Week 14

This week has been busy for me. Thursday I filmed the girl’s class and interviewed their art teacher, Mr. Lovejoy. Ryne Seals and Naomi Montes had to help me because Taylor and Kelly had class and it was the only day we would be able to film with the class before the rough cut was due. It was probably the smoothest day of filming we’ve had. Mr. Lovejoy was great, I think we got some good shots, and Naomi and Ryne were great to work with. As soon as I got back home from filming, I edited Mr. Lovejoy’s interview with shots from the class. Friday I spent all day editing, and after a day off on Saturday, I continued to edit Sunday. I was supposed to met with Kelly to work on sound but we had to push that back to Monday. I’m going to try and work on it myself so we don’t leave it too late, which unfortunately has been a common occurrence this semester. 

Looking ahead, I’d like to fix our sound issues (just a couple of spots here and there but we might have to find someone who knows more about sound than we do), and making opening and ending credit sequences (I’d also like to have someone to help with this if possible so it could be as awesome as possible). The last few days and over the next week or so I have been and will continue to work as much as I can to make the final film as good as it can be. 

Week 13

This past week we met up with all three girls and filmed them together rollerskating. Rollerskating was their idea and I think it turned out really well. I can picture where I’m going to want to put it in the film and believe it will be a positive addition. After filming with them, we went to Quincy’s and filmed her interview again. The composition is different this time, as we filmed her in her room. It will be interesting to see how it fits in with the other girls interviews. The interview didn’t take too long since we knew what questions we wanted to ask her so they’d fit in with the footage from the other girls. We also filmed her journals and a few new pieces of artwork. On Tuesday of this week, we went back to Natalie’s and asked her a few more questions mainly about the other girls so we’d have all of them talking about one another. We also filmed her doing art and got some good shots. Hopefully we’ll get the other girls to do the same. Looking ahead we’ll be filming their class at school on Thursday and interviewing their teacher which I think will make a nice addition as well. Taylor and Kelly both have class and it’s the last chance we have to film the class so I’ll be having Naomi and Ryne Seals helping me out. After Thursday it will be a wrap on filming and be all about editing, editing, and more editing. 

Visions Response

Since I worked on Visions I was busy with everything that I had to do on the day. Since I had already seen all of the films and read all of the papers prior to the day, I wanted to have a full experience of working for a film festival on the day. The only block I attended was the keynote, which I moderated. Kiva was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed her speech and the q&a that followed. It was a stressful situation being a moderator and I’m not sure that I did as good of a job as I could but I’m glad that I did it. It was a new experience for me and Kiva was great. 

The Visions weekend was amazing. Thursday I picked up Caroline, Leah and Kiva with Maddi and we took them to the hotel to relax. About an hour before our Thursday night dinner I picked up Caroline and Leah and took them to Wrightsville Beach. At the dinner I got to talk to them a bit and they were super cool girls. Friday morning I picked up people from the hotel and took them to campus. The day of the event I stayed as busy as I could. I moderated the keynote, set up video race, had the video race and screened the videos and then had a short break before helping set up dinner and the after party. The entire day was amazing. I think it went smoothly and everyone seemed to have a great time. It was great to see all of our hard work come together for a great event. 

Week 12

Earlier this past week we filmed with Sara, reshooting her interview to clear up any technical issues as well as filming her drawing at her desk. We weren't there too long, just enough to get what we needed to move forward. I feel that we need to have a discussion as a group about the approach moving forward. We've gone into each of the girl's homes and interviewed them and filmed their art. We still need to have Quincy physically doing art. In our weekly meeting Monday night I am going to start a conversation about new approaches. I like the idea posed to us during class about giving the girls a camera and them filming themselves making art. I also have an image in my mind of them getting ready, documenting the process that a young girl goes through in presenting themselves. Hopefully the conversation will allow for some more brainstorming of ideas to try out. For the latter part of the week the documentary had to take a backseat because Taylor and I were working on Visions. Now that the festival has passed we can look forward to putting all of our focus on the project. I look forward to the next month and the direction that the film will take.


Questions for Bob Hawk:

1. Is there one specific thing that jumps out at you and grabs your attention when reading a script?
2. How many pages of a script do you read before deciding whether it is worth continuing or not.
3. What made you decide to pursue a career in consulting for filmmakers?

Week 11

This week began stressfully. I had to spend a lot of time editing on Tuesday to have ten minutes of footage ready for class. I didn’t get the footage from my other group members until Tuesday afternoon and I had to make some adjustments to their footage while also organizing it all together. Once I finished organizing I had issues with rendering which made for a long night. The footage was definitely rough and we still need to continue to work on tech. The feedback we got was really good though. A lot of people in the class had some great ideas that have gotten me excited about the options we have going forward. 

Looking ahead, we’re going to film again on Tuesday with Sara. We’re going to reshoot her interview to get better quality and try some other techniques to add dimension to the project. Taylor has been hard at work on the marketing elements of the film and tomorrow in our meeting we’re going to work on the teasers and trailer. We also asked Natalie to design the poster for us which she was more than willing to do. I figured she’d be able to come up with something much better than anything we would. I did give her an idea of what I was thinking of so I’m excited to see what she comes up with.

The documentary will probably take a back seat for the rest of the week though because Visions is this weekend and Taylor and I will be busy with that. I’m looking forward to the amount of time that we’ll be able to put into the documentary once this weekend is over.

Week 10

This week has been very busy. We started out facebook page and have already reached one hundred likes which is nice. Taylor also researched film festivals that might be suited for our film; festivals with categories for students as well as those that may lean towards a more feminist demographic. I think she found some interesting festivals. Looking on the withoutabox website and seeing the various festivals was amazing for how many there were and how specific they could be. 

We also re-filmed an interview with one of the girls. Hopefully the composition is good this time around. Along with the interview we filmed another girl’s rehearsal for her school play. We weren’t there long, just enough to get some footage to use for b-roll. The rest of the week and the next couple of days will go into editing the ten minutes to present in class. Like I said before, very busy. 

Looking ahead, Taylor and I have a lot of work to do for Visions so we may not be able to film over the next couple of weeks but once Visions has passed we are going to dive into filming as much as possible when we will have more time. 

Week 9

This week has not been as productive as I would have liked. An unexpected family emergency within our group caused us to have to push back filming. We’re going to have to regroup and find a few days later in the week to film as well as early next week. We have to have ten minuted of footage by next Wednesday’s class and as of right now we are not even close. Hopefully everything will fall into place and we’ll get some good footage filmed in the coming days. Before this week I felt like we were beginning to pick up some momentum and I hope that when we start back it will still be there. I think the girl’s are beginning to feel more comfortable with the process and hopefully that will show on camera. Over the next few days I’ll try and edit what useable footage we have before we are able to film again. It’s been a crazy last week with the events as well as work from other classes. We’re really going to have to hunker down the next few weeks and be as efficient as we can to get caught up after this lost week. Looking ahead we are going to set up a new date to film the art class and individual sessions with the girls.

Week of Spring Break

Even though this past week was Spring Break we used the time to get some filming in. We filmed with our third and final subject, Quincy. I think the interview went well. Quincy was very articulate and open to discussing herself and her art. I feel comfortable now with asking questions in a way that is good for us in editing. We also filmed some of Quincy’s art and Taylor took some beautiful shots of her paintings up close. You can really see the texture and colors on screen and they are beautiful shots. Also this week, all three girls had a piece of their artwork showing at their school’s art show. We went before everyone got there and filmed the space and each girl’s piece. We weren’t allowed to film during the show and it honestly would have been pointless because it was a small space and there were a lot of attendees. I did take some footage on my phone during the show but we’ll have to see if it is usable. While filming, we met Mr. Lovejoy the teacher for the girls AP art class and he was very nice and interested in what we were doing. He is letting us film one of their classes and said that he would be more than happy to let us interview him about the girls. I am very excited about the possibilities of filming the class and with Mr. Lovejoy. Quincy is also in rehearsals for a play and so we are going to most likely film her at rehearsals. I think that the more we have filmed the more the project has begun to take shape and I am excited moving forward. 

Productive Week and Looking Ahead

This week we filmed with two of the girls. To start off we just had them sit and answer questions.  It was a way to get them more comfortable in front of the camera and introduce them to some of the topics we would be covering for the film. I don’t see us using that much of this particular footage of them just sitting and talking. I want it to be more observational. A lot of what we filmed will mostly be used for voice over on their artwork because that is mainly what we talked about. I think that filming went well this week. Having the two cameras to use is allowing us to have close ups and medium shots on the girls which I think will come in handy. We’re going to try and film with the last girl some time this week but it will depend on all of our schedules. The week of spring break will hopefully be a productive one. The art show that all three girls are participating in is that week and one of our subjects, Sara, is in charge of setting it up and said that we could probably come and film the process. We’ll be working this week to schedule and get the correct papers signed to be able to film the art show. Finally getting to film with the girls and ask them questions has made me excited for the possibilities ahead. 

Finally Diving In

This week ha been crazy. Having class canceled again because of weather has thrown everything off. This past week was hectic getting caught up with what we missed in our classes. We weren’t able to film this week because our schedules were all busy. Taylor and I are working on Visions and my Saturday was spent making up the time we missed on Wednesday. Along with other assignments and work, along with everyone else’s schedule we had to go this week without filming. We have set up two says next week to film with the girls. On Tuesday we will film with two of the girls and hopefully the other two on Thursday (we are waiting to hear back from one).

I’m extremely excited to start filming and get a better idea of what the project is going to look way. I have been wanting to start filming for awhile now and having this week where we couldn’t made me even more anxious to get started. 

Taylor and I met Sunday instead of our usual Monday because of a scheduling conflict. We just went over some of the basics and figured out the best times to film this week before I contacted the girls and set up times. Since Kelly and I were the only ones present for filming B Roll it will be nice to have the girls meet Taylor and for her to get to contribute to filming with us finally needing sound in what we are filming. Overall it’s been a hectic week without much getting done on the part of the project but this coming week should be productive and I’m looking forward to the footage we’re going to film with the girls.

First Week of Filming

This was the first week we filmed. We went to three of the girl's houses and filmed their art work and items in their room. I discussed the idea of identity with them through their art and through their everyday life and they all seemed excited about the prospect. They were all outgoing girls who seemed comfortable talking to me, even with the camera in the room. It will be interesting how they respond when the camera is on them, not just their art work or rooms. The shots of the art work turned out well. These are some really talented girls and I can’t wait to explore their talent and modes of expression further. We'll probably do some reshoots though of the art work we really decide to show and try and get some more stationary shots. Some of the shots were of sketch pads and some were of canvas paintings on an easel. I feel that the shots of the easel looked better, so we might re-shoot all of the girls artwork on an easel when we get a chance.  It will be interesting to see how the art will be incorporated into the film but just based on the b roll footage we got I am excited about the possibilities. 

Change in Direction

As our project has progressed and I’ve gotten to know the girls a little better I’ve begun to feel that the direction of the film has changed. Going into the documentary I knew that the overall message of the film would depend on the content that we filmed with the girls. I knew that I wanted the focus to be on expectations of perfection and self esteem issues contrasted with their art. We are not going completely away from these topics entirely; instead I plan to still touch on them somewhat but they will not be the main focus. The direction of the film will now be looking at identity, through artwork vs the girl's personal lives. How they express themselves through art vs how they express themselves around their family and peers. The documentary will take on a more observational approach. We will document the girls in their daily lives while also exploring their art and having them consider themselves as people and as artists. The overall message of identity will be expressed through the contrasts between reality and art. 

Bios/Questions

Sara Hucks is currently an 18 year old senior attending Coastal Christian High School. She lives in Wilmington, NC and when she's not drawing she enjoys participating in activities such as: sleeping, listening to David Bowie, and reading Vietnam-era American literature. Her favorite prehistoric animal is the Kronosaurus, a pliosaur named after the merciless titan Kronos, who ate his own children. After high school her aspirations are to continue striking fear into the hearts of skinny white boys and getting so fit that she might plausibly be the protagonist in a Tarantino film. Her art focuses on line quality and drawing in pencil, pen and ink. Her concentration for her AP Art portfolio is literal interpretations of biblical imagery. She plans on studying to be a librarian. 

Morgan Campbell, 17, is a Varsity and competitive cheerleader at New Hanover High School.  In the Fall, she will be attending the University of Alabama, where she will be a Pre-Med student and majoring in Biology. In the future, she aspires to become a surgeon, possibly a Cardiologist. She has lived in Wilmington her entire life and loves the beach. She likes to surf, play sports, workout, paint, eat, and sleep. When she is not doing those activities she is probably at work (Sweetfrog Frozen Yogurt). Some things she hates are working at Sweetfrog, bugs, Winter, ignorant people, and olives. 

Although I listed 10 questions for each girl I feel that all 20 could be asked of each girl given the nature of the documentary. As the filming process progresses I imagine that I will be able to ask and phrase questions to each girl that fits them individually.

1.Where have you lived over the course of your life and for how long?

2. Where do you attend school and why did your parents choose to send you there?

3. How would you describe yourself in terms of personality and identity?

4. How would you describe your artistic style?

5. How would you describe your personal style?

6. What are the most important relationships in your life?

7. How much emphasis do you put on your appearance and the material aspects of your life?

8. What do you hope for yourself in the present and future?

9. How often do you consider the opinions of others?

10. How do you think others view you?

1. What inspires you?

2. When is the last time you did something without the expectation of a result?

3. How do you deal with stress?

4. How would you describe your outlook on life?

5. What would you liked to be remembered as/for?

6. What is the most important aspect of your life to you?

7. What is your greatest accomplishment?

8. What is your biggest regret?

9. How would you describe your daily life?

10. What does your morning routine consist of?

Documentary Treatment

The initial treatment of this documentary is a rough draft. As filming begins changes may be made depending on the direction in which the film takes and events that arise and are filmed. With each change I will update the treatment through the filming process. 

Overview:

This documentary is about the life of the modern American teenage girl; her life inside and outside of school, extracurriculars, relationships and concerns with identity, the materialistic and other social concerns faced during this period of a young girl’s life. 

Purpose of the Film:

The goal of the documentary is to document the period of a girl’s life just before she enters young adulthood and to shine a light on the concerns and pressures faced by the modern girl. It is my hope that the documentary will create an honest portrait of the present generation of teenage girls and open up a new consideration of this girl by those who perhaps have not considered her fully before. 

Outline:

This documentary will begin with an introduction to each of the four girls that we will be following. Personal interviews used to introduce themselves will be intercut with footage of their lives at home and school. Filming at their home will showcase their room (personal style/materialistic aspects) and their relationships with their family members. The footage of their school life will document their interactions with their peers (relationships with friends) as well as their academic standing (focus/interests). The artistic elements of their lives will be documented extensively as the base for which everything else will surround. 

As filming progresses and comfortability and trust has grown the personal interview will place a more prominent role. Individual consideration of every aspect of their lives will be discussed. An expert interview with a psychiatrist/counselor will compliment/contrast the girl’s musings. The connection between their artistic identity and personal identity will begin to take form with the coupling of the footage we have compiled to this point. Their social lives will also be documented with the girls together as a group as well as with other friends.  

The base of their artistic lives will help to conclude the documentary with the filming of an art show where each girl’s work will be featured. All elements of the girl’s lives will commence as they give their final consideration of themselves and their hopes/desires for the future. 

Doc Research

The research for my documentary began by looking into studies that have been conducted about teenage girl’s self esteem and body issues. I found facts that spoke to why I wanted to pursue this subject further in a documentary. Low self-esteem, depression and eating disorders are the leading mental health problems facing girls while 54% of girls are worried about their appearance and 37% about their weight. Advertising is a large part of why girls are concerned with their appearance (which I will discuss further in the following paragraph) but scripted television also poses a problem. Women make up half of society but only 32% of the main characters on television are female while 1/3 of speaking roles in children’s movies are given to women. Even in the creative, fictional world of television women are restricted.

Set in daily life, advertising is perhaps the most blatantly negative area for women in media. A series of short documentaries by Jean Kilbourne titled Killing Us Softly (1 through 4) have been made in an attempt to bring attention to the ways in which women are portrayed in advertising. Below is a link to the trailer of Killing Us Softly and multiple short clips of the four films can be found on youtube. The structure of the series consists of Kilbourne giving lectures to a group of an unseen audience. Intercut with Kilbourne’s speech are images from advertisements that she speaks about specifically to make her points about the ways in which women are represented in media. 

Kilbourne’s observations about the ads she discusses are detailed and go beyond the obvious messages of weight and beauty. One point she made that I found interesting were her observations about ads that on the surface discussed weight loss but underlying the straight-forward was the implication that women should not throw their weight around, as in their power as a person not just their physical body. The way in which advertisers push certain body images to girls while also encouraging them to take a docile behavior as compared to men stood out to me. I hope to present the material and physical concerns that the subjects in my documentary face while also going deeper into what underlies these concerns, having the girls examine why they make the choices they do in regards to their appearance. 

Sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bk9JHsrwnM

http://mediasmarts.ca/gender-representation/women-and-girls/media-and-girls

http://dayofthegirl.org/girls-issues/negative-media-images-of-girls-and-teens/

FST 495 Project Description

Documentary following four teenage girls through their daily lives; revealing the pressures faced by the modern American girl. An emphasis will be placed on societal expectations, relationships with family and friends and individual consideration about their role in the present day. The inside look at their daily lives will consist of their education (in and outside of school), extracurricular activities, work, lifestyle, etc. An attempt will be made to contrast the expectations of perfection faced by girls with reality and the four girls vantage point of these expectations. Self esteem issues, material concerns and other societal concerns will be explored as well. Discussions will take place about the most significant events of their lives, mistakes, regrets, and triumphs. Although only documenting the lives of four specific girls, the film will approach concerns that appear to be more broad in their reach on present day American teenage culture. The setting will vary depending on their daily activities as well as any significant event that may take place during the period of time in which they are filmed. The documentary is an opportunity to look at the period of a girl’s life that greatly influences the person they will develop into just before becoming a young adult.