Fig media and Rock for Kids partner to help make a difference in music education. One of the many ways fig has gotten involved is to create a short film to help Rock for Kids raise money and expand their message.
Executive Producer James Gustin and Director Melissa Martens talks about creating the short.
James:
Fig and Metro Chicago have a long standing history, in particular a relationship between myself and Joe Shanahan (Owner of The Metro). A relationship that has lead to many opportunities that we are grateful for. Joe has been a big champion of ours and we are so appreciative to him for offering us the opportunity to work with Rock for Kids. The partnership just makes sense. Fig is an organization of artists that value and understand the importance of arts education in Chicago and Rock for Kids is making a big impact. Being invited to be on the board for communications fits right in with our mission. Our team at fig picked up and embraced the organization right away. We saw both long term opportunities to get involved and a place to fill an immediate need. Rock for kids had “video,” that’s what we call it, “video.” with quotes. They did not have a film. Two very different things and this is where we came in.
Melissa:
It all started with an email. I was copied on an ask for a pro-bono “video” for the non-profit called Rock for Kids. After I looked up the mission of the organization, I knew I had to get involved. As a product of the inner city Chicago Public Schools system, I know the value of an arts education. Reading in the papers about cuts in arts education and music enraged me. I felt helpless to make a difference in a system that once offered me so much support. The arts classes I took in school inspired my career path and I just could not imagine my childhood without them. When James told me about Rock for Kids, I was so excited to be able to give something back. The timing was perfect. Fig had just invested in new cameras and I was itching to have an excuse to learn them. This would be my first Canon 5d MarkII film.
After meeting with the Rock for Kids team and talking things over with James Gustin, I was inspired to create something simple, a trailer.The time line of the project was driven by the classes. They were ending for summer and I had a short window (2 weeks) to film the classes in action. Nothing like a deadline to speed up the creative process. I wrote three versions of the scripts before settling on the version we produced. All the scripts involved voice over of kids. I was nervous that I might not have enough time to direct a large group of kids to get the tone that I wanted in the amount of time that I had access to them. I knew I needed a new plan.
The night before we were going to film the first class I was researching music videos online. Looking for inspiration. I remembered a film/music video I had seen by Bob Dylan:Subterranean Homesick Blues. As soon as I found a copy of it, I knew it was perfect.
It was simple. Thoughtful. Powerful. The idea referenced rock and roll and allowed me the freedom to spend more time directing the kids to feel comfortable on camera with less pressure on getting a good sound bite. Perfect! I adjusted the scripts and decided on a visual direction.
The decision to go black and white was governed by a major force: Post-Production time line. I would love to say that my choice to shoot black and white was by design. It was not. Sometimes true creativity comes out of figuring out how to do the work, do it well and deliver it on time.
It was a risk shooting on a camera that I was unfamiliar with. Even though I had backed myself up with Claire shooting documentary style footage in color on our Sony cameras. I was learning the MarkII’s and knew that I would need to draw on my basics from film school and photography. My professors never let me graduate to color until I knew the ins and outs of black and white. If I thought I was going to change it to black and white later in post- why spend hours rendering the files in post. It would be faster to shoot it all in black and white and go back to the basics: shoot everything on a tripod when the situation allowed. One of my favorite things about this project- none of the footage is color corrected in post. You see it exactly the way I shot it. It wasn’t until I got into editing that I realize the coincidence of my choice. The Rock for Kids branding was black, white and red.
The morning we were to head out I bought a piece of white foam core for $2 from Walgreens- and set out to film the first class. We covered 6 classes in the course of 2 weeks from the South Side to the West Side- in and out of schools and community centers.
Filming brought me back to my own experiences, seeing these big spirits filled with such potential in little bodies reminded me of my own little spirit- just wanting to burst into song. I remember standing in my grade school auditorium with my Chorus teacher (whose name I wish I could remember, but whose influence I will never forget). He kept me after class that day to help me learn how to sing correctly. I had been belting out notes in class so loud that I was straining my voice. All I wanted to do was sing my heart out- but didn’t know that I was doing more damage then good. He set me in the center aisle facing the stage and dismissed everyone else. He told me to listen to the sound of the space, the sound of the piano and to try and fill the space with music- not volume. I remember vividly the moment I sang correctly. It took a few times for me to understand the concept. Standing eyes closed tight, fists balled up, head back- deep breath and the release. Hearing my own voice ring out in the space gave me chills. The hairs on my neck stood straight up. I started to understand what flow meant- not fighting the piano, but joining it. I got to the last verse of the song and started to cry, then burst into laughter. It was pure joy. That moment meant so much to me.
Filming the classes, I saw myself in each child. The little girl standing the the aisle, singing. I waited to find similar moments with the kids and used my experience to guide my selections for the edits later. I chose moments where the kids were being themselves, enjoying creating music and connecting me me behind the camera. When I had them hold the signs, I would have them make eye contact with me. I would smile, laugh and coach them to get comfortable, joke that I would tickle them to get them to smile- then wait. I would film the entire interaction and I waited for the moment when the awkwardness faded and they were connected with me before I cut. I chose both the moments of vulnerable awkwardness and connection for the edit.
In post production I added in all the text for the signs. My team at fig helped me re-work the script after my first version. Michele Gustin came up with the “help me rock” idea and helped me write some key messages. Some shots proved a challenge to add in the text. Places where I had abandoned my tripod for quick production showed up in moving text. If the signs and the shot weren’t locked down- the text moved. Some of those moments were so cute and added so much to the edit- I decided not to cut them. It wasn’t perfect execution but the idea and spirit came across.
For the score I wanted something that referenced a street beat. I fought with a few ideas till I realized that the beat I wanted already existed in the footage: the bucket class. I used the natural sounds of the classes to drive the score and after a few remixes by our intern team- settled on the final version. We sent it off to the Rock for Kids board and after a few rounds of tweaks- locked it all down.
What resulted in one month of work is the video below. Simple. Short and direct.
The versatility of the Mark II’s allowed me to pull stills and make images that Rock for Kids could use to further the branding and integrate the video style into their website and marketing materials. This was an added bonus that I loved- and plan on using in future projects.
The success of this piece would not have been possible without the planning and hard work of the Rock for Kids team: Maria Mowbray, Kyle Curry and Erin Frisby. The support and coaching I received from our fig films team. The opportunities set up by Executive Director James Gustin and the willingness of the kids and teachers to play. I am honored to be able to create something for an organization that our company, fig media, believes in and that personally means so much to me.
Rock for Kids is truly making a difference in these kids lives. As our school systems struggle with tough choices on budget, often having to cut programs like music and art; non profits like Rock for Kids are important to our communities future. I think it is our responsibility as adults to create places where our communities children can thrive and to give back those moments- like mine in the auditorium. I created this piece to help with that mission. You can help too. Visit their website to find out more: www.rockforkids.org
Rock on!
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