Documentary storytelling was never in my mind growing up, thinking about what I wanted to do later in life. To be honest, doing art was never in my plans until now, and I feel that I am honored that this has came upon me and from reading about Kirsten Johnson I can tell that she is honored to be apart the documentary scene.
Within the Kirsten Johnson’s piece, I was greatly touched by the very first sentence that was on the page, “The joys of being a documentary cameraperson are endless and obvious”. This quote resonates with me because I can relate to her despite the fact that I have not more than a year experience of being a true documentarian. I feel like this goes less with everything artistic: music, photography, filmmaking, etc. Another quote that stood out to me the most was moment she talked about her troubles. It states: “I ask for trust, corporation, and permission without knowing where the filming experience will lead the project”. This shows and proves that coincidence isn’t a coincidence, things happen for a reason and when it comes to filming, we should let things be even when it wasn’t meant to happen because art is bound to happen one way or another. This whole piece just goes to show how open minded Kirsten Johnson is, her vulnerability has allowed her to be the uniquely driven person that she is, something that I admire about her.
I really like what you have said here about the unexpected twists and turns of filmmaking. From what we have learned so far this semester, it is obvious that no project ever seems to go exactly as planned, which usually ends up for the better! I agree that while it is necessary to have some form of a plan, topic, and vague outline of what you want in your project, it is essential to always be open to the possibilities and changes along the way.