Brooklyn Young Filmmakers Center      is a 501(c)(3) neighborhood non-profit, located in Fort Greene Brooklyn, dedicated to community building through storytelling. Our Community Filmmaking project brings together people of different ages, different races, different economics and upbringings, different levels of knowledge and commitment, to produce richly crafted low-no-budget narrative films. We choose student scripts that can be developed into multi-layered “Teaching Stories” which can lead audiences to new discussions about life choices, human behavior, and the art of filmmaking. We teach the joy of learning how to do a lot when only given a little.

Our “MAKE A FILM” Class Series     provides the organizing structure for our filmmaking learning lab. We offer the class series twice a year, in the Spring and in the Fall. The first two classes of the series are:

FLM 100: INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTWRITING: Blueprint for Making a Film

FLM 200: GETTING STARTED IN FILM: How to Organize a Low Budget Film Shoot & Become a Production Assistant.     

We offer these classes through New York City College of Technology’s Division of Continuing Education located at 25 Chapel Street, Downtown Brooklyn.

(For the latest class schedules go to:
www.citytech.cuny.edu/academics/continuinged).

Scripts for our films are chosen from original student scripts      developed in FLM 100. We look for scripts that can be shot creatively on low-no-budgets. In addition a script needs to address relevant life situations in a surprising way and have the potential of being developed into an entertaining multi-layered “Teaching Story”. In FLM 200 the BYFC Artistic Director, Trayce Gardner, with invited film professionals, workshop the script with the students and the emerging professionals working on the shoot. A shooting script is developed that features vivid production design, and richly crafted use of props and set as visuals that advance the storyline.

In the third class, FLM 300, we shoot a short film.      This class is offered directly through Brooklyn Young Filmmakers at donated locations in Fort Greene. Emerging cinematographers, gaffers, editors, and musicians are recruited to collaborate with our production assistant team of BYFC students and community members. We conduct a Community Casting Call and a Scavenger Hunt for set, prop, and wardrobe materials. The one or two day shoot happens on a weekend. After the class series is over, during Post Production, students can continue as volunteers and assist with developing the Discussion Guide for the finished “Teaching Story” film and promoting the Community Filmmaking project.

Brooklyn Young Filmmakers      is an all volunteer organization with no paid regular staff or public office. Over the last nine years we have been developing the curriculum and educational formats, and neighborhood and film community links for Community Filmmaking. Monies we raise from our classes and events go back into our Community Filmmaking. We are a small project with a big concept that we are still growing.

In addition to our “MAKE A FILM” Class Series,      Brooklyn Young Filmmakers offers KEY TO THE REAL WORLD Workshops in conjunction with Film Biz Recycling (www.filmbizrecycling.org ) . Film audiences need to believe it is a real world that they see on the screen if they are to believe in the actors and the story. Our KEY TO THE REAL WORLD workshops focus on the inspired use of Back Story, Props, and Set to develop more layered and compelling scripts, and to (cheaply) enhance film productions values by giving visual clues that establish mood and feel. All workshops include a mock film shoot shopping spree in the Film Biz Recycling showroom.

Brooklyn Young Filmmakers      invites you to become a fan of our new FACEBOOK Page! Keep up with dates for our upcoming events; meet the emerging artists and filmmakers helping us; be part of our next Community Casting Call and Scavenger Hunt; join us in discussions; and share your own stories about low budget filmmaking.

Don’t want to join FACEBOOK? Brooklyn Young Filmmakers is also posting information about our upcoming events on our blog www.fginfox.blogspot.com.

To register for our classes or workshops
email us at classes@wearebyfc.org or call (718)935-0490.
Help Support Community Filmmaking!
Make a donation of money, equipment, or skills (link to Support page)