CREW REVIEWS

My experience with actuality media was overall rewarding. I gained a lot from my living experience in Kuala Lumpur and meeting local Malaysians in the organizations and elsewhere. I also really enjoyed all of my peers. We were all from different backgrounds, but the entire group got along really well. I feel like a program like this can be really up to luck of the draw; the experience is shaped by who you end up with in your group and which organization you choose. All 3 groups had very different experiences and each seemed to have their pros and cons. I learned a lot from working with my group, but there were times we did not seem to have the same vision. Also because of the rushed nature of the program there are things I would have liked to do differently story-wise, but I also understand the benefit of keeping it down to 1 month. We probably worked a lot more efficiently knowing we had all of those deadlines. I do think it was also rewarding in retrospect that everyone in my group was coming from different levels of experience, but I did have a member of my group who seemed to feel more advanced than the rest of us and was feeling like the program was a waste of his time, which did affect my experience. I think I also was pretty unsure myself coming into the program whether or not everyone would have the same level of experience as me (I guess I would call myself beginner/intermediate). I don’t know if it would ever work to have different trips for different levels…or somehow to make it more clear that everyone is at a different level coming into this. The classes sometimes felt a little tedious. I think it had a bit to do with the teaching style. But it felt like the topics could be covered in shorter amounts of time or more thought provoking ways. I took out of this that I would like to continue traveling and working on documentary film in the future.

Overall I would rate my experience extremely high. I feel like there were times where tensions got high with crew members but that comes with the territory of being thrown into a work situation with people you don’t know. However, I think these tensions were quite character building and taught me a lot about myself. Additionally, at times I felt like I was being given information, technically (mostly in terms of camera), that was ill-informed. I am a cinematography student at UNCSA and some of the advice my crew and I received on camera operation was completely false. I feel very rewarded to have walked away from my time as an Actuality Media crew member with a documentary I am proud of and a myriad of experiences that have changed me as a human being. Additionally, I feel rewarded to have helped a group of people who deserve all the success in the world and are making a genuinely positive impact in their country. The bonds I have made with them will last a lifetime. In summary, my time with Actuality Media was a very fulfilling experience that I highly recommend to anyone with a sense of adventure and a love for filmmaking.

The program was fantastic and I learnt a lot of valuable things about making a documentary. It also made me realise how easy it is to do and gave me the confidence of doing something similar for myself in the future. The people I met and the connections I made was by far the best part of the outreach. The real opportunity to be a part of the lives of our change makers was also incredible. The outreach, however, was very expensive for what it was and I don’t think I’d pay money like that again for something like this because I’m not really sure if it was worth it. We also got to filming week and one of our mics was broken, our headphones barely worked and our computer had a few problems with it too. I understand that this stuff happens and it’s good experience to learn how to work on a budget, but considering how much each of us put into the program, we certainly shouldn’t have been on a tight budget. I also saw the program as a way of connecting you with a good topic to do the documentary on and when we got their our organisation had nothing going on. And considering Actuality Media had already signed a contract with them we were constantly struggling to integrate this organisation into our documentary when it wasn’t really necessary. It just would have been nice to have walked into an organisation as planned and find a story within it. However, in the end I was really happy with the story we found and the topic we had. And it was a good experience overall.

The program is good for a beginner. It is not a good program for the experienced filmmaker looking for an internship. However, it is a unique experience filming in another country and helping communities.

I enjoyed my experience with Actuality Media overall. It provided a great opportunity to gain film experience while traveling a foreign country. However I expected to learn more from the workshops, and also more flexibility in the production process. Instead we were given a formula that our film had to adhere to and our film ended up looking like a commercial in the end.

Quito, Ecuador is an extraordinary country. It is surrounded with picturesque scenery and some of the most humble people you will ever meet. The culture is unlike any other. It is a place where you can travel short distances for a paradise mini-vacation, eat more food for far less money than you would in the U.S., and where you can get to interact with the natives. The people of Quito show so much pride in their country. You can tell by the way they talk about it to you. Although Quito is a beautiful country, some parts are quite dangerous, and if not careful, you can find yourself with empty pockets. The instructors made it clear in the beginning that we, as foreigners, would have to be extremely careful when using public transportation, and also when walking through rough towns. This was an unfortunate lesson that some of my crew learned the hard way. Overall, though, my experience was mind-blowing. You come to appreciate all that you have in comparison to the people living in poverty. You find yourself wanting to learn a person’s story, even if you don’t get to film it. You find yourself going back home and sharing your experience with someone who hasn’t had the opportunity to travel abroad. It’s definitely not a perfect place, but there is no such place. Every country has beauty and ugly. Internship Placement: The academic portion was great. Every session at base camp was a brand new experience. My crew especially liked the documentary screenings. They helped illustrate what the instructors were explaining to us. Sometimes, though, it was too late to watch documentaries. Cultural Immersion: The culture of Quito is definitely different from my hometown in the U.S. Most of the time my crew and I were on our own to find our way around, which wasn’t really a bad thing. It forces us to interact with the natives and see what it was like being in a different country. The only negative thing about this was that the crime and dangers that lurk around in Quito. Since we were foreigners, we were at high risk for theft and gang violence. Therefore, we always had to be extremely aware of our surroundings. Program Administration: For CENIT, we had multiple problems finding a story. The organization was very hesitant in letting us film and for a while we thought we were going to leave Quito empty-handed. Apparently, the official form allowing us to film the organization was never signed. We had so many obstacles to overcome with the organization’s manager and his associates. Therefore, we spent most of our pre-production week trying to negotiate instead of finding a story to film. The instructors did their best to try and reach a compromise with the organization. Health and Safety: If you are extremely aware of your surroundings you will have nothing to worry about, but we heard stories from volunteers that they have had knives pulled on them before. Also, my roommate got pick-pocketed on the bus and my friend got her phone stolen in town. It’s frustrating at times because you’re afraid to have any money on you at all. I kept my most important possessions in my shoes. Social Life: The people in Quito are very kind and friendly; however, I get the feeling they try to take advantage of you if they catch on that you don’t know their language well. Other than that, social life was good

My experience in Kenya was an enjoyable one. The instructors that we had, Matthew Barwick and Loria King, were great in giving their suggestions along with listening to ours. They never just shot anyone’s idea down completely. However, I wish that we didn’t have to stick with just one format in making a documentary because there are soooo many ways to produce one. However, like I said, it was a very accelerated program with only a month to plan, shoot, and edit to documentary. It was tough, but I am so glad I had the experience. I am an editor at home, and as editor on this trip, I definitely learned a lot about myself in terms of my creativity and how I work. The country that we got to work in was beautiful. I mean, it’s Africa. However I wasn’t too much of a fan of our accommodations. We were put in a pretty dull hotel right in the middle of a common town area in Kisumu, Kenya. Though it made for great explorations of the town area, I did sometimes wonder if the natives just saw money symbols on our forehead. I just wished we would’ve stayed in a more tourist friendly spot for safety reasons, like our stuff being stolen since we are media students after all. Overall, I am so glad I got to have the opportunity and learn more about something that I love. I regret nothing. Internship Placement: I did learn a lot. However, I wish we would’ve learned how to work with different styles of documentaries, but I do understand that it is an accelerated program and that the videos are more about the people affected by the organization. So I can understand why only the conflict driven approach is taught. Cultural Immersion: I really enjoyed my stay there. I loved being able to just learn how to live within that culture. Although, I personally wish we could’ve had some better accommodations. The particular hotel that we stayed in did have some problems in the rooms, mainly in the bathrooms. Also, I do appreciate being immersed with the culture, but just like with other places, natives will look at travelers as money…which could lead to some unfortunate events. Our hotel was in the heart of the town area, and people were in and out of the hotel. Seeing that we are media students, that could pose some problems. On the flip side, being in the town gave us reasons to go out and explore on out own as a group. So, I guess I’m kind of torn in between my views and experiences. But overall, I’m very glad I took part in it. Program Administration: Our instructors/mentors, Loria and Matthew, were very helpful and were pretty available when we needed it. Robin, although not there in person, was very responsive to emails. Health and Safety: I really wasn’t too concerned about my safety, however I was concerned about our possessions. A Note to all travelers out there…..GET TRAVELERS INSURANCE. You never know what could happen. After all, we were in a 3rd world country. If they know that a group of people with nice things are staying in town for 30days, they can get pretty tempted. I advise only taking stuff you’re not afraid to lose. Social Life: We were kinda of in the equivalent of a country town back in the states. We did live down the street from a club, so that was cool.

If you are an emerging filmmaker looking to travel, meet awesome people making a difference, and work in documentary, this program is made for you!! It’s a great affordable option for hands-on immersive learning for young filmmakers hungry to travel. An unforgettable experience and well worth it. 🙂 Internship Placement: Coming from a film school background, there was information that I had already learned, but was good for beginners to know. I did enjoy the documentary film screenings we had and the discussions that followed. Cultural Immersion: The opportunity to immerse ourselves in the culture in addition to making a film was amazing. Having weekends off allowed us the chance to travel around the area and explore the culture. Program Administration: If I ever had any questions, they were always answered well and in a timely manner. I was kept updated in the months and weeks leading up to the trip which really helped in my preparation for the program.

This was an incredible experience, and I’m so glad I went. Making an entire short film in a month is a daunting endeavor, especially when there is a language barrier. Actuality Media provided great mentors, however in my particular case, they didn’t do a great job of setting up things before hand with our chosen organization. (They are still new, and are learning from these mistakes). Overall, the month I spent in Quito was highly stressful at times, an amazing learning experience, and an opportunity to meet and befriend amazing people who are truly impacting the world. Internship Placement: I learned a lot in a short amount of time. Cultural Immersion: I definitely felt some culture shock! Which means there was some good cultural immersion. Program Administration: Actuality Media didn’t do a great job communicating with our organization ahead of time. It’s already difficult to make a documentary in a month, but add the fact that they aren’t expecting you to be there and don’t have changemaker ideas makes it even harder. Health and Safety: I generally felt safe, but the hotel was in a sketchy area of the city. Social Life: Very social, but the hotel didn’t provide good spaces for being social.

This was one of the best experiences of my life so far and I wouldn’t trade my time in Cambodia for anything. I learned so much and I made some great friends. I walked away with a short documentary that I can show my professors and potential employers. I recommend this outreach to anyone who wants to experience an exciting and intriguing culture. Internship Placement: I learned a fun and effective way to make a short documentary that I can be proud of. Cultural Immersion: I got to know many great people and had a wonderful time meeting the locals. Program Administration: The food situation was resolved but other than that, good job. Health and Safety: Siem Reap in itself is pretty safe. Yamato’s security was almost nonexistent but the staff there was very nice. Social Life: Made some awesome friends and loved hanging with the locals