Q: Where are you located?
A: San Francisco, the Tenderloin District a.k.a. "The T.L." or "The L's"
Q: How old is the Media Lab?
A: In 1989 VYDC brought in Julian Low (former Director of National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture) to teach the first video workshop. In 1990 Paul Mayeda Burges (writer, Bend it Like Beckham) taught the workshop. In the summer of 1991, veteran filmmaker Spencer Nakasako took over... and he's still here! Over the last 15 years, Nakasako has turned a simple summer workshop into a community institution
Q: Do you run video workshops?
A: Yes, each summer, we typically work with 6 to 10 high school youth from the T.L. You can learn more about these youth and even watch some samples of Spencer's digital storytelling workshops online. More about summer 2006
Q: What kind of videos/films do you produce?
A: The Lab is unusual in that we simulateously produce youth shorts (conceived, shot, narrated, and edited by and for youth) and feature-length documentaries (directed by Spencer Nakasako, shot and edited by Lab graduates and staff). However, the vision behind both is the same: youth development, professional development, and representing stories from Asian America
Q: Have I seen any of your work?
A: Possibly. All of the features (a.k.a. Don Bonus, Kelly Loves Tony, and Refugee) have aired on PBS and screened at Film Festivals worldwide. The documentaries are also frequently integrated into Asian American Studies and Sociology curriculums. Several of the shorts (The Seven of Us, Who I Became) have screened on PBS and/or HBO
Q: Do you sell videos/DVDs of your work?
A: No, but if you make a donation (any amount), we will send you our 2-pack DVD compilation set for FREE. The first DVD has all 3 of our feature-length documentaries (including special features). The second DVD has over 15 of our youth-produced shorts (including a behind-the-scenes look at Nakasako's workshops)
