Author: YASMEEN PERSAUD
ALS — A Lasting Struggle (Short Doc Final)
Winston P. Persaud lost his life to an advanced form of ALS which contained symptoms of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. This short film explores his son’s perspective as a caretaker and grieving family member.
Audio assignment
Audio Assignment
By Yasmeen Persaud
Video info — Enjoyed practicing with this assignment. My dad describes working in a pharmacy after enduring a long shift and preparing the store for next day’s frenzy of customers amid the COVID—19 outbreak.
Notes on practice — I feel as if the merged audio could have been better, and I would like to know how to eliminate the background noise if possible. My audio on the camera itself was okay, but with the iPhone mic (using the QuickVoice App) I think I achieved better sound quality.
Netflix documentary analysis and documentary pitch
Yasmeen Persaud
Extremis — Netflix Documentary
This documentary took viewers into the lives of doctors, loved ones, patients and extended beyond a typical Netflix dish. Usually, I expect medical-oriented shows on Netflix served with comedy and drama, but this Netflix documentary went beyond that by showing viewers the seriousness and sadness of the ICU. The opening shot of the documentary contained hospital machine monitor noises, acting as a curtain reveal to the main plot of the show — doctors, loved ones and patients all suffering with hopes to make an ethical decision about death. Because of the way the documentary was crafted, the theme of the documentary was symbolic and showed a scary scenario about doctors and patients choosing to pull the plug on loved ones who didn’t have a clear case of surviving. To illustrate this theme, the filmmaker used shaky shots to make it seem as if the viewer was there. This was not on the set of Grey’s Anatomy or Private Practice, and the shots had to reveal that this was real life and not a medical drama that somewhat showed a happy ending. This documentary revealed the brutal aspects of life and death in the ICU and the harsh time of letting go when it’s time. I loved how there were close-up shots on hospital monitors and a slightly blurred image of the heart monitors to showcase that life was about to be cut short. Even though this documentary was 24 minutes long, the pacing of the film felt drawn out despite quick shots that focused on different patients and their families. The duration and impact of the shots were beautiful because it depicted emotion and aggression from loved ones reacting to the reality of letting their loved one go. When Dr. Zitter was trying to explain to the daughter of Selena that her mother was going to die, there was a sit down scene between the both of them and many close up shots on Dr. Zitter trying to explain that it would be logical to understand that Selena’s choice to die needed to be respected. However, the daughter and the uncles were convinced of the power of miracles. This concept was further illustrated when the filmmaker took shots of the family praying to God over Selena, wishing for her to get better. I was surprised that the filmmaker was able to be allowed access to the ICU and shots of each of the ICU patients and their family members. This was separated well, in plain black scenes and simple texts about each patient’s story, but required effort and time, because each shot had to be filmed as families were deciding whether or not to make the last decision to let their loved one pass away. I applaud the filmmaker for making such a thematic, raw and grim film because it shows the difficulties in life. I think that most medical shows downplay the seriousness of losing someone in the ICU, and comedy or drama usually acts as leverage to save the sad parts of the show. In the beginning of the documentary, one of the doctors is blunt and states that at some point we all die. This documentary proves that real life is detrimental and that everyone has a story that ends in death.
Documentary story pitch
I have two pitch ideas so I will be separating them below —
Pitch 1: Life after ALS and Alzheimer’s Disease — The caretaker’s perspective (Inspired by the NBC News Documentary with the son and his mother dealing with Alzheimer’s)
My grandfather died in Dec. 2018 from ALS and Alzheimer’s Disease. ALS slowed his cognitive functioning down, and my parents and I dealt with this for years before he finally passed away. I have seen him at his best and at his worst, and the NBC News Documentary tracked life with Alzheimer’s disease as a caretaker, why not examine life with ALS and Alzheimer’s disease after? My father was extremely close to my grandfather and would be the main subject I would focus on. The B-roll would show pictures from photo albums and memorabilia that I have from my grandfather. One cool shot I want to incorporate is the pens my grandmother gave me after he died. My grandfather was a professor of English back in his home country and also a writer, and all of his pens were passed down to me because my grandma knew that he inspired me to also be a writer. I also have footage and home videos of him that can craft this into a really telling story.
Pitch 2: My daily routine — Before and after the COVID—19 virus
This documentary will contrast two ideas and show a side by side comparison through daily routines. How is someone’s life different after the virus? I wanted to interview my cousin and how her life has changed. Some shots will include her online classes vs. her preparing to go to class, her getting ready to make breakfast for college vs. waking up late and having a more disoriented plan for the day. Another plan I have is an examination on the lives of my parents during this time. Both of my parents work for a major retailer and pharmacy and their daily routine will be entirely different, seeing that they are dealing with customers panicking, which could make them panicked as well.
Precision in makeup — a visual poem project
Alternate Assignment
Yasmeen Persaud
The Woodhaven Business Improvement District and Woodhaven Block Association
From the outside, a BID seems to only contribute to recognizing local businesses but on the inside, the BID plans, organizes and executes initiatives that helps these local businesses shine. The Woodhaven BID organizes events to show communities the importance of buying from local businesses. They care about the minorities within the neighborhood and look for ways to bring the community together. For holiday events, while Rockefeller center hosted their own Christmas tree lighting, the Woodhaven BID hosted their own local version. Through learning about the BID, I also spoke to community members and understood how different residents fought for what they cared about the most.
In 2016, The Woodhaven Block Association protested against the implementation of the Q52 and Q53 Select Bus Service. This protest and frustration continued for many years — members were annoyed that the DOT and MTA failed to listen to their concerns. After speaking to some members, and even community residents, I realized how much activism was present. Members from this association wanted to fight for change.
Visual Poem Pitch
Visual Poem Pitch
Yasmeen Persaud
The world of makeup is forever changing. Around 2015, makeup saw its launch into the world of social media and beauty influencer branding, where the simple stroke of eyeliner on the lid became a million dollar look for the next celebrity to flaunt at an awards show. BuzzFeed Video usually tracks makeup’s evolution through history, but I find that something is needed to track makeup’s influence from a small perspective. Instead of looking global, look local. My visual poem will aim to understand the impact of makeup across different generations of women. The inspiration for this poem stemmed from the creative visuals showcased in one of the projects from last year, where the colors of the wall changed as the colors of the person’s outfit changed. I find that each generation’s idea of makeup will vary across a wide spectrum, involving color and routine. Additionally, a poem in the background will supplement the feelings and emotions that each woman experiences, because everyone’s experience and sentiments toward makeup application and routine will be different.
Boots Betrayal
Favorite Vimeo Video
This video describes all of NYC in 2 short minutes, making it my favorite video on Vimeo. The appealing visuals and use of storytelling by interviewees made this video extremely special. A place as unique as NYC was recognized through unique people. The creative efforts by the team who made this video was logical and concise — the team went around asking New Yorkers to sum up their favorite thing about New York in three words, and viewers can clearly see that each person liked something completely different. To add a poetic summation to the video, the team decided to end the video with three words that sum up what NYC has to offer — something for everyone.