Digital Storytelling Initiative

Register for 2023 Production Institute events below:
– Information Sessions | Tue Mar 14 + Thur Mar 16, 7-8pm
– Film Aesthetics Classes | March 21, 28, April 4, 11
– Production Institute Application | March 14 – April 30

About the Digital Storytelling Initiative

With an endowment from the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation Media Center serves as a sponsor of media arts training, a presenter of new artistic work, and a creative hub for University- and community-based practitioners through its Digital Storytelling Initiative.

The Digital Storytelling Initiative (DSI), a joint project of the Jonathan Logan Media Center and Logan Community Arts, partners with organizations on campus, in the South Side, and throughout Chicago, extending the Media Center’s reach and impact to fill community needs in access and training in digital production. Through workshops, summer camps, workforce development programs, feature presentations and more, DSI sponsors media arts training, showcases digital media work by emerging and established practitioners, and equips communities with the tools, resources and experience to tell their stories across borders and barriers

Production Institute

Presented in partnership with the Community Film Workshop of Chicago, the Production Institute makes high-quality digital production training accessible to emerging media makers from South Side communities. This program addresses the lack of affordable, intensive courses available to South Side filmmakers and media artists. Through a hands-on film production course taught by experienced instructors, the Production Institute offers participants the opportunity to advance digital production skills and build a professional portfolio.

The 2023 Production Institute Application opens March 14 – See below for more information.

We will hold an in-person and a virtual Information Session on 3/14 and 3/16. If you aren't able to make it, we will be recording the virtual session. Check back soon to view the slides covered. Register here for one of the Information Sessions.

If you can take away one thing from our info sessions, we hope that rather than being daunted, you are energized to advance your filmmaking journey! We hope that you take advantage of our Film Aesthetics classes as well as recommended YouTube channels (D4Darius, StudioBinder, DSLR Guide, and more recommended channels) to brush up on basic film, camera, and editing knowledge required of applicants. You may learn more aspects of filming with the application Filmic Pro and editing with Adobe Rush, for example. There's plenty of time to prepare a sample film for your application and learn the basics of filmmaking that if selected for the 2023 Production Institute cohort, you will only continue to build upon.

The 2023 Production Institute does not teach:
– Color Correction
– Steadicam Operation
– Marketing
– Distribution

A basic equipment package will be used during the 12-week course, made accessible through the Jonathan Logan Media Center.

The 2023 Production Institute is not a career development program. This course covers a broad range of filmmaking concepts and it is not intended for filmmakers looking for workforce development in a specific area, although excellent students may be considered for future freelance opportunities.

For more information about this program, see below.

Production Institute Schedule

Production Institute Key Dates

Tue, Mar 14 | 7-8 PM: In-Person Information Session
Thur, Mar 16 | 7-8 PM: Virtual Information Session
Tuesdays, Mar 21, 28, Apr 4, 11 | 7-9pm: Film Aesthetics Courses (mandatory)
Sun, Apr 30: Application Deadline
Wed, May 31: Accepted Cohort Orientation Dinner (mandatory)
Wed, Jun 7–Sat, Aug 26: Production Institute
Sun, Oct 1: Community Film Showcase | FREE & Open to the Public

Production Institute Eligibility

19+ years old
South Side or South Suburb resident
Not currently enrolled in a school or college program
Emerging filmmaker with prior production experience
Demonstrated skills in camera operation
Attend all Film Aesthetics courses
Have a feasible project idea

For more information, a detailed schedule, and application details, visit our website.

*Attending all four Film Aesthetics Courses is mandatory for all applicants of the DSI Production Institute. Contact Elizabeth Myles at ejmyles@uchicago.edu for details on how to make up missed classes to complete your application.

When does the program meet?
Film Aesthetics Courses
March 21, 28, April 4, 11: Tuesdays, 7-9 PM
Register now!

Production Institute Courses
June 7-August 26: Wednesdays, 6:30-9 PM, Saturdays 10 AM-2 PM

Eligibility

What are the eligibility criteria?

– 19+ years old
– South Side or South Suburbs resident
– Not currently enrolled in a school or college program
– Attend all Film Aesthetics classes*
– Emerging filmmaker with prior production experience
– Must have demonstrated skills in camera operation
– Pass a proficiency test
– Make $100 deposit for program participation
– Have a feasible project proposal ready when applying

All applications must be submitted by Sunday, April 30 at 11:59pm. No extensions will be granted.

*If you miss a Film Aesthetics course but are still passionate, dedicated, and interested in applying to the Production Institute, please email ejmyles@uchicago.edu to find out how to complete your application. Missed classes must be made up by April 30, the same day as the 2023 Production Institute deadline.

Film Aesthetics

What are the Film Aesthetics courses? Do I have to attend?
The film aesthetics courses will examine the visual art of film and establish shared language through screenings, lectures, and discussions. These are mandatory for Production Institute applicants. Register here.

When does the program meet?
Film Aesthetics Courses
March 21, 28, April 4, 11: Tuesdays, 7-9 PM

Only applicants who have attended the four consecutive Film Aesthetics classes are eligible to apply. Register here.

If you missed a Film Aesthetics course but are still passionate, dedicated, and interested in applying to the Production Institute, please email ejmyles@uchicago.edu to find out how to complete your application. Missed classes must be made up by April 30, the same day as the 2023 Production Institute deadline.

Application Details

2023 PRODUCTION INSTITUTE APPLICATION
Application opens March 14, 2023
Deadline: April 30, 2023

The application is only eligible for individuals who attended the Film Aesthetics courses on March 21, 28, April 4, 11. If you missed a Film Aesthetics course but are still passionate, dedicated, and interested in applying to the Production Institute, please email Elizabeth Myles at ejmyles@uchicago.edu to find out how to complete your application.

See Eligibility for a more complete list of requirements.

Community Film Workshop of Chicago

About Community Film Workshop of Chicago
The mission of the Community Film Workshop of Chicago (CFWC) is to provide access to media production that supports the development of independent media artists in underserved and underrepresented communities. CFWC’s programs in film, video, digital media, and design are designed to increase access and equity in media, and to give people of color, youth, and women the tools to create media and to transform their communities.

Margaret Caples
Executive Director, Community Film Workshop of Chicago
2023 Production Institute Program Director

Derek Grace
2023 Production Institute Production Instructor

Screenwriting Workshops

Starting in 2022, the Digital Storytelling Initiative has held 3 Screenwriting Programs. Each program has accepted up to 12 South Sider writers that took 8 workshops to advance their screenwriting skills and build a community of writers and honing their skills alongside fellow South Side storytellers.

All workshops are free & in person at the Logan Center for the Arts. Participants are required to follow building COVID-19 guidelines.

Please check back at a later date to learn more about upcoming Screenwriting Programs.

Instructor

Instructor
Terrance T. Brown is a screenwriter, playwright and lecturer based in Chicago. He received a B.A. in Film Studies and Sociology from Vanderbilt University and an M.F.A. in Writing For the Screen and Stage from Northwestern University. His creative works have been featured at The Onion, Victory Gardens, Comedy Central and The Second City where he taught Screenwriting and Finding Your Comedic Voice. He has also lectured at Northwestern University and The University of Chicago on various subjects including Writing The Feature Film, Creating the Digital Series and Improvising For Writers.

Eligibility

Eligibility
– South Side Resident
– 18+ Years Old
– Not Currently Enrolled in a school/college program
– Must be able to attend all 8 workshops in person, following COVID-19 guidelines: https://arts.uchicago.edu/logan-center/visit/covid-19-updates

Program creators at the Logan Center conitnue to use experience and feedback from these programs to design more digital media programs for South Siders.

DSI Community Media Education Programs

Think It! Make It! Screen It!

Think It! Make It! Screen It!
A five-day film intensive held at the Logan Center, Think It! Make It! Screen It! (TIMISI) is a free program for youth ages 12 to 17 who have some experience with digital filmmaking. The course strengthens students’ knowledge of the basics of videography, lighting, sound recording and editing, with a focus on more advanced techniques to develop their own personal filmmaking style. The course also emphasizes filmmaking as a cooperative medium through collaborative coursework

StoryArts

StoryArts Summer Camp
StoryArts is a four-week arts and digital storytelling summer program for South Side middle school students. In partnership with the Logan Media Center and the Digital Storytelling Initiative, students work closely with teaching artists to learn about different elements of digital storytelling such as filmmaking, music production, spoken word poetry, and podcasting. Through hands-on activities and field trips, students explore their personal and community narratives through different artistic media, culminating in a final multimedia presentation.

#MadeAtLogan Docuseries

#MadeAtLogan - Docuseries
The #MadeAtLogan docuseries is a media entrepreneurship apprentice program aimed at providing opportunities for emerging media makers to enhance their production skills. This docuseries was first piloted in 2018 in partnership with Nerdy Media. Six emerging media artists have participated by creating short films documenting Logan Center Community Arts programming. In 2019, with the launch of the Production Institute, the #MadeAtLogan DocuSeries expanded to include professional documentation opportunities for Institute graduates and alumni from other DSI media education programs.

DSI Community Media Partnerships

From adult workforce development to youth media education, all Digital Storytelling Initiative programs are made possible through a wide network of community partners. Facilitating and growing these reciprocal partnerships is core to the mission of the Logan Center. Jonathan Logan Media Center partners include:

Think It! Make It! Screen It!
StoryArts
Nerdy Media
Community Film Workshop Chicago
Collected Voices Ethnographic Film Festival
Mezcla Media Collective
South Side Projections
Invisible Institute
The Oscar Brown Jr. Archive Project
Kartemquin Films

About the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation Media Center
The newly dedicated Jonathan Logan Family Foundation Media Center (JLMC) supports curricular and co-curricular artistic digital media production at the University of Chicago. Users engage in production across a range of arts disciplines in pursuit of coursework, individual projects, youth media education, community-based digital storytelling, faculty research, and organized student activities. The JLMC directly supports classes offered by the departments of Cinema and Media Studies, Music, Theater and Performance Studies, Visual Arts, Creative Writing, and Art History.

The Jonathan Logan Media Center provides the necessary infrastructure that allows these efforts to thrive—facilitating programming, filmmaking, podcasting, and other forms of art and digital storytelling that engage diverse audiences. The staff of the JLMC work directly with users through workshops, formal partnerships, and individual mentorship to integrate arts and media technologies into their creative pursuits. In addition, the JLMC provides the specialized space and equipment necessary for a wide range of media production practices.

Video

2021 Production Institute Showcase

Edited by Derek Grace of Grace Media Group, Production Institute Lead Instructor

UChicago Arts