Patrons will have an opportunity to make their own television programs Saturday at the Wexner Center for the Arts.

The “Wex Lab: Make TV” program will invite self-defined families to partake in storyboarding, videotaping and editing their own short episodes.

The event will be hosted by Sean and Elaine Smith, a couple who work as an artist and an educator respectively in the Columbus area. The Smiths make good hosts for the Wex Lab event because they have experience incorporating the entire family into their work.

According to the Wexner Center Web site, the Smiths “turn TV on its head.” Sean and Elaine do this by including their two daughters, 9-year-old Olivia and 5-year-old Rosie, in making videos.

Wexner Center media coordinator Tim Fulton says that the Smiths’ ability to get the entire family involved makes them ideal to run a Wex Lab program. “We work really hard to run programs that are intergenerational. We don’t want anyone to feel excluded,” Fulton said. “That isn’t to say you and your frat brothers can join in; but your grandparents, that’s fine.”

The program begins at 11 a.m. Saturday. Families and groups will take a brief tour of the “Hard Targets” exhibit, which will also be opening at the Wexner Center. “Hard Targets” features photography and other artwork that examines masculinity in sports. Groups are encouraged to include a favorite sports prop in their films to fit the theme presented by “Targets.”

Aside from that, the groups are free to follow their imaginations. Sean Smith said that his family made a stop-motion-style video with action figures to present as an example, but that groups could perform as actors in their own films or attempt a similar style to the Smiths. Sports do not have to be the topic.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing all the families’ creativity,” he said. “It’s a fun event where families can enjoy time together.”

Sean, Elaine, Olivia and Rosie will all be present to answer questions and assist when necessary. After doing some basic storyboarding or planning for taping, the group will shoot footage for its film. The family will then use iMovie software to edit its film. Sean admits that the editing process is not as easy as the other elements of making a movie for children to partake in, but that 9-year-old Olivia can perform some basic tasks using the software. Finally, each group will receive a copy of its film on DVD.

Groups can work until 4 p.m., when the program ends. Sean estimates that depending on each group’s experience with filmmaking, the final product will be somewhere between five and 15 minutes.

“Make TV” is one of many ways in which Wexner patrons have been able to get involved through the Wex Lab series. Past activities have included putting on a fashion show and making one’s own video game. One special Wex Lab encouraged children to draw on the ground with chalk and interact with their creations like featured artist Robin Rhode. Fulton says that one of the major themes of the Wex Lab series is to encourage people to take art and media into their own hands.

“The goal is rather than to plop a kid down in front of a TV, tell them ‘you don’t have to be a consumer,'” he said. “It’s both educational and empowering.”