Final

Questions: First Draft for Group

Rebecca, Amanda, Brittney

How are the Monfort's a normal family?

1. Tell me about Leeann's birth.
2. When did you notice Leeann's was having problems?
3. What did the doctors say?
4. How did you react?
5. Explain Leeann's condition.
6. What changes did the family have to make?
7. What impact did this condition have on your relationship?
8.What other situations impacted your relationship?
9. How did this affect your social lives?
10. What influenced you to have more children?
11. How did your families react to the fact that you wanted more children?
12.What other situations has put a strain on your relationship? Your family?
13. What are your experiences to how people react to your family?
14. How did you learn to deal with strangers' reactions?
15. What other stresses do you have?
16. Tell me about how you spend your holidays?
17. (Brothers) How are you like any other family?
18. (Brothers) How are you different from other families?
19. (Brothers) How do your friends react when you introduce them to your family?
20. (Brothers) Tell me about positive/negative experiences you've had? How did you react to them.
21. What are your plans for Leeann's care?
22. Where do you think the family will be in the future? 20 yrs from now?
23. What made you decide to keep Leeann at home?
24. What were people's reactions at you keeping her home?
25. How are the your sons' affected?
26. (Brothers) How are you affected? What stress has it created?
27. How are you like any other families?
28. How are you not like other families?
29. (Ms. Dorthy) How are the Monforts like any other families?
30. (Ms. Dorthy) In your experience, what stereotypes have you witnessed about families with handicap children?
31. (Ms. Dorthy) What are your experiences with Leeann?
32. (Ms. Dorthy) What role do you play in this family?
33. (Ms. Dorthy) What do you do on a daily basis here?

The Monfort Family
Pitch

Crit-a-Crit

I made, what images I could, larger. The challenge, though, was keeping the within the image safe zone. I still need to improve the layout of the images. I'm still not a fan of the jump cuts. I keep wanting to put in the dissolves. I did do a re-shoot, but certain parts didn't have the impact that the original had.

Mid-Term Edit

Untitled from Hoticer on Vimeo.

Revised Pitch

Rebecca, Brittany, and Amanda
Final Project

Demystifying our concept of what life is like for a family with a handicap adult child.

The Monfort's Story:

*The B-Roll will show two days (or more) of following the Monfort family, then lead to the third day of interviewing the family.

*Questions: (more to come when following the family so we can get a more better understand of them first)

1. What do you remember with Leeann birth? Good or bad, tell me more about it.

2. When did you know something was wrong with Leeann?

3. From what you remember, when did Leeann situation get worse? How, has she always been this way, and how was she as a child growing up?

4. Has this situation affected your social life? Are there other situations affecting it? How?

5. What does the family plan to do when you are no longer able to care for your child?

6. If you could wish one thing for Leeann what would it be?

7. (For Kevin Monfort, the younger brother) Tell me about having an older sister that is handicap.  How is it no different than anyone else? How is it different?
8. Why did you make the decision to keep Leeann at home? Why not out-of-home care?

Story Board:

B-Roll:

-Start off with Louann getting the day started and Ms. Dorothy walking into the Monfort's home (at 8am) to prepare for the day.

Wideshot:

- switch to the parents. Ask the parents, Jimmy Monfort and Louann Monfort, what do they remember from Leeann birth

B-Roll:

-(While the parents are still going on continuing with the question) Photographs of Leeann from when she was a baby will be shown.

Medium Bust Shot:

 (Medium bust shot of one of the parents will be on camera, while talking)

B-Roll:

-Louann and Ms Dorthy enteracting with Leeann.

Medium Bust Shot:

-Whole family (Jimmy, Louann, & Kevin) couple of seconds with one or two members of the family) Questions related to: "what you remember, when did Leeann situation get worse? Ect.

B-Roll:

-Kevin, the younger brother, doing what he normally does. Questions.

B-Roll:

-Following Ms. Dorothy and Leeann; ask Ms. Dorothy a couple questions during some B-Roll of how long she has been around the Monfort family, what she does for Leeann, and what Leeann likes and dislikes. Ect.

Medium Bust Shot:

-Interview with Ms. Dorothy.

Wideshot:

-Whole family. Questions about their social life.

(During this question we focus more on the family one on one interview)

Wideshot:

-Whole family. Questions related to their future plans. (focus on one or two members of the family interview)

Headshots:

-Interviews.

B-Roll:

-Ms. Dorothy shift is over (at 5pm). Parents take turns taking care of Leeann.

Wideshot:

-Whole Family.

Headshot:

-Question of their hopes for Leeann.

B-Roll:

-Parents put Leeann to bed.

Medium Bust Shot:

-Parents.

Crit-a-Crit

I chose to use a simple title header this time. I think it's too simple. I'll have to go back and rework my font choice and probably add a picture of Jewell to it like the original. I'm still adjusting the flow of the video. I'm not a big fan of the abrupt changes of scenes; I prefer to fade to the next scenes but I'm trying the cut scenes.

Mid-Term Rework

Civil Rights Movement from Hoticer on Vimeo.

Mid-Term

Untitled from Hoticer on Vimeo.

Crit-a-Crit

Rebecca
Mid-term Project

This project was a challenge, especially in editing. Some of the footage taken had too much background noise or too much movement in the background. Both couldn't be helped since they couldn't be caught until after filming, but most of my footage was fine. I tried cutting some of the "uhms" and "I remember" out, but then my footage became too cutty. So, I decided to keep some of them in and cut others. I didn't account for the wind to move my equipment! And that was when the wind wasn't strong. So, there was no editing around that. Next time I'll need a second pair of eyes. I had to use a title card before one segment since I couldn't edit it in a way that the audience knew what was being  talked about. I tried to put other title parts up, so that it didn't seem random. I still have mixed feelings on using them.
Next time I would like to do some of the interview at the sites, but I would have to have a second person with me since they tend to be high traffic and noisey areas.

I had a hard time finding archival footage, which didn't surprise me. But, I was surprised how few pictures and information was online, and most came from a newspaper. I tried filming some of the sites, but they just didn't fit, so I stuck with the photos. The hard parts of that was going through dusty books to find them, deciding what captions to put, how long to have them on screen, which ones should she talk through and which ones not to. I still need to tweek that more.

Pitch for Final Project

Rebecca, Amanda, and Brittany
Final Project

How the Monfort family life revolves around Leanne.
The intent is to inform the audience about the family's emotional struggle.

The life of the Monfort family revolves around caring for their daughter, Leanne. Leanne was left mentally handicap after the removal of a brain tumor shortly after birth. In our documentary, we will take viewers into the private life of the Monfort's, showing how it revolves around caring for Leanne.

Interviews with:

Louanne Monfort (mother)

Jimmy Monfort (father)

Kevin Monfort (brother)

Mrs. Dorothy (P.A.)

Setting: The Monfort home

Act I

Getting Leanne in the morning

Introducing the family, their situation, and Leanne's illness

Act II

Daily activities

Eating, Medication, entertainment

Questions regarding how each family member cares for Leanne

How does caring for her affect relationships, financial situations, socail lives ext.

Act III

The family's harsh realities

Sample Questions:

How does caring for your daughter affect your social life? Financial? Work? Relationships?
What is Leanne's condition? What role did the medication have in her current condition?
How do you plan to care for her as you become older? What plans do you have in place for her care when you are no longer able to care for her?
As her brother, how did it feel to have an older sibling that was handicap? How did you feel about Leanne getting more attention because of her condition? What ways did your parents try to spend quality time with you?

Shots

Head shots - interviewing individuals, Leanne
Wide shots - the family around the house, family interviews
Wide shots - Leanne, her medications, the home
Closeup - machines, medications

Documentary

Rebecca
Documentary

The Untold History of Jackson Tennessee Civil Rights Movement from Hoticer on Vimeo.

Crit-a-Crit

Rebecca

This project came out better than I thought. The challenge was getting the needed photos and placing them in areas where they would get the best effect. I wished I could have filmed in my original location, but this one worked just fine. I didn't have random people interrupting or constant sirens going off. I still need to clean up the photo layouts and some of the edit. I, also, need to take in consideration when clouds create shading in some of my shots.

A Change in Directions?

My interview with Mr. Wiley was so-so. I'll have to go back another day to interview him further, but he did give me plenty to look into and research more about. By researching this information, I can ask him some specific questions.

My interview with Mrs. Jewell was great. She, also, gave me information to research on and some reading that the local paper has undertaken. The reading she gave me is kinda prompting me to (maybe) change the direction of my documentary. I have about three other people in mind that I can interview if I can get in contact with them. I think I should go more in a direction of preserving their experiences. Most of their experiences have been passed along orally, but that's no guarantee that people will remember what's been told to them.

Documentary Proposal II

Rebecca

Locations

Brownsville: Home of Mr. Wiley

Jackson: Home of Jewell or Liberty Garden Gazebo

Random Locations of the younger generations

Main Interview Dates

Mr. Wiley: TBD

Mrs. Jewell: March 19 (Sat) or 26 (Sat)

Focus Questions

Name, birthday, age, birthplace, current city of residence

What was life like when you were a child/teen/ young adult?

As a black person, how were you treated as a child/teen/young adult?

What was school like?

How did you view the Civil Rights Movement when it began? How did it affect you?

Tell me about major events in your life that dealt with racism or the Civil Rights.

When people hear you life story, what do you want them to take away from it? What do you want them to learn?

How are things different today compared to when you were growing up?

What are you thoughts on people who think we should not focus on the past or talk about slavery or major issues that deals with black people?

Do you think it is important for people to record their parents and grandparents’ experiences with racism and Civil Rights?

Conventions

Relies mainly on talking heads so that the focus will be on the interviewee and their connection to what is being told. Interviewer will sit off camera at eye level to prevent interviewee from looking extremely up or down.

Family photos may be used and images of specific locations.

Voiceover narration or text will accompany any photos used.

Point of View

Preserving current African American history so that the future does not forget what their own parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents experienced in order to have the freedoms that we have today; the importance of recording and remembering this history.

Voices

Dominant voices are Mr. Wiley and Mrs. Jewell, both African Americans living in the South.

Structure

Chronological or Narrative, depending on how some events inter-relates.

Subject

Not letting the past die. Preserving the struggle and experiences of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. Compares with the efforts of SHOAH in preserving the life stories of people we would never expect to have dramatic experiences of major events.

Important social relevance: Those who experienced the Civil Rights Movement directly are getting older or have died. Many do not realize how important their stories are in reflecting the true nature of what those times were like. Some historians want to place a beginning and ending date to the Civil Rights despite there being little to no finite resolution to the issues.

Maker

Presence of maker will be absent except where questions will be heard to clarify an interviewee’s answer.

Location: Liberty Garden

Documentary Proposal Draft

Rebecca
Final Project

1. In life I believe that we need to be aware of how connected we are to the Civil Rights movement and not take what our parents and grandparents stories are for granted.

My film will show this in action by exploring the experiencers of my interviewees before during and after the Civil Rights Movement.

The main conflict is between what we know of Civil Rights and what we don't know of our family members experiences and how it's affected us.

2. Although many want to believe that the Civil Rights movement has come and gone. We still have a fight to finish. I will interview people from different generations, showing how they remember Civil Rights and what they believe younger generations don't know.

3. The sequence actions will be in areas that the interviewees are comfortable; their homes, outdoors, ect.

The factual information will come from the interviewees.

The conflicts it evidences will be how little today's society remember about the movement and how it effects them directly, and the importance of recording the past.

The events will be structured in a linear manner of the interviewees life stories.

The sequences will contribute to the film as a whole by telling the history of Civil Rights through the eyes different generations and their perceptions of the events.

It will specifically contribute to the film's hypothesis that it is very important that we know this history, remember it, and record it for future generations.

I expect to get imagery that people can relate to; Grandparents, Parents, Siblings, ect.

4. Main Characters

Mr. Wiley (the before, beginning, after) He's the first generation.

Mrs. Jewell (the during, after) She's the second generation.

Various adults and young adults (the after) These are the third and forth generations.

None of the current characters are related.

5. Conflict

The characters will know that they are trying to inform people how close history is to them, and how important it is that they learn about they're relative's experiences from the movement.

Some of the opposition that may come up is "Why is it important that we remember or tell these stories since it's the past and we should move forward." They may not be willing to talk about certain events.

6. My intended audience will be those who experienced the movement, but assume that their children know what it was like; young adults who know little to no history of what their parents or grandparents went through, and believe it's not important; and teens who do not know that their grandparents or parents went through the Civil Rights movement.

I expect my audience to know of the movement, but either have no desire to speak about it or know little about the experiences.

The audience biases will be that the stories are nothing new; questioning why it is important to know their family's stories; surprise that their loved ones directly experienced the movement and that it's a continued fight; and assuming their kids know about the Civil Rights movement.

People will see new truths of the movement because these will not be famous leaders or well known people.

7. To-Camera Interviews

Metaphoric roles will be Past (Before), Present (During), Future (After).

8. Most of the time allocated will be on Mr. Wiley and Mrs. Jewell since they directly experienced the movement; with the younger generation summing up the last part.

There will not parallel story telling unless their are certain events that the characters have experienced directly.

9. The lighting will be natural and indoor lighting.

Camera handling will be stationary so that the focus is on the interviewees.

10. The resolution will establish how important it is to record our relatives experiences. However, it could show how hard it is for them to remember certain events in their life due to age or how traumatic the experiences were.

Self Critique

Rebecca
Group Project 2

The challenge for the unconventional method was matching the movements and smoothing shots together. Some of the shots I would've liked to be shorter, but did not have shots that matched up with previous shots. I know I'll have to rework the last scene. I need to cut faster in certain areas and probably change its sequence.

Lilly Wei: LES is More

Rebecca

Visiting Artist Response

Lilly Wei is a curator and art critic in New York that has an eye for the strange, grotesque and up-and-coming. A subject matter that many up-and-coming artists focus on, but find they are not able to enter the commercialized Chelsea art market. Lilly Wei has found that these artists, along with galleries located in the Chelsea area, are moving to the Lower East Side to open galleries that offer affordable art and take advantage of the cheap real estate. Because these galleries offer affordable art to the average art lover, the LES (Lower East Side) avoids the commercialism of the Chelsea. Of course, Wei makes clear that this is the case at the moment and will most likely change as its popularity grows. When asked if LES will become like Chelsea, she believes that it will not. She acknowledged that LES will change, as transition was "part of New York life," but that it would find its own niche in the art market.

As for her interest as a curator, Lilly Wei does not stick with one subject matter or media. She prefers to stay eclectic in her interest, avoiding academia school of thought. Currently, though, Wei is focusing on video artist; an art form that she sees as becoming more prominent, and deserving a deeper look at. She encouraged artist not to "be married to a specific subject" and to go outside their comfort zone. A statement that, I personally, agree with. Certain subject matter requires the use of media that one may not normally use, and it helps artists expand their subject matter. Wei, also, stated the importance of artist statements. She showed many examples of what the galleries in LES were showing, and many had what the average person would view as strange or borderline pornographic. However, when she read or explained the contents of the artists' statements on their works, the viewer reads the art in a totally different manner. Artist statements are very important, particularly for artist who are showing in conservative areas in the US and around the world.

The presentation seemed rushed and, for many, a bit boring, but it was very informative. Lilly Wei briefly spoke of and mentioned artists that many of us have never heard of. She, also, encouraged us to visit these galleries in LES. By telling us about the new movement of galleries in New York, it gives us an idea of where we may want to show our works.

Video Project

Rebecca
Video Project

I. Civil Rights Movement
    Interviewing Mr. Wiley about what life was like before and during Civil Rights
II. After the Movement
    Interviewing Mrs. Jewell about life as a child during Civil Rights, and life after
III. Future
    Interviewing college age to forty year olds

So often we associate the Civil Rights Movement with people we read about in History books or learn about in school. However, many of us speak to and look at everyday the very people who directly experienced it; our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. We often ignore what's being said or tell them we have no time to listen. And, as we do this, their memories, our history, are slowly being lost.

Self Critique

Rebecca Coleman
Group Project 1

I'm happy with the angles we were able to get in our scenes. The hallway scene is one of my favorites. Timing worked great, and the snatch was unexpectedly smooth. I did have problems with a few cut scenes being to sudden, so I tried to extend them some. I, also, had problems with my flashback not being as smooth as I wanted them. So, one of my group partners suggested that I break up the flashback scene, which, helped with its flow.

The Shining

Stanley Kubrick's The Shining plays a lot with wide shots, angles, and switching to various scenes. Many scenes can be taken from this movie and framed as beautiful, yet eerie, photographs. He seamlessly transitions from the interior to the exterior of the hotel, only disrupting it when the cook returns to check on the family.

Group Coverage Shot 2: Amanda, Brittany, and Rebecca

Group Project 2

Concept: Espionage, part 2. Character A continues to act like she doesn't know Character B is following her.

Logistics: Front of Auditorium doors, hallway, stairwell, hallway near mailroom

Shot 1(Wideshot)
    Character B watches Character A enter and exit scene.
Shot 2(Wideshot)
    Character A walks towards camera while Character B watches her.
Shot 3(Wideshot)
    Character A walks away from camera while Character B watches her
Shot 4(Bustshot)
    Character B's eyes following from camera right to left.
Shot 5(Close Up)
    Character B's face following from camera right to left.
Shot 6(Wideshot)
    Character A walking down hallway from camera. Character B follows after.
Shot 7(Wideshot)
    Character A walking down hallway toward camera. Character B follows.
Shot 8(Low Angle)
    Character A walking up stairs, drops papers. Character B picks it up.
Shot 9(High Angle)
    Character A walks up stairs, drops papers. Character B picks it up, smiling.
Shot 10(Low Angle)
    Character A walks up stairs followed by Character B.
Shot 11(Mediumshot)
    Character B comes through doorway
Shot 12(Mediumshot)
    Character A waits for Character B. Trips Character B.
Shot 11(Mediumshot)
    Character A tripping Character B. Character B falls towards camera.
Shot 12(Wideshot)
    Character B on ground along with file.
Shot 13(Closeup)
    Character A tripping B.
Shot 14(Wideshot)
    Character B on ground. Character A picks up paper.
Shot 15(Wideshot)
    Character A walks off.

Group Coverage Shot: Amanda, Brittany, and Rebecca

Group Project 1

Concept: Espionage. One character tries to steal important papers from another character; only to be pick-pocketed.

Logistic: Library, hallway, and classroom

Shot 1(Wide shot)
    Character A sitting reading paper.
    Character B eases in scene from corner.
Shot 1.2(Close Up)
    Character A reading paper
Shot 2 (Medium Shot or bust Shot)
    Character B peeking around corner.
Shot 3(Insert)
    Important paper on table.
Shot 4(Close up)
    Character B's  smirking.
Shot 5(OTS)
    See Character B over Character A's reading.
Shot 6(Wide shot)
    Character A looks at watch then gets up and walks away.
Shot 6.2(Close Up)
    Character A looking at watch.
Shot 7(Wide shot)
    Character B rushes and grabs paper, looks around, runs off screen.
Shot 7.2(Close Up)
    Character B grabbing paper.
Shot 8(Close Up)
    Character B putting paper in purse.
Shot 9(Bust shot)
    Character B in different area. Searches for paper in purse. Worried look.
Shot 10(Close up)
    Character B realizes something.
Shot 11(2 shot)
    Character B walking to right camera, passing Character A.
Shot 12(2 shot)
    Character A walking to left camera, brushing against Character B, smiling.
Shot 13(Medium shot)
    Character B smacks head and shakes it and leaves room.

Crit-a-Crit

Rebecca
Project 1: Sense of Place

Major suggestions were:
More cut scenes, car scene too long, needs more, "what happens" at the ending.

I agree that the car scene was too long and there needed to be more cut scenes to establish a pattern. I disagree with giving the audience a closed ending since "Sense of Place" is an unresolved situation for me.

After studying the critiques I learned alot can be said in how and what's filmed. And, that I have to pay close attention to how long my scenes are.

Sense of Place from Hoticer on Vimeo.

Self-Critique

The car scene came out better than expected. But the corridor scene at the end felt too rushed. I should add a third scene before going straight to the door, and, possibly, a scene after the door (either blankness or back to the car scene).

Sense of Place

Untitled from Hoticer on Vimeo.

Sense of place is an ever-changing emotion. It can be the same, unchanging place for years. Yet, circumstances and life events can cause one to loose their sense of place or rethink their idea of what it is for them. For me, sense of place constantly changes; never allowing me to become too comfortable with what I thought was my place in society. More than I wish to be, I am left in limbo, watching others succeed with where they fit in society while I continue to struggle.