STEP Studio produces video series for the United Way of Northwest Georgia

Published 8:00 pm Tuesday, June 29, 2021

While the United Way of Northwest Georgia wasn’t able to conduct its typical career fair for youth this year due to COVID-19, STEP Studio stepped in to fill the void by filming videos of local professionals to share with students — and the general public.

“United Way is thankful to have had this incredible and unique opportunity to be able to work with local students (who) have a passion for video work and their community,” said Margaret Zeisig, director of community solutions for the United Way of Northwest Georgia, of STEP Studio, which is comprised of area high school and college students interested in film. “We were very pleased with the work they did, which was done in time for teachers and counselors to use before the school year was out.”

“This was our first audience, (since a) Dalton documentary hasn’t been released, yet, and it turned out extremely well,” said Jacob Poag, director of STEP (student, team, entertainment, production) Studio. The 10 videos, each five-seven minutes in length, were screened for nearly 900 Whitfield County Schools fourth-graders this spring, and “the school system is going to show them to fourth-graders” for years into the future.

The “wonderful” videos are “very well done and an excellent way to inform (students) about careers,” said Judy Gilreath, superintendent of Whitfield County Schools. “I especially like that they feature local people.”

“The United Way Career Exploration program aligns with our strategic guideline in education to have youth career and life ready by graduation,” Zeisig said. The program also supports the Georgia Department of Education’s BRIDGE (Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop Georgia’s Economy) Act “to create an atmosphere of motivating students to see the relevance of education to their dreams and future plans.”

The public can view the videos online at https://www.ourunitedway.org/career-exploration.

“It was great to do the videos, because you can actually see what these people do,” said Clayton Waters, cinematographer and editor. “They talk about what they do (in the videos), and then we show what they do.”

Perhaps the toughest aspect of the project was editing the videos to five-seven minutes, because the interviewees were so insightful and eloquent, said Elizabeth Crawford, an editor and camera assistant. No one was more difficult to edit than Dr. Pablo Perez, because he was “so interesting and had so many anecdotes.”

Perhaps the most popular video with fourth-graders has been the one featuring Lt. Juan Martinez, from the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office, said Waters, who is in the Georgia Film Academy, a not-for-profit entertainment-arts collaboration between the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia created in 2015 to meet education and workforce needs for high-demand careers in the state’s film and creative industries. “We had lots of footage of him doing his job and showing off equipment.”

Martinez “really understood what we wanted him to do,” said Crawford, a rising senior at Dalton State College studying film. “He had so much energy, and he really spoke to fourth-graders.”

Superior Court Judge Cindy Morris is another valuable participant in the video series, said Crawford.

“She’s really inspirational for girls who want to be lawyers or judges, because they see they can do it.”

This project “definitely opens up a lot of opportunities” for STEP Studio, said Sarah Forberger, a producer and rising junior at Dalton High School. “We made so many great connections through this” endeavor.

And they learned more about the importance of collaboration, Forberger said.

“As high school and college students, we still have a lot to learn, but when we had tech or camera issues, (for example,) we were able to use teamwork to put our heads together and fix issues.”

Crawford, also a Georgia Film Academy student, appreciated the opportunity for hands-on film experience, she said.

“This wasn’t a classroom simulation, but a full project we completed.”

Crawford, who assists her congregation — Chattanooga’s Brainerd Baptist Church — with various media needs, has “always been a really creative person and really enjoyed working behind the camera,” she said. “I know I want to do something in film, and this (STEP Studio) experience has been very helpful.”

“I learned a lot more about the business side,” which is a major element of the film industry, she added. “I’ve always just been focused on the creative” elements.

Waters, a rising sophomore at Dalton State College studying film, began exploring film via “lots of short films with my friends” as a child, but the film program at Coahulla Creek High School cemented his destiny, he said.

“That was enlightening, and I knew I wanted to pursue film as a career.”

“Without Clayton and Elizabeth, we couldn’t have done this” project, said Poag, a rising junior at Christian Heritage School. “United Way was over the moon with” the results.

STEP Studio “deserves all the accolades,” Zeisig said. In every instance, crew members “were professional and respectful of each volunteer and their place of work.”

STEP Studio “is a great place for students who want to pursue film,” Crawford said. “You can really build up your skills.”