Good News Productions, International is preparing to walk through another door that we believe God has swung wide open. Media Challenge is a new program that will equip and empower young people to use media to tell their peers about their relationship with Jesus Christ. Intensive, weeklong workshops in various locations in the USA and overseas will be the setting for this hands-on learning experience. Media, video, scriptwriting, and Internet design competitions will raise the bar and widen the circle of interest, and Internet will be the arena for competitions and distribution.
The Media Challenge concept is simple and it will work worldwide. Good News Productions, International cannot be described without including cultural sensitivity – using media produced by Christian people of that culture to reach the culture. Media Challenge is no exception. A recent study has labeled today’s youth as “Generation M” because of their extensive use of media in everyday life. This cultural identity is what defines them and, thanks to the Internet, allows them to communicate with anyone, anywhere, anytime, from anyplace in the world. It is this global opportunity that GNPI is utilizing through the Media Challenge program.
Many hours in prayer, planning, curriculum writing, and seeking qualified adults to teach have gone into the preparation of Media Challenge. We pray that God will use Media Challenge to begin a wave of creative Christian media that will allow young people to go deeper in communication with their peers. The Internet has potential that has not been tapped yet, and we want to allow God to make it a tool of eternal significance. Will you join us in praying that God will use Media Challenge as the instrument that will do just that?
FAQ
What is Media Challenge?
Media Challenge uses training in video production to equip teenagers to produce media programs created “by youth for youth” to win their friends to Jesus Christ. The goal of Media Challenge is to take small, select groups of highly creative and motivated high school youth to a select location for a seven-day workshop that will give them technical instruction and hands-on training in how to create a video program. These aspiring media students will then be given the challenge to design, write, shoot, and edit a completed short video program. Working in small production teams of four to six people, each group will be given only a general theme on which the programs should be based, and will be encouraged to let their creative, youthful perspective guide the final content of their productions.
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Where will these workshops be held?
In 2006, they are being held in two geographic regions of the USA and one international workshop being held for Arabic-speaking youth. The number of and regions where the workshops will be held is scheduled to expand incrementally over the next five years.
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Who will be leading the workshops?
GNPI will be inviting Christian media professionals to help in teaching specific courses according to their skills and experience. They will also be available to be mentors for the young people, providing career ideas and information to help guide the participants’ future educational decisions.
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Are there any spiritual components in the workshop program?
Yes. The entire week is not just about technical training. Daily worship and Bible study will also be a part of the schedule as the challenge is issued for these youth to let God speak through them. By fostering spiritual development in the lives of these youth, it is hoped that they will make a connection between the skills they are learning and a desire to use them as a tool for future ministry.
The schedule will incorporate a chance for the young people to hear the stories of other media professionals who are now serving in various forms of media ministry. These testimonies will allow the youth to consider that a career in media is not only possible, but perhaps a rewarding and spiritually fulfilling way to serve God, whether in a secular or Christian environment. All of these mentoring relationships will help the participants recognize their potential role in a network of like-minded people, dedicated to using media as a powerful way to speak to their peers.
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How will the workshops prepare participants for the future?
Students who excel in the beginning workshop program will be eligible to return for advanced training in future years. Advanced training will involve more self-guided study and a chance to concentrate on specific skill sets suited to the participant’s abilities. Ultimately, the staff of Media Challenge will be willing to provide suitable recommendations to those seeking to enter college or university degree programs in media or for those seeking professional internship opportunities.
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What kind of content will be covered in the workshops?
Students attending the video workshops will be trained in the use of video cameras, audio recording, lighting for video, graphic design and editing. Each teaching module will also include practical exercises to help students get their hands on the equipment and explore these tools of communication. All of the training is designed to give the students the skills to tackle the main challenge project for the week. Nearly 20 hours will be set aside specifically for the planning and production of these final projects. By the end of the week, each participant will have a completed video program to share with their peers and the pride in having learned one more way to speak out boldly about their faith.
Curriculum: The content of the video workshop series covers five main categories. Additional hands-on exercises follow the teaching modules to allow for practical application of the lesson materials.
Camera Modules
- Introduction to the Camera
- Camera Techniques
- Storytelling With the Camera
Technical Support
- Audio
- Lighting
- Special Techniques
Content
- Creative Conceptualization
- Introduction to Storytelling
- Outlines, Scripts, Storyboards and other Planning Tools
- Pre-production Planning
Post-Production
- Introduction to Editing
- Titles, Graphics, Artistic design, etc.
- Building on the timeline, transitions, layering, etc.
Other Topics
- Special Effects for Video
- The Production “Team”
- Linking Media Projects to the Internet
- Advanced Education Options
Future workshop topics will include music production and recording, DVD and Web site design, and Christian scriptwriting. As was stated before, students who excel in the beginning workshop program will be eligible to return for advanced training in future years.
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How will the competitions work?
Although there may be some competition involved in the workshops, the concentrated area of competition will be Internet based and separate from the training workshops. Video and scriptwriting competitions will be launched in the fall of 2006. This type of competition will allow aspiring new filmmakers and writers to submit their best work to be examined by a jury of Christian media professionals. General themes will be established for each new round of competitions and used in evaluating the projects.
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Who can participate in the competitions?
The competitions will be open to high school and college aged youth, or recent graduates with less than two years professional experience in the media industry. Small production teams, for instance youth groups, who jointly cooperate in creating a project can also submit projects.
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How will the competition entries be used after the competition is over?
When a person enters a competition, part of the process for submission will be to give GNPI rights to distribute their production, using it in global outreach efforts. Participants will receive production credit for their work. Ultimately, these projects will be compiled and distributed by Internet and DVD as well as being translated and adapted for use in multiple locations around the world.
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What are the awards for the competition?
Prizes for specific competitions will be announced once competition information and deadlines are posted.
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How does a person sign up for the workshops?
The process begins when a youth minister or a church leader submits a formal nomination, detailing the creative and ministry potential of the young person. Once nominated, application materials and instructions will be sent out to the nominee. A screening process will narrow down the field of applicants, and an invitation will be sent to those students who most fit the program.
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Who do I contact for more information?
You can write to: Media Challenge, PO Box 34345, Indianapolis, IN 46234-0345 or send an e-mail to: info@mediachallenge.org.
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