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State of the World's Children 2008

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theoneminutesJr.

Workshops 2008

Participants of the OneMinutesJr workshop in Turkmenistan checking their footage on one of the camera under the portrait of the Turkmen President.

Every year UNICEF organizes oneminutesJr. workshops all over the globe to give young people between the ages of 12 - 20 a chance to create their own one minute videos.

In 2008 twelve workshops were conducted throughout Africa, central and eastern Europe, and in the U.S., and covered themes ranging from daily life and dreams to education and HIV/AIDS.

UNICEF sponsored workshops in 2008:

Cairo, Egypt (20-24 February)
Munich, Germany (24-28 March)
Yerevan, Armenia (9-13 April)
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (12-16 May)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (21-25 May)
Astana, Kazakhstan (21-25 July)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (8-12 July)
Bujumbura, Burundi (27-31 August)
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (29 September – 3 October)
Skopje, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (26-30 October)
Guraghe, Ethiopia (12-16 November)
Abuja, Nigeria (13-17 November)

Visit the oneminutesJr. website to learn more about the 2008 workshops.

July 8-12, 2008 - Pittsburgh, USA

In July 2008, UNICEF ran their first official oneminutesJr. workshop in the USA. It was hosted by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) and involved young people from the Museum’s YouthAlive! Program (which involves young people from the community volunteering at the museum during the summer).

The theme of the workshop was Self-Portrait and the kids were asked to think about what they wanted to express about themselves or the world around them. Video artists Vivian Lin and Jennifer Petersson worked with the participants to develop their ideas. Videos ranged from a debate over Thomas Jefferson’s face on the nickel to feeling isolated, from a portrait of the city to a fairy tale recollection of a young woman’s homes. Many of the participants’ films related questions of identity and the process of figuring out who they were.

A number of the young filmmakers were featured in local papers and two were interviewed about the project on a weekend radio show. The films were screened to the public in the Museum’s theater, decorated with hand-made movie posters. The participants opened the show with various one minute exercises, including a relay and a description of all the films in 60 seconds. The audience was moved by the films and the participants, who didn’t quite know what they were getting into at the beginning of the workshop, were impressed with their work.

The films are currently featured on a monitor in the Children’s Museum.

Participants Nastya (right) and Sascha (left) listening to the presentation given by the UNICEF Health Officer.

July 21-25, 2008 - Astana, Kazakhstan

From July 21-25, 20 teenagers from all over Kazakhstan meet in the capital Astana to produce oneminutesJr. videos on health-related issues. The films he young people write, film and produce together will be show at an international conference supported by UNICEF, WHO and the Kazakh Government in Almaty in October this year to highlight the children's views on what is affecting their health.

Follow the Daily Diary here and look over their shoulders while they produce their oneminutesJr. videos!

May 21-25, 2008 - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

A few years ago, UNICEF Ethiopia launched the Speak Africa initiative, designed to provide platforms for young people across Africa to express their views and opinions through art and politics. Knowing there was already a vibrant community of creative and talented young people, UNICEF decided to bring a oneminutesJr. workshop to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From 21-25 May, at the Addis Ababa Golf Club, 18 young people picked up camera and story skills and made oneminutesJr. videos about “Identity and Image.” The workshop was led by Amsterdam artists Merel van t Hullenaar and Judith Leysner.

Before the workshop, kids were asked to think about their identities and the identity of their country. What does it mean to be an African, to be an Ethiopian? How do people perceive you and who do you want to be? These questions came with a new movement about “rebranding Africa,” from the former stereotypes (such as pictures of poor babies with flies around them) to a new persona. The kids took this task very seriously and many made films embodying their pride for being Ethiopian. From traditional coffee ceremonies to becoming an architect, their videos showed not only who they were as individuals but how they fit into a larger culture that is quickly moving forward.

The kids made movie posters advertising their films, which were on display at the first screening. They also prepared an entertaining variety show before the screening. Although the first screening was interrupted by technical problems, the films were eventually screened at UNICEF House to a crowd of friends, family and other filmmakers. The films were also presented, along with other African one minute videos, during the celebrations of the Day of the African Child on 16 June.

May 12-16, 2008 - Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Only a few weeks have passed since the OneMinutesJr team left Armenia after an amazing workshop with truly impressive films produced by the Armenian teenagers.

Now the oneminutesJr. project stops by in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the capital Sarajevo, 26 young people from different regions of the country have come together to produce oneminutesJr. videos on "education" from May 12-16, 2008.

Follow the Daily Diary to see how the work progresses.

A proud workshop participant with his Certificate of Participation.

April 9-13, 2008 - Yerevan, Armenia

The roads are blocked today in central Yerevan for the inauguration of the President. Nevertheless, 20 children have gathered at the Ani Plaza Hotel near the Opera Square at 9 o'clock in the morning to participate in a oneminutesJr. workshop. The oneminutesJr. have become "an institution" within UNICEF projects within the last five years. Since the first workshop in Budapest in early 2003, dozens of workshops have been held, training young people in video making and sharing their expectations, fears and wishes. While the first ever oneminutesJr. award winner also came from Armenia, this is the first time UNICEF organizes a oneminutesJr.workshop in Yerevan.

The children aged 12 to 17 come from the capital city but also from the regions. Some are also experiences young filmmakers, others are taking their first steps in the multimedia world.

After a short welcoming session with introductions of trainers and participants, the lights are dimmed for a presentation of the best oneminutesJr. videos produced in recent years. This gives the children a flavour of what is possible in one minute, what kind of genres, special effects and sounds can used. And it puts them into the right mind-set for developing their own stories. The oneminutesJr. concept is all about active participation. Actually, it is more than that. The children are expected to take charge of everything they do and the trainers "sit back" and observe the process, giving advice and guidance whenever necessary. From the very beginning, the mission is clear: 20 children will produce 20 oneminutesJr. videos within five days. They choose the topics, they write the scripts, they film and edit their movies. Full ownership is therefore guaranteed and since the children also feel this from the start, they immediately open up and share their most personal ideas.

Armenian workshop diary

March 24-28, 2008 - Munich, Germany

20 children and teenagers, 5 days, 20 films: The oneminutesJr.project stopped in Bavaria in March 2008. Young people from Munich and surroundings spent the second week of their Easter vacation in a video production workshop organized by PRIX JEUNESSE, IZI, UNICEF and the One Minutes Foundation from Amsterdam, and supported by the City of Munich.

The workshop topic was “Building bridges – This is my Munich,” so participants were asked for creative ideas about the city they live in, that could be shaped into very short movies. Every single film had to be exactly one minute long.

On Day 1, the trainers presented examples from other countries to put participants into the right mindset and demonstrate what is possible in just 60 seconds. The children learned different fi lming and editing styles and how they change a story. The next step was an individual “mind-mapping“ in which participants developed the basic ideas for their own films. They then presented their ideas to the trainers, who gave advice on giving the stories a different spin, making the visuals more intriguing, arranging the shots and finding the sounds they needed. This is the most important step in the process, because unless the idea is well drafted and clearly defined, it is hard to tell a compelling story in only 60 seconds.

Day 2 was spent arranging props. Imagine recreating Oktoberfest in the middle of March! Teens Franz and Justus organized their Lederhosen and Weisswurst, then set up in freezing cold and snow in the deserted “Wiesn.” Munich’s “Isar Monster” – truly a rival to Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster – now exists in a oneminutesJr.video, but first it had to be bought at a local toy store. Next came arranging the participants into groups, accompanying them to the set, and supporting them with camera work to make sure that everything on the shot list is done and can be used in the editing process.

The trainers worked to ensure that the children did as much as possible by themselves. oneminutesJr. is not just a participatory process; the children are encouraged to take charge, motivate and help each other. As a result, the two filming days were packed with action, trying to get as much as possible done despite the bad weather, and before editing started.

The trainers did the editing, but the young producers were always nearby to make sure their ideas, best shots and story-boards were followed. It’s impossible to teach editing in such a short time, so instead we provided insight into how things work and how pictures are assembled, enough for children to follow up the workshop with more fi lming and editing later on at home. The films were completed just in time.

A minute before Maya Goetz – head of PRIX JEUNESSE - began the workshop’s closing ceremony, the trainers ran into the screening room with all the films assembled on a laptop. The participants and their parents and friends, city officials, TV producers, PRIX JEUNESSE staff and even the trainers were stunned when they saw the full package for the first time. The city of Munich was revealed from many different angles, funny and serious, all produced by the children themselves in just 5 days. Bayerischer Rundfunk’s youth programme sent “talent scouts” to meet the young filmmakers; city officials promised to show the films at Munich’s 850th anniversary celebration.

February 20-24, 2008 - Cairo, Egypt

UNICEF’s final oneminutesJr. workshop sponsored by the Dubai International Film Festival took place 20-24 February in Cairo, Egypt. The workshop, generously hosted by the Goethe Institute, drew 18 participants from in and around Cairo to learn basic camera skills and create stories based on the theme “Daily Life.”

The kids ranged in age from 12 to 19 and had various levels of video experience – some had made films before, while others had never held a camera. They were asked at the beginning of the workshop to develop ideas about daily life – things they see everyday, dreams and goals them have for themselves, aspects of their lives. Alberto de Michelle and Jennifer Petterson, two artists from Amsterdam who represented the One Minutes Foundation, taught the participants about the camera, story development and production skills. Each participants created, shot and edited their one minute story with the help of the artists.

The 18 final films were shown at a screening at the Goethe Institute which was well attended by parents, friends and the community, including members of the Egyptian Radio and Television Union. Parents and participants stood up to give testimonials on their experiences and the impact of the workshop.