Benjamin James will host Wednesday’s Ambrose Storytelling Workshop, a 48-hour film challenge, for the second year in a row.
James said the workshop is the brainchild of UI alumna, journalist and author Elaine Ambrose.
“She (Ambrose) really wants to create some way to promote storytelling and university culture, so she came up with the idea of the workshop,” James said. “She gave me some degree of free reign over how we orchestrated that.”
Benjamin James | Courtesy
James said this year the workshop will focus on screenwriting, film production and film history. Award-winning filmmakers Martin McGreevy and Jace Wrigley will visit as special guests.
The workshop starts 10 a.m. Wednesday in the Idaho Commons Whitewater Room. Participants will attend workshops throughout the day about visual storytelling, then they are given 48 hours to produce a three-to-five-minute film based on what they have learned.
“(We are) getting students and anyone who wants to attend to think about personal stories … and give them some skills and techniques and approaches that will allow them to capture those stories from themselves,” James said.
Last year, the workshop took a broader approach to teach storytelling. James said the more defined set of ideas this year prioritizes what Ambrose hopes participants will learn from the workshop.
“I think we live in this moment where we have all of this technology available to us and it’s so accessible,” James said. “Giving people a reason to experiment with these things is really valuable.”
UI seniors who participate in the workshop may qualify for the $1,500 Ambrose Senior Award, which is presented to the most compelling, interesting or creative film by a pannel of judges.
All participants in the workshop submit videos for the contest portion, but only UI seniors are eligible for the award. Videos are due midnight Friday.
Elaine Ambrose | Courtesy
James said he looks forward to meeting new creative people in the Moscow community. He said storytelling and the creative process are compelling, which draws people towards the workshop.
“Last year, there was a whole range of people of all different age groups and that was really good to see,” James said. “There were people there, students studying chemistry and engineering and things like that who later came and took other creative classes with me. It was really great to see that they switched on to this idea of storytelling, that those creative processes were compelling for them.”
James said the chance to socialize with creative people and play with ideas together is rare.
“When do you get a chance to just hang out with some creative people, some like-minded people — or some not so like-minded people maybe — and just play with your creative ideas? When do you ever do that?” James said.
He encourages people to take the time to attend the workshop for the opportunity to focus on something creative — and for the fun of it. Breakfast and lunch are available for participants.
To attend the free event, email James at [email protected].
Lex Miller can be reached at [email protected]