On occasions an organisation commissions a video project to provide a platform for young people's views and representations of themselves (e.g. Our Life). Often the ideas come before the finance and MTR will guide the group of young people or the organisation towards appropriate funding sources.

MOUTH THAT ROARS: OUTCOMES

Although priority is given to enabling the young people to make their own films the outcomes of projects highlighted by MTR's company profile also reflect the training objective. MTR takes a clear, pre-vocational stance to the learning experiences it offers in the following company statement:

'Mouth That Roars does not offer qualifications as we are set up as the stage before further education, thus enabling young people to gain skills and confidence that will enhance their chances of being accepted and achieving within the educational system. However, we do provide references and certificates which outline their achievements within TV/video production.'

Denise, through her own contacts within the BBC and independent TV sector that provide a source of professional freelancers to support young people's productions and work experience placements.

Seven young participants have continued into media courses at both FE and HE level. Two young people have received awards to make their own films. One young person has become an avid editor (Digital editing).

THE SCREENINGS

We have not observed directly an MTR project in process (although we have watched the video documentation of the making of Colour Blind) but as well as talking with MTR staff we have attended screenings of films produced in partnership with MTR. Field diary extracts are presented to illustrate three aspects of MTR's practice:

1. MTR will arrange films to be screened on a full-size cinema screen both as a celebration of the young people's achievement to be shared and to find real audiences for the work. MTR appears well 'rooted' in its local community.
2. The young person's authorship is paramount - above more technical or aesthetic criteria (e.g. camera movement). Authenticity of the youth voice expressed is closely associated with the young people controlling the camera. The combination with drama for devising and presenting content is also evident.
3. Different kinds of partnerships and the expectations of the fenders in a particular product are factors which impact on project outcomes in terms of both process and films.

We attended an MTR showing of three youth productions at the Lux cinema in Hoxton Square. The screenings have attracted a large, local and diverse audience.

Another Angle

'This first film was a promotional film advocating the value of counselling services for young people. It was different in that the spokespeople were young people and a public awareness message may well be better made by the same people as the ones its supposed to "speak" to.

The young people "owned" the film within the subject matter they were given - a film to encourage more young people, in need of support to consider Off Centre¹ as an option.

The opening scene is a drama presentation of a young woman coping on her own with a child and pressures at work. She phones a friend for a chat, but the friend is watching EastEnders on the TV and not really listening. Technically competent, this section was well lit and framed with a steady camera and no use of camcorder style zooms! The two ends of the telephone conversation were edited together with good pace and the acting was very believable.

At the end you knew exactly the point that was being made - sometimes friends aren't the best people to talk to or aren't very available to listen. The film then moves into a more familiar mode for this type of commissioned product.

A talking-heads sequence of a young person with a positive experience of using the service explaining how his perceptions of counselling had changed and encouraging others to reassess negative views they might have about using such a service, inter-cut with staff statements outlining their objectives and with vox pops from the street.'

The staff at Off Centre did initiate the idea of some of their clients making a film about their views of the value of the service and approached MTR. MTR worked with the young group to identify the funds² to produce their film.

Denise prefers to involve young people in this stage whenever possible as she believes this encourages the group to take responsibility for whether or not a film ever gets made. This role is often unpaid; as no core funding exists so time spent discussing and applying for a funding application is often unpaid.

The project was advertised within the organisation and five young people formed the core group over the following six-month period. This time span reflects the difficulties, distractions and disruptions that young people in these projects are often facing in other areas of their life and is testament to MTR's commitment and ability to be very flexible in response to intermittent momentum in the production's progress.