The purpose of this documentary project is to “creatively and truthfully portray a significant person, group, place, idea or issue in the community”. Freestyle Academy enabled me to create this project by providing all the resources that I would need. I decided to focus this project on my pastor, Dirk Damonte. Dirk helps run the high school youth choir that I am apart of with his wife Carol. Dirk is a piano prodigy, but also one of the most caring people you will ever meet. He preaches that all are accepted in the church and all people deserve to be loved, no matter their skin color or sexual orientation. He has continued to preach this values, even though they are seen as controversial in the United Methodist Church
This type of project was completely new to me, so I was able to learn a lot from the challenges that arose. The most important thing that I took from this project was how to work with people while having to meet deadlines. It taught me that I should always plan ahead and make a plan B in case someone is suddenly not available for an interview. In Design, I learned how to turn a research paper into a magazine that draws the attention of the reader by effectively using negative space. In English, I learned how to ask questions that produce in depth answers, and how to turn the information learned from interviews into an entire research paper. In Digital Media, I learned how to captivate an audience with a commercial, and how to put it all together. The work that I have done over the past 3 months for this project is showcased in this website.
This Magazine is intended to display my research paper in a professional way. I started this project by planning multiple layouts in a sketchbook, then moved to Adobe InDesign to put in the framework. In my magazine, I feature my top photos from the project, all of them retouched in Photoshop.
Producing the Magazine Article taught me the importance of negative space. In my magazine, I use negative space to emphasize certain aspects, or to create graphic design elements. I also learned how to use a program entirely new to me: Adobe InDesign. As I worked on the magazine, I became more and more comfortable with the program. Knowing how to create a layout is incredibly important when presenting information, and the creation of this magazine has taught me how to do so.
These interviews were conducted in order to gain the most information about my subject as possible. The quotes that I collected from these interviews are the basis for everything that is in my research paper, and I used them to form arguments and evidene to support the viewpoint that I present throughout the paper. I chose to interview these people, as they gave me the most information possible about Dirk's life and the struggles of a pastor.
Dirk Damonte a pastor and head of the Ministry of Music at Los Altos United Methodist Church. He has been working at LAUMC for thirty-five years, and has been an ordained pastor since 2002. His personality is a mix of dorky and understanding, both of which are very important for engaging a congregation, and dealing with their criticism. His belief that all people should be accepted is unbreakable, and for some, unacceptable. Nevertheless, Dirk has been a strong advocate for the rights of minorities and strives for all people to be seen as equal.
Debbie Weatherspoon is also a pastor at Los Altos United Methodist Church. Debbie is a minority in her own field of work: a female pastor. Though most if not all members of the congregation accept that Debbie is a pastor, she still receives criticism for partaking in what some consider as a “man’s job”. Debbie is a strong advocate for the rights of minorities and supports that all are accepted in the church.
Dylan Damonte is the son of Dirk. He has been playing drums for 10 years, and experienced childhood as a pastor’s kid. Even though his childhood was different from many, his experiences have given him valuable insight and knowledge. Dylan aspires to be as loving and as understanding as his father and views him as one of the biggest role models in his life. The influence of Dirk’s goofy and caring personality is evident in Dylan, as he is quick to crack a joke and always willing to have a conversation.