. It wasn’t until I came to the USA and discovered Atom Films, iFilm etc. that I realized that you could make short films. (I am now an avid collector and fan of the form.)

At the time I also had a group of friends, all in advertising, brought over from the same ad agency in South Africa (a by-product of the dot.com boom) who were just as miserable as I was. We started a support group called ‘Anglers and Writers’ (after the bar in Soho) with the intention of encouraging each other to work on projects outside of advertising. This forced me to continue to re-write the script and get it down to a manageable length. After making a couple of short films that had some success, I was looking for the next project when a friend of mine who had read ‘Hose’, suggested I figure out a way to make it.

Interestingly, in the 10 years since the initial idea, technology had progressed a great deal and it was not only possible, but I could do most of it myself and at high definition resolution, using a digital still camera.

Looking out my window at home one afternoon, I wondered if I could take the construct of the film (which by that stage was set in a suburban home) and adapt it for the scenes in front of me. One of the most important lessons I learned doing all those New School courses was to use what you have available to you. I’m also a big believer in the theory that a problem is not a problem, but an opportunity to do something better. The idea of scaling down the film and making it work in these secret gardens that exist behind the vinyl-siding homes was much better than what I originally conceived. From there it was ‘simply’ all about figuring out how to make the film and finding people to help. Three years later we’re finally done!

CP: Please give me an “insider scoop” anecdote from the filmmaking process.

KW: The incredibly talented animators who helped me create the film love to remind me of an email I sent them shortly after we started. In it I outlined, in detail, how long I thought the film would take and when the film would be completed. With pencil, paper and a calculator I had worked out that the film would be done within 6 months, easily. For some reason none of them believed me and kept that email. Three years later they are still enjoying the folly of my ambition that afternoon.

CP: What lessons have you learned from filmmaking that you’d like to pass along to other producers?

KW: Double the time you think it will take.

Make it short. Less than 10 minutes is ideal. Get it to under 5 minutes if you can.

Show it to as many people as you can before you lock picture.

Make it funny.

Do a really, really tight animatic if you’re doing animation.

CP: What does it mean to you to have your film highlighted in the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival?

KW: Well, it’s a great opportunity to ‘share the pain’! I have two babies in my life – ‘Hose’ and Nadja Iris Watkins (currently 9 months). As a new father I want my daughter to be exposed to wonderful, imaginative and inspiring content. Organizations like this dovetail perfectly with that objective.

Additionally I welcome the attention that the film is getting. The more exposure we can generate, the better. Making a film is really hard. Getting it out there is probably even harder. A forum like this benefits all filmmakers, particularly those of us interested in making great shows that will hopefully inspire the next generation.

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