Devil’s Playground Blog Post

sshilbayeh24

In the documentary “Devil’s Playground”, which explores the lives of Amish teens, a scene shows the struggle between Amish and English lifestyles leading to the big and final question “Amish or English?”. One key moment features Amish teens enjoying modern activities like driving cars, attending parties, and using/drinking substances. In one scene, the camera focuses on a young man excitedly driving a car for the first time, with a big smile on his face as he speeds down the road (which seemed very staged for me; indicating acting for the camera). The camera captures their happiness and excitement as they take part in these activities, which are very different from their traditional history that has been going on for their past 16 years. For example, when the camera focuses on one of the young women laughing at a party, with the bright lights on, loud music, and lively setting shows how tempting the English world can be, creating a strong contradiction to their traditional clothing and values. This visual evidence shows the attraction of modern life for Amish youth and emphasizes this hard decision they have to face as they try to balance both lifestyles. Even though, some parts of this scene might seem staged – the way the teens smile and pose for the camera makes it feel like they might be putting on a show for the camera. Another moment follows Amish youth as they move from a quiet, rural setting to a busy city. Images of peaceful Amish farms right next to the dramatic city streets indicated the differences between the two worlds. These moments where Amish youth think about their choices add emotional depth and help viewers connect with their struggles and their inner thoughts. Visual evidence is important for storytelling in this documentary/interviews, as it helps by showing the characters experiences and reminds us of the main theme of choice and identity through contrasting images of their traditional life and the modern world. There are times when the visuals may not match the need for an interesting story for example when there were slower moments of reflection, which caused me to lose interest slightly.

Nurses Visual Evidence Blog Post

sshilbayeh24

For the documentary about local nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic, my story will focus on their personal and work experiences outside the hospital, focusing on their hard work, struggles, and how they adapted to care for patients during this challenging time, even though I would not be able to film inside a hospital. The documentary will follow several local nurses as they deal with life during the pandemic, showing their emotional journeys and the stress and hard challenges they faced while also capturing their moments of hope and strength, as it was mentioned in the article that actions and their words cannot contradict as it would become confusing. By focusing on their lives outside the hospital, it would show how their work affects their personal lives, relationships, and mental health, including how they think of teamwork, community support, and the sacrifices they made for their patients and families. To tell this story without filming in a hospital, I would use a variety of visual evidence, including interviews with nurses filmed in their homes or any outdoor locations, giving them space to share their feelings, experiences, and strategies they used to cope and survive during the pandemic. According to “A Short Sermon about Interviews”, It is recommended to place the interview in areas where the individual is most comfortable and can openly express their emotions that tie to the place. I will also capture moments of nurses in their daily lives, showing how they relax after a shift, spend time with their families, or practice self-care, adding a personal area to their stories. The documentary will indicate community efforts to support nurses, like local businesses donating meals or residents organizing events to say thank you, showing the connection between healthcare workers and the community they serve. I will also film scenes of the community during the pandemic, including empty streets, people wearing masks, and areas of appreciation for healthcare workers, giving context to their experiences.

Blog post: A Practical Guide to Planning, Filming, and Editing Documentarie

manuel sanches

the story would begin with interviews conducted outdoors or in the nurses’ homes to protect their identities and privacy while allowing them to share firsthand accounts of their experiences. According to Hampe, when you “can’t access the real scene,” re-creating it in a way that still communicates the truth is essential.

To depict the tension and isolation nurses feel, I would film empty streets, waiting rooms, or even shifts of dawn and dusk as representation of their tireless work.

The home scenes could capture family dynamics—the balance of personal and professional life, or moments of exhaustion and relief.

 

Blog post: Filming Job/hobby profile

manuel sanches

My experience when Filming my Job/hobby profile has had it’s difficulties but aside from thats it’s gone smoothly. One of my biggest challenges was finding a good time to film the person I selected for this project. Not only did our schedules not align very well with each other, but I couldn’t think of a time to film him in action.

Luckily on the day that I was able to film him there was a event taking place In FSC so I was able to get some shots of him doing his job. Now that my biggest worry had been relieved all I had to do now was schedule an actual interview with him. The interview also went smoothly except for trying to find a good spot to film. In the end we filmed in a office. One thing I found useful was my interviewee was very good as summarizing what he does in his role/job.