THE MASSES

Between the confetti, the silly string, the capes, the sloths, the scavenger hunts, the bands, the shopping carts, the green screens, and of course the cameras everywhere, it’s probably safe to say that OMG! CAMERAS EVERYWHERE! was one of (if not THE) greatest week in all of music video history. But what, you may ask, made it so spectacular??

Well, OMG! CAMERAS EVERYWHERE! began as a dream this summer when a few of us music video folks decided we wanted to share what we did with the next generation. After a few feverish think-tank sessions, we put up a Kickstarter, dug up some cameras,  and decided to give the camp business a whirl. We set out to organize a week-long series of workshops, the goal being to provide these kids with a unique opportunity to experiment creatively, develop artistically, and learn new skills. We’d hoped that by looking through the lens of a camera, they’d be able to expand their worldview and start seeing the universe as a place subject to their own creativity, open to manipulation by their imagination. After all, the program was founded upon the belief that the increased accessibility of cameras to everyone today can potentially give kids the tools they need to create and communicate like never before. We chose music videos not only because it’s what we know, but because it’s also something that they are all familiar with. In doing such, our goal was to establish OMG! CAMERAS EVERYWHERE! as a place for kids to collaborate, develop confidence in their work, and just be kids for awhile.

So we took the leap of faith and hosted a week-long series of workshops for kids in the Los Angeles area from August 29th-September 2nd. In addition to a bit of our own scouting, we also partnered with two amazing organizations, Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) and HYPE Los Angeles, to recruit some of the best and brightest minds in this city. We ended up with an incredible group of twelve kids aged 9-16 who proved themselves to be absolute naturals. From dancers and horror buffs to actresses and comedians, together they made one heck of a film crew.

In only five days, they wrote, planned, directed, and acted in a total of five music videos, a live takeaway video (cameras everywhere style), and dozens of short films. (By the way, many of these videos are now set to be released as official videos for the artists). For each project we partnered a group of kids with several working directors with the ultimate intention of fostering an open, creative environment. Every now and then we’d throw them a time restraint or a “no green screen” rule, but turns out that just got their wheels turning even faster! Once they’d learned the basics of perspective and DIY effects, the “restrictions” just seemed to open up an infinite universe of loopholes and possibilities. In the end, it turns out that we were the ones who’d been taught a thing or two about film. Sure, we showed them the basics of camera operation and how to frame a shot, but they’re the ones who reminded us that nothing is impossible when you’ve got a camera and some friends.

The week culminated in a screening of the kids’ work on Saturday at Cinefamily. From the moment we read OMG! CAMERAS EVERYWHERE! on the marquee, the reality of what had just happened began to sink in. We were struck by how incredible the last five days had been, and by how much we’d grown to love every one of those kids. Watching them talk about their work during their director Q&A was truly something else. Not only were they confidently standing by their films, but they were also sharing bits of their individual creative processes and things that they had learned from the experience. And now that that’s happened, we can’t really imagine doing anything else.

So what’s next for OMG! CAMERAS EVERYWHERE!? Well that’s where the good news comes in—we’re now incorporated as OMG Everywhere, a California nonprofit organization, and are currently entering the 501(c)(3) process. So look out, because these talented kids aren’t going anywhere any time soon.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEOS AND FIND OUT MORE

 

**Special thanks to HOLA, HYPE Los Angeles, Cinefamily, Isaac Ravishankara, DANIELS, Jack Richardson, Matt Amato, Dugan O’Neal, Ben Fee, Ben Kutsko, Ariana Natale, Hiro Murai, Alistair Legrand, Doomsday Entertainment, Alex Pelly, David Altobelli, Raul Fernandez, Spencer Ockwell, Eli Stonberg, Larkin Seiple, David Myrick, Correatown, 3oh!3, Bryan John Appleby, Judson McKinney, and all our supporters on Kickstarter without whom this camp would not have been possible.