How a Film Can Make a Difference

I never fully realized the power that is within me to make a difference, until recently.  Last summer, my daughter and I spent time with extraordinary people who were providing homes for orphans, feeding the hungry and curing the ill.  They were all people we met while making a documentary about the change makers in our world – people who are making our planet a better place.

Our goal was to inspire and motivate others as to what they can do to make a difference in their own communities. Our goal was to cause a shift, in culture and in thought – from “what in it for me?” to “what can I do?” We’ve just begun to submit this documentary to film festivals and show sneak previews to small audiences but I can already tell that this film has affected change and the potential it has to move people to action.

From our first sneak preview at the beautiful State Theater in Traverse City, MI to a recent screening at MIS in Sao Paulo, Brazil, I feel the energy in the room and the collective desire to strive for a better world.  I feel the power of film and the power within me as a storyteller and filmmaker. I feel the time for this film is now and that people are hungry for hope.

Many documentaries take the critical point of view and certainly have more conflict. Opening Our Eyes is different from other docs in that it shines a light on what IS being done to create positive change by individuals all over the world.  Somehow by showing the small acts, this film makes all of us believe that we can create change as well. It empowers us to believe in the possibilities and gives us the hope we seem to be yearning for these days.

When I first conceived of the idea for this film, inspired by friend and neighbor Maggie Doyne, I was looking for some positive hope myself.  I was tired of listening to the hundreds of “experts” on TV talking and all of them needing to be “right” – and nothing was getting any better. That was long before the Arab Spring and the Occupy movements. What I was sensing was the rest of the world was feeling the same way I was and decided to do something about it.

Time will tell if the film continues to create awareness and moves people to action, but at least I’m hopeful again.

Please consider supporting our effort by making a contribution to our IndieGoGo campaign, which only has a few weeks, left to go. And it’s tax deductible.

We can’t do it without your help.

More Stuff I Learned While Making a Movie

The day finally arrived – our first screening of Opening Our Eyes – a film that I have poured my heart and soul into over the last year and a half.  Sounds like a cliché, but this project has consumed me in every way imaginable – good and bad.

As I looked up at the marquee of the State Theater in Traverse City, MI last Sunday morning, it hit me – we had done it.  My daughter Erin and I had set out to make a film last Spring about people all over the world who were making it a better place – and we did it.

It was and will continue to be a lot of work – a lot more than I ever could have imagined.  There have been some of the lowest of lows and the highest of highs along the way.  There have been times of disappointment from unexpected sources and times of encouragement and support from remarkable people who came into my life because of this project.

I have learned so much since embarking on this journey – here are just a few things:

Believe in your dream.  Lots of us have dreams but most of us don’t really believe in them.  I think that makes all the difference as far as making your dream a reality – the ability to believe that your dream will happen.  I have felt that this would happen from the first moment that I conceived the idea – I saw it – I heard it – This idea picked me – not the other way around.

Trust – I knew all along that for this film to be what I had envisioned it to be – I couldn’t do it alone.  It could only succeed through the support  of all the people who have contributed to this project from the beginning, whether by supporting it financially or just by being there  for me to spring ideas off of.  I really had to open myself up and trust that would happen  – and it did.  That’s not to say that I haven’t had my share of disappointments along the way, but I had to get past them and then learn to trust – again.

Work with people who share your vision.  I used to think I could edit.  but after working with my brilliant editor, Erik Freeland – now I just think I’m a hack.  Finding Erik was a blessing.  It’s not all that hard to find a good editor,  but to find an editor who has the same drive and passion as I do for what this film is or can be – is a rare gift – and I know that. There have been a handful of times in my life, when this serendipity has happened and sometimes, I’ve been too busy to take notice – but this time, I not only took notice – I welcomed Erik’s vision.  Because I was open to what Erik could bring to the film – it’s so much stronger.

Friends – As much as I know that I should never do anything for the sake of other people’s approval, there is always a part of me (my ego) that surfaces and seeks that approval or validation.  Funny thing is that when you create something that is coming from such a sincere place in your own heart – a project that you’re so passionate about – people come into your life because of it.  They are drawn in by your own enthusiasm.  So when others, disappoint you or even take no notice at all – you realize their approval doesn’t really matter.
Chris Guillebeau has a wonderful blog post about this.

Feedback – One reason I had a couple of sneak previews this past week was to solicit feedback.  When I get consumed with the mechanics of making a movie, especially the editing of the movie, I often get caught up in the nit picky stuff, (which is very important) but I need to step back and digest it as the overall movie.  It’s tough when I’m so close to it, so I always solicit other’s input. I know I can’t accommodate everyone’s suggestions because I’d end up with a big mess if I tried.  Some comments ring true and I may take them to heart, while other comments aren’t really along the same line of my thinking,  so I discount them.  Some people’s comments are brutal and cut deep, but after I get past the initial hurt, I realize sometimes, that the comments that cut deepest are the one’s that strike closest to the heart of the matter – and my inner voice takes notice.

Overcoming resistance – The most important thing of all.  I did what I set out to do and that is to make a film that will motivate others and move them to action. During the first Q&A last week, a man stood up and thanked me for making the film.  He told me that he hadn’t even intended to see a movie that morning – he had been looking at the posters announcing the lineup for the TC film festival this week and saw the marquee and came in.  He told me that it changed his way of thinking – that it changed his life.  And then he told me that I needed to screen this film for as many people as possible.  That’s my ultimate goal – to share this film with others – and if one person in every audience reacts that way – well what more could I ask for?

This film may not be perfect and it may not be for everybody (certainly not the cynics), but I did something a lot of others never do – I executed my idea – rather than give myself lots of goods reasons why I couldn’t.   I could cite plenty of reasons right now that could have or should have stopped me in my tracks.  But I didn’t stop because I had such a strong belief in this dream – I saw it too clearly.

Whenever I pull back from my dreams and succumb to my own resistance, I stop and think about a line from a Joni Mitchell tune where she writes about old friends being “cynical and drunk and boring someone in some dark café”.  I stop and I think about that. I sure don’t want to end up being one of those people who piss away their own life by passing judgment about other people’s efforts or causes. And then, I get out and do something.  That’s how I’m making a difference.

Editing 150 Hours of Footage From a DSLR

As I roll away the miles, driving the ten hour trip to Michigan to rendezvous with my daughter Erin to film the last of our subjects for our documentary Opening Our Eyes, I realize how desperately I needed a long road trip – just cruising down the highway.  I have been in utter isolation for the past month, editing over 150 hours of footage that we had shot over our ultimate road trip around the world this past summer.  Little did I know that the 99-day journey would be the easy part of this project.

This past month there have been many times that I became so overwhelmed with the process of editing that I wanted to throw my hands up in surrender and just give up.  But somehow I plowed through it, many days putting in 14 plus hours.  I was on a mission and listening to the words of my subjects got me through it.  After all these were some of the most inspirational people I had every met, so revisiting them through their interviews was a constant reminder of the goal of this film which is to create awareness and inspire and motivate others to make a difference and create change.

Ultimately, my challenge is to take ten (soon to be eleven) different stories of people across the globe who are making a positive difference in the world.  After finally getting the tedious tasks finished, of transcoding files and sorting through the good from the bad clips, I arrived at a point where I needed to start telling “THE” story.  Meaning I needed to determine how I could best structure the film to convey the common themes between my subjects.

In order to see the story clearly – I needed to get away from the technology. So as the miles roll by, the story becomes  more vivid in my head.  I see the hero(s), the themes, the commonality and the arc of the story as the stories intertwine.  I won’t give away too much information other than to say that the solution is simple.  They aren’t eleven different stories after all. It’s really a global story about the power of one.  How one individual can create positive change and not only effect generations to come but change themselves as well. It’s a basic human story that resonates with all of us.

When I started writing this blog I was going to talk about editing tech tips. Somehow as the miles rolled by and my head became clear of the intense electronic input from the past month, I not only saw the story, but I felt it.  I had gotten back on track and gotten to the heart of the story.

Frozen Waves and Instincts

A couple of weeks ago I stood on top of a 10 foot frozen wave on Lake Superior. I was in an amazing place, both physically and spiritually.  The next day, we had an 8-hour drive from the Upper Peninsula to Detroit.  I pulled out my computer and I wrote a blog about my experience on the ice, the day before.  I really didn’t think much of it at the time – I just jotted down my thoughts.

When I got to Detroit, I uploaded the blog to my wordpress site and didn’t check my email or look at any social media sites until very late the next evening.  When I did, I saw that the hits on my blog had gone through the roof – over 2000!  When I checked my email, I noticed there was one from a wordpress editor telling me that my blog had landed on their home page.  No wonder.  Judging by the dozens of comments people had written – I realized the blog has resonated with people.  Not just the icy image, but my thoughts and feelings that I had shared.  I had written from my instincts.

I’ve lived my life taking chances and trusting my instincts.  You kind of have to trust your instincts when you take chances – that comes with the territory.  If you don’t – most likely you won’t be putting yourself out there.  I honed my instincts in my early years, when I was a 19 year old woman hitchhiking around the world.  I had to make snap judgments about people when they pulled over and offered me a ride.  Should I or shouldn’t I get in that car?  I developed a sixth sense if you will – and to this day I go where my gut is telling me to go.

The funny thing is my instincts aren’t always right – not 100% anyway.  Maybe only 70% or 80% of the time.  So that means that 20-30% of the time – my instincts are wrong.  When that happens – I fail.  And when I fail – it’s really hard to trust my instincts again.  But if I question myself (and I do) and I talk myself out of doing something – I know – I’ve guaranteed – that “something” has absolutely no chance of happening.

Sooner or later, I usually get another idea to pursue or an opportunity presents itself and I have to make a decision on which path to follow.  And once again I need to trust my instincts.  It’s scary – it’s always been scary.  That’s why it’s called risk.

I’m pushing myself in a lot of new directions at this point in my life.  I’m not going to pretend that I don’t get afraid – because I do.  So I need to dig down deep inside myself and trust my most basic instincts and hope they serve me right.

Standing on a 10 Foot Frozen Wave

Yesterday I stood on top of a 10 foot frozen wave looking out over the vast icy seascape of Lake Superior. I was shooting footage of this endless field of frozen waves as the setting sun turned them every shade of blue, purple and orange. It was quiet – incredibly quiet – no car or airplane noise, no voices, and no sound of splashing water, not even the sound of a bird. The audiometers on my camera barely registered a blip and yet there was audio. Even dead silence has a sound.

I’ve been on the Upper Peninsula in the far northern reaches of Michigan, shooting footage for a family biography that I’m working on. I had recorded interviews with my mother’s siblings this past summer while attending a family reunion and I had been planning on returning to capture some winter footage to illustrate the stories they told during the interviews. My mother, her siblings and her parents grew up in northern Michigan during the Depression, farming, lumbering, and fishing – pretty much doing whatever they could to survive. Times were hard and living in such a remote, harsh climate didn’t make it any easier. Everyone did what he or she had to do.

While I’ve been in the UP, I’ve met a lot of people who are doing all types of things to survive during this lousy economy. Most I’ve met have several part time jobs. A couple of times I stopped to eat at a restaurant, there would be one woman tending the bar, waiting on tables and cooking the food. Because of it’s geographic location and its sparse population, the Upper Peninsula is kind of like a frontier and the people who live here, have the spirit to go with it.

As I stood on the top of this frozen wave in absolute silence I contemplated resiliency of the human spirit in the context of my own world. Certainly my business has changed – due to technology and the lousy economy. Because of technology, I am able to do more things than I could ten years ago. Because of the poor economy, I’ve had to do more things. Most other photographers I have talked to this past year have diversified their businesses – some shooting weddings, some shooting video and some working in other retail markets. I suppose we’re all just doing what we can to get through these changing times.

So I looked out over the endless view of frozen waves and into the orange glow of the setting sun. For an instant I became fearful of where I was when I looked behind me and saw a deep crevice that I could easily fall into if I lost my footing. But then I looked ahead to the orange glow on the horizon and I felt hope and with that a sense of security because I knew where I came from and I have the heart and spirit to survive.

Editing and the Story

I’ve grown to love the editing part of the video production process.  It’s where I “craft” the story and take it where I want it to go.

Last Spring I attended a conference at the Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island, Michigan.  While staying at this historic gem, my goal was to create a short web video on the hotel and the island.  I shot the property in a dozen different ways getting b-roll footage of carriages, guests on the porch, tea in the parlor, the orchestra and other areas of the hotel as well as scenes in town. I also interviewed third generation owner and President, Dan Musser III and carriage driver Tom McCarthy.  Those interviews as well as some soundbites from a talk given by concierge Bob Tagatz – gave me my narrative track.

When I returned I gathered all my assets – interviews, b-roll and music and started to layout the story. Generally, I lay down my best soundbites first.  This drives the story.  I’ll then go through all my b-roll and live action shots and select the best clips that best illustrate the narrative track.  I was fortunate on this piece because I was able to capture footage of the harpist at the Grand Hotel and this not only provided me with some nice visuals, but it gave me a music track to work with that made sense in the context of the story.

After piecing together the story in Final Cut Pro, I then went  back and “cut” it.  Given time, I may even live with it a bit, going back and cutting more each time giving it more punch.  I’ve uploaded my first two cuts on vimeo.  Here’s a link to my latest rough cut. http://www.vimeo.com/5889700 I’ll probably live with it a bit and then go back and cut out another 20%.  It’s always hard to cut but it makes the piece stronger and these days – people don’t take the time to look at long web videos.

Creating Memories

I’ve just returned from a shoot in Mackinac Island, Michigan. For those of you not familiar with the island – it’s like a step back in time with no cars and very limited cell phone service.

The purpose of my trip was two fold – to attend a conference of a trade association I belong to, The Society of American Travel Writers and to shoot video of the island and the magnificent Grand Hotel.

The Grand Hotel is a historic landmark living up to its name. It’s family owned and operated and I had the pleasure of interviewing one of the owners, Danny Musser. He said something in the interview that really resonated with me. He said that they weren’t in the business of selling lodging and meals but of creating memories. And that they do – every little detail is a cinematic experience.

I thought about that philosophy – creating memories – and realized that this is essentially my goal as well when I shoot stills or video. My intent is to capture the essence of one’s experience, whether it be a travel experience or a documentation of a personal event.

So I need to remind myself that behind the technology is the visual message. Behind the beautiful shots and the attention to detail is the “message” or the “memory” captured. I’d like to think that what I capture today will ultimately be archived and “create memories”.