There was a lot of really great ideas that our class thought of and I thought it was particularly interesting that there was a lot of overlap between the ideas. My idea, “Easton–To Infinity and Beyond” is almost identical to “On the Rise” and a “Marketable Modernization”, but just coming from all different angles. I found it interesting that the title “Marketable Modernization” immediately put a positive spin on the rise in new industries/businesses in Easton, whereas I felt that “On the Rise” and my title had more of a cautionary feeling associated with it. This is important to note because I think it brings up the question of which angle or bias we should come at the subject with. Do we place the idea of gentrification in viewers’ minds right away, or leave it open to interpretation and refer to it as “modernization”?
A few other topics surrounding food deserts and food scarcity (“Urban Desert”, “The Loss we Gain”, and “Reconnecting with Our Food”) could also be interwoven with these ideas of gentrification since a lot of the new businesses that come in to Easton have done nothing to change the fact that it is a food desert since they are so expensive and less accessible to the average person.
For me, the most important part about filming a documentary is to choose a topic that myself and the other students are equally passionate about. I hope to connect with new people whom all have a variety of different strengths so that we can work together to really create and pursue an engaging story!