Production Diary

May 13, 2008 – Evening

Location: In the classroom

Feeling: Enticed 

We finally got to speak together as a group, and I think we’ve got a great project on our hands.  We’re going to put together a documentary about student reactions to the war in Iraq.  We’ve got some good ideas for interviews, like current students that already have done a tour in Iraq, or that will be re-enlisting after school (we’re lucky to have Nick on our team who is actually involved with the military so he can help us get an inside perspective).  Also we’ll be talking to students on campus about what they think of the war and if they’ve considered the age similarity between their peers and soldiers, if they know anyone in the military and why they think someone their age might join the military.  Jenna has got a great lead for a profile about a girl who’s fiance will be going to Iraq, so I think we’ve got some good material. I’ll be putting my video skills to work and Nick is skilled as well in those matters, Jenna is eager to learn, I’d say we’re going to make a nice documentary.

 

May 14, 2008 – Afternoon

Location: Valley Library Quad

Feeling: Confident

Nick and I agreed to meet up a the library to shoot some reactions and environment shots of an Iraq war death toll display where small flags represented a certain amount of deaths in Iraq.  The flags were spread out all over the quad, and the display definitely made you think. BUT, what do you know, the display had been taken down earlier that morning. Total bummer.  Well, Nick and I printed out a few of the surveys we made up to hand out to students, went over again our other sources and content and tried to think of some alternatives to fill in for the flag display.  We thought of talking to the protesters that demonstrate outside of the court house regularly.  I think their ideas will contrast compellingly to the interviews we get with recruiters and military personnel, and of course the everyday student perspective.  All is not a lost, I feel we’ve got enough content ideas to put together a nice piece.