Donghwan Kim revised Proposal

Donghwan Kim Revised Proposal

The Hand Up

Story: Last semester, I found out something interesting. There was an old homeless man pitching a newspaper to the people on the street for a dollar donation. I asked him what he was doing, and he said that he employed himself for the distribution of the newspaper for the street people, The Austin Advocate. I was getting curious, and asked him how it works. He explained to me that The Austin Advocate would sell the newspapers to the homeless people for a quarter per a copy. Then, the homeless person walks out, and gets a dollar donation from people as he/she gives out a copy of the newspaper. All the money gathered through this activity belongs to the homeless person. “In this way,” the old man told me, “I can be my own boss.” As I heard him saying this, I felt like he had something important in his life. He seemed passionate in explaining me the righteous cause that he was asking money for. He was confident, and I felt a lot better giving him the dollar bill, compared to when I was giving a homeless person the dollar bill without any cause. I donated a dollar for the newspaper, and took my time to read it. The quality of the paper was neat, and the writings were very intelligent.

However, the semester was over before I came to know this strange newspaper organization The Austin Advocate. I remember a homeless person telling me that ‘what homeless people really need is not a hand out, but a hand up.’ I do not fully understand the meaning of this metaphor, but I think what The Austin Advocate is giving to the homeless people is that ‘hand up,’ rather than temporary ‘hand out.’ I really want to know better about this place and people there.

The Project: The Hand Up will be around 10 minutes and it is about the Homeless newspaper Austin Advocate. As I came to know about the newspaper after attending the monthly board meeting for the first time, it turned out that the newspaper organization is suffering the seasonal downfall. Because of the cold weather of the first of March, there was no homeless person who actually sells the paper at the street attending the meeting. I learned that the newspaper now has about 10 vendors, and last month, the organization earned about six dollars from distributing the newspaper to the homeless people. Nevertheless, the board members were passionate and serious about keeping the newspaper running. I exchanged emails and phone numbers with them, and got the permission to interview the board members. There was a board member who is currently homeless, who goes by the street name Zebra, and a member who was a former homeless, Cliff Taylor. Especially, the Chairwoman of the organization, Valerie Romness, is really interesting to know. She was a hairstylist, and she used to volunteer in cutting the hair of homeless people. I will interview her this weekend, and ask about the concrete hardship in keeping the newspaper running, as well as the purpose of the organization. Also, I learned about the location and name of the most successful homeless person who sells the newspaper on the street. His street name is Edge, who is 60 years old and sells the newspaper in front of the restaurant Hickory Bar & Grill, on the 9^th Congress Av. Although there is no certain time when he comes out to the street, I will put some effort to contact him. Every board member seems to know him, so I will try to get as much information as possible from them. After getting the permission, I will ask Edge about how does it feel different compared to the days before selling newspaper, and how is life changing because of it.

I want this documentary to be watched by many UT students, who happen to come across the homeless people very often, and have to deal with the dilemma of either giving them the money or ignoring them. It will be a good chance to think about what the homeless people really need in order to better their lives.

The Style: I want the mood of this documentary to be bright and not slow. Music is going to play an important in my documentary. I have a friend who is taking a music making class at UT, and he told me that he will provide me with the music that he makes. If I have the chance, I also want to ask the street musicians for the music, and use it as the sound track. I will try to use natural lightings, when I am shooting outside. I want the documentary to be ‘on the street,’ for a major part of the film. Interviews with the board members should be set to let the audience get the feeling of what the work space is like, and feel their passion. Also, the ‘voice’ of the homeless, which is expressed through the newspaper by the articles and poems written by them, is something I would like to emphasize. I can ask the homeless people to read the poems and record it, to express that their voice is being heard through those writings.

Revised Treatment - Kelly West

It’s early on Saturday morning, and a small group gathers outside a trailer home in south Austin. Armed with rakes and shovels, they pile into a van and drive across town to a house where a lush vegetable garden grows in the front yard. The motley crew of workers is careful with the harvest, which will pay their bills for the week.

The Karporphoreo program, started by Steven Hebbard through Mobile Loaves and Fishes, is a new project aimed at creating jobs for formerly homeless Austinites through organic gardening. By planting and harvesting organic produce from the residential yards of member families, participants in the program learn a job skill, and earn a wage from what they sell at the farmer’s market.

This 7-minute documentary video tells the story of one program participant, Lloyd Bell, and shows how the program is making a change in his eating habits and in his life. Bell has lived in Austin for over 40 years, and in fact used to deliver produce to the original Whole Foods store, before it became an international corporation. Bell will tell the story of how he ended up homeless, and how last year the Mobile Loaves and Fishes trailer program helped him get off the streets. We will see Bell working in the garden and selling produce at the farmer’s market to take home a paycheck, as part of MLF’s newest program. Using visuals of the plants and gardens, interviews with Hebbard, Bell, and other program participants, and verite scenes of Bell’s life, this video will profile both an individual and a movement that is attempting to find a solution to Texas’ poor record of eating healthy foods.

This film is geared toward the general public in Austin, many of whom may feel that they have heard enough about “eating local” and “sustainability”. By showing real examples of people in the community who are affected by these issues, we can explain that this is not something that only interests Whole Foods shoppers or people in high-income brackets. The story can eventually be branched out to other communities, because these issues, while severe in Texas, are prevalent nationwide.

Revised Proposal

Through a store window mannequins posture in mini-skirts and midriff baring blouses. We hear the click of high heels as we see teenagers in skin tight jeans and low cut tube tops pass. Reflected in the glass of the window we see the faces of three little girls switch their gaze from the mannequins to the teenagers passing by.
Over the shoulders of the same three girls we see Britney Spears on MTV. Britney wears next to nothing. Her dance moves simulate sex with her shirtless boyfriend. The three girls are singing the song and attempting to move like Britney.
Fourteen year old Caitlin does not look pleased with her reflection in the mirror. She tells her mother she is going back to the mall to get the other blouse. her mother says, "No way, Jose! It didn't have enough material to cover a cat."

This 10 minute video documentary is a window into the world of an adolescent girl grappling with growing up and facing the media messages that are directed at her, but may not be in her best interest.

The video will follow fourteen year old Caitlin through a week in her life as she prepares to sing at a public event. Caitlin's stories are interwoven with those of her sisters and cousins as they compare and contrast with the views of her parents. The video will not only follow Caitlin, but insert short interview answers along with example media messages from open source archives.

Young girls are almost constantly connected to media and they are bombarded with messages designed to guide their thoughts and behaviors. They seem especially vulnerable to the message that their self esteem is dependent on how they look, that sexuality equates to power, and that overt sexuality is the path to success. This video will explore the influence of these media messages and their effect on the negotiation of an adolescent female identity.

This video is aimed at Ten Under 10 and possibly Media That Matters Film Festival.

Swingers Doc - Craigslist Ad

Any "Out" Swingers? UT Film Students Seek Documentary Subjects - mw4mw - 22 (UT Austin)

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Date: 2010-02-03, 1:56PM CST

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If there are any couples out there who are in relationships and swing with other couples and who would be interested in sharing their stories, please contact us. We are two Radio-Television-Film students in an Advanced Documentary production course in our last semesters here at UT. Gay, lesbian, straight, bi - all are welcome!

We would love to be as open and...ahem...explicit as possible, so please keep an open mind. Anonymity is a possibility, of course, but the more willing you are to explore this topic openly, the better the final piece will be.

For more information, please contact us - your questions are more than welcome!

Revised Treatment - Isaac Rooks

We see the busy streets of Beijing. Huge skyscrapers line the streets, which are teeming with young people and businessmen. They move along with the streaming, noisy traffic. Among them is Mr. Zhang. Even in the crowd, he stands out in his loose fitting black clothes, his hair and beard wild and graying. The noise of the city builds and builds. Suddenly, we are in a very different location: a lush, green park. Music softly plays from loud speakers as Mr. Zhang gracefully moves through his form, his eyes almost closed. He is surrounded by students, who cast quick glances at him as they try to imitate his movements. Families walking through the park pause to admire his grace and skill. When the form is finished, Mr. Zhang’s body relaxes. The spell is broken. He turns to address his students. Although he seemed completely absorbed a moment ago, he was fully aware of what they were doing around him.
BAM! A leg smashes into the forearm of a large bald man who is protecting his head. As the leg recoils, the bald man lunges toward his opponent. We are now in a bright gymnasium, coldly lit by fluorescents. The two men circle each other in a ring surrounded by other young men, who shout encouragements and crane their heads for a better view. The two men lunge toward each other; they connect, grapple, and fall to the ground. They pause for an instant to gasp for air, before resuming their struggle. The movement lessens as the bald man gets his opponent in a tight hold; the shouts from the onlookers become more frantic. The bald man’s opponent taps the mat and the bald man leaps off, helping the loser to his feet. The two men bow and part. The defeated man looks very grim, but the victor grins from ear to ear. This is Vaughn. A few years ago he was a software engineer in Canada. Now he is a professional mixed martial artist.
Vaughn is just one of a number of interesting characters drawn from across the globe to compete in China. Others include Pedro, a Brazilian, and Hao Tian, a Mongolian. They are members of the international phenomenon known as MMA and they fight for fame in the same city where Mr. Zhang practices Yang style Tai Chi, a martial art whose origins date back to the 1800s. Tai Chi, like a number of Chinese martial arts, has become very internationally popular. However, as these martial arts have gone international, they have lost their cultural specificity – which is an essential element of Tai Chi. In an interesting turn of events, the international synthesis of these culturally bound martial arts, in the form of MMA, has come to China.
This documentary will explore the relationship and conflict between these two forms of martial arts: the traditional and culturally rich Tai Chi and the constantly evolving and international MMA. To better understand these forms, we will talk to and profile practitioners of the respective forms. We will try and get a sense of what drew them to, and what they get out of their respective styles. We will also see what they think of the alternative martial art being profiled.
The visuals will help delineate the two styles. The difference will not be glaringly obvious, but there will be a distinction. The Tai Chi footage will have warm color tones, while cool tones will predominate in the MMA material. The MMA footage will also be cut with a faster tempo as a rule. Another key element to this documentary will be the footage of Beijing itself. The city should be a character and we will strive to capture the diversity of the city, showcasing the new and old, the natural and the heavily industrialized.
The main focus will be on Mr. Zhang. Unlike the young MMA athletes, Mr. Zhang is a fairly unassuming presence. The documentary will introduce Mr. Zhang as he goes about his daily business, eventually introducing his Tai Chi and great strength. There will be a gradual process of introducing this character: setting up certain expectations, and then surprising with the truth. There will be a great deal of action in this film, of all kinds. There will be demonstrations of grace and control, and also quick, violent grappling.
The conclusion comes when these two sides are brought together. Until this point, they have been interviewed separately; now they are going to share a dinner at a restaurant owned by Mr. Zhang’s family. Mr. Zhang is surrounded by his colleagues. Across from him sit a number of young MMA stars. At first, neither side really addresses the other; they talk to their peers as though the others were not there. As the dinner wears on, however, the two sides loosen up and begin to talk to each other. The MMA athletes are skeptical about the real world application of Mr. Zhang’s techniques. They feel it is more of an exercise for the elderly. However, Mr. Zhang demonstrates to them that Tai Chi is actually a very powerful martial art. The MMA fighters are surprised to see examples of such great strength, speed, and skill coming from this older man. The tensions are forgotten as the two sides find their common ground in appreciation of the other style’s skill and merit.
This documentary will be unique because these two radically different styles would not often be linked and compared. The story needs to be told because it offers a fascinating glimpse at a large issue through a personal context. China is a country that is rapidly modernizing and becoming more international. This documentary will explore that evolution through the relationship of these different martial arts and the men who practice them. The project should resonate with young people, particularly young men, who will be able to view these practices in a whole new light.

The Eyes of Me

The Eyes of Me. Directed by Keith Maitland.

Sort of expected the way it would have been about shooting blind people before the play, and for most of the part I still enjoyed it very much. When I first knew that they were going to screen this film, I kind of worried about the stereotype thing which always should be avoided either in photo story or video story when describing a certain group of people. Surprisingly, this film had done excellent job to show these four teens are actually not different from everyday people who struggle with school and relationship during their teen years as well. It’s just the four teenagers in the film can’t see.

Basically, it’s a story about four teens from Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Chas, Meagan, Denise and Issac. The director not only used lens to tell the story, but also engaged in using animation to complement the story by inserting the world those blind people “see”. More importantly, it showed the mix of real and virtual world to give audience an answer of their curiosity about blind people.

The film started with the scene where birds were flying from the trees. A sort of sense of freedom was given. I like the way that the director tried to contrast normal high school and TSBVI life. Things we used to take for granted seem so difficult for them. However, I felt the animation has been used too much to some extent. Sometimes it came up so abruptly and disturbed the rhythm of the story, which made me confused about the exact purpose behind.

The story line was well-organized in following their academic year in TSBVI. Though I don't exactly know why the director chose the characters like Chas and Meagan who still have their visual memories instead of focusing on ones who were born to be blind. But somehow it made this film closer to us, telling people that the ones who have been trying harder than us just to survive.

Outside Event: 'Eyes of Me'

Eyes of Me (2009), dir. Keith Maitland

Eyes of Me is an interesting counterpoint to Chicago 10. In Chicago 10, the animation (like the over the top stylistic techniques) feels like cool for coolness sake. It is not inherent to the material; it is there to spice things up. In Eyes of Me, the animation is thematically justified and the result is very effective.

It is apropos that Eyes of Me screened when it did, because it serves as a nice example of some of the POV issues discussed in Directing the Documentary. The animation is an important technique for giving insight into the characters’ POV. The characters in the film have not always been blind. Three of the four lost their sight after years of vision, and one had had incredibly poor eyesight their whole life. They have a sense of what the world is like, but cannot visualize the actual thing. The animation helps illustrate that. At one point, Chas talks about how he does not know how things look, but he has memories of how things were. The animation then comes in, leaving the world crudely and strangely rendered. A girl describes how it is like she is viewing things through a fog. Suddenly, her character is in a gray landscape populated by abstract shapes. If the characters simply described their perception, there would be distance and the audience would merely sympathize with their condition. The stylistic choices employed throughout, such as the animation and the ever-shifting focus, puts the audience in the characters’ position, thereby creating empathy.

I asked the director about how the animation decision had come about, and he said it was one of the first decisions he had made, even before shooting had started. Interestingly, the thematic logic had changed. Before, when he had not known any blind people, he felt it could be used to create a dreamlike state – which is how he imagined blindness to be. As he talked to the characters, he realized that this was not the case and so it was employed to a different end.

The Q & A was interesting as a whole. The filmmakers described how radically the film had changed during production. The original focus was going to be on kids playing a sport for blind people, with little character asides throughout. It sounded very much like Murderball. However, they felt the mechanics would take too long to explain, and the team did not do very well, so they shifted the focus to the day-to-day lives of the characters. The fact that they abandoned their main framing device helps explain why the film feels rather amorphous. They try to use the school year at the Texas School for the Blind as a new framing device, but it does not give the film a strong trajectory. Still, the characters and their tribulations were interesting and relatable enough to keep me engaged, and the film proves to be a very humanistic and sensitive portrait of several disabled youth.

This does a good job of pulling out some nice moments from the film, but the title card: “How do you see yourself, when you can’t see at all?” is HORRIBLE.

Seriously, whose idea was that?