Ripple Effect Artists Film Apprenticeship Program

Ripple Effect Artists is a not-for-profit arts organization committed to social justice

REA has been committed to positively impacting our communities through the arts since its founding in 2009. when we launched in 2009 we focused solely on stage and spoken word (and we continue to be advocates of live theater as an agent of social change!), and more recently also through multimedia such as podcasts, radio plays and film.

REA has mounted numerous Off-Broadway plays, live performances and spoken-word events that have focused on issues such as bullying, sex trafficking, racism and climate change. To date REA has collaborated with nineteen prominent advocacy groups from the New York tri-state area to bring this work to life.

In recent years, REA has expanded its offerings to include a number of multimedia disciplines including radio plays, podcasts...and FILM.

In 2019, REA launched its first film apprenticeship program - we recruited five young people of color from around New York City, and took them on a journey as they helped to produce a short film alongside a team of filmmaking professionals.

Why a film apprenticeship program?

While new technology has made the tools of filmmaking more accessible, the fact remains that film and media production is an expensive discipline to master, and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds face high barriers to entry - rendering the world of film as one lacking in diversity, both in terms of race and class.

The intention of our program is to provide our young apprentices with an opportunity to learn the craft of filmmaking hands-on and to give them the opportunity to meet and work alongside professionals so they can begin to build their own professional network. Ultimately our aim is to do our part to bring a more diverse array of voices to the arts.

Let's be clear: This is not a film class. This is hands-on; a real-world experience making a movie with a team of seasoned and creative pros. Apprentices will learn skills such as:

• The basics of scriptwriting
• Breaking down a script
• Budgeting, scheduling, location scouting and casting
• Working in different departments during production (camera, art, wardrobe, etc)
• Post-production (editing, visual effects)
• Festival submissions

We want apprentices to leave our program having discovered the challenges and rewards of filmmaking, and having gained their first experiences making a film alongside filmmaking professionals.


So, about the film....

You're probably wondering about the sort of films we intend to make. The best way to answer that is by showing you the film we made for our first film apprenticeship program. It's a science-fiction short film titled HERE COMES FRIEDA, starring Ellie Wallwork (Dr. Who), and Sarita Choudhury (Hunger Games). You can watch the film here:


HERE COMES FRIEDA has so far been screened at four film festivals (and as of now there are three more film festivals in the horizon), and has also premiered online on the DUST YouTube channel, and garnered over 75,000 views its first two weeks in release.


Our upcoming program's short film is titled SIN FONDO - a horror story about an old nightclub that is haunted by a being that preys on your past traumas. As with HERE COMES FRIEDA, we will build the film from scratch, developing the script, scouting locations, hiring crew, etc - all the way through production and editing.

Our intention is to make a film just as good as Frieda - with an engrossing story, compelling visuals and excellent performances - and get it out to festivals and platforms in 2022.

(Another aspect of our program is our commitment to showcasing on-screen characters from underrepresented communities - people living with disabilities in HERE COMES FRIEDA, and SIN FONDO will showcase characters from immigrant communities.)


So what are the dates of the program?

Our apprenticeship program begins (virtually) at the end of February, 2021, with apprenticeship sessions initially taking place every two weeks.

As we get closer to production, those sessions will become more frequent, culminating in a 3-4 day shoot to produce the film (the movie will be filmed in NYC). The intention is to film in mid-July 2021, but obviously that is pandemic-permitting (there are contingencies in place should we need to postpone).

This will be followed by a 2-3 month post-production (editing, visual effects, etc) period. Ultimately, we envision completing the film by late fall 2021.

We need your help!

Making a movie - a movie that looks like a million bucks, no less! - costs a lot money!

Our program's total budget is $25,000, and much of that will be covered with a combination of grants, donations from our network, and REA's own funds. But we need assistance getting to the finish line!

REA is looking to raise $8000 to complete our program's budget. Any and every donation is welcome. Help us bring the arts to eager, young people. Through this program we are committed to expanding the voices of young people in the arts, and giving them the tools to get their arts careers started.