For the documentary, I want to do a profile piece and focus the attention on a young photographer named Nia based in Brooklyn. Nia has been doing photography for some time now and she puts together her own projects, collaborates with other photographers in Brooklyn, and has her own personal instagram page to showcase her work. She focuses on topics such as black beauty, LGBTQ+, and capturing the beauty within her own neighborhood of Brownsville, Brooklyn. In terms of access, I’ve already spoken to Nia and she’s agreed to be the subject of this project. With this piece, I want to capture her experiences as a young black photographer in Brooklyn, essentially her wins and losses. The pros and cons to being young and black in the photography industry. I want to convey the message of Nia’s journey as a young, black photographer and have the video stress the importance of having diverse voices within the photography industry.
I want the documentary to have a bit of a vintage overlay to it but I don’t want this overlay to be extremely strong. I want it to be very subtle. Some clips in black and white could work too. In terms of pacing, I want it to be more slow paced so that you feel that emotion and you’re able to digest her story better.
B-roll ideas: Art in Brownsville (where Nia lives), people walking around her neighborhood, Nia walking around Brownsville, playgrounds, popular locations such nail salons, beauty supply stores, and restaurants. Nia working on a project of her own (editing the photos or making her way to the photodom to have the photos developed), apartment buildings (NYCHA developments), grocery stores, and Nia in her element (taking photos).
Nia grew up in Brownsville. I think this detail may be an important piece to her story and what made her want to go into photography, so I really want to make sure I capture a lot of where she grew up because I think growing up in this specific neighborhood has shaped her artistic ability in a sense.