May 4th, 2012 | It’s almost Banker’s birthday…help him with his wish

On Monday I received an email that began,

“Happy (Almost) Birthday! Thanks to Facebook, in one week all of your friends will see that it’s your birthday on May 5th. Instead of just writing on your wall, or giving you something you don’t need, what if they had a chance to help a cause you believe in? “

So, I thought to myself, since all of my friends are in the habit of showering me with lavish gifts every Cinco de Mayo (Ha!) this could be a great and productive thing to do as alternative.

But I did indeed decide to sign myself up for Causes and give it a try.

Here is my wish: http://wishes.causes.com/wishes/463067

For my birthday on May 5th, I’m asking my friends and family for a special gift: to help me get the women filmmaker’s of WeOwnTV their OWN camera—and yes, it will be painted pink!

WeOwnTV Women Filmmakers

WeOwnTV Women Filmmakers

Last year we promoted WeOwnTV mentor Michaella Sallu to be the manager of a new Women’s Producing Initiative. She was the first woman to be promoted to a management position at WeOwnTV and has been doing amazing things. She now is leading a group of young filmmakers and mentoring them in production skills training and story development.

The camera I want to get them would completely change their capacity to produce high quality films – it records full HD video and professional sound. They are already in planning stages of several amazing projects and the work is diverse from a narrative film called ‘Cry in the Dark’ that tackles gender violence and HIV, to a documentary called ‘Street Soldiers’ about a local street theater group that is collaborating with young women working as prostitutes, trying to help them get off the streets.

I am dedicating this birthday wish to all the amazing women in my life; specifically; my amazing mother, Pam White who just celebrated her 65th birthday, my incredible wife Anna Fitch, my beautiful daughter Miss Dylan Tilly White and the talented Michaella Sallu, manager of WeOwnTV’s Women’s Producing Initiative.

Michaella Behind the Camera

Michaella has a fan on set (future filmmaker in training).

Thanks for joining me in my celebration and in making my birthday wish come true. Donations of any size will get us one step closer to getting a pink camera into the hands of the amazing women in Freetown. Wishes accepted here: http://wishes.causes.com/wishes/463067.

Here’s to dreaming and wishing for big things,

Banker

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Posted in From Banker White, Fundraising, News, WeOwnTV Productions

March 27th, 2012 | Opening Thursday, 29 March the first ever Sierra Leone International Film Festival

Sierra Leone International Film Festival

Sierra Leone International Film Festival | 29 March - 3 April 2012

We wanted to take this opportunity to wish our friends and partners at Sierra Leone International Film Festival a fantamaglorious first run. The festival opens this Thursday, 29 March and runs through 3 April. If you find yourself in Freetown, be sure to check out the schedule and to take in some of the festivities.

Layna Fisher with the support of Jan Vrijman Fund has been working tirelessly on the festival and we have been happy to serve as the festival’s education partner. We wish her and her team great success.

Of course, we are also excited to have been selected as filmmakers screening work at the festival. We have three short films and a music video slated for screenings and are looking forward to sharing this work with new audiences.

WeOwnTV Productions presents the following during the 2012 Sierra Leone International Film Festival:

Youth (2009)
YOUTH is the first of three short films YOUTH, FAMILY and CHARITY—that were created via a collaborative group writing process. Workshop participants shared video diary entries about memories from three different time periods: before the war, during the war, and present day. YOUTH was created from diary entries the group shared from their childhood—the time before the war touched their lives.

They Resisted (2011) | Locals Pre-Screening
There were countless stories of resistance and revolt in the three centuries of the earlier Atlantic slave trade. THEY RESISTED is set during that period of the slave trade and is dedicated to those untold stories.

Bend Down the Corner (2010)
This comic music video was created by WeOwnTV’s own Arthur Pratt and Banker White and depicts the admirations and mishaps of a young man encouraged by too much alcohol. Music written and performed by Jahson Gbessay Bull of the Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars.

The Hustler (2010)
THE HUSTLER takes a dark look at the relationship between a mother and son as she takes to the streets while using sedation as childcare.

In addition, look for the documentary film, SIERRA LEONE’S REFUGEE ALL STARS, co-directed by our very own Banker White and Zach Niles which will also be screening at the festival on Saturday, 31 March at 2 PM at Cruzer Cinema.

See you at the movies!

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Posted in From Sierra Leone, News, Updates

March 26th, 2012 | WeOwnTV Welcomes Alice Dunseath to Educate and Animate

Together with our partner the Sierra Leone International Film Festival we hosted an animation workshop for the WeOwnTV filmmakers and welcomed animator Alice Dunseath as the workshop director. The goal of the workshop was to teach introductory animation skills while developing a promo for the first Sierra Leone International Film Festival, to be held March 29 – April 3, 2012.

SLIFF from Alice Dunseath on Vimeo.

Our very own Alluspa King, Jr. delivered a report about the workshop experience: The animation workshop took place over three days. The first day was about how to do storyboarding for animation films and understanding how pictures can tell your story. We did a variety of exercises for day one focused on storyboarding and other techniques. The second day we took on new learnings and used them to animate the logo of the Sierra Leone International Film Festival. We also did time lapse of the painting of the logo on our front wall.

Animation Workshop in Freetown

Alluspa hard at work his animation excercises.

For the final day we did some exercises on Adobe® Flash and Adobe® After Effects. We created images and make them move with the use of after effect. Everybody gained new skills by participating in the workshop. We have got the basics so we can continue training ourselves and in time to come we can animate films for ourselves. The workshop was counted as a blessing to participants as they have been looking forward to such an opportunity to come their way and now everyone is waiting with excitement for the festival to receive their workshop completion certificate which are planned for presentation on the final day of the festival.

Barmmy Boy also had this to say about the workshop, “The animation workshop was meaningful, it gives us another perspective of how can be creative to tell a story and how we can improve on our filmmaking venture. I learned the basics and that has got me thinking widely.”

WeOwnTV is always open to having filmmakers join us in Freetown to share their expertise and movie making know how; you will not find a more appreciative group of students. Interested? Get in touch by emailing sierraleone@weowntv.org.

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Posted in From Sierra Leone, News, Uncategorized, WeOwnTV Productions

March 25th, 2012 | That’s a Wrap | My Motivation

Wow! They aren’t kidding that you can easily go into a cone of silence while working on a production…much less seven. Sorry we have been quiet on the update front, but hopefully we will make up for it with a series of new posts and a regular schedule for the future.

As we shared at the end of last year, the team in Freetown received the greenlight for a variety of production projects and they’re all busy working on their films. The first project that was approved for its production phase was Mustapha Brima’s My Motivation, a complicated story that explores corruption with Sierra Leone’s free health care program. They recently wrapped production and we asked Mustapha to share his experience.

Between shooting scenes for My Motivation.

Between shooting scenes for My Motivation.

As told by Mustapha: We have just finished with the production and I am very happy to say that it went on successfully though there were a lot of constraints in finding locations, casting andthe like, especially getting the government hospital to participate in the picture was not easy. But through the help of GOD, I was able to get one. Such a thing is not easy here especially when our story is about the government. However, we worked as a team to make progress and we succeeded. It is very good to work as a team in every project. Thank you to our colleagues in the U.S.

My Motivation was shot in four days and all of the filming happened in the west end of Freetown. Motor bikes (Okada) where the crew’s best means of transportation considering the heavy traffic caused by the ongoing road construction by the Chinese. Day one of shooting was a hospital scene and it happened at the Murray Town Government Hospital; Arthur Pratt was the camera-man and Barmmy Boy directed shots as the DP, while also filming behind the scenes.

My Motivation | Behind the Camera

Arthur Pratt and Barmmy Boy discussing a shot.

Day 2 was in the same hospital and additional scenes were shot on this day within the Murray Town community.

Day 3 scenes were shot using a house in Cole Farm and the last day of shooting took place in a small restaurant located in the same community of Cole Farm.

The team is currently editing My Motivation at the WeOwnTV Media Center in Freetown—stay tuned for more!

For additional production photos check out the My Motivation Facebook album.

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Posted in From Sierra Leone, Updates, WeOwnTV Productions

December 15th, 2011 | Greenlighting #PositiveRevolution Projects

In honor of Sierra Leone’s 50th Anniversary, WeOwnTV in partnership with the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars launched a campaign “Picturing Independence: A Positive Revolution” for the development of new projects. We believe that by supporting individuals’ freedom to create independent work we are supporting a new generation in finding and amplifying their voice.

Thanks to the overwhelming support we received as a result of our Kickstarter campaign this past spring, we developed a proposal submission process to administer funds for projects. During the summer, the WeOwnTV team was tasked with conceptualizing and developing plans—including production schedules, initial scripts and budget proposals—in order to submit their proposed projects for consideration. This gave all of the team the opportunity to learn the workflows filmmakers undergo to get their work funded and supported.

All smiles behind the camera.

All smiles behind the camera.

With each step along the way we try to find opportunities for the entire to team to develop new skills and we are really proud of the result of our collective collaboration and learning. We decided to fund projects in phases to assist with their progress and focus each of the phases on educating the collective group.

The projects below have been green lighted and will receive initial funding for research or development:

African Ninja | narrative feature: comedy
Director: Arthur Pratt
African Ninja is Africa’s first Kung fu comedy.

Bingo is Dead | fiction short: comedy
Director: Lansana Mansaray
This hilarious film looks at mistrust and rash decision making in desperate situations.

Cry in the Dark | fiction and documentary
Director: Michaella Sallu
This creative work includes two complimentary shorts–one narrative and one documentary–that explore rape and gender based violence and its link to modern day traditional religion and superstition.

Disability is Not Inability | documentary short
Director: Allusaine Soumah
This short documentary profiles three courageous Sierra Leoneans who professionally excel at what they do despite living with physical disabilities.

My Motivation | fiction short: drama
Director: Mustapha Brima
A complicated story that explores corruption with Sierra Leone’s free health care program.

Seaside Stories | documentary shorts
Directors: Fatmata Mansaray and Mohamed Ali Kanu
Short documentaries coming from the uniquely positioned seaside neighborhood.

Each of these projects is at a different stage and will progress as appropriate for the project and individual’s creative process. In the coming months, we will highlight the project milestones so you, our supporters, can be part of each filmmaker’s process.

We share with you our momentum and plans with gratitude in our hearts. Please know that with your support and encouragement talented individuals are able to create and develop as filmmakers. You have given each of them an amazing gift.

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Posted in From Sierra Leone, Fundraising, News, Updates, WeOwnTV Productions

October 13th, 2011 | WeOwnTV Sierra Leone Media Center Turns One

Wow! It’s hard to believe a year ago the U.S. team and I had just returned from Sierra Leone having officially opened the WeOwnTV Sierra Leone Media Center in Freetown. And now, here we are strategizing for year-end productions (thanks to #positiverevolution Kickstarter campaign) and our 2012 plan.

WeOwnTV at work.

WeOwnTV's Barmmy Boy at work behind the camera.

During this first year with a “roof over our heads,” there has been significant momentum achieved and the flames of inspiration are just beginning to IGNITE.

Highlights include:

* In late January we started producing In Focus, an hour-long program for the national television station (SLBC)

* In April we ran a successful local film festival in Freetown in conjunction with the country’s 50th anniversary of independence

* In addition to funds received by our amazing supporters, we raised more than $18,000 with our first Kickstarter campaign and have implemented a production proposal process to produce “Positive Revolution” work as a result

* Partnering with the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars we campaigned in honor of the country’s 50th Anniversary and launched the #positiverevolution as we promoted together Sierra Leonean culture

* We joined forces with Lawnfish productions to launch an international film festival in 2012 which received a $15,000 grant from IDFA and the Jan Vrijman Fund this summer

* August marked the first anniversary of the WeOwnTV Sierra Leone Media Center and the renewal of our lease at 20 Old Railway Line

* Screenings and presentations at multiple international festivals: South by Southwest (SXSW), The Sonoma International Film Festival and next up in November the San Francisco film Society’s Cinema by the Bay

* Freelance work continues to grow and projects have included work for: Hospitaalbroeders, Conciliation Resource and the Peace Project film

* Team is in post-production for They Resisted, launched the Le Wi Lan Krio channel and are in pre-production and development on a variety of new productions

* We launched a women’s producing initiative Woman go tok and appointed Michaella Sallu as its managing director.

* And those are just the highlights…

Michaella Behind the Camera

Michaella has a fan on set (future filmmaker in training).

The team is excited by the achievements to date. However, we believe this is only the beginning and as the support for our efforts continue to grow we look forward to the amazing opportunities ahead.

In a couple of days we plan to share the projects that are getting the “greenlight” for further development as a result of the funds raised from the Kickstarter campaign. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement.

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Posted in From Banker White, From Sierra Leone, Updates

June 5th, 2011 | HELO Magazine features WeOwnTV

This week the team at HELO magazine featured WeOwnTV and our Kickstarter campaign.

From HELO: Dear HELO fans! We are pleased once again to have the work of Banker White, Black Nature, Arthur Pratt and so many others of WeOwnTV.org and the associated Refugee All Stars featured here on HELO. They have four days left as of writing to reach their fundraising goal on Kickstarter, so please help out!

To read the complete story, visit HELO Magazine.

kickstarter.weowntv.org

As of right now we have 60 hours more to go to reach our goal of $15,000. With 122 backers the current pledges amount to $12,691…we are so close; however, we still need everyone’s help getting the word out.

How you can help: Share it on facebook –  tweet all about it — or pass campaign along to your friends and family.

Together, we can do this.

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Posted in Fundraising, News, Updates

May 18th, 2011 | WeOwnTV Launches New Krio Language Channel and Online Classroom in Celebration of Sierra Leone’s 50th Year of Independence

Blog note: Thank you for letting us share our news.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN FRANCISCO AND FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE, May 19, 2011 — April 27th marked Sierra Leone’s 50th anniversary of independence, and WeOwnTV is continuing the celebration with the launch of Le Wi Lan Krio, a series of short, upbeat Krio language lessons featured on WeOwnTV.org. Aimed at an English speaking international audience and Sierra Leonean Diaspora living abroad, the lessons are entertaining and instructional. Each one focuses on the Krio language and culture, often taught through the use of Sierra Leonean proverbs and stories. In addition to the new channel, WeOwnTV also launched an online classroom on Facebook, where people can upload their own Krio lessons or chat with others to perfect their Krio.

Le Wi Lan Krio builds on WeOwnTV’s year-long production initiative, Picturing Independence: A Positive Revolution, a series of short films that celebrate the Sierra Leone of yesterday and today. The project has already received the honor of being selected as one of the programs officially endorsed by the Sierra Leone 50th Anniversary Committee and WeOwnTV is currently seeking financial assistance to make these short films a reality. To donate, please visit: http://kickstarter.weowntv.org.

“It’s been more than two weeks since Sierra Leone’s 50th anniversary of independence, and the celebration has really just begun,” said Banker White, creative director and founder, WeOwnTV. “Le Wi Lan Krio and the Picturing Independence campaigns are our tribute to the country’s golden anniversary and younger generation who lost their childhoods to the war. Both initiatives commemorate a real time of hope for young Sierra Leoneans and the entire WeOwnTV team is incredibly grateful for the groundswell of support we have received to date.”

The WeOwnTV Backstory
WeOwnTV is a continuation of the award winning documentary film, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, that chronicled a group of six Sierra Leonean musicians who came together to form a band while living in a refugee camp in Guinea. The film saw the band realize the dream of recording their first studio album, resulting in an international musical career that continues on today. Having his life changed by the opportunity to share his own story, the youngest band member Alhaji Jeffrey “Black Nature” Kamara joined forces with the film’s co-creators to form WeOwnTV two years ago.

WeOwnTV remains dedicated to the development and discovery of the young generation’s “voice” in Sierra Leone through ongoing film education, equipment, editing and distribution support. Through the recent launch of the WeOwnTV Media Center in Freetown, Sierra Leone, youth and young adult program participants are now enjoying sustained careers in film and media production. WeOwnTV’s In Focus is a compelling hour of news, culture and creative media produced for the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), and the group’s works are currently being screened at film festivals around the world.

About WeOwnTV
WeOwnTV is a collaborative media education project for disenfranchised youth and young adults that promotes self-expression as a way to explore our shared humanity and build a foundation for the future. Focusing on community engagement, the WeOwnTV curriculum balances intensive film production and computer skills training with classes on storytelling. Ongoing mentorship along with technical assistance, multi-channel distribution and the promotion of finished work enables young adults to share their stories and ideas with the world. For more information, visit www.weowntv.org or find us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Posted in Backstory, News, WeOwnTV Productions

May 14th, 2011 | Today is the day, let’s learn Krio

Padis Kushe-o; Hello Friends.

It has been more than two weeks since Sierra Leone’s 50th anniversary of independence, and the celebration is still going on. The band, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, just came through San Francisco and the band’s resident martial artist and wise man JahSon Gbesse Bull reminded me “When you enter your 50th year it’s not just that day that you’re 50, so we should expect a party throughout the year.” I like your style Sierra Leone and the team at WeOwnTV will do our part to participate.

In celebration and collaboration with the band, we launched the Kickstarter campaign, Picturing Independence: A Positive Revolution. There are 25 days left in the campaign.

Currently we have 60 backers—tenki padis; thank you friends—and are more than half way to our goal of $15,000. Together, we have made great progress…but, we still need your help spreading the word; and if you haven’t donated please consider donating today: http://kickstarter.weowntv.org, (no amount is too small and it all helps us reach our goal).

NOTE: If we don’t make our goal of $15,000 by Wednesday June 8, Kickstarter will not disburse any of the funds (and that would be no good); so tell all your friends, their friends, and their friends, friends.

Of course we know that a good party needs refreshments so we are not going to ask for continued support without giving you all something to celebrate. And in the spirit of Sierra Leone culture, we thought, what better way to have a good time than to help the world learn to speak Krio. That is why we are launching our new online Krio classroom: Le Wi Lan Krio.

LE Wi Lan Krio

Today is the Day. Le wi Lan Krio; Let's learn Krio.

Le Wi Lan Krio is a series of short, upbeat Krio-language lessons produced by the WeOwnTV team. Aimed at an English speaking international audience and Sierra Leonean Diaspora living abroad, the lessons are entertaining and instructional. Each lesson is about the Krio language and culture, often taught through the use of Sierra Leonean proverbs and stories. Perhaps one day we will be the Sierra Leone’s Sesame Street (good times).

If you want to read up on the origins of Krio, check out the wiki page here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krio_language; AND if you want to start speaking come check out our new on line lessons: http://www.weowntv.org/authors/143/le-wi-lan-krio/. And better yet, if you want to talk Krio with new friends: join us on Facebook and upload your own Krio lessons or chat with others to perfect your Krio.

Proverbs are meant to be discussed and Krio is more fun when learning together, so comment and send us Krio lessons, proverbs and stories of your own.

OO, Wi de si bak; O.K. so long/we shall see you again.

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Posted in From Sierra Leone, Fundraising, Updates, WeOwnTV Productions

April 26th, 2011 | This will be a Positive Revolution

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars

In honor of our joint collaboration, today we launch a short-film produced by the WeOwnTV crew in Freetown featuring Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars as they prepare for their 2011 world tour.

In the film, meet the band as they greet fellow Sierra Leoneans and share their excitement and anticipation about the tour and the country’s 50th Anniversary of Independence.

Join the #positiverevolution, and watch it now.

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Posted in Uncategorized

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