Zona Eigel, of Chesterfield 4-H, winner of Best Actress in a Leading Role, is interviewed on the Red Carpet at the Virginia Youth Voices 4-H Oscar Awards Expo in Richmond. When asked how it made her feel to win Best Actress in a Leading Role, she said, "Excited ... I'm ready to work on another project."
Master of Ceremonies Exavior Morales interviews Jordon Wilson, winner of Best Actor in a Leading Role award, on the Red Carpet at Virginia Youth Voices Oscar Awards Expo in Richmond.
Speaking from the Red Carpet at the Virginia Youth Voices (VYV) Oscar Awards Expo in Richmond, Maricatherine Carnes of the Chesterfield Production Team talks about how VYV has prepared her for a career in flimmaking.
Master of Ceremonies, Exavior Morales, interviews the Keystone and Torch Production Team on the Red Carpet during the Virginia Youth Voices Oscar Awards Expo in Richmond.
Zona Eigel, of Chesterfield 4-H, winner of Best Actress in a Leading Role, is interviewed on the Red Carpet at the Virginia Youth Voices 4-H Oscar Awards Expo in Richmond. When asked how it made her feel to win Best Actress in a Leading Role, she said, "Excited ... I'm ready to work on another project."
Science Museum of Virginia hosts the annual Virginia Youth Voices Red Carpet 4-H Oscar Awards Expo
By Hermon Maclin, 4-H Extension Agent
It was a grand affair at the Science Museum of Virginia as 4-H digital media makers walked the Red Carpet as part of the annual Virginia Youth Voices Red Carpet 4-H Oscar Awards Expo. The program mimics the Academy Awards as the master of ceremonies interviews the Oscar nominees on the Red Carpet as they enter the room.
The “Expo” piece of this awards ceremony is the extra added attraction that you don’t see at the actual Academy Awards on Oscar night. Snacks and drinks are available as youth and adult media lovers network and talk about their projects as they visit the various exhibits set up by each production team. This year we had nominees from production teams representing 4-H in Chesterfield, Prince George, and Carroll counties, Fort Lee Youth Center, Hampton, Langley Air Force Base, Richmond Boys and Girls Clubs, Arlington and Alexandria.
In collaboration with Adobe Youth Voices (AYV), Virginia Youth Voices (VYV) is a 4-H youth digital media program that ignites young people’s “Creative Confidence”. It helps them develop skills to solve problems and equips them with 21st century tools empowering them to find their voice and make it heard. The program also provides youth with the inspiration, training and technology to create original media works on issues they care about. Participants hone skills of self-expression, ideation, collaboration flexibility and persistence; the skills we regard as central to “Creative Confidence”.
4-H member, Maricatherine Carnes said, “Because of my involvement in interacting and helping with the production on Virginia Youth Voices projects, I feel assured that I am going to love my career in cinematography/film editing in the near future.... VYV has given me the opportunity to gain experience in a career that I’ve dreamed of pursuing.”
“VYV has served as invaluable apprenticeship and peek into the industry of film production,” added Bethany Eigel, 4-H Extension Agent. “Our teens have had the unique opportunity to work with adult mentors already working in the field and getting hands-on experience in creative design and numerous technical aspects of the filming and editing process.”
Youth usually get involved in all kinds of other 4-H activities, events and programs as a result of their participation in VYV.
“4-H has been a huge part of my life for the past three years,” said Sydnee Aviles, Prince George 4-H Production Team winner. “It’s helped me grow as a person, make life-long friends, and it’s given me an outlet to create. It’s given me more opportunities than I could’ve imagined and it’s given me skills I can use for the rest of my life,” she said.
Like all other 4-H programs, VYV is fun and educational.
Jordan Wilson won the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. In fact, he threw himself into his role acting as a troubled military child with deployed parents so much so that he made the comment, “it was fun and depressing”. He was laughing about it in his interview on the Red Carpet.
When asked how it made her feel to win Best Actress in a Leading Role, Zona Eigel of Chesterfield 4-H said, she was “Excited ... I’m ready to work on another project!.”
Winners of the Music Video of the Year, Ryan Turner and Klowey Petrosian were ecstatic about winning and made the comment that they can hardly wait to start the next project as well.
“Working on this film was such a great reminder for me as I’m entering adulthood, to not totally lose the perspective of a child because real life can get you down ... but children have a way of staying upbeat and overcoming obstacles, which is something we can all learn from.” added Paris Woods, Chesterfield 4-H Production Team Inspirational Film of the Year award recipient.
The VYV Red Carpet Awards Expo always brings tears of joy for me personally. I have a special place in my heart for AYV, VYV and even more so for the youth in the program. Seeing their faces as their names are announced to receive awards makes all the hard work worthwhile. Not to mention, their projects (videos) are amazing! They touch your heart in places you might not have even discovered yet.
You can view their videos and see more photos and information about the program on our page found at the following address: https://www.facebook.com/4Hmediamakers
• Hermon Maclin is an Extension agent, specializing in 4-H youth development, with Virginia Cooperative Extension Prince George County Office. He can be reached at (804) 733-2686 ext. 102, or by email: hmaclin@vt.edu