Introduction
The idea behind the Documentary Project is learning how to creatively and honestly tell the story of someone, something, or somewhere that actually matters in your community. For my project, I chose to focus on local environmental organizations and the people behind them, specifically how grassroots, community-level action is filling the gap that larger climate policy keeps leaving behind. I interviewed Gary Hedden, one of the presidents of Greentown Los Altos, and Sierra Haik, the president of the MVHS Greenteam club, and created a research article, and a magazine spread with original graphics, around their stories and what they represent.
Reflection
The Documentary project was honestly one of the most involved projects I’ve ever done. Getting to actually sit down and talk with interviewees like Gary Hedden and Sierra Haik and then turn those conversations into a real article and magazine spread was something I hadn’t done before, and it pushed me to think a lot more carefully about how you represent real people and real issues.
What I’m most proud of is how the magazine came together visually alongside the writing. Taking research I had done myself and turning it into something that actually looked and felt like a real publication was really satisfying. This topic is already something I’m incredibly passionate about, so getting to tell these stories in a deeper and more intentional way made the project feel really personal to me.
My research paper covers local environmental organizations in the Bay Area and the real impact they’re having at a community level, specifically through the work of Greentown Los Altos and the MVHS Greenteam.
Interviewees:
Leah Lane & Susan Day, Lauren Deshpande, and Grace Mittelstaedt
Mockumentary
The Mockumentary project for film class focused on learning all of the technical fundamentals of documentary filmmaking, before we made our actual documentary films. We experimented with things like camera placement, angles, audio recording, and how all those elements work together to tell a story.
(INSERT MOCKUMENTARY HERE, not yet posted on youtube)
Film Documentary
Thanks!
A huge thank you to Gary Hedden and Greentown Los Altos and Sierra Haik and the MVHS Greenteam for taking the time to share their stories for my English and Digital Media magazine project. For my film class documentary, thank you to Leah Lane and Susan Day from Love on a Leash, Lauren Deshpande from SJC Happy Tails, and Grace Mittelstaedt from Furry Friends for sharing their knowledge on animal therapy and helping us tell that story. And a big thank you to Mr. Taylor for his guidance throughout the filmmaking process, and, of course, to my partner Daphne Heatherly.