The Monster
YMDi (Youth Media Distribution) is also participating in Link and Think.
We're spotlighting a youth-produced film called The Monster, which was the result of a collaboration between 5 young filmmakers and Scenarios USA. The Monster tells the story of James, an HIV positive teenager who is scared to tell his friends about his status because he is worried that they won't hang out with him anymore.
You can read a Case Study about the production and outreach efforts surrounding The Monster, and watch a quicktime stream of the film on-line.
We're spotlighting a youth-produced film called The Monster, which was the result of a collaboration between 5 young filmmakers and Scenarios USA. The Monster tells the story of James, an HIV positive teenager who is scared to tell his friends about his status because he is worried that they won't hang out with him anymore.
In addition to schools and community based organizations, Scenarios USA reaches out to youth in jails and prisons, where the rate of AIDS is six-times higher than in the community outside bars. Five incarcerated boys from Rikers Island’s Detention Center won Scenarios 2000 NY contest.
In general, the winners of the Scenarios contest are involved in every step of the production process so that the final film is true to the writers’ vision. Since the writers of The Monster were in jail, the director, Adam Davidson, and writer, John Hamburg, traveled to Rikers Island on a bi-monthly basis to meet with the youth. Adam and John worked with the writers to adapt the script and also brought in tapes of casting sessions and location scouts for the writers input. In fact, the kids kept demanding another casting session because they couldn’t agree on a lead actress!
You can read a Case Study about the production and outreach efforts surrounding The Monster, and watch a quicktime stream of the film on-line.