Camp Reel Stories is an undoubtedly magical place. I came to know this last year at their annual film festival where I saw girls connecting to the beautiful art of cinematography one on one, face to face, like they never have before; and also connecting to a voice inside themselves that otherwise may have not been heard.
In a world where movies, television shows, and media in general is endlessly present and also extremely influential, the majority of movie-goers and Netflix-lovers alike really do sustain a distant relationship from the whole process of it, don’t we? As a long time binge watcher myself, I can say that for so long, films and television shows just seemed to be born from the void and randomly thrown into the pit of “related titles”. Or so it seemed. All the names on the credits were faceless and even if I DID have a cool idea for a cool scene in a cool movie… it was useless because I wouldn’t even know where to begin to try to make my cool little idea a reality. Well, Camp Reel Stories is here to CHANGE THAT! At least for some of us! And man, does that make me excited! Here we have real girls, with real ideas, and real voices. They are given the tools and mentorship to guide them into creating something that maybe would have lied dormant in their mental “good ideas!” cardboard box forever… and ever.
Last year at the film festival I felt a lot of excitement in a rather medium sized auditorium. You really got the sense that everyone involved learned a lot, not just about how to make a film, but learned a lot about each other and their backgrounds. They learned how to tell a story, how to collaborate productively, and I’m sure a lot more. This was merely just what was obvious to me, a complete outside entity who was getting her first look at what this organization was all about. “This place rocks” was my assessment by the end.
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Fiona Rae Ryan is a Bay Area transplant from the rural land of Southern California. She is a creative individual that spends her time working two jobs. When not working, she gets lost in the world of dance as much as she possibly can. Her pastimes are drawing outer space and taking pictures of people’s houses.