A slice of Hollywood has come to a South Coast junior high school.
The “Youth Cinema Project” is giving some sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students in Ventura County the chance to learn about everything from writing to teamwork.
More than 30 students are divided up into three groups, working on a trio of short films in Andrea Yamamoto’s classroom at Pleasant Valley School of Engineering and Arts. It’s crunch time for the Camarillo students. The projects have to be done this week.
Paris Weisman is one of the student directors. She says it’s a fun, but challenging project, because it’s hard to get everyone focused on the same vision for the film. The project is intended to provide the kids with some challenges, and come out of the experience with the foundation for careers in the field.
Yamamoto says grant funding from the Ventura County Office of Education and the support of the Youth Cinema Project make the program possible at the Camarillo school.
The short films will have a real Hollywood ending. They will be screened this month as part of the Youth Cinema Project’s Film Festival in Los Angeles, an event hosted by the powerhouse Hollywood agency CAA.
