MTV’s Andrew Jenks Brings College Tour to Radford

Andrew Jenks is in perpetual motion.

Whether it’s walking in the shoes of a Brooklyn rapper on the cusp of stardom, living with homeless teens on the streets of San Francisco, or escaping peril at the hands of Cuban mobsters on swampy farmland, the 24-year old documentary filmmaker and creator and host of the self-titled hit MTV show “World of Jenks” recently shared his experiences and life lessons with hundreds of Radford students.

Jenks’ appearance was sponsored by R-SPaCE (Radford Student Programming and Campus Events) and was part of his 2010-2011 College Campus Tour. He said he created his television series with the idea that each week he and his crew would spotlight the life of a youth who is charting his or her own unique path.

Despite success at such a young age, Jenks, speaking to the student audience in a black leather jacket, beanie cap and skateboard sneakers, cautioned against any assumptions of overnight success, saying that no accomplishment in life comes easy. He drove home the three factors which have helped guide his success at such an early age: 1) never take “no” for an answer, 2) fake it till you make it, and above all else, 3) don’t be a slave to your own stubbornness, and be flexible enough to adjust to whatever life throws at you.

“As my trials have gone on in life, I’ve learned that being able to adapt can make a world of difference,” he told the audience.

His own personal entry into filmmaking as a 19-year old freshman at New York University was sparked by his weekly visits to his grandfather’s nursing home. Being there for his grandfather, who suffered from dementia, helped fuel Jenks’ curiosity to not just see how others live, but also to roll up his sleeves and attempt to experience their lives firsthand.

Being more than 50 years younger than the average senior resident proved a challenging task for Jenks, who called every nursing home in his area to see if they would allow him to live in their facility for a few weeks and film it. After rounds of disappointment and rejection (including his grandfather’s nursing home) Jenks was fortunate to find a willing facility in Florida that allowed him to move in, provided a bed, three meals a day, and afforded the experiences of your typical nursing home resident.

“After 30 rejections,” said Jenks, “I was shocked.”

After borrowing equipment and enlisting help from friends as his crew, Jenks moved into the nursing home and filmed more than 200 hours of footage over five weeks. After endless editing sessions, he released the 87-minute documentary feature “Rm. 335,” which soon ran in numerous film festivals, gained positive reviews, and led to HBO buying and airing the film nationwide.

“I actually learned quite a bit there, and got to know such a large range of different characters,” he said. “It helps to be able to adapt to the people and culture around you.”

With the success of his HBO documentary (which cost only an estimated $1,000 to produce) Jenks was soon contacted by MTV to create similar documentaries spotlighting the unique lives of the young generation across the country. The 12-episode agreement also added a daunting task for Jenks: trying to edit and cram more than 140 hours of footage into the 19 minutes and 50 second timeslot allotted for each episode.

However, no matter the size and scope of the challenge, Jenks encourages students to defy the naysayers, and always strive to find their own distinct voice.

“When someone says ‘no’ to me, it’s like a starting point,” he said.