Film and programme production workshop for children
Young filmmakers busy at work at the third instalment of the workshop.
With the objective to nurture creativity and to unfold the latent talent of the children, Bangladesh Shishu Academy has been organising Film and Programme Production Workshop for Children for the last three years.
To ensure children's overall development and to uphold the national culture, history and heritage, the academy has so far produced 41 films for children -- made by adults -- under the programme. The fourth phase of the initiative will start by the end of November this year.
“It was a 100-hour course with home reading, assignments and extensive hands-on practice. The main topics of the course curriculum included concept of communication, values of visuals, how video works, basic camera operation, shots, framing and composition, lighting, editing, scriptwriting, grammar of film and television, the production process and project work,” said overall project manager and coordinator Razina Akhter, of the academy.
Twenty-eight children (aged 12-16) took part in the first and second workshop each. Following the workshop, all the children were divided into four groups and were involved in the process of making films. From planning plots to screening films -- everything was done by children with support of the facilitators.
They produced four short films each year -- “Chhutir Ko'din”, “Putul Biye”, “Ora” and “Shopno Puron” in 2008; “Friendship”, “Duranto”, “Wish Fairy” and “Onisha and Tupin” in 2009. The duration of the films ranges between 18 and 22 minutes.
“We just give the children incentive, training, apparatus and access to shooting spots, and they materialise their dreams through making films. We believe, through the initiative, the future filmmakers will have the opportunity to develop their creative faculties,” added Razina.
“Friendship” revolves around a rare unmatched friendship between Antu and Rahat. Even though the friendship between the two is short-lived, one makes a great sacrifice for the other. “Wish Fairy” features a lonely child in the bustling city. Six-year-old Rishti is a very imaginative girl. She can give forms to her fancy with the help of a mirror.
Being divided into two groups, sixteen young filmmakers made two films -- “Amader Bondhu Chi Chi” and “Juta Rahoshyo” -- as part of the third initiative in 2010. The participants who directed the films in the third workshop are Labonno, Alien, Shovon, Raj, Nishi, Tasnim, Sady, Abir, Autonu, Shamim, Munna, Tithy, Taniya, Shupti and Ananna.
“The presence and delivering of motivational speeches by artist Mustafa Monwar, writer-educationist Professor Zafar Iqbal, litterateur-journalist Anisul Haque and others at the workshop inspired the young filmmakers,” informed Razina Akhter.
Unicef, ELCDP, CTFB, childrenvoice.com, Channel i, PRAN and others have supported the project three years in a row.
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