Ch 23 What wheels were turning? What was most useful for your project?

Documentary - Rosenthal, Chap 23: The Producer's Role 

This was a great chapter to read because it offered many resources and tips on how to secure funding for a documentary film. I especially appreciated that it cited several publications, websites, or organizations with summaries of the information they provide. It’s intimidating to think about competing for grants against people who are either more experienced filmmakers with more works under their belt or against others who may be better grant writers. I also have to admit that I’ve had the same thought as when Rosenthal mentioned that the funding proposal process “may favor those that can write good grants over those who are poor grant writers but better filmmakers.” In my opinion, grant writing and filmmaking use different parts of the brain, so for me, it’s difficult to switch from one to the other.

Why I'm the Right Person for this Project

I don’t know if I’m passionate about this topic, but I’m definitely curious and intrigued. I like the idea of being “young at heart,” so I’m interested in learning the secrets of this group of elderly people that have found a passion for life. This interest may stem from me having a very close relationship with my own grandmother, who lived to eighty-eight. She was independent and free-spirited until about a year before she died. I also remember reading an article years ago about this topic, which made me ponder the quality of life of older people. I mean, there are a lot of old people who are wasting away in nursing homes or who are miserable and those that are vibrant and thriving. I believe that to live into your eighties, nineties, and hundreds, you have to be doing something right. I’m very enthused to meet these people and talk to them about their lives. And though they’re obviously helping me by sharing their stories, I believe that I’m helping them too by giving them a platform in which to talk about themselves.

Draft Description for My Project

 My project will be a documentary that examines the lives of octogenarians, nonagenarians, and centenarians. I hope to discover their secrets to long lives, learn the advice they would give their younger selves, and hear their thoughts on the present and future state of the world. The purpose of this work is to meet elders in the community and share the wealth of knowledge that they can offer to younger generations. Ultimately, I’m interested in making an artistic work that educates and inspires people of all ages to be their best selves by learning from the successes and mistakes of those in our community who are in their eighties, nineties, and hundreds.

3 things I want to be better at

 1. Editing - being more organized, learning more shortcuts, applying "higher level" techniques (perhaps learning After Effects)

2. Tying up loose ends... finishing all projects before starting new ones

3. Submitting my projects to film festivals