Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 6, 2006

Contact: Contact: Mike Emery
713.743.8186 (office)
713.415.6551 (pager)
pemery@uh.edu

HOUSTON, July 6, 2006 – This summer, Houston-area high school students are learning the magic of making movies, but instead of traveling to Tinsel Town, they’re heading to Cougar Country.

The University of Houston’s School of Communication and WonderWorks, a non-profit organization offering pre-college learning experiences in the fine arts, are presenting Moving Pictures, a film workshop for high school students that runs through July 21.

Conducted at UH, Moving Pictures offers students in grades 10 – 12 the opportunity to produce their own films, as well as an opportunity to view and discuss screen classics.

“Films help students communicate in a new way,” said Keith Houk, clinical professor of communication and Moving Pictures instructor. “They can express their ideas on film, and by working in groups, they’ll develop strong interpersonal communication skills.”

Using equipment furnished by the School of Communication and supervised by UH faculty and teaching assistants, high school groups will create short films that will be presented in the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture’s theater. Screenings are scheduled for 3 p.m., July 21. They are free and open to the public.

In addition to making movies, students will learn more about technique and narrative by watching selected films including “Rushmore,” “Election” and the documentary “When We Were Kings.” Members of Houston’s arts and film community will introduce and discuss these films including Alfred Cervantes, deputy director of the Houston Film Commission; Charles Dove, director of the Rice University Cinema; and Houston artist Stephanie Martz.

Students submitted applications to participate in Moving Pictures, and 35 were selected based on grades and teacher recommendations. This is the second year, UH and WonderWorks have teamed up to offer this workshop.

For more information on Moving Pictures and WonderWorks, visit http://www.wonderworkshouston.org. To learn more about UH’s School of Communication, visit http://www.class.uh.edu/comm/.

About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.