The Crisis Youth Volunteering Programme is offering young people the opportunity to create a short production looking at their experiences of being homeless.

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Tuesday Apr 22, 2008

Behind closed doors

Hi all!!!

It’s been a while, but next week we will all be getting together to get the editing done with the BBC! This is when we’ll really find out what the finished product will be like. Everyone is very keen to get to the studios to see how they all look on camera.

We have also decided to change the title of the film. Originally, we had decided on ‘Cribs for real’ which was to address the point that it isn’t as glamorous or as cool as some young people might think to move out of home. The group decided that as there wasn’t much focus on the reason we called the drama by that name, we should change it to something that relates to the film we made. The drama will be called ‘behind closed doors’. We decided on this as it address’s the hidden homelessness issue. There are a lot of people that are homeless but may not be living on the streets; they might be living in hostels, for instance. We hope to make people more aware of hidden homelessness.

The other reason as to why we decided to call it behind closed doors is also the fact that a lot of homeless people are judged and made to feel inferior to everyone else. There are some that may judge people who have become homeless without realizing what situations or backgrounds they are from. The team hopes this drama may widen a few people’s eyes on the causes and effects of homelessness.

I’ll be back next week to let you know how it all went. I’m sure there will be a few stories to tell. Until then, take care. Mo

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 8:26 AM )
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Tuesday Mar 18, 2008

Team comments on the filming

Chris

This past week has been the most hectic by far. All the work that we did in the previous weeks seems insignificant. In the past few weeks, people have been having their doubts about whether we would be able to finish in time because out ideas weren’t quite together and our scenes had not been scripted or rehearsed but it was amazing, the amount of work we got done and how much we achieved in just one week. I am pleased with what we’ve done and I would like to say a big thank you to the BBC team for bringing our ideas together and making them happen and to all team members for being such a joy to work with and to our project manager Helen, for giving us this opportunity and so many others we’ve been able to work with. This has really made a difference in my life.

Terry

So this week has been mad, I mean I have never had a week like it but I must admit it has been very enjoyable. What with being with all the new friends I have made plus working with a very upbeat camera crew. So now it’s Friday and it’s the last day we will all be together. It’s really sad, I know we’ve only known each other for 5 weeks but it seems like a lot longer and we have grown very close and I’m really going to miss everyone because it’s going to be weird not coming to Crisis anymore and seeing everyone.

Adam

Hi this is Adam with my last blog and yes it is very sad! This whole experience has really changed my life; before I started this project, I used to think I would make a good actor even though I haven’t done any acting since high school, but this project has given me the chance to act and develop my confidence and this project has even given me the opportunity to appear in a play in the city. So this whole experience has helped me find a new talent. I want to say thank you to everyone involved in the project and wish everyone of my peers good luck in the future!

Anthony

I thought that this last week was very inspiring. It has given me a lot of experience and boosted my confidence even though I did not go in front of the camera. I hope to go back to the BBC to work with them again. I’ve had great fun, made new friends and learnt valuable lessons about life and all the opportunities there are.

It’s been great!!

Reece

This last week has been a different experience, working with a team, working with the BBC and also being in front of the camera where all eyes are on you. All-round, everything has been generally good, from the team work to the DVD, also working with each other. Experiences, making friends and sharing ideas have been good as well.

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 5:07 PM )
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Thursday - it's a rap

We've done it- we've finally finished filming. It's been a very long day. Chaos was the name of the game today. We were all running around like headless chickens trying to get everything together, making sure everything was put into place ready for filming. There were two cameras shooting at the same time. Everyone was panicking and some of us got the giggles from the pressure which didn't go down very well in front of the camera. Adam and Terry had to keep on doing the same scene over and over as they kept getting the giggles. It was hilarious but I don't think the film crew saw the funny side of things, oops!

There was a party scene that we had to shoot and at one point I think everyone thought we were really at a party! Chris did some of his break dancing moves. He's goooood!

We finished filming on time and everyone rejoiced with triumph and a sense of achievement. Then it was time to say goodbye to the film crew. They were really good to work with and we all made a good team. Thanks BBC film crew!

This week has been very hectic but it has all paid off in the end. We will go back to meet with the BBC team to help edit the material we have to finally get a look at the finished product. Oh- it's all so exciting!

Thanks for reading,

Mo

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 3:47 PM )
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Wednesday-Lights, camera, action!

We have finally started filming today!! It was all very exciting and everyone had to work very hard as we were pushed for time. Today we realised how much work is put into filming a drama-it’s not a walk in the park you know!

Although we had a lot of fun messing around with our ‘costumes’, everyone was disciplined when it came to the crunch of filming. I was very impressed!

I tried my luck in directing some of the scenes and was told that I’ve found my new career - apparently I have a good eye for small detail. I was quite proud of myself if I say so myself -maybe I can give Steven Spielberg a run for his money. No?...It was only a thought!

We have shot a few scenes today but still have plenty to do tomorrow, so everyone is feeling the pressure, but remain quite positive, as opposed to last week! I think everyone can see it all being pulled together so are not as sceptical about the whole thing!

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 3:42 PM )
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Tuesday - telling the story

Today, we arrived at the venue where we would be shooting for the week. We looked at all the rooms available for shooting.

We decided on how many scenes we would have for each character by storyboarding. This helped us find out what would happen in each scene, what props we would need and what characters would be needed keeping in mind of the time as we only had a total of 10 minutes. We also finalised who would be the 3 main characters: Adam, Qadra and Chris were the chosen ones!!

We then got into groups for each character to decide on the extras and looked into where we could shoot each scene from the rooms that were available. As we weren’t insured to take the cameras outside of the premises, we had to come up with ideas to overcome this problem by slightly changing the story. We got there in the end!

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 3:38 PM )
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Monday - meeting with the BBC!

Today, we met with the BBC film crew. Needless to say, we were all quite anxious as we didn’t know how they would be towards us but they were very welcoming and we received a warm reception. They seemed really friendly and very down to earth which we were pleased with as some of us thought the film crew might be a bit snobby!!

We all were introduced so we know who we were working with and what everyone’s roles would be during the week. The BBC team listened very intently to our ideas and what we thought would work well. They then put forward their ideas which worked with our own.

Today was all about putting the cards on the table and incorporating both the teams’ ideas and at the same time, making sure our messages for the DVD came across with the plans we made.

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 3:29 PM )
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Friday Mar 07, 2008

Thoughts on the project so far

Following a few weeks of rehearsals and sharing ideas the young people decided to share their thoughts on the project so far before starting to work with the BBC.

Anthony’s comments

I feel that the project is going well with the exception that it is not having much to do with what we planned to do in the first place (Dancing, singing, rapping, etc).

Everyone is getting on really well and is working as a team.

Chris’ comments

The beginning was a bit weird as expected. I didn’t know who I was going to meet, what they were going to be like so I was a bit weary of everyone as I assume they were of me but after a few sessions I soon found that people were very friendly and we’ve only been getting closer.

As for the project, it’s easy to see everyone is really struggling with it all as there is so little time to put everything together. We’re all trying hard and trying to help and support each other with ideas but it’s all weighing very heavily on us. I guess we all have to carry on smiling through it and see where all our effort gets us.

Terry’s comments

I feel that the course is going well. I think it is a good experience and an enjoyable one. I have become part of this team because it’s really lively and everyone gets involved in the challenges. I feel I will miss everyone when it’s over.

Qadro’s comments

We all work well as a team but sometimes it gets confusing and hard to agree with one option because we all have different ideas. I’m worried that we might not have anything ready when the BBC comes to film the DVD but I think if we work hard we will get it together because we still make one great team.

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 11:24 AM )
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The plot thickens

Hi there everyone!

It’s our last week of getting our story together before the BBC come in for filming, which everyone is quite nervous about at the moment.

Last week, we were all panicking, thinking of the short time we have left before filming starts.

We all worked very hard on our sketches to get a closer look at the characters so we could finalise what the characters were about and their possible outcomes. It was very intense and we covered a lot in one session. We were all quite drained by the end of the day-which is not a bad thing-it just shows the dedication everyone has put into the project and how much we all want a good finished product!

We have also decided on a name for our DVD- after ALOT of discussion and debating. I cannot stress how much I am glad that we finally have a name. God! It gives me a headache just thinking about it!! So, I’m sure you’re wondering what we have titled the DVD? And the name is (drum rolls please!)…’Cribs for real’. There, I’ve said it! After a whole hour of debating and voting for different names, this is the final title. Phew!!

I do think that the concept behind the title along with the design of the cover is quite thought provoking. We all know about the show ‘cribs’ that MTV have on television. The program shows young celebrities who show off their luxury pads with lavish furniture and flash cars, which looks very appealing to the viewers. The young people watching often aspire to have a place of their own such as this and live the lifestyle they see these celebrities living. The reality behind getting your own place is quite the opposite and isn’t very glamorous at all for young people with little money. We hope this is the first thought people will get when hearing about the DVD and watching it.

This week, we really have to set in stone the character’s background, how they became homeless and how they deal with homelessness. Needless to say, we have a lot of work to be done but I’m hoping we can keep on top of things. I have faith in my team!!

Watch this space to see how we’re getting on…Mo.

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 11:21 AM )
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Tuesday Mar 04, 2008

The stories and characters

Hi everyone!!

Last week, we started getting the stories together for our DVD. Everyone involved is really excited about the project and the progress we have made!

There are three main characters for our drama and last week we did character brainstorms and character building exercises to explore how these 3 characters might walk, talk, behave and act in different scenarios. Everyone had a lot of fun playing around with the 3 different roles.

In the story, the three characters become homeless and are from different backgrounds. We all came to a joint agreement that this will portray how homelessness can happen to anyone, regardless of whether they are rich or poor, middle or working class.

We have not yet decided on a detailed outcome of the characters but want to show different routes people might take and how becoming homeless can either be a positive or negative experience depending on how they deal with their situation and what options they take. We are hoping that this will give the message to the young people watching that making the right choices at this transitional stage is essential as it will determine whether it is a ‘make or break’ situation.

As much as we all had fun messing around and acting silly when acting out the roles, everyone was very passionate about the message we are trying to bring across. Also, I think we felt we could relate to some of the characters and their backgrounds so some of us were quite emotionally involved.

This week we hope to build an even more detailed story line and decide what the character’s outcomes are going to be. I think I can safely say that everyone is really excited to get into character, but I shall keep you posted!!

Signing out…for now, Mo.

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 11:18 AM )
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Group pose

Most of the team got together to smile for the camera.

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 11:17 AM )
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Meet the workshop leaders

My name is Jana Zeineddine, I am a Lebanese-American actress, writer and current MA Applied Theatre student at the Central School of Speech & Drama. I became involved in the drama workshop at Crisis as a drama practitioner because I believe in the power of drama to educate, inspire and transform. I hope to achieve work collaboratively with the group that is reflective of their message, breaks down stereotypes about hidden homelessness and makes them proud.  I feel fortunate to work with a group of people that come to sessions with immense creativity, intelligence and passion.

My name is Maria and I am volunteering at Crisis as a Drama Workshop Leader.

I left home after my GCSE's to study performing arts at the BRIT school. I then went travelling in Australia and worked in Greece. I did an acting foundation course at Arts Educational and I am currently working towards my BA(Hons) in Drama and Theatre Arts at Goldsmiths College, University of London and teaching drama at Helen O'Grady in Croydon.

This Crisis project attracted me because I have a passion for drama that I am keen to share with other young people. I hope to gain some valuable expereince in teaching and working collaboratively towards a successful finished product that informs young people about hidden homelessness.

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 11:10 AM )
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Friday Feb 22, 2008

Caught in the act

Getting down to business...

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 2:18 PM )
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Warming up

Stretch those legs everyone!

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 2:16 PM )
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Sharing ideas

Just look at the concentration!

You have to be comfortable to get those thoughts flowing.

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 2:13 PM )
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Working with the BBC

My name is Adam Reed and I am 21 years old from East London. I became homeless because of unforeseen family issues.

I became involved in the project through my hostel; I was looking for work and was finding it hard so I asked my hostel manager for help. He told me about this project and I was interested in working with the BBC and trying to stop other young people from falling into the same trap as me.

I would hope to get a clearer understanding of what I want from life and would hope to be on my way to a good career in the next year! I would like to do something with art or drama but I also like working with young people…so maybe look into doing something along the lines of teaching Art in school.

Posted by Crisis Youth Volunteers ( 11:07 AM )
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