Aspiring Student Filmmakers Receive Support from Shure

Shure the eARTh project
(Image credit: Shure)

CHICAGO—South Central Los Angeles high school students, aspiring for careers in multimedia, have been outfitted with Shure MV88+ Video Kit microphones to help them create a series of videos about sustainability as part of an AppleTV pilot called “The eARTh Project.”

“eARTh” is a 12-week healthy lifestyle education series designed to inspire young people to take an active interest in local community gardens, cooking healthy food, art making, video storytelling and creative business practices, while using the latest mobile filmmaking technology. Through this program, students explore ways to apply a more sustainable approach to filmmaking, creative entrepreneurship, finances, food and the environment.

Ten students in Compton used iPhones outfitted with Shure MV88+ Video Kits to chronicle their experiences during quarantine—ranging from finance, fitness, fashion and family to lifestyle, business education, food and community gardening. The videos were then edited by the students using LumaFusion and exhibited on their personal YouTube channels. The students also met with top industry professionals every week to discuss their work, receiving constructive feedback and mentorship.

By the completion of the program, all of the students got paid to create unique video content for major brands, exemplifying exactly how to build a more purposeful and sustainable lifestyle using their creative skills.

The project is a collaboration by the We Uplift the World (WUTW) Foundation and We Make Movies Smartphone Studio. The We Uplift The World Foundation is a dynamic organization focused on using art and technology to positively transform lives.

“We are extremely grateful for our partnership with Shure because they make it possible for us to equip our students with the very best audio and video equipment for mobile filmmaking and simple storytelling,” said Bijan Machen, founder of We Uplift the World Foundation. “Our students now have an understanding of how to properly record and edit sound for their professional creative projects, giving them the confidence to share their voices with the world.”

Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2019, the MV88+ Video Kit features a digital stereo condenser microphone that provides content creators with an all-in-one solution for capturing professional-quality recordings on-the-go. The kit also includes a Manfrotto PIXI tripod, phone clamp and mount, as well as iOS and USB-C cables for next-level compatibility and connectivity.

“For 95 years, Shure has given back to the community,” said Eduardo Valdes, senior director, Global Marketing, Pro and  Consumer, Shure. “While Shure products are relied on by some of the top artists and performers around the world, our next generation of content producers is here now—and they have important stories to share. We’re proud to help these talented students pursue their dreams.”

Even for content creators just starting out, they deserve the best audio possible and the MV88+ delivers Shure signature audio quality for extraordinary content creation. Designed for podcasters, videographers, content creators, field recordists and musicians looking to record immersive, rich, high-quality audio wherever, the MV88+ accentuates the power of flexibility, enabling the transformation of a smartphone into a professional-level mobile audio and video rig.

The next projects for eARTh include mobile filmmaking workshops with five different Native American Reservations around the U.S. as well as a new media education partnership with the Inglewood Unified School District in California. They also have partnered with the Orphaned Starfish Foundation to bring these exciting educational opportunities to orphaned youth in Haiti, Panama and the Dominican Republic.