by Melissa Lozoff

Everyone loves movies. Why? They transport us into a different world, if only for a couple of hours. We can live different lives through the characters on screen; feel emotions we are not always allowed to feel. Movies give us the opportunity to experience situations and relationships we may never have the chance to otherwise -- and perhaps don't want to!

Children are drawn to movies for many of the same reasons, but it may be even more important for them to have these experiences. They are experimenting with who they are and who they want to be. Movies give them an outlet to discover things about themselves they never knew existed.

Of course we all know it's not healthy to stick your kids in front of a television all day, or send them to a movie every week. So, how can we turn their passive interest in movies into something active and engaging? Give them the resources and support to become moviemakers themselves!

As a teenager, I struggled with depression and an eating disorder. My love of acting and filmmaking helped get me through some tough times. Emotions I could not express in everyday life found release on stage and in front of a camera. It was not only a creative activity for me, but also a way to explore my emotions. Many children struggle while growing up and finding their own place in the world. I find that art in any form is a wonderful tool to help children become healthy happy adults.

Movie making can be a particularly powerful art form for young people. There are so many different aspects to creating a film; children of all personalities can find a place where they excel. Acting, camera work and directing, costumes and make up, editing, etc. Each piece is an art form unto itself. Whether a child craves attention or is painfully shy, each can find something about movie making to enjoy.

Movie making is also a great group process, bringing together children who would normally not interact with each other (and often forming lasting relationships). Everyone has to work together to create the final product. The film could not be made without each contributor working together toward a common goal. The outgoing thespians need the literary-minded writers, who in turn count on the computer-skilled editors. The very same interdependence found on a real Hollywood set will happen in your backyard when a group of neighborhood kids get together with a home video camera.

With today's digital technologies, filmmaking has undergone a revolution. Movie making has suddenly become more affordable and accessible to everyone. With a camcorder and simple computer editing software, children and adults all over the world are making professional looking movies. There are even hundreds of youth and adult film festivals around the country, which take submissions from budding young moviemakers.

I was a professional actress in Los Angeles for many years before coming to North Carolina. Though my life goals changed, my love of movies did not. Over the years, I have discovered that teaching movie making to kids fosters development in so many areas of their lives. Whether they aspire to be future filmmakers or just want to have some fun, movie making for kids is an art form that inspires and transforms.

After moving to Chapel Hill, I noticed that only a few schools had video classes, and most of them were technical instruction in production. I created a program, Movie Makers, where kids work in front of and behind the camera to produce their own movies. I have also seen that kids are creative and will find their own ways to learn about and create films. Remember that Steven Spielberg started making movies with his friends as a teenager, using an 8mm camera.

All it takes is some initiative and a lot of imagination, and your children will be well on their way to making movies and creating art.

Melissa Lozoff is the founder and director of Movie Makers, based just north of Chapel Hill. For information, go to http://www.movie-makers.net