This summer, I took part in the National Youth Leadership Forum’s Digital Media, Film & Journalism program. While attending, I roomed with six other girls in a Manhattan College dorm room. Over two hundred kids were split into groups of around twenty-five, then sent off to learn. Each day consisted of a jam-packed, but exciting schedule. During the seven days that I was there, I was able to meet and befriend many new people, all the while learning and participating in many fun activities and challenges.

Throughout the week, my group and I worked on a digital publication entitled Heartbeats of the Streets. We walked around popular spots in New York City, such as Times Square and Rockefeller Center, and interviewed locals, tourists, and even street performers about life in the city. Each of us took on the roles of either reporter, photographer/graphic designer, or editor. After creating and customizing our own website, we published three articles containing both pictures and videos. It was interesting seeing how the people and jobs that go into creating a publication play out, and in the end it truly was a team effort.

During our three days spent at the New York Film Academy, we were split into groups of five, then asked to interpret a dialogue and come up with the story behind it. We then spent the second day filming our scene. We were each given the position of either actor, cinematographer, sound, or director. Learning the inner workings of the movie camera and spending hours filming on a hot day in Battery Park was very tiring, but nonetheless, exciting and overall a great experience. On our last day at the New York Film Academy, we imported all of our footage onto a Mac computer, then opened them up in the editing program Adobe Premiere Pro. It took hours to edit only a minute long scene, but since video editing is my strong suit, it was enjoyable for me. Our movie turned out well, and we were all proud of ourselves in the end.

This program offers eye-opening insight into the world of digital media, film, and journalism. Looking back on it, I can easily say that it had been one of the best experiences of my life. I walked away with new knowledge, new ideas, new friends, and a taste of college life. I would recommend this program to anyone interested in this career field and would strongly encourage them to consider attending.

Heartbeats of the Streets: http://heartbeatsofthestreets.weebly.com/