Ideas, Ideas, Ideas...

 What's Next?

    Surprisingly, coming up with the concept for Counter Conformity was relatively easy. I had been learning more about fashion and how many models often bend gender norms (and of course how this relates to gender identity and expression). At the time, I was also trying to figure myself out and therefore was interested in the topic, since I was curious about gender non-conformity and whether or not I fit within that category. Making that documentary was a way for me to explore that through the lens of other people, their experiences, and their beliefs about fluidity in fashion. It was a very genuine project that I believe made me a better person, a better creator, and a better story teller. It was therapeutic for sure.

    Unfortunately, things aren't as smooth this time around. I have many projects and competitions I am doing all at the same time, leaving only a part of my brain to try to come up with a new (and achievable) idea. Despite the immense help I get from Pinterest for coming up with the overall "look" of my desired projects (thank god for Pinterest), it has been difficult to find interviewees that are interesting and have a unique story to tell. At this point, the topics I really want to cover are "too complex," and the stories that are more available and achievable seem a little... bland. The clock is ticking, and Kim and I are still struggling to decide. 

 Idea #1: Could Be Changing Bearings Part 2, Which Would Be... Interesting

    Over the course of the past few months, I have been following this girl (on Instagram) that lives nearby and skates at a local skate park. She is so talented and seems to be extremely dedicated to what she does, constantly posting videos and showcasing her journey in skateboarding. Basically, she's bad*ss. And a better skater than every other skater I know. 

    I thought it would be really interesting to obviously capture her story (as well as the stories of her friends that also skate) to talk about a much deeper issue - the whole "girl power" thing and how even though it started out as a way to empower women, it has caused even more separation and has, in a way, become slightly counter productive.

    Obviously my take on "girl power" is not shared by everyone and who knows, the skater I mentioned might not agree, but it would definitely be interesting to explore that and try to understand what people think. It also would be beneficial to interview someone that disagrees with me, that way the documentary goes over the entire topic and not just one side of things. I would also like to discuss the whole "___ like a girl" mindset and how that can be problematic as well.

    My only concern is: my best friends (two alumni from my TV club and AICE Media Studies) made a skating documentary named "Changing Bearings" about a year ago that won a bunch of awards and has been celebrated in both programs; and even though this documentary would be completely different in terms of style and content, I'm not sure making a skateboarding documentary is the best thing to do right now. This is pretty valid considering I'm not really a huge part of the skating community and I would not be as familiar with the topic (at least like I was with Counter Conformity and another documentary I made about a local band, which coincidentally I made with both creators of Changing Bearings). I like to know what I'm covering like the back of my hand, so doing a skate doc (especially covering such a particular topic) might be a little tricky. I don't want to completely shy away from the idea because it definitely is still an option, but I just don't really feel motivated to do it like I was with Counter Conformity. Making a documentary takes so much effort and time, and if I'm going to commit to an idea, I want to be excited about it.

    

Idea #2: SUCH a Good Topic, But Such a Hard One to Portray Properly...

    The male gaze is SCARY. It is so subtle, yet the damage it causes is anything but. I'll go more in depth in terms of what the male gaze is and why it is so problematic in my next post, but before I talk about my idea for a documentary, here is a quick definition: 

"The male gaze refers to how women are depicted in the world—specifically media—from a heterosexual male's point-of-view. This depiction is generally hypersexualized and treats female characters as objects for the male protagonists to use."

    This "lens" can have many negative effects on women and how they feel in a plethora of situations: how they behave when alone, towards other women, towards men, in sexual and non-sexual situations, etc. It's definitely a lot to cover. This is a flashcard I covered with some notes the other day: 

    This index card has a LOT of information on it, each bullet point being its own intricate, mature subtopic. I think that if I were to do a documentary on this, I would have to choose just a few points and really focus on those, making sure that they are fully explained and make sense together. For the most part, I would like to focus on how the male gaze affects people's view of themselves, and how individuals can reclaim their confidence and no longer let the male gaze have as big of an effect on them. I have been doing a lot of research on the topic (both through online resources and intimate conversations with those that are also aware of the male gaze), and I think that as long as I make a clear structure and focus on a specific aspect of this issue, this documentary will be doable. 

I have also thought about the execution of this documentary, and I think that in order to be successful, Kim and I will have to:

- Decide on who exactly we would like to interview. I think narrowing it down to a specific age range might make it easier to not only conduct interviews, but also put the entire documentary together and make sure that the piece is cohesive. Even though this issue affects all women, covering the problem with a very specific angle might facilitate the entire process. Also, much like Counter Conformity, I would like to get B-roll of the interviewees and highlight their individual features, which personally will be much easier if the interviewees were similar in age. Also, people write best when they write stories they know, so getting interviewees that have grown up in a similar environment (specifically when it comes to technology, children's access to it, etc.) will definitely allow us to empathize, write better questions and overall make a better documentary.

- Decide on a good structure and write REALLY good questions. Because this is a very complex topic, we have to find a way to ask questions about the male gaze without asking too much of the interviewee (or the viewer, since explaining the theory of the male gaze is time-consuming in itself). In my Television Production club, we make news stories and always keep this in mind: in the end, stories are about people. Obviously you can discuss what they are doing, where, and how they are doing it; but in the end, viewers are people too, so they will mainly care about how the subject feels, how they act, how they interact with others, etc. Because of this (and because of the very personal nature of the male gaze and how it can have extremely detrimental effects on women and society in general), I think it would be best interviewees about their experiences instead of asking them to define the male gaze or give overly specific examples. Like I mentioned earlier, stories are about people, so instead of making this doc super theoretical and informational, it should simply capture the essence of the issue and how it is impacting people. I think this would also make it easier for both Kim and I to make this doc, since we are used to getting that "human" aspect of stories. We just have to make sure that the questions are focused and that we don't stray away from the main topic, especially since there is so much to discuss.

- Be very smart about B-roll. Personally, I am a complete sucker for artistic, staged footage. Not "staged" in a way that is untruthful or manipulative, but more so in a way that is formalistic and captures the "feeling" of a topic. I have been building a Pinterest board for the past couple weeks that I absolutely love. It definitely requires much more than Counter Conformity and is even more stylistic than what we captured then, but I think that this is definitely a lot more "my style." Check the Pinterest board out here. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the board:

Obviously I would not be doing exactly what those pictures show (especially because I do not have access to a crazy amount of old-looking TVs), but I would simply take inspiration from it and use what I have (or what could be available to me) to make the most of everything. I was thinking of getting some used TVs from Craigslist like these for the b-roll, and if that is not available, I can use other screens like the TVs, computers, tablets, etc. in my house as well as security/CBTV/DSLR cameras to get the shots I want. I would also like to include examples of the male gaze (ex: excerpts from films playing on the old TVs, magazines, etc.) in the b-roll that way people can see real examples of where this issue is mostly found.

    I really like this idea. It's a great topic, I have a clear vision for the visuals and "feel" (which honestly, is always the hardest part to solidify since I always want it to be as stylistic as possible), and I feel like as long as I get the right interviewees (I have a few people in mind already), it's doable. I'm just worried about writing effective questions and choosing what exactly to focus on in the documentary.

    It's also quite the project to take on, but now that the biggest competition of the year for my TV club are coming to a close, I should have much more time to work on it. 

Idea #3? It's not even a full idea yet. 

    I don't really have a set topic in mind at all. I just think of the "idea" and think mainly of a feeling, maybe some scattered visuals (potential shot ideas) here and there but overall, nothing clear has come. I definitely think this idea could also be successful but considering it won't fully develop in my mind just yet, it just seems like a sign that it's a topic I'll have to leave for later. From what I can tell, it has to do with technology and discussing whether or not it has brought us together or even further apart than before, and whether all of this "connectedness" is just a big illusion. Here are some pictures of what I was somewhat thinking. Hopefully these capture the "feeling" I'm sensing, even though it's very similar to the look of the male gaze idea:

    But... Yeah. Coming up with ideas is HARD! Especially since I'm constantly having to create for my TV Production club, our weekly show, competitions, any additional stuff.... It's very difficult to be extremely creative all of the time. But I definitely want this project to be great, hopefully better than Kim and I's last project. I want to keep pushing myself, and hopefully come closer to my big goal, which is eventually creating a docu series that discusses taboo topics but showcases them in a mature, artistic way (formalism is YUMMY). When I think about it, I'm pretty much doing that now... I just want to go even further above and beyond and develop my own unique, easily recognizable style. I really love documentaries. I really want to see how I can make them in a way no one has before.

    I hope to decide on a topic by next week that way Kim and I can start doing pre-writing, which is really exciting. I really think that with Counter Conformity being done and already having that experience, we'll be able to get things done quicker and with less stress. We know the way we work now, so it should be smoother overall. Let's hope for the best!