I appreciated several of the topics Brooke Gladstone brought up in her talk last week. Beginning with the discussion of the event in Las Vegas the previous day was important, especially because of Gladstone’s extensive experience as a journalist. This was exemplary of how adaptive those in the media world must be in order to stay on top of stories.

I liked that Gladstone spoke about reliability of news sources as well. In today’s world it is imperative that we understand the sources and credibility of the constant news we are receiving. She emphasized the importance of taking the time to find these credible sources as well as having multiple sources, so that you can view situations from different sides and try to understand opposing views. Her advice to sometimes put down the phone or shut the laptop was also interesting – In a world where we can literally live through our phones, it’s important to remember to connect with our immediate world and take in where we are.

“To tell outstanding stories from the real world, you will need a ferment of ideas about life and living, the courage to go where angels fear to tread, and most of all, personal and inventive ways of using the medium. Do this well, and you will catch people’s attention and make them wonder, laugh, become spellbound, or even weep. Your reward is to move hearts and minds—and maybe change the world a little. Filmmaking is a beautiful and involving art form, one that synthesizes practically every other art form invented, and that makes learning a lifelong adventure. Most significantly, making documentary means you are learning about yourself, and becoming a fuller human being.”

Excerpt From: Rabiger, Michael. “Directing the Documentary.”

This quote from Michael Rabiger’s Directing the Documentary resounded with me, as it nicely captures what it is and what it means to be a documentarian and filmmaker. Filmmakers are not working in self-interest, but rather in the interest of others, hoping to tell important stories, spread messages, and evoke emotions. It is more than just shooting and editing for a final product. It is a process through which we get to better understand ourselves and out world. It is important that we have a clear understanding of our surroundings us so that we can properly tell stories and capture the attention of viewers.

I love the line that filmmaking “makes learning a lifetime adventure.” There are an overwhelming amount of places to explore and stories to be told, so, as a filmmaker, there is no such thing as reaching a limit in terms of learning. I am someone who loves the idea of never settling and continuing to learn as I go, so this short passage definitely resonated with me and reaffirmed my goal to pursue a job in the future in the media involving filmmaking or production.

The style of KJ’s “The Above” is contradictory to her film “Cameraperson” in terms of style, sound, and movement. There were several still shots, done purposely, and a significantly minimal amount of dialogue, with several shots done in silence.

The only dialogue included in the film was the necessary dialogue – such as the man speaking about God – whereas the dialogue and sounds in “Cameraperson” carried the film, giving it life and evoking emotion.

The lack of sound in this film is meant to make a statement. It elicits an uneasy response, as we view different shots and angles of this mysterious figure in the sky that people are conscious of, yet do not seem to question. Watching this twice helped to reveal the message even more, as I did not even see the blimp in some of the shots in the first viewing. With her shots of the blimp in different areas in front of different places, Johnson eludes to the idea that blimp is “all-knowing” and everywhere.

We are not left with any closure at the end of this film, and I think that is done on purpose as well. Johnson wants the viewers to be left feeling uneasy and thinking about this figure in the sky and its potential capabilities and impacts.

As I finally sit down to write the response I have been thinking about since walking out of class Monday night, I am realizing how hard it is to put into words the feelings I experienced both while watching Kirsten Johnson’s film and listening to her speak. I was entirely moved by Kirsten’s film that was able to capture the attention of so many around the world, along with her natural ability to captivate a room as she did after the screening.

On a technical film level, from sound, to lighting, to clips capturing the emotions of those Kirsten was interviewing, the film was absolutely incredible. There was not a second I wanted to look away, as I was entirely intrigued and almost never wanted it to end. The sounds she was able to capture and manipulate to evoke certain emotions at certain times was astounding. There were so many moving parts that came together, yet they did not disrupt the flow of the film.

On a meaningful level, I was moved by how much Kirsten’s film personally impacted me. Sometimes it is important to reflect on how small we truly are, and how our problems are so incredibly insignificant compared to what the rest of the world faces on a daily basis. There are people who can find things to complain about almost everyday, and yet those two women shopping at that tree with their man-made axes were smiling and laughing, and that nurse had to maintain her calmness and optimism as she delivered a baby in conditions many of us could not imagine. As we were all watching, there was a sense of mutual emotion felt with every scene, and I think that is one of the most difficult aspects of filmmaking – keeping your audience both engaged and on the same emotional level.

Kirsten Johnson as a person embodies all that it takes to be a documentarian, let alone an incredible human. Her ability to connect with the people and places she films is evident throughout her work, and her eagerness to then tell their stories is what makes her so unique and her work so meaningful.

After seeing everyone’s Instagram stories and creating more of an image in my head of what I wanted to show using Bernard’s text, I decided to film some things I did around campus today and throw it together on iMovie. The Farmers Market is always a huge hit in our campus square every Thursday, so I took one lap around it just filming the people and different booths and tents set up. I also incorporated my walks to class, the library, and my quick stop in the dining hall. I broke up my lap around the market with the inserts of these clips, and I’m happy with how it turned out. It wa a nice project to do on such a beautiful day. Enjoy!

“I traffic in hope without the ability to know what will happen in the future.”

This line most definitely struck a cord with me. It forced me to truly consider the power of documentaries, and how so many have the potential to promote change through raising awareness; however, regardless of the how influential and captivating the statement of the documentary may be, it is unknown whether or not hope will prevail and change will occur.

The goal of many documentary makers is to bring to light topics or issues that many are unaware of, and thus to evoke a response from the viewers. There are some that emanate feelings of hope, leaving viewers with the belief that there will be progression made in the situation, while others end with no real “answer.” For this reason, this line resonated with me; it made me reflect on the fact that while we sit behind a computer screen or television in the comfort of our homes watching these films and experiencing emotional responses, these are all just moments of real stories with real people who often cannot escape their immediate situations. The most that documentarians can do is tell their story and hope to ignite change and promote action on the behalf of their subjects. As viewers, it is our duty to take the ideas and challenges presented to us and take action to advocate for change.

Several of the ideas discussed for potential documentaries have intrigued me and provoked thought about which topics would be best to explore – especially those specific to the Lehigh Valley. Two of the themes that seem to be prevalent throughout these ideas list we were given were the food industries within the Lehigh Valley and the life and culture that exist in the valley. If we were to explore the topic of food, I’d be interested in “Urban Desert” and “The Loss We Can Gain,” both dealing with food scarcity and food waste in our communities. The two stories ideas that caught my eye regarding life and culture in the valley were “The Arts Valley” and “Life in the Valley.” Doing a version of these stories or combining them into one would be an exciting documentary to make, especially because there are so many hidden parts about Lehigh Valley’s culture that should be brought to light.

I believe that giving viewers a broad look at where the story they are about to be told is taking place sets the tone for the entire documentary or film, helping to engage and capture their attention. “Exposition is the information that grounds you in a story: who, what, where, when, and why,” says Bernard in “Documentary Storytelling.” She goes on to state, “The opening sequence contains the DNA of the entire film to come.” It gives insight as to where the film will be headed and what it may be about. For this reason, I chose to do a span of some of the Lehigh Valley from the roof of our parking garage on campus. If I were doing a film on the Lehigh Valley I think this could serve as a good opening, as it captures the broadness of the setting and shows directly where this story is taking place before we zoom in on individual people and their individual stories.

If I were to do a story in the Lehigh Valley, I think I would like to explore the social divide that exists within South Bethlehem. We have a middle school directly next to our campus with many students who come from low-income housing and difficult home lives. Last year, I did a tutoring program there and my eyes were opened to how many of these kids live and how vastly different their worlds are from the students right next door at Lehigh. Many of them opened up to me about themselves, their families, and some of their struggles. It impacted me greatly and I’m sure others would be affected as well after hearing their stories. I would like to maybe do a documentary comparing students from Broughal Middle School and Lehigh U, or even just the students at Broughal. I think it would be an interesting and eye-opening topic to explore.

lehigh valley

I am normally someone who likes to plan, take time, think, and outline whatever it is I’m about to tackle. For this reason, last week’s class was good for me in terms of being thrown out of my comfort zone and having to quickly think and act in a group of people I had never met. I liked the task we were given, including having the short time constraint that made the groups quickly bond, brainstorm, shoot, and edit. Although I have taken one class on documentary and podcast making, I still consider myself inexperienced behind the camera, so Monday’s class helped to refresh my memory while also teaching me certain things I hadn’t learned. Aside from this I was also able to learn about some of my classmates and get insights about themselves, their schools, and their future goals. Overall, I enjoyed this assignment and although we had some technical difficulties, I was happy with the end product and hope we can continue to learn and improve on the next task.

The framing assignment gave me time to reflect on the world around me while silencing out the everyday noises that usually surround me. The technique of using a small frame to box out and zone in on the small workings of the world around me helped me to take in the detail of my surroundings and recall the simplicities in this complex world. I used the frame on a path that I normally run on, and it allowed me to take in things I normally pass right by without having a chance to truly take in. It was especially different without headphones in— I took note of people interacting with one another, what they were wearing, and where they were going. It made me feel both at peace and more connected to the place I see so frequently, as well as enlightened knowing that there is so much more to what we think we see everyday.