North Texas Daily

Kayleigh Bywater | Senior Staff Writer

@kayleighnic0le

According to Dentonite Judy Keith, anyone can tell a story.

This Saturday at UNT on the Square, Keith led the “Our Town Denton” documentary workshop as a part of Thin Line Film Fest.

“Our Town Denton” is a Thin Line-led project where people all over Denton can submit short videos documenting everything: Denton festivals and local concerts to birthday parties and UNT activities. In this digital age, the “Our Town Denton” project compiles a digital history of Denton from the people who experience it every day.

Keith used the “Our Town Denton” project as the foundation of her presentation. During the one-hour workshop, Keith said it doesn’t take expensive equipment or schooling to be a filmmaker. Instead, it takes a keen eye and a passion for what’s around you.

Judy Keith stands at the podium, ready to teach. Trevor Lloyd | Staff Photographer

Describing herself as an award-winning filmmaker and “YouTube-published,” Keith cracked jokes and outlined various Apple-based tips throughout the workshop.

“I’d rather do [filmmaking] than knit or do Sudoku puzzles,” the retired grandmother said during her presentation.

Keith shared around a dozen home videos in her presentation that coincided with the points she was trying to make. The videos, which included a bee infestation in her backyard and her family trip on an African safari, showed that any memory can be captured on film. Be it the first time you’ve picked up a camera or if you know your way around iMovie like the back of your hand.

In order to create her films, Keith told those in attendance she wouldn’t even think about spending thousands of dollars on equipment. One question she asked represented exactly what she was trying to get across.

A family watches an example video prepared by Judy Keith. Trevor Lloyd | Staff Photographer

“How many of you have iPhones?”

Everyone in the audience except one or two kids raised their hands. Keith said all it takes to film these lasting memories is a piece of equipment many people already have glued to their side on a daily basis. Apps such as iMovie and Animoto do enhance the “film” component of these iPhone videos, but all it takes is a phone or cheap camera to create these moments.

But Keith mentioned different tips to enhance video quality, such as climbing on top of something to get a better angle, or filming horizontally rather than vertically. He emphasized that as long as you made the video your own and liked the way it turned out, it matters.

And although most of the information she presented was basic knowledge for those who have had experience working with video and Apple apps before, the message she presented went much deeper.

“Life is full of these thin lines,” Keith said. “Whether it’s a home video or a once-in-a-lifetime experience, we need to celebrate these little moments.”

Featured Image: Judy Keith teaches the crowd at “UNT on the Square” about amateur film making. Trevor Lloyd | Staff Photographer