Advanced Video Journalism

The idea I am pitching for my 10-15 min short documentary is a narrative on my father’s life as a Syrian American immigrant living in New York City. My father immigrated to the States when he was a teenager, about 18 years old. I feel like I have a lot of themes to work with when it comes to retelling his story by capturing his past and his present. I enjoyed my classmate’s reactions when they saw my ten-shot sequence video on him. One student mentioned that they wanted to keep watching and see where he was going. I also think my father is the best candidate to be my central character because of my access to him, especially since I am limited in travel and people willing to work on a project this long. 

The plan I have for what I intend to shoot and the kinds of scenes/imagery I want to come back with are ones that take the audience along with him as he goes on about his life, especially going to work and capturing the essence of his hustle. Images that convey the stress and pressure he feels to pay the bills and keep his family of five afloat. I want to shoot details that bring a sense of intimacy between him and the audience, and I want to attempt to form a relationship that will allow them to keep watching.

Ideas I have for a narrative arc that the story might take is trying to get into my father’s mind to understand his infamous anger issues. I want to understand why he reacts in the way he does. I hope to do this by capturing raw and candid moments of his temper, a result of the stressors of his daily life. Another arc I would like to take is exploring his family life since he recently remarried after a decade of divorce and now has two sons alongside my sister and me.

I think I will be okay with the timeframe I have since I live with my father and could accompany him wherever he goes if it fits the narrative I am telling. What is likely to happen within the window I have is progress with his work, family, days, and general life. I also think that if I incorporate scenes talking about and exploring his past along with his present then I will have enough content to fill a10-15 minute doc. I believe I can meet this goal if I rely on interviews, lingering details, and archival footage. 

I want my mini doc to center around a Harlem based artist from the Calabar Gallery. I want an artist specifically from this gallery because the gallery showcases contemporary African artists and African diaspora artists globally. It would be great to capture one of these artists who are often underrepresented in their zone creating Black art. I have spoken to a woman at the Frederick Douglas BLVD gallery location who gave me permission to record during my 10-shot sequence video. I intend to capture shots of the artist moving throughout Harlem, the artists’ work in the gallery, the artist in his/her own apartment or space or a studio (whatever is most comfortable for them).

My idea for a narrative arc is the challenges this person faces as a Black artist, especially as the pandemic still lingers. I would like to capture this person in some intimate life moments, capture them interacting with on-lookers in the gallery, as well as moments with the people close to them. I want to capture what inspires them and shoot them leading up to the next gallery showcase (They are monthly). I believe I can complete this doc in two to three months.

For a backup idea, I have a friend who wants me to help their friend with a video to promote their barbershop business. I envision me recording some great in actions shots of him working. As far as a narrative arc, I would have to find out what this barber has going on or what he is looking forward to… something what would be interesting to follow him around to see completed.

10-Shot Sequence Screenings

Today we’ll be screening and discussing your 10-shot sequences.

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Assignment: Pitches

Write a pitch for your first assignment of the semester. For most of you, it will be the visual poem. For a few of you, that means pitching your 10-15 minute short doc.

Pitches will be due next class, on Thursday, when we will workshop your ideas. For those of you pitching short docs, the pitch workshop will be followed by an additional assignment called a “treatment,” which is a more in-depth writeup of your vision for your films. (I will provide examples when we get to it.)

For now, here is what I’m looking for out of your pitches:

Visual Poems

• Access! If this film involves a specific person or place, make sure you have permission from whoever is in a place to give it.
• A strong sense of what story or feeling you want to convey without words.
• Ideas for music/use of sound.
• A clear plan for what you intend to shoot, and the kinds of scenes/imagery you want to come back with.
• A vision for the editing, both in terms of pace and style.

Short Docs

• Access! Please have spoken to at least one potential strong central character who has signaled willingness, or at least openness, to participating in your film.
• A clear plan for what you intend to shoot, and the kinds of scenes/imagery you want to come back with.
• Ideas for a narrative arc that the story might take. What scenes/moments in this journey will be important for you to be there to document?
• Realistic timeframe. You have about three months to gather footage for a satisfying story. What is likely to happen within that window? Is there enough story there to fill a 10-15 minute doc? Or will key events take place too far in the future for it to work?

https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2021/11/10/gone-viral/

https://vimeo.com/677897532

 

Thank you,

Cristine Trimarco

A short film shot in the style of a ten shot sequence depicting the hustle of a working father.

 

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/676720183