Our team has been meeting with youth over the past few months. A common theme of the discussions is how COVID-19 has impacted youth and particularly students in getting employment and even volunteer experience because of the restrictions in place. This really motivated our team to create opportunities for these individuals to help us achieve our goals.
One example was a new video created by first year SAIT student Tyler Saxby. He had a desire to help an agency working in poverty reduction and approached Vibrant Communities Calgary. “The strong message and creative art style drew me in,” he explained.
Tyler outlined his process and interpretation of the issues we tackle in poverty below.
“The title of ‘Enough for All’ was something that really resonated with me and I wanted to try and convey that feeling. The video starts off very fast, both in the narration and cuts. As it goes on, it starts to slow. The issues surrounding poverty can seem very overwhelming at first but as time goes on you learn more and grow so it becomes less intimidating. The pace was laid out this way to try and convey that ease of stress over time.
Another theme throughout is the lightbulbs and books that are picked up along the way. The books represent the knowledge you gather along the way and the lightbulbs represent the light inside us that glows for the care of others. By the end of the PSA when the books and bulbs are dropped it is meant to send a message that you can’t try to carry the weight of all these problems on your own. That’s why at the end the only lightbulb we ever see lit is when there is another person there.”
