Los Angeles, CA, May 29, 2013—Students at Grover Cleveland High School’s Media Academy in Reseda continue to create social change with their video “Give and Take” to be screened at the Neon Venus Short Film Festival on Friday, May 31 at 7:00 pm, in Hollywood at the Neon Venus Theatre 7032 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.
“Give and Take” was created in early 2012 and continues to show its ‘legs’, a media industry term used to describe a long lifespan in the marketplace. “Give and Take’s” creative team used Mythic Challenges™ to map their story and script. Mythic Challenges™ is an English and Media curriculum developed by Pamela Jaye Smith of MYTHWORKS. The program studies each of the Millennium Project’s 15 Global Challenges through the lens of storytelling. Students find solutions by tapping into ancient myths and their meanings. To create “Give and Take,” the students used a modern day Robin Hood myth to highlight their interpretation of Global Challenge #7: Rich Poor Gap. Ultimately, the students-turned-media creators’ videos will be translated and distributed through the Millennium Project’s international partners.
James Gleason, lead film instructor at the Academy remarked, “My students were immediately engaged and motivated with “Give and Take.” In just a short time, the group was able to go to a higher level of thinking about their stories.” Evelyn Seubert, head of the International Media Class at the Academy, enthused, “My students were able to find the story structure and symbols that will move their audience to take action.”
The curriculum used for “Give and Take” was developed when Smith, along with Jill Gurr of Create Now, and Brian Dyer attended the Media Futures Think Tank, “State of the Arts 2011.” Jerome Glen of the Millennium Project delivered the keynote held at c3:Center for Conscious Creativity at the Los Angeles Film Center Studio. He and Kate McCallum, Chair of the Millennium Project’s Global Arts and Media Node, moderated the think tank where the project took form, ultimately finding its way to Grover Cleveland High School and the Media Academy.
About MYTHWORKS – A consultation and information company, MYTHWORKS features “Applied Mythology for a more Rewarding Reality.” It offers Mythic Themes, Archetypes, and Symbols for use in story, communication, leadership, and creativity. For more information, visit www.MYTHWORKS.net or call (323) 469-5681.
About Cleveland High School Media Academy – To make future filmmakers aware of media communication as one of the most powerful means of influencing the hearts and minds of people around the world, Cleveland High Media Academy teaches technical, intellectual and artistic skills allowing students to take the initiative, anticipate rather than react, and problem solve. For more information about CHSMA visit www.chsmediaacademy.org or call (818) 885-2338.
About c3:Center for Conscious Creativity – c3: is the Arts Node of the Millennium Project. The Millennium Project is a global participatory think tank that produces the annual State of the Future report, the Futures Research Methodology series, Collective Intelligence and related software, and special studies. The Millennium Project has about 50 Nodes around the world that identify participants, translate questionnaires and reports, conduct interviews, initiate and conduct special research, workshops, symposiums, and advanced training. The Millennium Project’s mission is to improve thinking about the future and make that available through a variety of media for feedback to accumulate wisdom about the future for better decisions today. www.millennium-project.org/millennium/LA-2030.