Community MVP: BirdHouse: Safe space to teach youth about film, production
BALTIMORE- It is important to us at WJZ that we connect with our communities and highlight everyday heroes who are doing the work to make our city a better place.
This week, Torrey Smith introduces us to BirdHouse, which is a media house that creates a safe space to teach youth in Baltimore City about film and production.
The production company, Byrd's Eye View Media, has filmed for small businesses and artists all over the DMV, owner James "Byrd: Mitchell said.
At the warehouse in East Baltimore, children are taught filming, films, documentaries, interviews, music years, and a little bit of everything.
"We plan to make a huge impact in Baltimore by creating opportunities in the film industry," Mitchell said. "The community needs to see something like this. They need to see somebody make it from here because what they see is what they will be."
So how did Mitchell get into the film industry?
"So, a camera actually fell in my lap and I just started shooting stuff in the community, just shooting organizations, small businesses, and it just started evolving and got big," Mitchell said. "I ended up getting beat up by the police and a friend of mine had a camera. He was like, 'man, just start working with this camera. So, I started working with the camera. I was filming everything I seen in the city, everything I seen was going on, just really highlighted it."
Now, Mitchell is working to empower the youth.
"Just trying to get them aware of it and just trying to get them to see it, because what you see is what you be," Mitchell. "All they see is what's going on in the community, all the drugs and shooting. They are going to end up following that same path, so if they pick up a camera and even come in here to see what's capable of doing, I think it really started them off on the right track."
You can learn more about BirdHouse Studios here.
