Can you guess where?
My finished video!!!
DONE!
Well I did it!
After many long nights in the basement of Braker hall in the windowless computer lab (with the new friends I made) editing my butt off, pushing through the “writer’s” block and forcing out creativity, I pulled through with a video I am very proud of! Tuesday was my defense, and I got overwhelmingly good feedback of the video, and received an A- for the project in total. (I was expecting higher, but I guess I did struggle with deadlines.)
And, today was the CMS poster session and ceremony, where I displayed my video and work and received my certificate of completion. (I didn’t win any awards, but my film was the very first thing mentioned in the opening speech by the program director, Julie Dobrow).
Brief Reflection: This has been a long journey, full of ups and downs. Although many times I regretted ever taking on this project, I am grateful I completed it. I feel accomplished and proud of the work I produced and look forward to sharing it with my friends, family, and anyone who wants to see it.
Julie, Bessie, and Me. After this long (but actually not that long) process, they have been amazingly supportive and nurturing beyond the scopes of this project. It is so nice to meet genuinely good people.
Slow Moving Creative Juices & Delicious food
The last two weeks I have spent many long night in Braker Hall where I have been trying to force my creativity. Normally, the narative and story come to me as I review the footage and edit. In those cases I am very efficient. This time, however, the creative juice are moving slowly.
Last weekend, I got my last shots of the different dishes when I went to Villa Mexico Cafe with my parents and ordered one of everything on the menu. Que rico, is all i can say.
Last week I succeeded in narrowing down the interview footage and creating a narrative. This week I am tweaking that storyline, while adding b-roll and music.
My filmmaker reader has been extremely helpful in this process. He recommended that instead of fretting I be instinctual in choosing footage, and through, essentially, trusting my creative intuition. I attempted to do this last night and was very successful. I think it is the pressures of time that is catching me up on being productive and achieving my goals of finishing a piece I can be proud of.
“I think I can, I think I can I think I can….”
It feels like a month has gone by since my last post (actually it has only been a week and a half). Since this blog is serving as the production log of my senior project I will refrain from the storytelling this time, and just list out what has happened over the last week.
- Attended the National Conference for Media Reform last weekend. It was amazing; I learned so much and became re-inspired to pursue my dreams of working with socially conscious media. I am thinking of writing a reflection of my experience as part of the senior project.
- Got an amazing interview with Julie King. As always, she was so warm, open, and willing to share her life story with me (I had to leave the conference early on Friday to record the interview, it was a very crazy day, as you can imagine).
- Finished the first draft of my written component (problem statement, project significance, and literature review) and turned it in to my first reader (who said it was “fab!”)
- Met with my filmmaker reader, who gave me some wonderful and encouraging advice.
- Throughout the week I worked in the Braker computer lab, editing my butt off. It was very overwhelming though (not to mention I had a full load of classes to attend, an exam to take and study for, and I was rejected from the fellowship I had wanted so bad). Between the amount of content I got from Julie and Bessi, I have been having an extremely hard time creating my narrative and “flow” of the documentary. This has been the main “block in the road” for me. Usually, through reviewing the footage and editing the narrative comes to me; however, this time I just feel like a writer with writer’s block. Nevertheless, I have been slaving hours at the computer, just trying to break down the interview footage into smaller “stories.”
Today, I am on Amtrak returning to Boston from visiting family and celebrating Passover in New Haven. A draft of my entire project is due today before 5PM, and I am still reviewing footage and trying to create a kind of script to present to the CMS department and my readers. As usual I am chugging a long like the little engine… “I think I can, I think I can I think I can….” Despite obstacles, creative-process blockages, deadlines, etc., I am determined more than ever to create an amazing work.
First Interview!
I got my first interview Tuesday! It took forever but I got it! And it went really well. The interview was with Bessi, Julie’s daughter (also the general manager of Villa Mexico Café). She really spoke from her heart, and was very open and so personable.
…Only problem was I had audio problems. (I know, this production log is really starting to become the trials, tribulations, and mishaps of Ariana blog.) What happened was, the camera I borrowed from school did not have the proper audio jack for my microphone. Because it had taken me so long to secure this interview, and because I had just rushed downtown after a full day of work+classes, I decided to go ahead with it anyways. So, I recorded the interview using that camera’s internal mic and the flip cam’s internal mic (uggg, internal mics are awful L )
On my way home on the T, weighed down with all the production equipment, enchilada in hand, I was feeling exhausted and sort of bittersweet. Yes, I had just recorded an amazing interview, but the footage may not be usable. Had I been in a quiet studio, perhaps I would have worked with the lesser quality audio. However, the interview took place right there in the tiny mini mart (and I am not exaggerating in size). I was positioned probably several feet from the door, and Bessi was seated a few feet in front of me with her back to the Villa Mexico counter. The mini mart was still open, so customers (really of all walks of life) were flowing in and out, the cashier was cha-changging away printing out receipts and lotto tickets, and young women would walk in blabbing on their cell phones. There were moments of quiet, but there was always the persistent and annoying hum of a mini mart (probably from the beverage refrigerators that lined the shop). Nevertheless, I tried to keep my sprits somewhat high; it had been a long day and I was near ready to pass-out and sleep until the next afternoon.
At home I got up the courage to review the footage. It was exactly what I had expected: an amazing interview stifled by all sorts of distracting noises. I hope maybe with technology I can minimize the “background” noises and/or use a soundtrack to cover up some of it. Otherwise, maybe I can re-interview Bessi (she is very sweet, and because she has a Masters in Journalism from Columbia, she understands the technical problems that can arise and would probably be willing to do the repeat interview). My biggest concern is she will not say those same amazing (and candid) things about the business, her life experience, and her adoration for her mother.
Well, next interview is Friday with Julie. Fingers crossed it happens because I need to have my first cut by this coming Monday (with a draft of the accompanying written component). Go team!
The Tufts’ Women’s Studies Forum
Frantically and nervously I compiled a presentation (including some footage) to present at the Tufts University Women’s Studies Beyond the Classroom Forum yesterday, April 1. It went incredibly well, despite the audio not functioning at the location. I recounted Julie’s story of how she began her restaurant and it’s move to the mini mart, as well as explained my goals to use her personal narrative to tell the larger story of family, community, women, culture, and food as an agent of the three.
The process of preparing and presenting my work in process actually helped me alot to better understand what I am doing, what I want to accomplish, and why I am doing it. Furthermore, the questions and comments from the audience after I spoke gave me more motivation to continue this process (despite the stresses from being a full-time student and senior, a writing tutor, and the stress from not being able to contact Julie to arrange our main interview!!!). The audience also gave me some new ideas that I hope to utilize as I proceed.
From my presentation:
Over the last couple of months I have gotten to know Julie and her daughter Bessi, and have discovered a story of resilience, of women, of family, and of heritage. …
The quirky mini mart story I had hoped for has actually become a more meaningful and poignant story that really pay tribute not only to Julie but also the general human experience and importance of food.
I am a senior a Tufts University majoring International Relations and minoring in Communications and Media Studies. This blog will serve as my production/creative log, following my successes, failures, trials and tribulations as I create my senior project.