Racecar driver David Burketh expresses his love of the sport with the creativity he has polished in free classes offered by B-Roll Media and Arts, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit media training organization.
“B-Roll introduced me to the tools and gave me guidance in photography and videography. Now I can showcase the thrill and freedom that comes with racing,” he says. “My first love is race car driving. I wanted a way to document the adventure that I am blessed to be part of.”
The 18-year-old is a team driver with the Formula 4 U.S. Championship series. The series is sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, the professional racing division of the Sports Car Club of America, in conjunction with the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States.
He and his father, Ivan Burketh, share a love of racing. David’s journey to driving in sanctioned race car driving started early, from go-carts as a child to his entry into the Championship series, with his dad’s support, at age 16.
David also shares a creative streak with his father. Ivan is a broadcast engineer whose company has handled projects for CNN, NPR, and BET, among other national and international companies. Ivan is also a board member and volunteer trainer at B-Roll.
B-Roll (www.b-rollmedia.org ) is a Maryland state-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2012 by Robert Jackson, a 30-year veteran in radio, television, and film production. B-Roll works with city and county organizations to provide free-of-cost media and arts training and education to underserved students aged 13 through 21, as well as to young people with learning challenges or Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs).
In nearly 10 years, B-Roll has provided hundreds of young people with qualified, comprehensive, and applied experience in film, television, audio engineering, art, and music from in-house and at-large staff professionals.
“We believe that exposing youth to all the opportunities both upfront and behind the scenes in media and the arts can lead to a stable and economically secure future for them,” Jackson said. “They will be exercising their creativity doing work that they enjoy.”
David agrees enthusiastically. “B-Roll has great teachers who show you that there are few limitations to what you can do creatively with today’s technology. They understand young people and how to guide them to media careers that can be very satisfying.”
As a race car driver, David puts in a lot of time and effort to be sure that he is centered and physically fit. “Most people would be surprised how physical driving actually is,” he notes. “I work out every day in order to have the strength, endurance, and focus to be a successful driver.”
David’s commitment has impressed his team leaders, Ivan asserts. “He has taken British race car driver Lewis Hamilton as a role model,” he says. Hamilton is a multiple award winner who currently competes in Formula One for Mercedes, having previously driven for McLaren from 2007 to 2012. “Hamilton sticks to a plant-based diet and works out intensely.”
Ivan says that, as a media artist, his son has “a level of intuitiveness and anticipation that is quite good.” He adds, “David also knows his tools inside and out.”
“There is a video I shot that shows a race car in slow-motion climbing a hilly road at sunset surrounded by the beauty of nature,” says David. “I’m proud of it. It tells the story I want to share.”
For B-Roll’s Robert Jackson, young people like David are his reward. As a youth, he struggled through school with an undiagnosed learning disability –Dyslexia. He found solace and direction in media arts which gave him confidence, built his self-esteem, and put him on the path to a highly successful career in media & broadcasting.
Retired from his full-time career, Jackson now works to share the skills of a lifetime with young people through B-Roll.
B-Roll, which offered online virtual training during 2020, returned to in-person training as well as virtual online classes.
Visit B-Roll Media & Arts website for current classes offered.
SOURCE: B-Roll Media & Arts Inc.
