Andrew Jenks: My Adventures As a Young Filmmaker

by Andrew Jenks

Meet the filmmaker who is the voice of his generation!

Behind the camera, Andrew Jenks has captured the attention of young adults everywhere with his innovative MTV documentary series, World of Jenks. When asked about his inspiration for the show, Jenks said, "I want to tell the stories of my generation. I want to be a filmmaker that is able to capture what my generation thinks, how they act, and what they ultimately stand for."

Now fans of all ages will be able to discover everything they’ve ever wanted to know about Jenks, from growing up to becoming a renowned documentary filmmaker in this comprehensive photo-biography. How did he do it? By following his own rules for success-always be flexible, fake it till you make it, and never accept no.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Childrens, Teen, Film

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2013

Reviews

[Gabe Reaume · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, candid, honest. Andrew Jenks cares about people. And it shows.

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richie's Picks: ANDREW JENKS: MY ADVENTURES AS A YOUNG FILMMAKER, Scholastic, March 2013, 224p., ISBN: 978-0-545-41727-3

"Everybody's a dreamer and everybody's a star
And everybody's in movies, it doesn't matter who you are."
-- Ray Davies, "Celluloid Heroes"

"We lived in a house where money was never talked about. There were no big-screen TVs or cable. That's not what mattered. Devoting your lives to others did. My mom did that one patient at a time, while my dad did it on a global scale. Anything else feels strange. I don't know if they'll ever know how much I love them for that."

I really like this guy! And his parents. And the memoir he's written here.

Andrew Jenks found early fame and fortune by coming up with some great ideas for films and has had the audacity and determination to pursue his dreams and bring these great ideas to fruition. At the age of nineteen he hatched the idea of moving into an assisted-living facility (what used to be called a nursing home, a place where old people go to live) for a while, so that he could bring an understanding of these facilities and their residents to audiences.

His professors at the NYU film school were not impressed.

"PROFESSOR 1
I don't know that you are the best person to do a study on what it's like to live in a nursing home.

PROFESOR 2
You can't just make a movie. That's hard. You have to get releases. Maybe they'd let you in for a couple of hours. Maybe. But I doubt it.

PROFESSOR 3
(blank, bored look)
Nobody is going to want to watch old people for ninety minutes...See you next week in class."

Boy, were they wrong. Of course, there will be some adults who find Jenks's somewhat arrogant manner in this photo-packed memoir to be pretty grating -- he doesn't make any attempt to hide his light under a bushel.

But for adolescents his message is pure gold: Don't listen to naysayers. Believe in yourself, and make things happen. Persevere. If you've got it together, you'll find the key.

Just like Jenks did with his nursing home idea:

"KATHY CROLAND FROM HARBOR PLACE: Huh. A young person moving into a nursing home? That is an interesting idea. You could learn a lot here. Young people should do that..."

This idea became the film "Andrew Jenks, Room 335," which was chosen for inclusion at a big film festival and then purchased by HBO. It launched him into the big-time.

I also really like what Jenks writes about his current project, MTV's World of Jenks, in which, during the first season, Jenks lived for seven days each with twelve different people facing challenges. People who, like him, weren't even alive when MTV premiered.

"In the middle of the first season, I was out at a club, where I ran into some reality TV star. After the introductions were made, he asked me 'So what do you get?'
"'Excuse me?' I said, not sure of his meaning.
"'What are your ratings?'
"What an absurd way to identify yourself. I could make fun of the reality star endlessly, but I get it. In a way we all do that--understand our value in terms of external factors like the clothes we wear, the school we attend, the rating our show gets.
"Making my show has taught me how quickly all that is broken down. A week is a short time, but it's enough to eradicate anything you hold on to. In seven days of being homeless in San Francisco, gambling in Las Vegas, going undercover to expose horse-slaughter farms in Miami, I am no longer Andrew Jenks who lives in his own Manhattan apartment, has a staff of thirty-five, goes to Knicks games, and hangs out in bars. All of that's gone. Really gone.
"When those barriers are broken, what left is a startling and beautiful fact: Everyone's story is important and unique."

I am betting and hoping that a bunch of teens who read this great memoir by a thoughtful young filmmaker will buy into the idea that their own personal stories are, in fact, important and unique, and that they will subsequently make more of an effort to blaze their own individual trails in the world. As well they should.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...

[Michael Fratantoni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael Fratantoni
Ms.Peyman
English 1 Period B
7 December 2014
Non-Fiction Book Review
I read the book "Andrew Jenks: My Adventures as a Young Filmmaker" for my English Non-Fiction book review. It is a biography by Andrew Jenks and it is all about his life from childhood to present and how he became a famous filmmaker. It talks about how ever since he was a kid and how he always had a camera with him because he thought it made the world seem more interesting to him. He even said that he filmed grass grow for about an hour before he stopped and went inside to edit it. “Other than my family, the only thing that consoled me was that big, bulky VHS camera, which I started taking with me everywhere I went. It didn’t matter if nothing was going on, I still filmed it. Footage of grass with this narration: “Here’s the grass growing. What’s going to happen in three months?” (Jenks 42). The book is all about how he was a college dropout and ended up becoming a famous movie producer. One of the major themes in the book is to never give up. Andrew Jenks had a very lonely life because he was always forced to move around due to his parents job but he still manage to become a famous movie producer for ESPN. Although it was a very insightful book on Andrew Jenk’s life it was kinda boring and quite repetitive at times.
Some of the major points in the book is when he gets his first camera and he starts taking
it everywhere with him to film the world around him since he finds that more interesting. Another major point is when he comes up with the idea to film a movie in an old folks home and decides to live there for a year to get the footage for the movie that him and his friends were going to make. “Like all the best ideas, it was totally obvious. Let’s make a movie about a young guy who moves into a nursing home. I knew that the trailer I made in high school—from material I had shot during the summer before freshman year at a nursing home near my hometown and edited for most of the fall­—was the perfect pitch tape to show to other assisted-living facilities I planned to approach about letting me move in. The tape, a “best of” from my senior citizen interviews with Beatles music playing underneath, was funny and sad all at the same time—exactly the kind of tone I was going for.” (Jenks 77).
Overall it was a decent book at best. Sometimes it was really good but others it was really boring and dull. If you are really interested in filmmaking then I would greatly recommend this book to you. If you aren’t interested in filmmaking then this book is probably just a waste of time for you. I’m sure if i was interested in filmmaking a little more then this book would have been better but other than that there wasn’t anything to great.

[Steven Schwartz]

Steven Schwartz
English I/Period B
Ms. Melnychenko
5/12/14

SRP Book Review

My book: "Andrew Jenks: My Adventures as a Young Filmmaker" is an autobiography about a man named Andrew who makes films and TV shows from lots of different people. In this book, Andrew makes a film about an assisted living facility, a film about Bobby Valentine playing baseball in Japan, and a MTV series about him filming the lives of twelve young people. He claims that everybody has their own unique story and he wants the whole world to know each one. The theme of this book is: To accomplish your goals; always be flexible, work hard, and never accept no. I thought this book was inspirational, interesting, entertaining, and good overall.
When he went to film college, he was depressed because of the atmosphere, along with a few amount of friends there. He later dropped out of college, and decided to film a documentary about the everyday lives of elderly people living in an assisted living facility. Before he dropped out, he asked his instructors for advice and they all said he couldn't do it. He ignored what they said and he decided to do it anyway. When he finished filming, editing, and producing the film; he went to a film festival and HBO bought his movie from him after the screening. Afterwards, he made another film and an award winning TV show on MTV. Which is why I found him and this story inspirational.
I found the story really interesting and entertaining for many reasons. One of the main reasons is that I am passionate about filming in general. His many subjects that he filmed were also interesting to me. I think the most interesting part of the book was when he filmed the twelve young people for MTV. Although the book doesn't mention most of the young people, they only name a few of them. What stood out to me was; he mentioned that everybody has their own unique story that should be told.
This concludes that, the book was very inspirational. The book was very interesting and entertaining. Finally, Andrew believes that everybody's story should be told. Overall, I think this book was great, and I recommend it to anyone if they want to do a nonfiction book project.

[Bethany Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:
In this autobiography, Andrew Jenks traces his path to becoming a successful filmmaker from his early days filming just about anything with his family’s camcorder to his recent success with the MTV show World of Jenks, in which he documents the lives of a wide variety of people by living with them for a period of time. Though he had the benefit of loving and supportive family and friends, he went through some struggles along the way. Suffering from severe homesickness, attending film school at NYU was a very unpleasant experience for him. He ended up leaving after his junior year to make his first movie which documented his experience living in a senior citizens home for a month. After the movie was complete he sought out a film festival that would show and was rejected time and time again until finally someone said yes. Jenks points to this persistence as one of the keys to the success that he has enjoyed so far.

Evaluation:
Fans of Jenks’ television show will definitely want to pick this book up, but it’s an interesting read even for those who, like me, are uninitiated into the World of Jenks. The many high quality color photos are enough to hold a reader’s attention even if the prose is a little thin at times. Though Jenks is occasionally a bit self-congratulatory, it’s hard to blame him. He’s accomplished a lot at a young age and seems to have done so with his integrity intact. Though written in a very casual almost chatty style, his story does show readers the value of pursuing dreams even in the face obstacles. In his work, Jenks strives to provide windows into the worlds of individuals who might otherwise be overlooked. Bringing these experiences to teens in a way that is empathetic is an admirable quest. Recommended.

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew Jenks is a reality star and documentary filmmaker, but the word that he repeatedly uses in My Adventures as a Young Filmmaker is "story." Jenks sees himself as a storyteller -- film is his medium of choice, but one gets the sense that he's more interested in the message than the medium. Perhaps that's one reason why his autobiographical book comes off better than those of many celebrities: even if print isn't Jenks's usual format, he's still telling a story.

Indeed, Jenks's distinctive voice is really what drives Adventures. He's brash, snarky, and sometimes even arrogant, but he's also painfully candid about his struggles, shortcomings, and occasional poor choices. His skill as a filmmaker and storyteller comes from his ability to empathize deeply with those around him, which comes across in his descriptions of the people at the nursing home where he shoots his first documentary, the small group of faithful friends who accompany him on his adventures, and his circle of supportive family members.

Adventures has a breezy charm, even though not all portions of the book are equally engaging. That might just be an inherent risk of the subject matter -- to me, at least, it's more interesting to read about Jenks as a failing film school student in pursuit of his left-field idea of making a movie about himself moving into a nursing home than it is to see him making docs about star musicians and going to the VIP section at clubs. Sometimes, it's the pursuit of success that holds interest, rather than the success itself.


A longer version of this review appears at abouttomock.blogspot.com

[Amy Diop · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was really interesting even though it was quite short. The book is about Andrew Jenks a young adult with a strong passion for film making. Ever since he was little he has filmed things and made small videos. He went to NYU for filmmaking and was not happy there at all. He was depressed and felt he was just taking these classes because he was forced to. He came up with the idea to make movie about old people living in a nursing home. All his professors told the idea was silly and it would be unsuccessful. He proved them wrong he made the movie and HBO even bought it! After that everything was amazing. He made a movie for ESPN about Bobby Valentine and that was as well a hit. MTV called him and wanted him to make his own television show. He came up with a show called The World of Jenks, where he lived and interviewed people who had an interesting life and stories to tell. The show was such a hit and became the trending topic on twitter for 2 months in 2010. All this he accomplished in his life and he is only 27. I believe the message in this book is that even if things don't always seem to work out the first time or people doubt you constantly doesn't mean you should give up. You do you and see where it will get you. I think Andrew Jenks is an amazing film maker. I have seen a couple of episodes of The World of Jenks on MTV and he seems like a really down to earth person. He even slept on the streets with a homeless girl for many nights. This shows how amazing and courageous he is.

[Daniel Murillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can remember when I was a kid watching MTV, back when they had good programing. There was one show that I thought was interesting and whenever I watched it was also something different and interesting. I remember him spending a weekend with a homeless woman,and that was cool to me because its not something you would associate with MTV. I learned a lot from this show and from the people that Andrew Jenk's had on the show. When I saw this book I didn't hesitate to pick it up because I never heard about Jenk's himself and what his story is.

The book is a biography of the evolution of Andrew's career as a filmmaker. From reading this book I learned that Andrew had made his own movie before he had his Tv show. The documentary "Room 335" was about Andrews experience's living in a old folks home and the connections he made with the people there. It eventually was an award winning film and HBO exclusive. The book also talks about his job working on a film for ESPN on baseball in Japan.

Overall this book was refreshing and a great read. Having the pictures throughout the book made it a special experience making the stories seem more personal while seeing him grow up though the book. I would recommend this book to some one who has seen his show "Life of Jenk's" before otherwise it wouldn't be to interesting.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scholastic sent me this book out of the blue, and while it's not a book I might otherwise have picked up, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Obviously, I need to read more non-fiction! Andrew Jenks isn't nearly as fascinating as the subjects of his movies, and his voice alternates between winningly humble and egotistical, but overall his passion to pursue film making and the way he let nothing get in his way is pretty damn inspiring. The book tends to be a bit all over the place (although this was a pretty unfinished ARC, so not sure that will remain) and it feels more like an interview at times than a book- the way Jenks touches upon a subject, moves on and then comes back to it, left me feeling a bit disjointed at times, but it wasn't hard to follow.

Jenks really cares about the people he interviews, and goes out of his way to showcase humanity at some of it's best, and worst. I loved that he was able to move into an assisted living facility for a month because several of my elderly clients live in similar places and I can only imagine how thrilled they would be for two young men who stay more than a few hours. This, more than anything, warmed me up to Jenks.

Full review will be up soon on my blog!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came into Jenks' book pretty biased, because I adore any of his work I've been exposed to thus far, and I assumed his book would be no different. That being said, I think he does a wonderful job of combining both his story of how he became a filmmaker along with the stories of his family/friends, as well as the people he's been documenting for years. His two page spread on his maternal grandfather, coupled with the chapters on his first film where he lived in an elderly assisted living home brought quite a few tears to my eyes. Reading about how he feels leaving his documentees, and readjusting to "real" life makes you realize a. how trivial most things are, and b. how lucky/grateful we should be every second of every day. It takes quite a book/person/film to make the reader/watcher want to do something, and Jenks manages to do it with every episode of his show and every page of his book. As soon as I finished his book, I looked up volunteer opportunities for me to spend time with the elderly, since i was so inspired by his work with them. I can't even imagine what I'd feel after watching his film about them. Jenks is the type of person that makes you feel like a friend, even when you've never met him and have never spoken with him...but he sure does make you want to.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting autobiography of a young man who became a filmmaker in college. He grew up the son of a diplomat so they traveled all over the world in his childhood; to avoid boredom in Belgium he picked up his family's videocamera when he was around 10 or so, and he's never stopped making movies. his big break came when he was floundering in NYU film school, as he isn't the academic type, and he finagled his way into a nursing home in Florida where he filmed himself living with the residents for a month. That film, "Andrew Jenks Room 335" earned him attention, spots in film festivals, and led to the start of his career as a documentarian whose style is to immerse himself in the subject. He hustled his next project and got interst from ESPN--they sent him to Japan to film baseball coach Bobby Valentine's work there. Then TV called and he got his own show, World of Jenks, where he spent a week with a different subject each episode. The book is attractively designed, appealing to young readers with tons of color photos that fill the pages; Jenks' writing lacks polish, is very informal and sometimes a little repetitive, but his enthusiasm shines through, as well as his dedication to his work, and to improving the world a little at a time; very inspirational subject for kids.

[Amy Jacobs · Rating 1 out of 5]

As most of you know, I am not a big fan of memoirs or biography. Non-Fiction is usually not my cup of tea. On a rare occasion, I will read one if it is about someone that I have heard of or want to know more about. So when Scholastic sent me this book, I was really hesitant on dedicating my time to it. I have never heard of Andrew Jenks.

Now that I have read this book, I am still on the fence about it. The author came across as stuck-on-himself and it didn't really interest me much. Maybe it is because I never have heard of him before reading this, or maybe it is my usual aversion of these books that turned me off to truly enjoying it. I also want to state that with this being an ARC copy, most of the photos that go along with the story were still missing and it left some holes in the story that a photo could have helped to tell it.

With that being said, if you are a budding filmmaker -- or one who is planning to be in this field -- then you might have a better time with this book. Others might recognize Andrew Jenks and be fascinate with learning his journey. I was not a big fan, but this might be a perfect fit for someone studying the making of film.

[Rachael Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given the opportunity to read and review this book courtesy of TheReadingRoom.com and to say I loved it would be an understatement. I have been a fan of Andrew Jenks since the first season of “World of Jenks” on MTV and was incredibly excited that the show is finally back on.

While the show does an amazing job of sharing the lives of other individuals and their struggles and victories, it is not often you hear too much about Jenks himself. I really enjoyed how well written this book was and the background of the man behind the camera. He is an incredibly hard working man that has earned and deserves every ounce of success he has achieved through his documentaries and show (as well as his wonderful crew and friends that have helped him along the way).

It’s nice to hear how supportive his family is of him and how he chooses to go against the norm in regards to the documentaries he makes and the individuals he follows on his show. Anybody that is a fan of the show would love this book and it was definitely a book that I couldn’t put down after starting. Not yet a fan or know of Andrew Jenks? Then pick this book up and you will be by the time you complete the book!

[Sarah Norris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew Jenks is teaming with Dylan Ratigan and Chip Rosenbloom to make a legal documentary about my cousin, Ryan Ferguson, who was wrongly convicted of murder in 2005. Andrew, who is just 27 years-old is directing it. Needless to say, I wanted to know more about this young filmmaker. After reading his autobiography, I am impressed at what he was already able to accomplish at such a young age. Not only is that impressive, so is his family legacy. His father, Bruce Jenks, worked for the United Nations, and his grandfather was the director general of the International Labor Organization, and had a part in the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I have no doubt in my mind that Mr. Jenks will succeed in his future endeavors and that on the project he is currently working on. I am positive, Jenks and Ratigan, will be able to expose the corruption within our legal system and do some groundbreaking work in film.

[librarianemily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This engaging photo- autobiography follows Andrew Jenks as he started his film career as a young boy to the present. Andrew tells his story through text, dialogue, pictures, and still-frames from his films. The visuals are all appropriate and complement the text- it's hard to imagine a biography about a film maker without so many accompanying photographs. Jenks doesn't sugarcoat his journey, and many readers will respond positively to his descriptions of self-doubt and his search for identity. This is a great portrayal of a person with a dream who made it come true with persistence and lots, lots of hard work. I especially enjoyed seeing all the rejection letters he received after submitting his first film to multiple film festivals! Some transitions were abrupt, but overall this was a great read. Definitely recommended for teens, especially reluctant readers or anyone familiar with his show on MTV.

[Diane Ferbrache · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew Jenks is known for his MTV television show and his documentaries. He made his first film at 19 and this is his story of that film and his rise to fame. But this is not simply a story of a young, ambitious man who found success. Jenks is strong in his committment to his art, his friends, and telling the stories of ordinary people who are often overlooked by society. His goal is to do something great, not just be famous.

Filled with photos of Jenks and his friends and fellow filmakers, this is an entertaining and engrossing story. Inspirational, touching, and funny. A great read for young filmakers or anyone interested in a true story of a young man with drive, ambition, and a great personality.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I picked up this book to read it the only thing I knew about Andrew Jenks was from a five or ten minute interview on The Crossover on NBCSports. There is a good chance that as a documentary film fan I've seen Room 335 and as sports fan there is a good chance I've seen "The Zen of Bobby V". Sadly MTV has not been on my radar since they stopped playing music videos and started making celebrities out of characters from the Jersey shore and pregnant teenagers.

I enjoyed reading this book. Jenks gives a good overview at his process of creating documentary movies and television. It is a quick read with me finishing in just a few hours. I look forward to discovering more of Jenks work in the future either on film or book form.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I have never seen Andrew Jenks show, but when I received Andrew Jenks: My Adventures as a Young Filmmaker in the mail I was intrigued. The cover drew me in and the quote on the back was interesting.

Andrew Jenks's book was innovative and refreshing. I loved the unique way the book was put together. There was a variation of text size and color, along with a lot of pictures. It was fun to read since it was constantly being mixed up.

I think Andrew Jenks had a really neat story to tell. I love the passion for film that comes through in his writing and how he shares his not as successful start. It is very inspirational.

[J. Bryce · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the first few pages I hated this guy, because he's so successful at such an early age (a total jealousy thing), but he's so honest about his processes and his feelings of anxiety that he's becomes inspiration.

Jenks freely admits his has been an privileged life, but don't hold that against him.

Recommended to all, but maybe especially to gifted kids who need s good role-model, that shows them with some drive you can almost literally achieve your dreams.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew is a humanitarian. He is awesome. Everything awesome, he is. He is creative as well as talented, and it shows in his work. He's been at it since he was a teenager! Dropped out of college and dedicated his life to helping the masses and documentation. Anyway, everyone should read his book (and look at the photography). It doesn't hurt that he's very easy on the eyes. Seriously, check out that smile.

[Great Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew Jenks recalls his adventures as a documentary film maker at the age of 19 and as the producer of the award-winning MTV series "World of Jenks" at 23. Told with honesty, humor and lots of pictures, this is an inspirational book for anyone who dreams big.

Reviewer 18

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andy Jenks you are so interesting! What incredible humanity you display in this book and in life. This book is a great story and a powerful visual experience all wrapped in what very digestable package. Thanks for sharing your story.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, although not really my cup of tea. But I did like reading about the relationship Jenks developed with the residents of the nursing home, and the insights he gained as he learned about the people he came in contact with.

[Clare]

Netgalley declined

[Corey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. I like him even more, now that I've read it.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great YA read.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disorganized, meandering, and self-indulgent.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot wait to book talk this one with my students.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great pictures, interesting story. I think a lot of young people would enjoy seeing an alternative path to success.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quit watching MTV years ago when the M in MTV just became a letter, so I never heard of this guy or his program. After reading this, I may just have to check it out.