Students captured acting up

Jeff Benson

The cameraman couldn’t ignore the children’s dissonant chirping, the

whirring of cars and the racket of clanking window shades while

rolling tape. But he didn’t mind getting it right -- the fifth time

through.

And the 20 middle and high school students who pitched their

products in front of him gained valuable experience and confidence

with each successive take.

Students enrolled in the Express Yourself summer arts program, a

youth program of Mika Community Development Corp., got the

opportunity to hone their on-camera skills when they acted out their

handwritten commercials Tuesday at the Costa Mesa Women’s Center.

South Coast Repertory Theater teacher Martin Noyes, who usually

helps coordinate action sequences, shot the students’ commercials and

gave them tips on their presentation.

Angie Chiguila, 16, was a natural in front of the camera, with a

bubbly voice and well-rehearsed lines.

“Where do you go to find the latest fashions?” she asked. “Where

do you go to save money on summer clothes? Go to Old Navy!”

It’s never a bad time for children to start in television, even

for those stage veterans such as Angie, Noyes said.

“I think it’s fun,” Angie said of her debut in commercials. “I’ve

always been interested in drama. It wasn’t my script because I wasn’t

here when they told us about the project, but I like Old Navy, I

guess.”

Other students, such as Nancy Rodriguez, 13, weren’t expected to

catch on as quickly because of their shyness, Noyes said, but they

surprised him during the taping with their eagerness to participate.

“Sometimes it’s like pulling teeth to get kids to do anything,”

Noyes said. “Especially Nancy. She’s normally quiet, but put a camera

in front of her, and she brightens up. She was really good. I see

tremendous potential in at least half of the people who tried it.”

Nancy, a student at Ensign Intermediate School, said she spent

hours writing and rehearsing her commercial promoting tourism to

Michoacan, Mexico. By the time she got in front of the camera, she

didn’t even need to look at her lines.

“I have always felt like Michoacan, Mexico, is like my home away

from home,” she said. “I can fall asleep at night visiting this

beautiful country without worrying about anything. It is a paradise

for my mind and body.”

Youth Development Director Lindsy Pike said the four-week summer

program ends tomorrow, but it has been such a hit that Mika is

tentatively planning to run it again Monday and Wednesday nights for

Costa Mesa students during the upcoming school year.