Slip of the Tongue

Karen Lum
Youth Sounds Factory

Karen Lum

Adriel Luis

Andrew Baxter
German E. Rodriguez
Karen Lum

Karen Lum

William Tsang
Karen Lum
German Rodriguez
Carina Renner

Additional Camera - Bérangére Parizeau
Additional Camera - N'Jeri Eaton
Additional Camera - Mandel Lum
Additional Camera - Scott Boswell
Youth Mentor - Scott Boswell

Short Film

I shot and edited Slip of the Tongue last summer (2005) in various locations in downtown Oakland, CA, and in my own house. I used Final Cut Pro and other editing equipment at the youth media organization where I belong, Youth Sounds Factory.

Slip of the Tongue originated when I was asked to participate in a filmmakers conference in Connecticut in 2005. In order to go, I had to produce a one minute PSA that incorporated the theme of how youth are making a difference. Being a lover of spoken word, I wrote out a vague treatment about how many youth utilize poetry to change the world through self-expression. The organizers of the conference immediately rejected my treatment and told me that I needed to have a solid story line. Then one day, the idea suddenly came to: I would take a poetry recording and apply images to it. The slam poem “Slip of the Tongue” by my friend Adriel Luis stood out to me since it actually told a story and was structured just like a film with an introduction, conflict, climax and resolution. And so after 2 weeks, I finished my 1 minute PSA, and eventually, it turned into a complete 4 minute short.