Hello Everyone:  Have I put this Post in the Right Place?  Let me know (cause I don't think so!)  Anyway...  for now....   

A Circus! For Filmmakers?? What? I chose the image of a Circus because it represents Fun, Creativity, and Sharing.  

A 3 Ring Circus is a three "ring" (pronged) workshop, an informal space to play with Media. 

Ring One: A stop motion Animation space, inspired by San Fransico's "Children's Creativity Museum".  Visitors (aka "you") walk into a large space, with round tables and chairs. Along the wall are "cubbies" - shelving that holds soft clay, each color has it's own cubby, and there are lots and lots of them.  Choose some clay and sit at a table and begin to make some figures. Clay that isn't used goes into a growing pile in the middle of the table, to be recycled. When you're ready, choose from the rolling carts that each hold a different "set" (a haunted house, a city street, a bedroom, a schoolroom, etc.) and roll it to a space along the wall. A Museum helper will roll another cart, this one with an ipad on a tripod, and a remote, to face the "set". Now you are given a quck tutorial on how to use the software with the remote, and how much to move the figure for each frame. There is no time pressure. One set to choose from is a simple "green screen", you may like to choose a backgrounds from a large number of screen images instead of using a set.  Later, you can go into a voice over booth and select sounds, music, or record voices (with a little help from a guide). Your finished animation is immediatley screened outside the Space, on a wall monitor. You are sent an exported file to your email address as well.  I spent two full days simply observing in this Museum, some years back. I was interested to see how quickly the children figured out what to do, and how little help they needed, as well as how focused on thier work they were. They enjoyed working in teams as well. This space scales up to accomodate more sophisticated projects, requiring more time than a few hours - suitable for mini camps or multiple session work. 

Ring Two:  Is a Screening Space, and Classroom (Lecture) Space. Children's Films and Events, as well as guest artists, can be comfortably accomodated here. Posters of favorite Children's films throughout the ages line the walls.  A large wheel of Licquorice amazes and provides a favorite movie snack. 

Ring Three:  Is a Filmmaking Museum Gallery space, designed for Children. Exhibits such as the History of film,  "What is Editing?", "Take Two! - The Directors Role", "Special Effects", "Silent Film", "Optical Toys", "Women Filmmakers Aren't a New Thing",  "Composing for Films", "Story Mapping",  "Adaptation",  a film set where children can make films in special camps, etc....  Design of the exhibits is specifically for an audience of children age 6-14.  The space accomodates groups for workshops, and has a creative "studio" feeling.  There are many oppportunities for Interaction built in to the exhibits.  

The idea BEHIND it all is a constructionist one. Children make meaning given the right tools and minimal direction.  Children can engage with the Medium they love to consume - now as makers. They learn two things by this:  that Films and by extension all Media is in fact created - by someone - and that they too can express themselves in this way.  Opportunites to amplify Technical ("STEAM"), Historical, and Literary cocnepts abound; as well as a way to experience the Creative Process of a filmmaker / media maker for themselves...   Oh, and Adults get to play too, if they're invited by a child... or if they get invited as a featured Artist resident...