MUSANZE WILDLIFE FILMMAKING & MEDIA TRAINING CENTER
Content submitted by Red Rocks Initiatives – Gregory
Submited Date : 23/12/2022
Youth learning filmaking skills

David McGowan, Ravenswood Media, and Greg Bakunzi- Red Rocks Initiative, have partnered together to build a media training center in Musanze, Rwanda at the foot of the Volcanoes National Park. McGowan, an Academy Award nominated filmmaker, coming together with the team at Red Rocks to provides basic filmmaking training. The course is free and the first cohort of eight (8) students in August, 2022 at the Red Rocks compound got involved in a variety of filmmaking skills and practice in natural areas like filming in robust populations of wildlife
The expedition in film using basic production equipment gave the participants exposure and after the course Mcgown left Apple laptop with the current Final Cut Pro app.

African rangers, trackers and guides have a very close relationship with wildlife. as they diligently observe wildlife in its natural environment. These observations are critical to a more expansive understanding of wildlife behaviour and health. Yet, African rangers, trackers and guides lack the training and access to equipment to record and document the observations that are essential to science and wildlife management.Most African wildlife in media is widely acclaimed but from a Western point of view. So there is a need to provide Black Africans with the tools to give voice to their perspectives on nature and the environment. New voices are needed to confront the major environmental crises affecting the Earth. Climate change, loss of biodiversity, infectious disease, population growth, urbanization and habitat losses are just a few examples of the challenges facing humanity. It is important to provide basic film production skills so that Africans can add their voices to the discussion.
Conservation professionals are often isolated due to the nature of their working conditions and it is the goal of this partnership to provide the means for African wildlife professionals to create and disseminate films that represent their point of view on conservation issues