Please check it out!
Here's a basic overview of the documentary project:
"La Calle Buena is
a documentary about a small squatter community in the Dominican Republic called
El Callejon.
"El Callejon is a young community, formed in the late 90s by
people displaced by a hurricane, and is now home to about 500 people. El
Callejon is translated “dead-end street” and has been known for its extreme
poverty, problems like alcoholism, and broken families. However, this
“dead-end” community has also become a place of cultural convergence, where
people from different backgrounds and cultures have come together to build
relationships, address needs and share life.
"La Calle Buena means
“the good street” and will be the story of the community and the people that
form it, and will explore what the people think of their community, how they
are investing in it, whether it is a place of long-term growth and what kind of
future it might have."
So...now I'll be moving on to writing a treatment (1 page summary of what you want to shoot), the proposal (1-2 page summary of HOW you will shoot it), the script (basically two columns for your expected audio/interview sound bites and for the visuals you hope to show, all based on the research and pre-interviews you've done so far), submitting a budget plan for approval, and the pre-production, production, and post-production timelines that will help me keep on track throughout the semester.
I know this sounds bad, but right now I can't tell you how much I just want to be done and graduate. I'm tired of senior project class already, and we've barely started. I think what I'm really tired of is the stress. This is THE class that determines whether or not you graduate. Professors and fellow students now are supposed to be critiquing people's work as professionals--so, no more Mr. Nice Guy. I guess I'm scared of not measuring up.
Today we were supposed to pitch our story ideas in class. It's a big class and we ran out of time before they got to me, so I have to do it next week. The bad part is I've been so stressed about it for the past couple of days that I've hardly slept. I got maybe three hours last night, tops. Now I have to go through this again next week.
Maybe I'm being too hard on myself, I don't know. But fear of failure can be suffocating. I'm supposed to be enjoying the challenge and having fun, but the truth is that I'm not having fun at all, not in this class. What does this say about me and my future? It says I'm bad with stress and high-pressure situations. It says that having everything ride on my own shoulders takes the fun out of filmmaking. It confirms that I don't want to work in the major film industry--at least not as a director or writer or anything that requires me to come up with ideas to sell in order to make a living. I tend to do better as the sidekick or the second-in-command, which is one reason I think I love working on camera teams. Being part of the technical side feels safer.
Maybe I'm just simply overwhelmed. I probably just need to take a step back and check my perspective. I know that the senior project requirements and the professors' stricter feedback is not meant to be harsh; it's meant to be realistic and to introduce you to what you will be facing in the industry. But my problem is I don't at all like what I see in front of me. I don't feel ready, nor passionate enough for this kind of rat race. I'm not happy with the prospect. And I don't know what to do about it.
Except trust God. I know this is going to be a good season in my life. I know God has for some reason been dumping favor in my lap the past few months. And I know I am supposed to be at this school, right here, right now. That part has never been a mistake. But I need to reevaluate exactly what part of this whole filmmaking thing that I am passionate about so I can find out what my purpose is in this field and why God wanted me at this school.
But that's what this coming summer is for. Right now I need to focus on tackling the mountains in front of me, and also try to enjoy this last semester with so many of these good friends and fellow students I've had the privilege of knowing, before we all go our separate ways in a few months.
Anyway, these are the things that have been on my mind lately. It might be a while before I post here again because I'll be focusing on La Calle Buena's production blog and facebook page.
Here the blog link, in case you ever want to check it out: http://lacallebuenadocumentary.tumblr.com/
We'll be updating it as production progresses.
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