FST 495 Brittany Edwards

On Monday, Knox and I discussed our upcoming due dates. We discussed how we could divide up some work between each of our crew members so that way all of us can get our work done faster. Knox also told me that he has a clearer vision on how he wants the documentary to unfold, as that was something that we were struggling with these past few weeks. Knox has been working on some of the editing of the project, as well as the narration that will be in the film. I will be editing the interviews down so that important pieces of information are included in the film. Cody will be working on the sound design and Taylor will be sorting through the b-roll and grading it to determine which b-roll footage will be in the film. This Sunday, all of us plan on being in the editing lab to finish our final cut. Next week, we all need to divide up our marketing and distribution work so that we will be ready to present during our final exam period. I finally have all of our talent and production forms so...

This past Saturday, November 11th, was the highlight of Cucalorus week for me because I was able to see the premiere of a short documentary that I worked on last Fall. The short film, "Mini Thor", was a part of the Edison Shorts block. "Mini Thor" was the first short that screened during the block. It was great to see a film that I produced on the big screen for everyone to see. The second short that was screened was "Still Sophie", a short documentary about a woman who had suffered a stroke, and how she rebuilt herself in the years that followed. It was beautifully shot, edited, and executed. It was an emotional film, most definitely, but had positive undertones. Seeing films like this make me proud to be a part of the filmmaking community because it reminds me how amazing it is to capture and create something great. Another short in the block was "Lonnie Holley: The Truth of the Dirt". This was about a man who makes art from random debris...

Last weekend, the crew managed to get some b-roll of the UNC-Charlotte theatre department, as well as some of the Mount Holly area. Since Ira was a part of the theatre scene at UNCC, it was appropriate to include this footage. Getting more footage of the Mount Holly area also allows us to present a more personal environment to the audience, so that they can get a sense of the location where Ira lived. At this point in our project, we have plenty of b-roll, and a fair amount of interviews. Now, we need to get a clear grasp on how we will organize our footage both structurally and stylistically. Since our aim is to present Ira's story in a personal manner, rather than an objective "crime story" perspective, it hasn't been easy. I will be discussing the structure and stylistic aspects of the film later today with Knox. With only a few weeks left in the semester, we need to narrow down our footage to clearly and concisely present a product that effectively portrays Ira ...

This past weekend, the crew traveled to Chapel Hill to initially film an interview with Andrew Hartley. Unfortunately, Mr. Hartley cancelled at the last minute, so the crew had to plan some alternate shoots. So, they ended up shooting some b-roll of Ira's old high school. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this past shoot weekend, because it was planned after my work schedule for the week had already been made. I have been in contact with people from the theatre department at UNC Charlotte and finally got us approved to shoot b-roll in Robinson Hall this weekend, November 4th. We got approval to shoot in the hall lobby, as well as the two performance spaces. We also plan on shooting some more b-roll of the Mount Holly area while we are in Charlotte, time permitting. After this weekend, we might have one more weekend of shooting, but that is undetermined at this point. Knox is also planning on visiting Chapel Hill on a week day, so that he can interview Andrew Hartley. In the...

We recently had a crew meet this past weekend. We discussed our game plan moving forward. We discussed the b-roll that we would like to get, as well as the interviewees we want to include. Currently, I am still waiting to get permission for us to shoot b-roll at the UNC-C Theatre Department. Knox is currently waiting to hear from one of the professors; he also is working on the letter that he plans to send to Ira's parents to potentially interview them. Due to the nature of our documentary, we have to be sensitive and cautious in how we approach our subjects. Since the nature of our documentary is a sensitive subject, the process is a bit slower compared to some of the other projects. However, I know that the project will eventually get where it needs to be. Moving forward, within the next few weeks, we hope to have made significant progress as far as b-roll and more interview subjects. As the end of the semester gets closer, we ultimately need to decide whether or not this pro...

We are at a holding point at the moment, so in the mean time, we are reaching out to different contacts to further our documentary footage. Knox is trying to get an interview from one of the professors at UNC-Charlotte. I recently reached out to one of the professors who is in charge of the theatre department at UNC-C, to get permission for us to shoot some b-roll around the theatre department. I also have posted on two different Facebook memorial pages for Irina, in hopes to find some people who knew her and would be willing to be interviewed. So far, I have gotten one response from a girl who had a class with Irina. Knox and I will be in contact with her soon to discuss a possible interview. Knox has delegated each crew member to reach out to various contacts in order for us to further our film. With our rough cut being due in less than two weeks, we need to get more interviews and b-roll, as well as organize and structure the film. We have a crew meeting this Saturday, October 21s...