Global Kids' Digital Media Initiative

After the premiere of the VVP machinima, Discovered, there has been several groups and individuals who have posted about the movie. We here at OLP wanted to take a moment and thank them for their words and recognition! Read below for what each group/individual had to say:

• Overman's blog, on July 7, 2009, wrote "Rik Panganiban told me about this Global Kids machinima project. It’s nice to see kids making use of this technology, and particularly impressive that they’d choose to do so about such a serious topic. Created in Teen Second Life, this one isn’t about production values but instead about human values. Thanks, Rik.".
• Service Nation, talks about the premiere of Discovered, which took place on July 1, 2009. They described the premiere by saying, "What do you know about child-trafficking? Probably not as much as you could learn on July 1. That’s the day that the kids of the Virtual Video Project will be premiering their movie, Discovered, the story of a young Mexican girl who is sold into sexual slavery." The post also gives background for the Virtual Video Project and past projects, saying "The Virtual Video Project is designed for kids who are interested in film as well as public policy. They learn things like storyboarding, script writing and acting, as well as how to produce and edit their own films. In the past, participants have created animated movies about the rising power of media to affect young minds, race and child soldiers. This year, the kids, age 15 to 18, chose to focus on child sex-trafficking, a problem that is rampant across the world and in communities across our own nation." To read the entire post, please click here.


• Mal's SL Edu-blog shares the movie and briefly describes VVP as well. To read more, click here
.

• For the French speakers out there, you can read about Discovered here.

Thanks again for all the support!

Posted by Krista at 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Amanda Kloer writing for Change.org recently wrote up a spontlight on the latest VVP machinima movie release of Discovered for the "End Human Trafficking" section of their site.

You can read the post below or directly on Change.org here.

Continue reading "[VVP] Change.org spotlights the Discovered movie" »

Posted by joyce at 9:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After tonight's successful public premiere of the Virtual Video Project's 2009 film "Discovered" at the Sony Wonder Theater, we are proud to announce the online release of this serious issue machinima. Created by 15 Global Kids teen leaders over the course of the school year, they decided on the subject matter, wrote the script, created the avatars, recorded the voices, shot the footage, and edited the final cut you see here.

We are so proud of our GK filmmakers for their amazing work, creativity, and commitment on this project! Read more about "Discovered" and the Virtual Video Project here.

Posted by Rik at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's been a long year, but I still find it hard to believe it's over. I've had a lot of fun and I've met a lot of interesting people. I think the thing that I'll miss most of all is riding in the air-conditioned train, back and forth to the GK office. Learning to get around in Second Life was also an experience I'll never forget. There was a lot of lag which got in the way of maneuvering on Machinima Island. Customization of our avatars was also fun. There were extremes in editing, you could make your eyes really big or really small. I'll really miss coming to this program twice a week. I know I'll be really bored this summer while I'm away.
-Megan

Posted by VVP Megan at 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

*sigh* Today is our last day to hang out together. I'm not feeling sad nor happy. Just content. When I first joined GK, I was thinking I would be talking more than I should be.

Please check out our movie at www.discoveredmovie.com
Showing only today in person at the Sony Wonderlab at 6pm

Posted by VVP Helen at 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hello everyone! This is my last blog. I just want to say to everyone thank you for being there for me in some way or another. I want to thank GK for giving me the chance to be a part of the program...I feel better knowing that I gained the skills to make videos and then edit them, I also learned good speaking skills to a public crowd. Shout out to Chris R, S.R., Luis R. and GK...yeah, bye everyone!

Posted by VVP Chris H. at 1:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is my last blog of the year and I hope that the movie at the Sony Wonderlab will be even better than last year's movie, when I also participated in.

Posted by VVP Christopher at 1:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I can't believe this final chapter is coming to a close. So many people, so many memories. And I loved every moment of it! I loved the shirts we got too. Even though it's so hot i think it's worth it. I'm gonna miss everyone.

Posted by VVP Evin at 1:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today is the official last day of VVP! I can't believe it's here already. It seems like yesterday that Sabina told me to apply for VVP to complete my community service! The experience was amazing. I still can't believe that we all came up with the script, characterized the avatars, shot the scenes, and edited. I hope people like the movie, because everyone involved worked so hard on it. Meeting Linette was awesome, too. Every time after session, we would just walk around for like 30 blocks. It was excruciating, but fun. I hope I don't lose touch with the people I met here.

Posted by VVP Janet at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

WOW!!!!! the movie premiere is finally here and it's so exciting. Now that this day is here I know that I am going to miss everyone. This was actually a fun experience and something that I will never forget. The movie premiere is going to be a fun day.

Posted by Linette B. at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After a year long toil, we have finally made it. I am very excited for the premier of the movie. We have already shown in some private screenings, but an all out premier to our movie has not been shown. I have been to the Sony theater before and from prior experience, I found it a very fun experience.

I am disappointing that VVP is ending, I have learned to trust many of the friends I made in VVP and I feel happy leaving. I still hope for the best for today's premier!

Posted by VVP Yuzo at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today July 1st, VVP is hosting the premiere of our movie Discovered. It will be at the Sony Wonder Lab. I was kinda nervous but excited. VVP has been very fun and I hope to be in the program next year. The movie is really good and I hope others will like it.

Posted by VVP Kimberly at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just a reminder that tomorrow, July 1, fifteen New York public high school students will premiere their film Discovered. Discovered is a digital "machinima" film produced in Second Life that explores the powerful issue of child sex trafficking through the fictional story of one Mexican teenager. This is the final product of a year-long, intensive digital filmmaking program called the Virtual Video Project (VVP), an after-school program conducted by Global Kids, Inc in NYC. The students gathered regularly during the past year to learn about film production, human rights, and virtual worlds, culminating in a serious issue machinima film produced entirely by the youth filmmakers.

Come to the premiere of Discovered to meet the youth filmmakers and discover how digital film can be used for global issue awareness and civic engagement.

Event Details:
When: Wednesday, July 1st, 6pm-8pm
Where: Sony Wonder Technology Lab [550 Madison Avenue at 56th St.]
What: Meet & Greet Filmmakers, Premiere of Discovered, and Q & A with students

For more information, see http://www.DiscoveredMovie.com or please contact Shawna at 212-226-0130 x 143 or email: shawna@globalkids.org.

The full text of the News Release follows....

Continue reading "[vvp] Global Kids Youth Leaders Premiere Second Life Machinima "Discovered" Tomorrow in NYC!" »

Posted by Rik at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

GK's own youth leader Nafiza was chosen to be part of Edutopia's online Youth Portraits series, in which they feature the digital worlds of various teens.

Digital Youth Portrait: Nafiza

Edutopia's portrait includes an interview of Nafiza along with short video pieces on her, her work in GK's OLP programs and what it is like to have digital media play a close relationship in her day to day life.

There are also sections, within Edutopia's feature on Nafiza, where other videos spotlight using digital media to learn world affairs and highlight the work Nafiza and other youth leaders put in within the VVP program to produce the 2007 and 2008 program short films "A Child's War" and "Race to Equality".

Learning World Affairs Through Digital Media

To visit Edutopia's full youth profile on Nafiza, click here.

Posted by joyce at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On July 1, 2009, 15 New York City public high school students will premiere their film Discovered --a digital "machinima" film produced in Second Life that explores the powerful issue of child sex trafficking through the fictional story of one Mexican teenager. Discovered is the final product of a year-long, intensive digital filmmaking program called the Virtual Video Project (VVP), an after-school program conducted by Global Kids, Inc in NYC. The students gathered regularly during the past year to learn about film production, human rights, and virtual worlds, culminating in a serious issue machinima film produced entirely by the youth filmmakers.

Come to the premiere of Discovered to meet the youth filmmakers and discover how digital film can be used for global issue awareness and civic engagement.

Event Details:
When: Wednesday, July 1st, 6pm-8pm
Where: Sony Wonder Technology Lab [550 Madison Avenue at 56th St.]
What: Meet & Greet Filmmakers, Premiere of Discovered, and Q & A with students

For more information, see http://www.DiscoveredMovie.com or please contact Shawna at 212-226-0130 x 143 or email: shawna@globalkids.org.

The full text of the News Release follows....

Continue reading "[vvp] Global Kids Youth Leaders Premiere VVP Machinima "Discovered" on July 1 in NYC" »

Posted by Rik at 5:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We've finally finished filming and editing the film! It took us several months to make it, but we're officially done! I think we've done a good job. The film is loaded with facts and research. We'll be screening it officially next month, and I can't wait to show the world our hard work! :D

Posted by VVP Megan at 5:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wow... who knew that the word I used in a brainstorm would turn out to be the title of our whole video project! I'm really excited to get some publicity and I'm really proud of all the work we all got done.

WarriorGal

Posted by vvp JessyJo at 5:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

hi ^_^
Guess what!!! We're done with the movie; after all of the hard work we have done we finally finished. Everything is put together and looks great, we have music in some scenes which put those scenes together very nicely. The music being used is very catchy and the story is easy to follow, which makes me think that people are going to like the movie. OUR HARD WORK IS FINALLY GONNA BE SEEN!!! =]

Posted by Linette B. at 5:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I liked the movie a lot...I hope this movie can go on the BIG screen.I want the food to be amazing too. I feel like we can reach a lot of people with our movie.

Posted by VVP Chris H. at 5:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Up to now we have been furiously working on the finishing touches on the video, reviewing it every session, we are making our way to the perfection we seek. Getting ever closer to the premiere of the movie at the Sony Center. I am very excited to see the showing, and I cannot wait to see how the audience will react to it.

Posted by VVP Yuzo at 5:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)