Documentary

Introduction

My documentary subject was focused on picking art as a career in Silicon Valley. I picked this topic because art has always been a passion of mine and I wanted to include it in some way for my documentary. My vision was to capture the environment and pressure of Silicon Valley and it’s views on the creative fields like art and design. I decided to interview my art teacher who runs a art studio in Silicon Valley. I figured this would be a good perspective because she helps a lot of student out, has a teachers perspective, and has also gone to art school herself. I wanted my documentary to be a mix between a profile documentary and a research one. I feel like I am proud of the overall outcome of my book and enjoyed this entire documentary process.

Reflection

The documentary writing experience for me was a mix of both storytelling and research writing. I was able to tell a story with my documentary but still had to do a bit of research to help support my story and argument. I enjoyed being able to pick whichever topic I wanted, so I could pick something I was passionate about. One of the first challenges I faced was finding good reliable sources that I could use to support my argument. After some help I was able to put together a good list of sources that I could use. I enjoyed being able to find out more about a topic I was interested in. Another aspect I enjoyed about this project was being able to see how a whole book and documentary actually comes together. From the book design to the planning of the project it was nice to see how it changed and how I had to adapt to challenges along the way. The biggest struggle I faced however was the actual writing process. I’m not someone who enjoys writing and even though it was about a topic I like I faced some writer’s block when actually writing it out. I felt like when writing it I kept repeating the same things that I had already written. I felt as if I was zoning out of my project and reaching a point where I just felt done with it. I feel a little disappointed in myself knowing I could have done better and pushed myself for a better outcome. But I am glad I got to do this project for the experiences I learned and can grow from, like really not to procrastinate things like this anymore. 

The design aspect of my book is also something I am quite proud of. I enjoyed learning more about composition and creating unique photo shots. Their was also more research in the design process than I expected. Like figuring out the color scheme and finding graphic design elements that matched my book design. I did have trouble coming up with different layouts throughout my book that didn’t feel like they were repeating through the book. Once I completed my book design it was easy to design my magazine for digital media. I mostly used most of the same elements just in a smaller version for my magazine. Through the whole documentary process the part I enjoyed the most was defiantly the design process of it.

Documentary Writing

The documentary writing was something that I struggled with through this process. It involved a lot of research writing which I am not a fan of, and I felt like I hit a writers block in the middle of this process. Nevertheless with the help of Mr.Greco I pushed through and wrote what I could. I am overall happy with the way my writing product turned out although I know I could have pushed myself a littler harder and further. I definitely enjoyed the experience of writing this book and it was nice to see how everything from the topic brainstorm, to the drafts, to the final writing come together. I think that when the writing is put in with the magazine article or put in the book it looks the most complete and something to be proud of.

Documentary Book

Documentary Book Design Process:

Interviewee Bio

Behnaz was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. Ever since she was a little girl, Behnaz has had a great passion for art. While attending high school, she also studied sketching, painting, graphic design and literature in the Institute of Art and Literature, finally receiving a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Azad University Tehran. After graduation, Behnaz worked with companies designing brochures, logos, and advertising design. Behnaz found her calling focusing on painting and teaching painting to children through schools and to adults through private classes. Behnaz continued updating her own skills through workshops with famous master artists.  After moving to USA, she continued fine art studies through college courses.  She opened Behnaz Art Studio in 2012 in the Sunnyvale, California. She holds membership in various art communities and has participated in art exhibitions in Bay area.

Acknowledgements

This journey through my documentary has been a long and hard one. I would like to thank all my Freestyle teachers for their help throughout this whole book. But in particular I would like to thank Mr. Greco for pushing me in my writing and always making sure I was okay. I would also like to thank Mr. Sayer who helped communicate our needs to admin above. I would also like to thank my interviewee Behnaz Lashgari for agreeing to be part of this documentary. Lastly thank you too my parents for their continuous support.