Courageous Persuaders
Are you interested in filmmaking and keen to make a difference in your community? Courageous Persuaders runs a film competition in which teens submit 30-second videos to persuade peers about the dangers of underage drinking and texting while driving. A committee of adults narrows the submissions to 60 films, which are then ranked and rated by a group of middle schoolers for persuasiveness and entertainment value. There are some pretty big sponsors behind this program, as well as scholarship money.
“A high school scholarship competition unlike any other. Enter your 30-second TV commercial about the dangers of underage drinking or texting while driving. Middle school classrooms gauge the commercials persuasiveness and ultimately determine winners.”
How do I get started? See Courageous Persuaders.
How do I expand this narrative arc? How do I expand this narrative arc? If you’re interested in art and photography and want to expand your summer experiences into the school year, consider the following:
Become the Director of Photography or Official Photographer at your school. Expand your role beyond a single event and cover games, academic competitions and other school events as well. You could also consider the same role for your community.
Check out the Summer High School Filmmakers Workshop at Tisch School for Performing Arts at NYU.
Launch a broader awareness campaign in your school to link in with the theme of your short film. To get started, download our PDF for Stand Out From the Pack - Campaign
HOT TIP: This is a great project for a teen that is interested in the arts and filmmaking. It’s also a great opportunity to explore this area if you’re early in your high school years or you think you might want to try filmmaking but don’t intend to include the program on your college application. Keep in mind that you’ll get more bang for your buck if the extracurriculars you choose fit into a larger narrative arc.