BAVC Student-Teacher
Evaluation
Yoav teaches a variety of courses in the fields of film, video, writing, and technology. Yoav uses a combination of creative metaphors, hands-on demonstrations, and practical tips to relay detailed concepts, industry practices, and reliable techniques.
For more information on courses and workshops, please click a link below:
Bay
Area Video Coalition“The BAVC Video Production Course taught by Yoav Potash is stellar. A born teacher, Yoav gently guides the students through the nuances of filmmaking, from concept to shooting to final editing. At the end, the student has a final product to show and more importantly, the basic skills for future work in film and video.”
Holly Kennedy, CNM, PHD
UCSF School of Nursing
BAVC Workshop Participant
Yoav currently teaches an array of courses at the Bay Area Video Coalition, including four-day intensives in Video Production. Students in these courses learn video fundamentals by collaborating to create high-quality short videos. Please check with BAVC for the latest course schedule.
Click here to visit the BAVC website www.bavc.org
More comments from BAVC students:
“Taking the class was a wonderful experience, due in large part to Yoav’s outstanding guidance. Amazingly, we were able to go from a white board, through to concept, DV filming and FCP editing to produce a reasonably polished short documentary in only four days. Yoav’s talent lay in guiding the students towards a solution to the challenges of such an endeavor, rather than pushing them towards a specific answer. By the end, I felt I had acquired as much in 4 days as I might have in a semester long course as a direct result of Yoav’s “learning by doing” approach.”
“In addition to the knowledge we acquired, Yoav’s great sense of humor and a calming demeanor made the class lots of fun. I would highly recommend the Video Production course under Yoav’s expert guidance for anyone that wants a crash course in creating a documentary from concept from final cut.”
“The class was extremely helpful and well-organized. We covered a lot of material in a short time; everything was relevant (examples, metaphors, etc.) and the class was pitched just right for the range of level and interest of students.”
“I really felt the class exceeded my expectations.”
“Yoav is someone I've been wanting to meet anyway. To meet under the circumstances as instructor/student couldn't have been more perfect. I came away knowing more about the subject and how interesting his background is.”
“Great instructor—clear and concise. Very knowledgeable.”
Public and Private Secondary Schools
“Yoav connected with the students immediately, presenting material with as much depth as needed, and more. He answered a wide variety of questions and was open to interacting with the students beyond the bounds of the classroom via follow-up emails and discussions about the media industry. Students were able to see Yoav as a role model for education, creativity, and success.”
Anne Humphrey
Regional Occupation Program
Video Education Teacher
Analy High School
Sonoma County Office of Education
A number of private and public programs have brought Yoav to high school and junior high school campuses to share his knowledge and craft with teens. These programs include the San Francisco International Film Festival’s “Schools at the Festival” program, the Sonoma County Office of Education Regional Occupation Program, and the video course at the Jewish Community High School in San Francisco.
Youth
in Video“Learning from not only a teacher but someone who actually makes films was very beneficial. Yoav was a patient and helpful instructor with a clear vision. Overall, the process gave me an experience in technology and art that otherwise I would never have been able to have.”
Nina Catalano, age 16,
Youth in Video
Yoav teaches filmmaking to teens as part of the Latino Film Festival’s Youth in Video after-school program. “Chavez 101,” the first documentary produced by Yoav’s students during the program, premiered at the 2002 Latino Film Festival and was selected for the 2003 San Francisco International Film Festival. Program sponsors included the National Endowment for the Arts, County of Marin Board of Supervisors, and Dominican University. For more information on Youth in Video, please contact the Latino Film Festival. Click here to visit the Latino Film Festival site www.latinofilmfestival.org
“I now know how to make a documentary on digital video with high-quality professional editing programs, whereas before, I didn’t know more than how to turn a camera on.”
Sam Marks, age 17,
Youth in Video
“The best part of the Youth in Video program was not just how much I was taught, but how much I got to put the lessons into action. I wasn't just lectured about how to interview someone; I had the opportunity to both conduct an interview and be interviewed myself. I didn't just learn about how to write scripts; I participated in a group writing project. Whenever a new piece of equipment was introduced, we would go out and test it and experiment. Yoav Potash was an extroardinary teacher for the program. He was focused, but also funny and related well to all of the teenagers. He was not only extremely knowledgeable and experienced with moviemaking, but he knew how to carry out an effective hands-on approach that made it fun for everybody.”
Ben Pruisner, age 17,
Youth in Video