Hello, my name is Irene Hernandez. I was an intern with MDR during spring 2015. Shaunelle, our MDR Executive Director, recommended me to join Global Girl Media for a two-week training from July 27th-August 7th, 2015. This training is designed for high school girls who want to learn about journalism, the media, and how to become critical thinkers, consumers and creators of media. Even though I am a college student, I decided to attend this training because I think it will give me an opportunity to learn about what younger people are thinking about and what they are going through. I know this will give me a chance to think about ways we can implement to our MDR training to make it more powerful. I believe that as I go through the training not only will I learn skills for my personal development, but I will also learn how to communicate better with youth and see how this organization that shares similar values with MDR does it to empower young girls.
Therefore, I will be sharing my experience of my training with Global Girl Media by blogging every day about my day at the training.
Day 1 of training-
There are 8 girls in the training, two interns, and three women who teach us. For the first activity we gathered in a circle and talked about current events that affect us or/and that we are interested about. I could see how passionate these high school girls were about issues such as racism, discrimination, violence, immigration, etc. We spent sharing our personal experiences, opinions, and stories.
Also, we talked about how powerful media is and how we should be able to express ourselves through media to make a positive change. Then, we were taught how to use a video camera and make a video about why “my voice is important”.
We learned how to use a video camera, how to adjust the image, manage sound, etc. We also learned how to edit our videos.
Day 2 of training-
During our second day we got to get to know each other a little more. We talked about current news that we have been following and we highlighted the importance of knowing what’s going in the United States as well as around the world. One of the news that caught our attention the most was about Bill Cosby and the 35 women who have testified against him for having allegedly had assaulted them. We expressed how we felt about it and what we know about the issue. We also talked about how media is playing a role with it, since people are using social networks such as Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation by using the hashtag #EmptyChair.
Later, we wanted if people know about this, how they feel about it, what their thoughts are, and whether they knew about the hashtag. In addition, we were taught “the rule of thirds”, how to manually set the white balance, exposure, focus, sound, etc., to make professional interviews. We used this knowledge to interview many people in Spanish and English to know what their thoughts about Bill Cosby are. Also, we edited our videos and chose quotes from our interviewees to share on our social network sites.
Another great accomplishment was when the girls learned to created their first WordPress website and wrote their very first blog about themselves.
Day 3 of training-
Today, we all shared an international news as soon as we started our training. Many stories from animal abuse, immigration, politics, to criminals and gangs around the world. Later, we had a discussion about what it means being a feminist, about the negative connotation some people have about feminists, etc.
Since we all have WordPress websites now to blog, we Skyped with Luvvie Ajayi, a blogger who writes about pop culture. She gave us amazing tips to write in an effective way, to find our voice, and to encourage us to keep blogging. We enjoyed our conversation and asked many questions.
Later, we had a discussion about depression and shared our experiences with the group. We were brainstorming because we want to create a video about depression because not many people know what depression really is and how it looks like.
Day 4 of training-
Today was a very exciting day at Global Girl Media! As usual, we shared news around the world and how we were feeling or anything we wanted to share. We also did some yoga and a few exercises to wake us up and start our day as energetic as possible.
We learned more about cinematography. Amie Williams, a cinematographer, taught us many shooting tips like different types of shots, angles, lighting, etc. We also learned how we can capture emotions without using facial expressions or body language, we can use any object and be creative with it to create an specific emotion, a tone, or a feeling. I said it was a very exciting day because we got to go out and shoot at different places and object to create an emotion. We got the emotion “rage”. It was a little challenging at first, but we all brainstormed about how we were going to capture the emotion before going out. We thought of things that irritate us, things that we see that provoke negative emotions for us. So, we recorded graffiti, a dead flower on the floor, cracks on the ground, a trash can laying around that no one would pick up, etc. We learned to use many different types of shots/angles to add different perspectives. It was very interesting to know we can make a story with simple objects and convey an emotion. It felt like we were real filmmakers as people would stop and stare at what we were doing. It was amazing how creative we can be when we learn to see life thorough a camera lens. It’s been 4 days only and I’m already watching TV, while at the same time looking for the different angles/shots, or I’m on my way home watching my environment thinking, “this is a great place to take a wide shot, from a hi-angle”.
After our lunch break we got to talk more about our documentary that we will be shooting next week. We know our topic will be on depression in teen girls. We discussed how we wanted to portray it and the resources we will need. We also did researched about statistics, rates, resources, and experts that we would like to include in our video.
Tomorrow we will be going to NPR, a radio station in Culver City. I don’t know what we will be doing there, but I am excited and looking forward to telling you all about it tomorrow!
Day 5 of Training-
On Friday, we went on a field trip to NPR (National Public Radio) in Culver City. As soon as we got there we got to see Seth Meyers getting out of an interview, which was very exciting for me because I love seeing celebrities and who doesn’t?!
We got to see many different parts of the studio and some ladies explained to us how things work there and all the exciting stuff that happens at the radio station. As we were experiencing all this, we were also filming it. We also got to interview two nice ladies who shared their experiences of working in journalism as Latina women. We got amazing advice and encouragement from them. In addition, we talked to them about our project on depression in teen girls and asked for strategies on how to make it stronger.
Finally, we had lunch at the beautiful and romantic Culver Hotel. One of our GGM interns’ dad is a manager there and she invited us all to have dinner. Her dad was very nice with us. We had an amazing time and had a delicious and fancy lunch. We got to know each other a little more as we shared our personal stories about how close we are to our mothers. Also, we talked about the future of GGM and what topics we would like to discuss in the future once this two weeks are over, should we choose to continue working with Global Girl Media.
Day 6 of training-
Today, we had many amazing speakers coming in to talk to us about their experiences and careers as journalists, filmmakers, writers, etc. We got to ask many questions and got advice to improve our project on depression in teenage girls.
Later, we did research about depression in teen girls. We looked for statistics and pictures that we would like to use for our video. We also worked on the introduction of the video.
Day 7 of training-
Today was a very exciting and productive day at Global Girl Media. First, we had birthday cake because of our Global Girls turned 16! We had two cakes– vanilla and chocolate. After that, we interviewed two people for our short documentary on depression. We all helped each other, but I was mostly in charged of making sure the sound was right and I also got to be behind the camera– shooting one of the interviews– it was quite the experience. I loved it! I’m getting more comfortable with using the video cameras, playing the role of producer, sound person, reporter, etc. It sounds easy, but it’s definitely team work. It requires a lot of attention to detail and creativity. Being able to use a video camera, be creative, and have fun with it makes you feel empowered and very powerful, especially because we want to have our voices heard and allow others who have been voiceless to be heard too.
It has been an amazing experience. I wish I had known about Global Girl Media before, but I am glad I’m having this amazing opportunity now and I am really looking forward to continue working and growing with GGM. I want to be able to show the world all these stories that have not been heard or have been ignored.
Day 8-
Today we continued working on our project on depression. We contacted two experts and made appointments to interview them. We researched more the topic, wrote the introduction for our video, some of the us worked on the animation we will use, others worked on editing the footage, and some worked on the audio. We had a many speakers, who came to talk to us about their careers in the media, journalism, film-making, etc. It was very nice to hear about their journeys, experiences, work they have done all over the world, and to hear how passionate they are about making a difference in our world.
After lunch we went to MacArthur Park to shoot some b-roll for our video– that’s anything that we want to use to make our video more creative and give it a certain feeling or emotion–. I got to use the camera again and spend a nice time out with everyone.
One of the things that I like the most about my training with Global Girl Media is that before we start our day learning and working on our project, we take some time to gather in a circle, sometimes we sit down and sometimes we just stand. We talk about how we are feeling, what we have been up to, and we share about any news we have been following. I think this has allowed us to get to know each other and to know what we are interested in. We all share a news story every morning, and I think this is great because all of the girls are or will be in high school, so I think this experience has taught and encouraged us all to pay more attention to what is going on around the world. We also do some exercises and sometimes we do yoga! It helps us wake up and start our day with energy!
We also received great news. One of us will be able to attend the Golden Globes next week to hang up and chat with the stars. We voted for the Global Girl who will best represent us. We are very excited and looking forward to know who the lucky one will be!
It’s amazing how in such a short period of time, we have bonded with each other, we all have become more confident, and feel like we can trust each other. We all listen and express ourselves without being judged and we really feel like we are a very strong group of young women who want to continue working together to make this world a better place for everyone.
Day 9-
As usual, we made a circle and talked about how we were feeling, shared a news story, and we talked about someone who inspires us. It was very touching to hear everyone’s stories and to see how loving, caring, and kind all the girls are.
We had another speaker today, Tabby Biddle, a blogger, writer, and journalist, who came to help and encourage us to keep blogging. She taught us how to find our voice and how to be effective and powerful writers. She guided us and helped us write our second blog about an issue we are passionate about. We all enjoyed our time together and three of our Global Girls received her new book Find Your Voice.
After that we thought about the questions we were going to ask the expert of teen depression. Our interviewer was the Founder of Teen Line at Cedars Sinai Hospital. I was in charged of shooting the interview. It was very exciting and also a great responsibility because I wanted to be as great as possible and apply everything I have learned these two weeks. One of the things that we have learned about being reporters, producers, or camera person is that sometimes there is not enough time and you have to be act quick while doing the best you can to get the job done as good as possible.
I can’t wait to see the finished product! We still have another expert to interview tomorrow and some editing to do, but I’m sure it will look great because we all have worked hard and done our best.
Tomorrow is our last day together. It’s sad, but this isn’t the end, we all want to continue working with Global Girl Media, and hopefully we will see each other soon.
Last day-
Today was our last day of training at Global Girl Media. We enjoyed our morning circle as usual, where we shared how we were feeling, a news story, and anything we’d like to share with everyone. We also did yoga, which I really enjoyed. We worked on editing our video on teen depression. I forgot to tell you that we focused on three cultures: Latina, Nigerian, and Chinese. We decided to focus on these three minority cultures because we noticed that there is a culture of silence about depression. Even though these cultures have high rates of teen depression, especially in teen girls, people do not really talk about it. In Nigerian culture there isn’t even a translation for depression. They don’t see depression as a real illness. Therefore, our goal is to raise awareness and let teen girls know that they are not alone and that they should feel free to speak up about how they are feeling, their problems, emotions, etc. We also will provide with resources to overcome depression.
Also, today we did another interview with another expert on depression in the Latino community. We continued editing our video, writing our second blog, etc.
Since today was our last day we went out to get drinks called Bobas and to hang out for a little while. Later, we recorded ourselves talking about our experience with Global Girl Media and how we were before and after the training. We went out and shot our videos and we felt very comfortable using the cameras after practicing these last two weeks. This was one of the things I liked the most because we all had a chance to learn and practice all the process of film making. It’s amazing how we were scared and nervous to touch the camera the first day, but by the second week, we were all excited, confident, and couldn’t wait to go out and use the cameras to get some creative shots.
Finally, we talked about the impact Global Girl Media in all of us and the goals for our future with GGM. We got certificates and a beautiful journal. We will be doing some final editing next week on Monday and Tuesday. I can’t wait for you to see the final product!
Thank you for reading about my experience with Global Girl Media. It was a beautiful and amazing experience, where I got to know wonderful young women who have inspired and motivated me to be a better person and to keep making a positive difference in our community.
Here’s the final video! Enjoy and feel free to share it with your friends.
#FullyHuman 