media classes
Beyond the Ball wants to help local youth tell their own stories--not to have stories told by outsiders in the news media or Hollywood. With that in mind, we started teaching classes on shooting and editing video to craft stories to youth at Little Village Lawndale High School. Last Spring, with the help of LISC/Chicago and TuMultimedia, our first class was offered and we have built upon our success this year.
Students learn aspects of storytelling through video, the technical specs of shooting, how to interview a subject, and how to assemble a meaningful story over a ten-week period.
Jesus Martinez, a Little Village resident who has with Beyond the Ball since 3rd grade, learned enough last Spring to parlay his skills into a business he co-founded with his twin brother, Oscar, called Twin Films. Currently, Jesus is a full time college student, but his business generates enough revenue that he was able to buy a new house for his family. You can read Jesus Martinez's story here.
Jesus also performed some freelance work for LISC/Chicago, highlighting the work of the Chicago Training Center at the Lincoln Park Regatta, which you can see below. It is great to see Beyond the Ball's participants forging successful careers.