Al
Surry asked me to speak with Al for guidance on oral history interviews, and he returned my call last Saturday (5/24). He has a passion for recording oral history, and has taught himself how to do so effectively and efficiently. We spoke briefly about what he has learned, and he provided advice on where to look for more information. He was very kind in speaking with me about what he has done, and even offered assistance with this project.
Charlie and EG
Last Saturday I met Charlie and EG for my first interview. They are such kind people. I enjoyed hearing their stories about living in Vietnam. They had four children while living there for 14 years! Such incredible people! So humble, brave and dignified. And patient with me in my seeking knowledge and understanding about their experiences.
They have agreed to let me return to interview them again, and I am so thankful. I have so many more questions to ask them as my understanding about their time there grows. Charlie wrote a book about his time there, and gave me a copy. I have been reading it and enjoying it very much, and it's helping me keep my time line straight. He has so many great photos, too!
As he shared his black and white prints with me, I longed to beg him to do a photo exhibition. As my business plan for this film continues to develop, I have been thinking about including a photo exhibition as part of the screening.
On Being Sick
My week has been exhausting, as I started getting sick on Sunday. By Monday I started sounding manly, and by Tuesday I was completely under the weather. On Wednesday I went to the doctor, who prescribed $40 cough syrup. That night was the first time I slept through the whole night, and it felt incredible. Today is Friday and I'm just starting to come up for air again. My voice still hasn't gotten back to normal and my head is incredibly foggy. But I have faith that tomorrow I will feel renewed and refreshed so that I can go into the interview with a clear mind.
George
Tomorrow at 1:30, I will conduct the second interview for the film. George has invited me to interview him at his home, and I'm looking forward to it. George was a civilian province chief adviser, and I hope to learn more about his position and combat experience.
War Stories
I find war stories fascinating, possibly because I have never been exposed to war conditions myself and I am the daughter of an historian. I grew up hearing war stories. My father would talk about great heroes that served in the War Between the States. My grandmother repeats that she and my grandfather had 7 siblings serve in WWII and return safely. My grandmother and grandfather got married on July 5, and he was proudly wearing his Marine uniform. Oh, and my uncle served in the National Guard. So I am constantly fascinated with war stories.
Down to Business
I've got plenty of work to do on this film. So much planning, so much to complete. In the meantime, I will enjoy another day of stories.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Counting Down to Interview #1
Everything seems to be coming together. I'm meeting my Dad at my grandmother's house tonight to pick up the camera equipment, which gives me just a little bit of time to practice with it and pick up any additional materials needed (batteries, tape, etc.). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will work out well, and I have faith that it will. Since it's a loaner, though, I may still purchase my own equipment in the end. I want to be sure we have broadcast quality, but this one will get me started.
I've been going over my notes repeatedly this week to help everything sink in before tomorrow. Charlie and his wife are my first interviewees, and I don't think this could be any better place to start. I've spoken to them on the phone twice and they are so kind. They spent 14 years in the Central Highlands of Vietnam through the war, serving as missionaries. I can't even imagine the stories they will share with me tomorrow. I'm so humbled by such incredible people.
On the project scope side, there's still so much to do to make this thing happen. I've been focused on writing plans for the project so that I will stay focused on completing it. Juggling so much always proves to be difficult, but writing about the journey in this space online is truly helping. Blogging is a familiar activity, and by recording this process I am able to stay on task.
There is so much to do, and I've hardly started!
Once the interviews are completed, I have to get them translated. That's the #1 goal of the project: written translation of the oral history. But simultaneously, I will be working to figure out how to have the film edited together. How will the story take shape? Where will the film start? What music will be used to amplify/exemplify the emotions of the people sharing their lives with me on film?
After editing starts, I want to focus on promoting and screenings. That requires an inordinate amount of planning and conversation with local business owners--all while simultaneously managing the editing to be sure that the final film is taking the shape we want it to take.
This journey is a great learning experience, and I'm trying not to get overwhelmed. What I'd really like to do is jump in and knock it out. The balancing act between working full time, performing improv and creating this film is challenging, but I know this will all be worthwhile. I am so humbled by the chance to make it happen.
In the meantime, I'm learning so much. Some how, the fact that the Vietnam War lasted so long escaped me. I have much to learn, and am grateful for the chance to share this with others. At the end of the day, it is the people that inspire me most. What they have been through, and how I can share that with others.
I've been going over my notes repeatedly this week to help everything sink in before tomorrow. Charlie and his wife are my first interviewees, and I don't think this could be any better place to start. I've spoken to them on the phone twice and they are so kind. They spent 14 years in the Central Highlands of Vietnam through the war, serving as missionaries. I can't even imagine the stories they will share with me tomorrow. I'm so humbled by such incredible people.
On the project scope side, there's still so much to do to make this thing happen. I've been focused on writing plans for the project so that I will stay focused on completing it. Juggling so much always proves to be difficult, but writing about the journey in this space online is truly helping. Blogging is a familiar activity, and by recording this process I am able to stay on task.
There is so much to do, and I've hardly started!
Once the interviews are completed, I have to get them translated. That's the #1 goal of the project: written translation of the oral history. But simultaneously, I will be working to figure out how to have the film edited together. How will the story take shape? Where will the film start? What music will be used to amplify/exemplify the emotions of the people sharing their lives with me on film?
After editing starts, I want to focus on promoting and screenings. That requires an inordinate amount of planning and conversation with local business owners--all while simultaneously managing the editing to be sure that the final film is taking the shape we want it to take.
This journey is a great learning experience, and I'm trying not to get overwhelmed. What I'd really like to do is jump in and knock it out. The balancing act between working full time, performing improv and creating this film is challenging, but I know this will all be worthwhile. I am so humbled by the chance to make it happen.
In the meantime, I'm learning so much. Some how, the fact that the Vietnam War lasted so long escaped me. I have much to learn, and am grateful for the chance to share this with others. At the end of the day, it is the people that inspire me most. What they have been through, and how I can share that with others.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Good News!
I'm very excited about the fact that I will be able to borrow a camera for the first interview this weekend. I've been debating about using a camera or not for this first meeting, and things are falling in place. By borrowing this camera, I'll be saving about $4k!
It's always a painful thing for a photographer to have no camera, and I am learning that the same is true for filmmaking. It's painful to know you're going in to interview someone and possibly have made the wrong decision in choosing to not record it.
The reason I'm weighing this decision is because I really want to connect with the people I'm meeting this weekend. I want to focus on getting to know them, hearing their story and letting their experiences wash over me. I don't want to be distracted by setting up equipment, worrying about lighting, or focusing on mics. I'm prioritizing meeting the people, not focusing on the final footage. Call me crazy, right?
This is the perfect solution to meet all of my goals for this first step this weekend:
- Record the interview without being too intrusive
- Not worry me too much about dropping such a huge chunk of change
- Still have broadcast quality footage for the final film
- Save $4k by borrowing the camera instead of investing in my own purchase
Friday, May 16, 2008
Thoughts on Equipment
Since scheduling the first two interviews, my mind keeps coming back to the equipment. Should I go ahead and invest in the camera, mics and lights in case I want them when I sit down to talk with Charlie and George in the coming weeks?
It's a tough call.
The equipment I want is pretty reasonable, and it takes a few days for it to arrive once it's ordered. I'm very, very tempted to go place my order today or tomorrow. As an event photographer, it was always comforting to be over prepared. You can never recreate a moment, and having equipment fail is truly disheartening when you're trying to capture an event (or, in this case, an interview). The more I think about it, the more I think I should make the purchase immediately. But I keep coming back to the cost, and whether or not I can pay that off in the end.
Then Jeff Barrie comes to mind.
He's a documentary filmmaker. Not too long ago, I attended a screening of his film Kilowatt Ours. He has a new version out, and a coworker let me know about the event. I'm so glad that I went to see it because Jeff did a Q&A session after the screening.
Most people asked questions about the environment, policy changes, education, or why he left out certain aspects in the film. No one had yet asked him about the filmmaking process, and that was something I certainly wanted to hear him talk about. What was the process like for him? Struggles? Celebrations?
He's such a calm, confident person. Tall. Humble. He has a presence about him that is...engaging. You feel as if he were focusing solely on you.
So, I got in line to step up to the mic and ask about the filmmaking process. The longer I stood there, the more nervous I got. I do improvisational comedy--unscripted theater--and yet, here I was nervous enough that my voice shook when I asked him to talk about the process/funding of his film.
He smiled. He took a moment to reflect and answered, "I'm just a guy with a camera." He said he just started shooting. He kept shooting and then edited everything together. If you want to make a movie, then make a movie. (Of course! The answer is always simple.) As for funding? He put a lot of the expenses on his credit card.
And that risk keeps coming back to me. He boldly took a risk in order to tell a story he wanted to share with others. I'm in a mildly similar situation at the moment, trying to wage whether or not I should go order this equipment and I keep coming back to that very public conversation.
So, I think I'll do it. The hustle is on. Time to get cracking!
It's a tough call.
The equipment I want is pretty reasonable, and it takes a few days for it to arrive once it's ordered. I'm very, very tempted to go place my order today or tomorrow. As an event photographer, it was always comforting to be over prepared. You can never recreate a moment, and having equipment fail is truly disheartening when you're trying to capture an event (or, in this case, an interview). The more I think about it, the more I think I should make the purchase immediately. But I keep coming back to the cost, and whether or not I can pay that off in the end.
Then Jeff Barrie comes to mind.
He's a documentary filmmaker. Not too long ago, I attended a screening of his film Kilowatt Ours. He has a new version out, and a coworker let me know about the event. I'm so glad that I went to see it because Jeff did a Q&A session after the screening.
Most people asked questions about the environment, policy changes, education, or why he left out certain aspects in the film. No one had yet asked him about the filmmaking process, and that was something I certainly wanted to hear him talk about. What was the process like for him? Struggles? Celebrations?
He's such a calm, confident person. Tall. Humble. He has a presence about him that is...engaging. You feel as if he were focusing solely on you.
So, I got in line to step up to the mic and ask about the filmmaking process. The longer I stood there, the more nervous I got. I do improvisational comedy--unscripted theater--and yet, here I was nervous enough that my voice shook when I asked him to talk about the process/funding of his film.
He smiled. He took a moment to reflect and answered, "I'm just a guy with a camera." He said he just started shooting. He kept shooting and then edited everything together. If you want to make a movie, then make a movie. (Of course! The answer is always simple.) As for funding? He put a lot of the expenses on his credit card.
And that risk keeps coming back to me. He boldly took a risk in order to tell a story he wanted to share with others. I'm in a mildly similar situation at the moment, trying to wage whether or not I should go order this equipment and I keep coming back to that very public conversation.
So, I think I'll do it. The hustle is on. Time to get cracking!
Interview Time #2 Confirmed
Just got off the phone with George to confirm our interview. This will be interview #2 in the process, and I'm looking forward to it so much!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Interviews Scheduled!
I felt a rush of joy wash over me just a moment ago as I scheduled my first interview for the film. It will be on May 24, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. And I don't think I'm going to bring the camera equipment yet. Tough call to make, but I feel like this is the right move. Photographers are always pained by beautiful moments that are not caught on film, but I prefer to allow the human connection to strengthen before bringing in the big lights and camera that I want to use for this project.
The rush I got a moment ago reminds me of exciting high school days where I worked for our newspaper and literary magazine. I was given great opportunities, allowed to sell ad space (cold calling!), and learn about the importance of accurate, honest reporting. It was then that I wanted to become a journalist. Oh, how I have missed this since graduating from high school!
It's funny how long ago that seems, and how much I learned at the time. We were just having fun, but buried in all of that fun were incredibly important lessons that have stayed with me.
One of my stories was about tobacco, more specifically how it had impacted Eastern North Carolina. I met with tobacco farmers (retired and working) to ask them about their lives and how the plant had changed them. One farmer had smoked for what seemed like his entire life. I sat in his living room, a rather dark space full of tobacco products and tobacco farming tools, listening to him cough while his smiling wife proudly proclaimed that she had never smoked a day in her life. I later met with a farmer who hired migrant workers, and had a green house full of the next crop growing and preparing to be planted outside. He invited me to a pig pickin' later, which I attended and had a grand time with these new-found friends.
What I remember most about the whole process is the dignity, honesty, integrity and humility with which these people shared with me their lives. They were so,...human. I haven't kept in touch with them, but have always wondered where their lives took them after that series of interviews. They were so kind and genuine. I learned much from them.
Now, a week out from sitting down to talk with a new stranger about his life, I am reminded of the nervousness that comes with interviewing. I want to know so much going into the interview. Trying to understand a piece of history from a completely different point of view is an incredibly fascinating experience, and I want to be sure that I prepare well for that moment.
My first interviewee, Charlie, told me today that he had just looked at some photos from Vietnam for the first time and described the lush jungle and young refugees. He has lots of photos, which I am really excited about. Photographs allow a person to remember where they were at that moment, what happened before the put the view finder up to their eye. And what happened immediately after that photograph was taken.
The Vietnam War is not a subject with which I am familiar, so I want to learn as much as possible. But, like a fledgling bird, you must leave the nest some time. I will learn much from the people that allow me to interview them, and am so grateful for their patience when I ask seemingly obvious questions.
Wow, I am so blessed to be a part of this exciting project! As the daughter of a historian, I recognize the importance of capturing these stories. As an artist, I see how the story will be crafted around the beauty of the people with whom I speak. And as a filmmaker, I so desperately want to share the story with everyone else.
Heroes surround us. But I suppose it's up to us to take the time to open our eyes, salute them and thank them for their service. My grandfather was a Marine. Every time I see a Marine, I want to hug them and thank them. My sister confesses to doing the same.
I can only hope and pray that I do the subject matter the justice it deserves.
The rush I got a moment ago reminds me of exciting high school days where I worked for our newspaper and literary magazine. I was given great opportunities, allowed to sell ad space (cold calling!), and learn about the importance of accurate, honest reporting. It was then that I wanted to become a journalist. Oh, how I have missed this since graduating from high school!
It's funny how long ago that seems, and how much I learned at the time. We were just having fun, but buried in all of that fun were incredibly important lessons that have stayed with me.
One of my stories was about tobacco, more specifically how it had impacted Eastern North Carolina. I met with tobacco farmers (retired and working) to ask them about their lives and how the plant had changed them. One farmer had smoked for what seemed like his entire life. I sat in his living room, a rather dark space full of tobacco products and tobacco farming tools, listening to him cough while his smiling wife proudly proclaimed that she had never smoked a day in her life. I later met with a farmer who hired migrant workers, and had a green house full of the next crop growing and preparing to be planted outside. He invited me to a pig pickin' later, which I attended and had a grand time with these new-found friends.
What I remember most about the whole process is the dignity, honesty, integrity and humility with which these people shared with me their lives. They were so,...human. I haven't kept in touch with them, but have always wondered where their lives took them after that series of interviews. They were so kind and genuine. I learned much from them.
Now, a week out from sitting down to talk with a new stranger about his life, I am reminded of the nervousness that comes with interviewing. I want to know so much going into the interview. Trying to understand a piece of history from a completely different point of view is an incredibly fascinating experience, and I want to be sure that I prepare well for that moment.
My first interviewee, Charlie, told me today that he had just looked at some photos from Vietnam for the first time and described the lush jungle and young refugees. He has lots of photos, which I am really excited about. Photographs allow a person to remember where they were at that moment, what happened before the put the view finder up to their eye. And what happened immediately after that photograph was taken.
The Vietnam War is not a subject with which I am familiar, so I want to learn as much as possible. But, like a fledgling bird, you must leave the nest some time. I will learn much from the people that allow me to interview them, and am so grateful for their patience when I ask seemingly obvious questions.
Wow, I am so blessed to be a part of this exciting project! As the daughter of a historian, I recognize the importance of capturing these stories. As an artist, I see how the story will be crafted around the beauty of the people with whom I speak. And as a filmmaker, I so desperately want to share the story with everyone else.
Heroes surround us. But I suppose it's up to us to take the time to open our eyes, salute them and thank them for their service. My grandfather was a Marine. Every time I see a Marine, I want to hug them and thank them. My sister confesses to doing the same.
I can only hope and pray that I do the subject matter the justice it deserves.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
First Steps First
This is my second blog, and shall be focused solely on the creation of my documentary film about the Montagnard people (the indigenous peoples of the Central Highlands of Vietnam).
My mentor, Dr. Surry Roberts, has a vested interest in the Montagnards and I have heard him speak passionately about their kindness for many years. He has agreed to help me investigate the history of these people through interviews. Together, we will record this priceless oral history, preserve it for future generations, and hopefully share it with millions of people once the film is completed.
Already, we have identified those whom we wish to speak with and my next step is to schedule the dates for the first interviews. This past week I identified the equipment I wish to use to record these interviews, and the total cost seems reasonable. I was surprised at how little the total cost was, in comparison to what I had anticipated.
Since we began talking about the project, I have been reading the many pieces of material Surry shared with me. Each has helped greatly to shed light on the Montagnards and their history so that I can understand the big picture and speak with each person with greater understanding of their own path. I'm incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to learn more in such a fashion, and often feel like this can't really be possible.
The beginning tends to be the most exciting and terrifying for me in any project, but I am very much looking forward to moving forward immediately.
My mentor, Dr. Surry Roberts, has a vested interest in the Montagnards and I have heard him speak passionately about their kindness for many years. He has agreed to help me investigate the history of these people through interviews. Together, we will record this priceless oral history, preserve it for future generations, and hopefully share it with millions of people once the film is completed.
Already, we have identified those whom we wish to speak with and my next step is to schedule the dates for the first interviews. This past week I identified the equipment I wish to use to record these interviews, and the total cost seems reasonable. I was surprised at how little the total cost was, in comparison to what I had anticipated.
Since we began talking about the project, I have been reading the many pieces of material Surry shared with me. Each has helped greatly to shed light on the Montagnards and their history so that I can understand the big picture and speak with each person with greater understanding of their own path. I'm incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to learn more in such a fashion, and often feel like this can't really be possible.
The beginning tends to be the most exciting and terrifying for me in any project, but I am very much looking forward to moving forward immediately.
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