911 Media Arts

Before you give these people any money, BE AFRAID. I have tried to take a simple workshop — final cut pro — there twice over recent years. Total scam both times. This time, they sold 8 seats but only had 3 setups working in the lab. PLUS, the place is a DUMP so completely teeming with viruses and bacteria that your skin starts creeping for the exit as soon as you walk in the room. to top it all off, the attitude of the «teachers» stinks to the outer reaches of the galaxy. Tried to tell me I’d only been there for 20 mins when I had a timestamped parking ticket on my vehicle proving I’d been there over an hour (second time at the class, so no, I wasn’t buying their bs about how it would get better, not this time). Told me they weren’t able to refund my tuition. Then laughed at me and wished me «good luck getting a refund». Trust me, if you’re not 20-​something and half naked when you walk in there, save your beautiful American dollars for someone who actually cares about YOUR results. I will notify Apple. These crooks shouldn’t be allowed to use the name.

When it comes to technical skills, I’m too often «all thumbs.» But I propel myself into experimentation with the hope that one day, 8 of my 10 thumbs will lengthen and slenderize into utilitarian fingers. They’ll work as an expert team to coax out the wonder & music & whimsy that I’ve collected in my brain and choreograph the whole jumble into a furious rain of beautiful moving pictures.
Britta Johnson at 911 Media Arts Center, via her inspiring yet accessible cut-​out animation workshop, brought me TWO whole fingers closer to that day. That’s some good teaching.

Support your local media art center!
This place offers a wide variety of classes and they have a great, small theater for you to show your work. Utilize it before its gone!

More than just transferring your old home movies to DVDs — though they do that — this place always seems to me to be about empowerment. The Native Lens project is awesome and my kids took an Animation workshop on Saturdays through Coyote Jr. High. They used professional equipment, came home with a video and were excited about possibilities. You can take all sorts of video production classes and aspiring filmmakers can submit their work for screenings. My daughter will be applying to Reel Grrls in the fall. Talk about upsetting stereotypes and empowering females, these filmmaking girls ROCK!