In House Freestyle’s DVD is Here!

In House: Sketching Reality DVD

In the summer of 2006, Just a Step Productions brought together a team of skilled local filmmakers to produce and direct INHOUSE: sketching reality, a short film that will serve as a pilot for television.

Recently, Providence has received much national attention. Several film and television projects have been shot in the area. Amongst all this hooplah, one question remains: where are we? Where are the stories of the low-income communities of color in this great bustling city? Where is the recognition for what we have brought to this city’s rich cultural tapestry?

According to the Providence Plan’s 2000 survey, 54.2% of the city’s population are people of color. Where is the media representation that supports this overwhelming truth? The issue of media misrepresentation, or lack of representation altogether, is not new to society. However, it is especially crucial to this project because the low-income communities of color in Providence aren’t just being pushed to the side – we are thought to be non-existent.

Due to these factors, IHF chose to approach our daily artistic mission from a larger, more accessible platform – through the medium of film. INHOUSE: sketching reality is a crucial vehicle for disseminating information that we as inner-city community members consider to be pertinent information: citizenship and civil/human rights, health and nutrition, environmental hazards, media literacy. Because positive images and messages are scarce in urban households, this film highlights urban accomplishments and realities in a proactive, solution-oriented way. The film uses comedy to engage the audience in pertinent and pressing issues that affect our community.

Producing this film was a struggle, and a joy. We shot the entire piece in one month (July 2006). Our entire crew (with one exception) came from the Black and Latino community of Providence. A large percentage of the crew were high school students (that Jon Mahone taught during the year at Hope High). Others were friends that pitched in when they could. We all learned the challenges and tricks of the film process by throwing ourselves directly into the fire. Our people were truly dedicated, sacrificing 5 consecutive weekends to make this project happen. There are no words to describe our debt of thanks to those folks that got up early in the morning, and worked (sometimes) late into the evening to make this piece a reality. In the end, we believe that only WE can present the stories that WE want/need to see. And it takes an entire community to make those stories come to life in this format. Teamwork, focus, discipline, hardwork, tenacity, and sacrafice are the spices that make this visual soup so tasty. HOPE YOU ENJOY!