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