Focusing on the future

A team of top-notch professionals from SAE will play a hands-on facilitator's role in mbc2's exciting new 'Movies in Motion' drive, an action-packed road trip to unearth the filmmakers of tomorrow from amongst the youth of today.

Movies in Motion will use a two-pronged educational approach to fulfill its objective of 'turning movie watchers into movie makers'. It kicks off with an extensive quest across the college campuses in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, looking for students with a special eye for detail and a creative mind. A state-of-the-art van, equipped with cameras, a wardrobe, props, lighting, sound and editing equipment and even actors will criss-cross the region giving students a one-of-a-kind experience in the fine art of making movies.

Fifteen students, nominated by their respective universities, will then get a hands-on feel of how to create magic on the screen, ably assisted by SAE's professional team. SAE will brief the selected students on the concept, methods and requirements, including how to create storyboards and will also screen samples of mobile made films.

The 15 selected students will each present the Movies in Motion team with a concept on storyboards, from which the judges will select the three best concepts. The stage is now set for the next round, where the real action begins. The 15 students will be divided into teams of five, and each team will be given a storyboard that has to be made into a short 2 minute movie.

The movies will be shot within three kilometers of the campus on a Nokia mobile device, with all the props the students need like lighting, equipment and extras provided by the mobile studio van. Besides the technical know-how and the mentoring, SAE will also provide students with post-production facilities at their high-tech campus, in case the concerned university does not have what it takes to fully bring out the film's potential.

An elite panel of judges including point persons from each participating institution, MBC, Nokia and Dubai International Film Festival will decide on the eventual winner. The winning film will be screened at this year's Dubai International Film Festival, in what could prove to be the launching pad to a star-studded career.

"Film is a vital artistic medium in this day and age, but too often it is a medium that is only accessible to urban, relatively privileged artists. What we want to do is to reach people beyond conventional film schools by bringing technical training, professional equipment and creative mentoring to them, and help them express themselves in moving pictures. The process of discovering and nurturing creative minds and enriching the region's film industry is very exciting and rewarding," said Mr. Marco Bettelli, Managing Director, SAE Asia Pacific and Middle East.

The second educational approach adopted by Movies in Motion involves setting up an interactive website designed to form a two-way communication platform between 'Movies in Motion' and the general public. Members of the public can access the site and obtain a downloadable manual with professional tips on how to make a successful mini-movie. The website will carry an extensive Q&A section that demystifies the movie making process and explains it in layman's terms. Users will be able to post their queries, learnings and opinions on the site, thereby creating a user-generated movie community online, where everyone learns from everyone and help each other make their celluloid dreams come true.

Bettelli concluded, "With world-class professional mentoring, state-of-the-art equipment and an extensive media platform forming the foundations of this unique drive, it should be just a matter of time before we see a name from the Middle East making his or her mark on silver screens across the globe."