Reel Works mentors, inspires and empowers underserved NYC youth to share their stories through filmmaking, therefore creating a springboard for successful careers in media and beyond. Using a one-on-one mentoring model, Reel Works challenges teens to tell their stories and have their voices heard. In turn, students build skills in literacy, leadership, and self-confidence to create productive futures. Reel Works serves 1,000 youth annually from middle school through college to launch careers in media.

THE NARRATIVE FELLOWSHIP (November 2023 – June 2024) 

The Fellows Program is the most advanced form of film study we offer. Students apply to be a Fellow in one of five specific tracks (screenwriting, directing, producing, cinematography, editing) and then participate in a year of programming and an internship. As a cohort, students meet twice a week to create new and more sophisticated work, get specialized training from their track instructors, and collectively focus on film studies and media literacy. Each student is paired with a professional narrative filmmaker-mentor who meets with them twice a month and provides shadowing experiences over the course of the program.

The ideal candidate is a film director who has significant experience teaching and mentoring young artists, and must have a professional resume that reflects a mature body of work with a distinctive voice.

We are looking for highly creative individuals who can connect with young filmmakers from diverse backgrounds, and voices that are unique for our Fellows Program. The Fellow Program is a filmmaking workshop that pairs young filmmakers who choose a tract to focus on writing, producing, directing, editing or cinematography, with specialized Instructors and mentors as they move through this challenging class. Fellows applying to the program already have some proficiency in the track they selected.

• Lesson Plan Development
  • Responsible for developing engaging and informative sequential sessions for a specific filmmaking craft
  • Create lessons which are customized to student’s strengths and ideas to improve their experiences and educational outcomes
• Teaching
  • Be available to run in-person workshops in Brooklyn, NY
  • Teach an effective, fun and engaging in person 2 hours workshop
  • Provide overall industry and career advice in a positive atmosphere
• Collaboration
  • Schedule and communication with various Filmmaking Instructors as part of the Fellows Program
  • Foster community with Instructors, Students, and Mentors

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Have a mature practice as an artist and storyteller with narrative filmmaking experience, a knowledge of classic cinema studies and film history to share with students, and ability to cite examples that can enlighten and inspire their own work.
• Experience and passion for working with youth aged 15- 21.
• Ability to lead and co-lead hands-on learning experiences for youth enrolled in Fellows Program.
• Ability to closely collaborate with other staff to strategize, articulate goals, create outlines, and organize schedules.
• Empathetic and adept at cultivating and maintaining relationships with people, institutions, and groups of diverse backgrounds, missions, and perspectives.
• Train youth through engaging workshops several times a month that challenges each participant to conceive, plan, shoot, and create original Capstone Projects for their professional portfolios.
• A curious individual, dedicated to personal lifelong learning and sharing it with others.
• Conduct digital assessments and encourage skill development for student learning and achievement.
• Volunteer Management – Each student is paired 1:1 with a professional filmmaker-mentor. Filmmaking Instructors support communication and ongoing support of mentors throughout the workshop
• Multiple languages is a plus

SALARY: This is a part-time position with various weekly hours that does not include health benefits. Hourly wage commensurate with experience in filmmaking, technical skills, teaching, and youth development. Salary range: $45-$50/hr

To apply, please email a resume, cover letter, references and work sample to christine@reelworks.org with the job title in the subject line. Responses will take up to 3 weeks. No calls, please.