Can a filmmaking program support the learning objectives of secondary education?
Sometimes people are skeptical about donating time, services or financial resources to organizations that "do film" as part of a social service or educational agenda. At first glance, our methods may seem unorthodox, yet our overwhelming success rates speak to the value of our approach. If you are skeptical, please read on.
Some people equate filmmaking with "going Hollywood." We haven't and we won't. Maybe they think we're out to use donated funds to make for-profit commercial blockbusters. We definitely aren't. The Big Picture Alliance is a bonafide 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, (See specific listing information below), that is dedicated to enhancing the education and professional outlook of our clientele. Our financial books are impeccable and we keep administration costs low so that we can put most every cent we get where it does the most good. We use filmmaking as the foundation for developing life skills and modeling positive choices young people can carry into the rest of their lives. For our student filmmakers, "the BPA experience" is as much about the process of making films than the product—the finished film itself.
But can filmmaking really support the skill-building objectives of secondary and post-secondary educational institutions? We're convinced that it can and does and we aren't alone in believing so.
