Homeless Teenagers

Teen homelessness in America is a major problem.  About 1.3 million teens go homeless each year in the U.S.  Sadly, abuse seems to be a part of the homeless teens lives with 35% homeless teens being sexual abuse.  60% homeless teens are/were being abused in there homes or from others before they had become homeless.  Homeless teenagers go through mental and or physical health issues, prostitution and even witness death or die. Homelessness is a big issue that I believe not a lot of people know about what teens go through each and everyday.

This topic connects to me in some way because I have friends that were homeless as a child and still over coming it. I see that family can be ruined in matter of seconds because there are so many kids be split into two and find different homes for each other until they both can be strong for one another. This topic interested me because everyday a teenager goes homeless and it's getting too big of a number that they don't know who to trust and a place where they could feel safe and secure. It occurs to me that not many people know about teen homelessness.  Check out this story from ABC News on a boy who lived in a tree.


I have a few research questions that I'm interesting to help make my movie.

1. What are some of the dangers and challenges can one face being homeless?
2. Why do people seem to leave the homeless shelter? Are they afraid of?
3. What is the most populated state

NYC Wicked Kids Sound Track

NYCWICKEDKIDS

People of blogger, check out my teams sound track for our movie called These Streets Are Our Home. It's not complete but it's a start.

Film Blog

Towards the end of the school year I will be be finishing working on a film me and my team NYC Wicked Kids have been working on about homeless kids in the city. These Streets Are Our Home is the name of our film. This film is about what teenage kids were going through during tough times in their lives.

The film is called These Streets Are Our Home, kids fighting for survival in the city and make it through in the life he had once had. I have been taking pictures of what these kids have been going through, where have they been sleeping, what type of childhood they had, who was there to save them at the time and how they're overcoming it now. About 3.5 million people are homeless in the world each year. These children, teens, adults, go homeless and try to survive these streets they have to call home just because they don't have nowhere to go. Emmanuel Baptiste and Clevins Brown have survived living in the streets finding a way to make everything for their lives better than okay.

People have a hard time living out here and make money, that's why you see so many homeless people in the world. This film goes out to those who are overcoming that they once were homeless or still are homeless. I see that it effects peoples lives and others around them. Homelessness is a big issue in New York City and not that many people know it and need to be aware of it.

Cinematography Workshop

Last week I had attended a cinematography workshop led by Ariana Allensworth that introduced some of the basics of filming. Cinematography is the choices one makes when filming. During this workshop, I had learned the different types of angles being showed and the way the shots are being taken like wide shots and close shots.  We watched some film clips from Michael Moore who's a documentary filmmaker. He made the films Bowling for Columbian and Sicko. We had watched Favela on Blast and Bowling for Columbian by Michael Moore, and during the the film he had interviewed Charleston Heston in Bowling, he was an famous actor and the head of the National Rifle Associations. I learned the few ways of how to shoot an angle and the pieces of how to get the right shot you want. Watching both the documentary films had inspired me with what I want to work on when I start my film with the team.

iMovie

Today I have learned how to use iMovie today with Kwan, learning how to use the iMovie will help me for my documentary film with my NYC Wicked Kids team.

Home

This poem was written during the Power Writing session.  The program is highlighted in the film To Be Heard.  In that film, three teenagers from the South Bronx bond together over poems and the process of writing.  Their poems explore their lives, dreams, and the challenges their face.  The film inspired me to write a poem, entitled Home, about where I live.  Enjoy.

Born and raised in Manhattan
Loved by two parents
Live with three other kids
But no grandparents..
I don't call this home
But it's the closest thing to it
I try to make it alright
But some how there's nothing to it.
Home is being welcomed
sometimes I don't feel welcomed at all.
Home is being happy
but no one is happy at all.
All I hear is yelling, and I'm
tired of the fuse and fight.
Home is being loved with all their might..

To Be Heard A Documentary Film

Watching the movie To Be Heard, made me see a different point of view in any teenagers life.  The film follows three teenagers from the South Bronx and their participation in the writing program called Power Writes.  It's something I have seen before, but not as many teenagers would speak up and say what's going on in their lives because no one needs to know what's really going on in their life.  You speak when you feel like it's time to tell someone that you're being abused, being in a confused life, being in a family were you have no one to lean on, or to turn too.  Watching these three teenagers become best friends and relating to what's going on in each others life, can make a huge impact in other teenagers life and create a wonderful friendship.  The tone and the way the film was being made it was upsetting.  The setting of the film took place where they lived, the school they went to, and what was going on around them. Watching Karina getting abused at home while trying to take care of her other siblings, watching Pearl fear of not getting into a good college, and Anthony who's trying to get out the life he's in and his only escape is by writing poems, that's his only freedom.  They can and I believe that they will make a HUGE impact in any teenagers life, to see what they went through and have the same life as them will inspire to change their whole life around.  This documentary film had sad tone to it, and the images made me believe as if I was there with them. I like the idea that both teachers Roland and Amy help them try to make something better out of their life and go on to doing something so much better with their lives.