This summer, 16 talented young artists will become filmmakers.  Working with industry pros and world class gear, they will make movies that change the world.

PROJECT YOUTH DOC participants (age 13-16) will complete an intense course in documentary video taught by professional filmmakers, using pro production equipment, industry standard lighting, sound gear, HD cameras and Final Cut Pro equipped Macs.

PYD students create documentaries focusing on the most powerful force in our society today: their own voices.  By turning the camera inward, they explore issues important to their lives and the lives of other project members. Working in small teams, students go through the process of producing, filming and editing a short documentary from start to finish.

In August, we celebrate the finished films with a premiere on the big screen at the Hollywood Theatre.  All students also receive a copy of their completed work on DVD.

PYD Alum Anoush Shirzadegan now attends Film School at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and had this to say:

Participating in Project Youth Doc was a great introduction into using professional level equipment. I was also introduced to local independent filmmakers, and got to meet other young people in the area interested in making movies. I am…preparing to make a career out of filmmaking. PYD was a great introduction into what this lifestyle could be like, and I use things I learned there even now. PYD really made me start thinking about film more at a professional level as opposed to just something I would do for fun.

View past PYD projects: blip.tv

2011 PYD Supporters: Comcast, The Herbert A. Templeton Foundation, LAIKA, PGE, The Juan Young Trust, The Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission

PYD 2012 will begin enrolling in early spring.  For more information about the program please contact Ledah Wilcox, the Hollywood Theatre’s Education and Outreach Coordinator: ledah[at]hollywoodtheatre[dot]org.