Thanks for sharing your project guys I really appreciated it.The beginning and end sequences for your video were very strong. My favorite shot from your b-roll was the one with the mother handing the plant to what I assume was her kid. The shot sums up nicely what your message is. Some of the shots were a little shaky at the farm so make sure to guard against that going forward. As I said earlier, the symbolism of the adults passing on their knowledge of sustainable living to the next generation works nicely throughout your video. The soundtrack you included also added to the theme of hopefulness in your video. Great job guys I’m excited to see your finished project.

Kim Snyder’s Newtown film is powerful. In today’s day and age where mass shootings have become the norm it has become easy for us to forget the individual stories of the people affected by the tragedies. Newtown gives a voice to a community that more often than not isn’t given the chance to speak for themselves. Snyder uses creative discretion to empower the citizens of Newtown through her film.  Throughout the documentary she deliberately left out the name and image of the shooter. I appreciated her decision so much because like her entire film it was a departure from much of the narrative surrounding mass shooting s in America. Everything from the way Snyder approached families to be in her film to the way she framed the discussion around the tragedy in her documentary did work to mend the wounds of the Newtown community.

The screening of Newtown and the discussion that followed were especially important in light of the events in Texas. In the film a physician from the Newtown area presented the phenomena of American mass shootings as a public health crisis we need to approach these events as such rather than as isolated events. Snyder’s film is so important in today’s day and age, and provides an example of what good documentary work should do.

I really enjoyed this film  , it was very emotional  and very interesting.  There was one part that stood out to me where the medical examiner said that every body ranged from haveing 3-11 bullets. There was then a part explaining how one of the teachers who was killed wounds had shown that she was lunging towards the unstable killer, trying to save the kids and the school.  It was at this point where I realized how under appreciated school teachers , mentors , administrators and staff are. I thought that this spoke volumes to the role that these people have and shaping of our society.  I was really impressed with the blending of homeshots and shots made for the film.  I think it made the film have a more sentimental value.  It did a great job of making a looked over tragedy be recognized.  Great film !

In light of the recent shooting in Texas, I think Snyder’s film was especially poignant. I like how each speaker we’ve hosted, though their material is vastly different, share one distinct filmic struggle, which is the ethical dilemma that documentary film evokes. It was especially important that Snyder brought up the difference between independent filmmakers and non-independent filmmakers, and the leeway a filmmaker gets when they are independent versus when they are not. Snyder brought up an interesting anecdote that applies to this ethical dilemma: she told us about how she filmed one of the fathers of the deceased at the cemetery, paying his respects. Later, when he talked it over with his wife, they came to the conclusion that they didn’t want the footage to be shown, so Snyder, being the empathetic filmmaker that she is, told them that no one would ever see it. Snyder went on to explain that if she had been working for a big company like Sony or something, she would never have been able to make that decision independently to scrap the footage from the film, because it wouldn’t have been her decision to make. This goes along with the ethics of filmmaking dilemma, and it was something that really stuck out to me during the discussion. It is a perfect anecdote that shows that Synder was trying to maintain a healthy relationship with the families in Newtown and do their story the justice it deserves.

I had no idea the emotional impact that a documentary could have on me until I watched Newtown. I was blown away by the specific decisions that Kim Snyder made, most especially by never referring to the shooter by name and by having no violent scenes shown on screen. I think that being able to see the expressions on the faces of the family members was so powerful and I really value her decision to not introduce voyeurism into the film. In other words, it was important not to show the violence or photos of the children’s bodies because it calls into question the ethics behind receiving entertainment (including fear or disgust) at the expense of this real tragedy involving real families.

I really appreciated her choice to use black screens following individual interviews with parents because it provided this dramatic context in which the pain and anguish and confusion of the family members was aptly symbolized. A good piece of art is one that makes you think about it long after, and this documentary made me start to research and have more conversation surrounding the gun laws of America. I engaged in conversation with some peers who have opposing views (I am very anti-guns and for stricter gun control) and I am thankful that this documentary influenced me to do this. I think watching this documentary this past week, especially right after Texas shooting helped to re-introduce the realness of a mass shooting. We hear so much about shootings in the news, that as a human, we start to sensationalize it as this phenomenon that happens often. We hear about a shooting but we do not emotionally feel the impact of it because we are becoming desensitized to it. I wish that everyone could have the opportunity to watch this documentary to really get a first hand look at the after-effects of a mass shooting and how it truly affects everyone.

Great filmography. All of your shots are smooth and artfully constructed. This is a difficult subject to tackle with imagery, and we appreciate that you found ways of communicating the emotion of the opioid crisis with shots of the lehigh river for exposition and the ambulance. We love the focusing shots, and the placement and symbolism of the rope over water and the quote on the stone wall. It’s like what Kim Snyder spoke to us about last night when she said sometimes the absence of graphic depictions of horrible things can make the mental image more powerful. She extended that as far as facial expressions in Newtown. However, we do think some shots more relevant to the story should maybe be shown earlier on, so that the viewers understand earlier; you could maybe get more b-roll of health clinics and hospitals if the releases work out? We feel as though b-roll will be easier for you once you have your interviews as well. Then you can tailor the graphics and imagery to what people are willing to share with you. The music you used underneath your footage was powerful as well.

-Devin, Anna, Emily

The background music that was used for the b-roll was really good, but ended abruptly. I wished that it could’ve ended in a much better way. The b-roll was not as diverse, meaning that there wasn’t a lot of variations in the shots, (i.e. there wasn’t of things that was within the b-roll that explained what the film could have been).  Also, I really enjoyed the quality of the shots and the lack of shakiness that the shots generated, which in results allows the viewer to focus on the film at hand.

Nely: Overall, I thought the b-roll footages served well in capturing the story of Center City Thrift. The soundtrack was a nice choice because it wasn’t distracting to focus on the images. I felt as though, it work in conjunction with the images; thus creating a welcoming vibe, which went with the welcoming space of the thrift store. There were great shots of the city and its people. The shots in which there were people using their phones and looking to connect to wifi was very telling of what the film is about. Furthermore, the shot where the mission of the store and what it offers was great because it informs the viewers about the significance of the store. However, I would have liked to see some shots of the inside of the store so that I could see its environment. Some questions to consider about the b-roll footages are: (1) what purpose does the shots of the Art Walk serve in telling the story of Center City Thrift? (2) There was shot of a building that was numbered “626” and there was a cut to a different building numbered “628,” so which building number is the thrift store housed?

Tracey: good footage, likes how it covers allentown and the people. Wish it was more b-roll of the actual store and what else it includes. Sometimes the shots would focus on streets and i was unsure if this was a highlight that this wifi covers more than one central location or what it was supposed to indicate. There were a lot of strong shots indicating that its allentown and shots showing the story is about people and technology (b-roll of people on phones) i found those to be the most helpful in terms of what the story is trying to tell. Not really sure about the role of the mural b roll images and how they tie into the wifi agenda story you all are trying to tell. Overall i think you all have good B-roll. I think if you are able to take more footage inside of the store (because it seems as though it was taken outside through the window) and have an equal b roll footage of the neighborhood of allentown as well as the shop itself, it would be perfect footage for your story.

Ricky: From what I managed to put together, the b- roll is beneficial to the development of the film. I am very interested in seeing how it will turn out and seeing the effects of the thrift store on the Lehigh Valley area. I wonder if the thrift store is popular in the community and what unique things it has inside. Thrift stores hold a great value in the collection of parts of people’s lives. I think it is hard to tell a story with b- roll, however I am confident that you all have the potential to use the b- roll in a way that is efficient to relating the story of the documentary. It would be interesting to see the types of things people sale or donate. I think a few stories of where people got the item that is being donated or how long they had it would be beneficial to highlighting the history and treasures that every thrift store holds.

During the discussion after the viewing of Newtown, Kim shared with us a moment in which Mr. Wheeler, while they were in the car, said out of nowhere to her if she would like to film him going to see his son’s grave. I appreciated the careful concern that Kim had for her subjects in terms of how she allowed them to have the agency in what she wants them to film. Kim mentioned how she captured great footage of the gravesite, but that a couple months later Mrs. Wheeler didn’t want that footage to be in the film; therefore, Kim had to scrap it. She referred to this moment as the “bus stops here,” meaning that the footages that one captures of their subjects must meet the ethical standards so as to do justice to them. This made me think about my group’s documentary and the potential bus stop that we may not cross because of the scenes we’re going to film of children. Will their parents be okay with it? If some parents give us permission to film their child in the art classes at the Banana Art Factory and some don’t, but during filming we happen to capture their child, how do we navigate that? Kim was able to build trust with her subjects because she immersed herself with the families and therefore had opportunities to film disturbing, traumatic, and difficult shots; however, with the time we have to produce our documentary it’s not enough to build a strong relationship and trust, especially with parents of the children.

I think overall, your b-roll footage is strong and is a good start for continuing the project. I like how the story sort of comes full circle because you use the same type of shot (of the little girl) at the beginning and end of the video. The most interesting shot you all have is the very first one that frames the plants diagonally across the screen. I watched the video a few times, but it wasn’t clear at first that the story is mainly about food waste. This became more clear when I rewatched and saw the shot of the college students getting food and then the shots of them throwing it away. I think simply reorganizing could make this a little more effective (starting with actual food waste then transitioning into footage from the food waste workshop at Lafayette. Once re-organized, I think the transitions in b-roll will be more smooth.