Final Push

So we're logging, capturing, and duplicating which is not time consuming whatsoever. Having a few problems what it's to be expected. Our interviews Monday went awesome. Going through all of our footage I feel we have more than what we need to make an awesome film. It's the final day and we're making all the finishing touches. What a process, and thank God I learned so much in this class, I am beginning to feel like a real filmmaker :).

Last Interviews

Today Mario and I interviewed Dr. Keith and Dr. Puente. Dr. Keith is a psychology professor at UNCW, runs a memory clinic, and has background research in memory loss and the brain. Dr. Puente is a neurologist as well as a psychology professor at UNCW and also has background research in memory loss and the brain. Both of these experts provided our project with an incredibly intelligent insight on Jason's case. I feel that I have everything to make this film and am excited and eager to edit it into a finished piece.

Checkin' Out Footage

Mario and I have been viewing the footage from the NJ trip gettin ready for dailies on Wednesday. Overall the footage looks good. Initially I was worried about the content because everything happened so fast, but I fell I got what I could. Some difficulties came along because Jason hadn't seen some of the people I was hoping to interview in some time, so some precious time was spent catching up but it's to be expected. Being a perfectionist I originally saw the footage and imagined all the changed I would have made, but don't we all..Now that we've logged and captured all of our footage and compiled a dailies tape I'm happier than I suspected. We have so much footage, and it all can't be wonderful, but what I'm beginning to realize is that we have choices. When I say choices I mean so much to choose from to create the Jason's story. We've still got two interviews left to tape which will happen Monday December 3rd. We'll be interviewing two of UNCW's psychology professor's who specialized in traumatic brain injury and memory loss, I feel their testimonies will be the backup this film needs. We've already met in person with one of the professors and I must say so much is explained through his knowledge. If only I was going to be here for another semester, then I'd have another 4 months to edit this documentary into what I have been visualizing all year.

After the break - Update

Wow what a busy trip to New Jersey. I got some footage (B Roll) of Jason driving through his hometown and hanging out with his family and friends. I also sat down with his father, his therapist, high school teacher, and his two aunts (his mother's sister). I got a lot of footage and hope everything turns our well, the weather was pretty gross and of course I'd always like to have more time, but I feel the trip was a major success. Monday we've got an interview with Dr. Keith from the UNCW Psychology Dept. He seems to have a lot of background and research dealing with issues Jason has. We also have an interview scheduled for next Monday, Dec. 3rd with Dr. Puente (another UNCW Psychology Dept. Professor) at 5:15 at his memory lab practice. I really think we're going to have all we need to complete what we've visioned. :)

Lucky 7

Our Lucky 7 Festival Plan: "J-Dog Resurrected"
1. Silver Doc - Early Submission 1/11 $25
2. Next Frame - Early Submission 4/30 $20
3. Big Sky - Early Submission 7/1 $25
4. Cucalorus - Early Submission 7/24 $35
5. Sundance - Early Submission 8/20 $25
6. Full Frame - Early Submission 10/15 $35
7. Big Muddy Film Festival- Early Submission 10/31 $35
Film Submission fees: $200 + $35 Shipping = $235 total festival submission budget.
All of the festivals above are either festivals specifically for documentaries or they program documentaries frequently. Silver Doc is located near the Discovery Channel headquarters and since our film is a documentary and many of their programmed spots are documentary we feel our film would not only be a good candidate for this festival but also would give us a huge opportunity to network throughout the festival. Cucalorus and Full Frame are local to North Carolina which is also a plus. The fact that our film is made by North Carolina Film students will greatly weigh in our favor when they are judging. Big Muddy Film Festival is our final choice because out of 250 films submitted 60 were chosen, giving our film good odds to be chosen. Traveling to these locations will be relatively easy and cheap if we are accepted. The festival's submission deadlines fall at different parts of the year which is also a positive for us. We are able to spread out the submission timing to coordinate an equal distribution through out the course of the year. This will leave us open for future planning. Sundance may look like odd choice to an outsider because of the popularity of both, but they are both incredibly cheap and are willing to program any type of film from any type of filmmaker so long as it is a good picture. We feel our product will be worth credible review by their officials.

My Cucalorus Experience

Overall I was very pleased with my experience at the Cucalorus Film Festival. Unlike past years I actually got to participate and view more films than ever before. Over the festival weekend I viewed: The Film Class, West Bank Story, Baggage, Princess, The Lonely Bliss of Cannonball Luke, Weirdsville, Shuteye Hotel, Wrong Time Capsule, and Kurt Cobain, About a Son. While I viewed Baggage, I also got to party with other festival goers and filmmakers. From a filmmaker’s perspective I really appreciated most of the films I viewed, and in particular Weirdsville directed by Allan Moyle. This film was one of the best I’ve seen in years. I have enjoyed other films by Moyle and anticipated the experience of viewing this film in the festival setting. I was pleasantly surprised by the film both enjoying and respecting the dialogue and editing of the film. These factors wittingly created comedy from typically downbeat topics such as heroin addiction and satanic rituals. This film was smart and was the best crowd pleaser out of every film I saw over the festival (based on reactions and applause). My next favorite film was Kurt Cobain, About a Son directed by AJ Schnack. I believe a big part of why I enjoyed this documentary film so much was because it did not commercialize the star that Kurt Cobain was. It left you with the feeling that you had just sat down and talked with Kurt, a normal person just like yourself, for an hour and a half. The film contained all audio from interviews over a year and a half. Visually the filmmaker juxtaposed images while Kurt was talking. From a filmmakers perspective I respect the images chosen to represent the dialogue. The director did not show images of Kurt Cobain until the very ending of the film. I was very impressed with the images chosen because they kept the viewer interested in a simplistic kind of way. Overall this film was just impressive because it was long and left me wondering how the filmmaker put everything together in the end. Although I enjoyed most of the experience, there were a few let downs and in particular the animated film Princess. This film had a lot of hype and was actually compared with the works of Quentin Tarantino. I believe it was a mistake to compare this film with Tarantino because it set the audience up for something that just wasn’t there. I see what they were going for, but heading into a film with such anticipation and not delivering just brings on a bigger let down then needed. From my time spent at the festival I learned that a lot of information and experience can be taken in with just a short amount of time. I feel that this is my closest experience with a large participation in a festival and I must say I enjoyed it very much and am looking forward to many more throughout my lifetime as a filmmaker.

Grocery List

Grocery List (aka what we have left..)

Interviews in New Jersey:
Mr. Kenuk, Coach Curran, Jason’s Physical Therapist, Jason’s school advisor, Jason’s brother, and his hometown friends. An “interview” with Jason driving to the scene of the accident describing the events of that day.

Other Interviews:
Dr. Keith and Dr. Puente- both psychology professors at UNCW who specialize in amnesia, memory loss, and the effect of closed head injury on the brain.

Footage:
Jason playing Lacrosse, driving in New Jersey, hanging out with friends, swimming, Mrs. Kenuk’s burial site, and images that are blurred and out of focus to be edited in juxtaposed with Jason explaining the feeling of having no memory before the age of 13.

Paper Edit

Here is our paper edit, by clicking on the picture you can view the full size.

Project Update

Jason has gone to Costa Rica for the next week and a half on a surf trip. Thus, for the most part, I shall dedicate my time on the project to the upcoming trip to New Jersey. Jason has contacted one of his Physical Therapists and she has agreed to meet on Monday, Nov. 19th for an interview (she's also going to walk us through the hospital, although I don't think I'll be able to tape this). This should be good, Jason is excited to see her again and was very upbeat after their phone conversation. He also spoke with his High School advisor who has also agreed to do an interview. We're planning on going to the hospital early morning, and setting up the advisor interview for later in the afternoon.

I've also e-mailed two psychology professors: Dr. Mark Galizio and Dr. Julian Keith who seem to have extremely qualified backgrounds for Jason's case. Hopefully we'll get an interview with one or both, or atleast some good recommendations from them.

Synopsis and Production Stills

J-Dog Resurrected is a short documentary film about the life of Jason Kenuk (a.k.a. J-Dog), who lost his mother as well as his memory and suffered from fatal injuries including a coma and partial body paralyzation in a car accident almost ten years ago. In this film J-Dog reflects on the accident and explains what it’s like not remembering the first thirteen years of his life or his mother, but also focuses on the recuperation process that led to the charismatic character he is today. He looks forward to the positive accomplishments he is allowed to achieve because he is alive and does not dwell on the past but uses it to touch the lives of others.

Sundance Film Festival

www.sundance.org/festival

Sundance Film Festival
Park City, Utah
January 17 (9pm)-27, 2008

Sundance started in 1978 as the Utah/US Film Festival to attract more filmmakers to Utah. Robert Redford (Utah resident) was the festival’s first chairman and moved from September to January (ski resort town, more attention from Hollywood). In 1985 management of the festival was taken over by the Sundance Institute, a non-profit organization, and in 1991 was renamed the Sundance Film Festival

Mission: Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a year-round non-profit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences. Individual donations to Sundance Institute support theatre, film, and music artists as they receive guidance and resources at critical points in the creative process. The community of supporters help these artists navigate the challenges of creating new work and see their projects succeed. Individual donors support the Institute by making general contributions, providing program specific support, purchasing tables and tickets to the annual Gala in New York, or by joining the Patron Circle.

Registration has officially closed and will no longer be accepting applications or submissions for the 2008 Festival. Check back (www.sundance.org) in June 2008 for information about deadlines and submissions for the 2009 festival. For the 2009 Festival the film must have been completed in 2007 or 2008.

Received over 8,000 submissions this year. (If you had submitted a film you’d be notified via e-mail in early December) If denied you can submit next year, but you’d better rework the previous version.

Films should be submitted on a single DVD and packaged in a plastic DVD case and must be compatible with standard set-top DVD players. As of this year they will accept high-definition discs in HD-DVD format only. You’ll have to fill out an online application, send your film along with a copy of the page you’ll print out upon completing the online application.

What they’re looking for What stands out:
Independent spirit of interesting and original storytelling, interesting points of view. Diverse voices and films that push limits both stylistically and narrative (excite them).

There is no “student” category although anyone/age can enter if their film fits the certain requirements. They do have a Students at the Festival Program where High School and College students can apply (applications are closed, check back in June of 2008 for more info) to view screenings, attend panels, and learn more about independent filmmaking.

EARLY SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS ($25 ENTRY FEE)
Monday, August 20th, 2007
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMS & DOCUMENTARIES ($35 ENTRY FEE)
Monday, August 20th, 2007
OFFICIAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS ($35 ENTRY FEE)
Friday, September 7th, 2007
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMS & DOCUMENTARIES ($50 ENTRY FEE)
Friday, September 14th, 2007
LATE SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS ($60 ENTRY FEE)
Friday, September 21st, 2007
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMS & DOCUMENTARIES ($75 ENTRY FEE)
Friday, September 28th, 2007

(FYI: They do not judge on postmark dates, all films are viewed equally whether they are early, regular, and late. The only difference is the entry fee.)

Categories:
• Independent (dramatic) 16 dramatic narrative feature films from the U.S. Must be a world premiere and will compete for Jury and Audience Awards. (70+ mins)
• Independent (documentary) 16 feature length documentary films from the U.S. Must be a world premiere and will compete for Jury and Audience Awards. (50+ mins)
• World Cinema (dramatic) 16 dramatic narrative feature films from international filmmakers. Must originate from a country other than U.S. and Must be a U. S. premiere, will compete for Jury and Audience Awards. (70+ mins)
• World Cinema (documentary) 16 documentaries from all over the world. Must originate from a country other than U.S. and Must be a U. S. premiere, will compete for Jury and Audience Awards. (50+ mins)
• Premieres work from established U.S. and international directors (eligible by invitation only).
• Shorts more than 4,000 submissions a year (U.S and international) and either play before features or in one of eight Shorts programs. Eligibility requirements are not quite as strict as with features and films will compete for Jury Awards. Short films may be screened at other festivals or on the internet. MUST NOT have been broadcast on T.V. or released on DVD before the festival. (Narrative Shorts: 69 min or less, Documentary Shorts: 49 min or less)
• From The Collection a join partnership between the Sundance Institute and the UCLA Film and T.V. Archive. (No films submitted, they choose 2 from their archives to show each year)

The following Festival programs are non-competition categories, meaning that the eligibility requirements are not as strict-- films do not need to retain any sort of premiere status, and are allowed to have screened at up to two other film festivals before Sundance.

• Spectrum dramatic and documentary films from new filmmakers from the U.S. and around the world.
• Park City at Midnight eclectic mix of horror, over-the-top comedies, surreal tales, explicit animations, and bizarre stories that defy categorization.
• New Frontier films that push boundaries of present-day cinema (experimental film, media-based performance, and any work that celebrates the convergence of art and film).
*You specify between U.S./International (where did at least 50% of funding come from) Narrative, Documentary, and Short. If chosen they place your film*


Funds go?
Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization that provides many different programs and initiatives for film and theatre writers, directors, actors, producers and composers. Fees from festival submissions help fund programs such as these, and also help us keep the submissions process thorough and democratic. We strive to process every package promptly and watch every film with an attentive and unbiased eye.

Previous Years:
2007
• 3,287 feature films submitted (1,852 were U.S)
• 122 feature films selected (82 world premiers) from 25 countries
• Premiers (16 films-all feature length)
• Independent Documentary (16 films from 856 submissions-all feature length)
• Independent Dramatic (16 films from 996 submissions-all feature length)
• World Cinema Documentary (16 films from 506-all feature length)
• World Cinema Dramatic (16 films from 929-all feature length)
• New Frontier 18 films chosen (ranging from 1 minute to 110 minutes) All U.S. films with 2 from France, and 1 from Korea.
• Midnight (8 films-all feature length)
• Spectrum (27 films: 44 min, 60 min, and the rest feature length up to 353 min typically about 65% U.S. 35% international)
• Shorts (43 films running time: 4,8,9,9,9,10,10,10,10,11,11,11,12,12,13,13,14,14,14,14,14,15,15,15,15,15,15,17,17,17,17,17,18,19,19,2020,21,22,23,29,33,40)
• Shorts played before features (28 films from 3 min to 22 min)

2006
• Independent Documentary (16 films all feature length)
• Independent Dramatic (16 films from all feature length)
• World Cinema Documentary (16 films all feature length)
• World Cinema Dramatic (16 films all feature length)
• Spectrum 24 films
• Park City 8 films
• Frontier 5 films

No real themes except they do not seem to have more than one topic/story in the same category, so it’s easier to get your film seen if it’s an extremely unique topic or something that has never been done before. Documentaries range from history, gaming, Hollywood scandals, global warming, religious, tragic past events, and cancer documentations.

Weekend Update

I shadowed Jason for a while on saturday. Got him doing some daily activies, getting coffe, going to breakfast, driving around, I went to get him surfing but it was a little rainy and I didn't want to mess up the camera. So all and all some B-Roll footage but nonetheless something, I got some more footage of him explaining his daily list and some audio of him talking about his daily routine.

Open Forum

Hope everyone liked the dailies, I just wanted to set up a post to get responses, comments, and advice on the project... so feel free to leave any comments/suggestions: what you enjoyed, like to see, like to see more of, areas of improvement, do you see the vision? Thanks everyone! Really enjoyed checking out everyone's footage.

Going through all our footage is very time consuming.. haha oh how i love final cut and technical difficulties. We've got some good B-Roll: Jason and his coach coaching lacrosse, and a good sunset. Some ideas on more B-Roll: Jason playing in a lacrosse game-goalie position and Jason surfing. His coach explained how he wanted to get Jason doing things, such as lacrosse and surfing, that could be of enjoyment to Jason as well as help him recouperate (balance, stance, use of mussles). Still waiting on his records, although I believe we could do the interview with the head of the psychology dept. w/out having them. The trip to NJ is going to be major for this project and I am anticipating the trip-can't wait. I feel by the end of this project I'll have two versions.. one that is 10-12 mins and one that is a taaaaad bit more than that :).

Its amazing how positive Jason is, I often think that he is so strong headed (because he's Jason-of course) and because he's not a female because with the amount of emotions females have.. well I could only imagine. To have no recollection of your mother, as coach puts it.. in a way, its better... and Jason doesn't dwell on it. He is SO positive. I can't wait to edit a final project.

Editing

Mario, lets plan on meeting up after ur class Monday around 3:30... Shame we didn't get to show our stuff wed. but oh well, I think we have some great footage so far. I'm very happy with the direction of the project. Hopefully his records will come soon, I'm planning on going to NJ the weekend before Thanksgiving. Until then I think we should get as much documentation with him on a daily business as possible... I'm thinking of a "shadowing" day soon, any days you have free? In response to the dailies we saw for acid park: I enjoyed watching their footage, I can't wait to see how it looks at night, i think they'll get a lot of stuff during the big show coming up and hopefully the shooting days will be more enjoyable now that the weather has cooled a bit. I'm looking forward to viewing the final project. So far it has that small hometown-secret-majestic kind of feeling, and it works well.

Gettin ready to view dailies

Looking at all the dailies I was very pleased. We've got about 6 tapes give or take a few minutes. The sound is better than I'd expected on most, the picture is mostly crisp and clean especially the beach interview with Jason and his coach. Mario's mic was on the coach and we got a bit of wind interference but luckily the mic I had on Jason picked up his coach's commentary. I wish I would have gotten some more close ups but towards the end I noticed more, so that's good. We're going to have so much footage by the end of this which is awesome and a downfall.. awesome because we'll capture enough to capture his story and personality, a downfall because it's a lot to examine. Any-who hope you all enjoy what we've got to show you tonight!

Medical Records

One more thing I forgot.. Jason and I have contacted the two hospitals he was in post accident and have requested his medical records of his stay. I'm hoping once we get those in the mail I can have enough info to interview the head of the psychology dept. here at UNCW whom also runs a memory center. I feel this will be a very solid opinion of Jason's experience and miraculous recovery.

Big Weekend

So we had a big weekend these past few days.. Jason had recently been on a surf trip with the kids he coaches at cape fear. He also had to fly home to NJ because his uncle is in the hospital and wasn't doing too well. Luckily after a few days his uncle made major improvements but his health is still uncertain, Jason is hopeful and positive as usual. Thursday I got some footage. We took a car ride to the end of the beach right at sunset and he told me of his surf trip to the outer banks as well as his trip back home. He filled the camera with thoughts about his weekend with the kids as well as thoughts about his family and uncle... conveying that his family tends to use humor to ease the pain of a tragedy. His lacrosse coach came into town on Friday... what an amazing person. I see so much of who Jason is today by just briefly meeting with Coach Curran. Luckily I got to spend a lot of time with his coach. Saturday Mario and I filmed their lacrosse clinic @ cape fear academy. We also got an interview later on with Jason and his coach. After the clinic Coach Curran wanted to beach it up. We had to tape them on the beach, my only concern was the audio with the wind, however I feel it will contribute to the essence of the documentary as the two seemed to be in a state paradise with their reunion as well as the thought of how he's turned out today. We also got a quick word on Jason, his character, and coaching style from the head lacrosse coach at cape fear. Today (monday) I filmed Jason in class. In his senior seminar globalization class he gave a speech on Comparative Advantage. I think it will be a good scene for some type of voice over narration.

Mario, lets meet up tomorrow after Spanish class to check out the rest of the Dailies ... to date we've got about 6 tapes, so we should have some good stuff to show in class.

The more we hear of his story and especially this past weekend with his coach, I realize more and more how fast his recovery was in relation to his injuries, and it really does amaze me. Jason had every tooth knocked out (and has already grown in his second set) Everyone (docs, orthadontist, dentist) told him he'd have to get replacement teeth... when he began to grow his third pair of teeth they all said it was just calcium deposits that wouldn't last... oh but they did.

Updates:

So updated info, Mario check it out and let me know what you think...

*This weekend: Jason is going to chaperone a surf trip for the Cape Fear Acadamy- he leaves friday afternoon and gets back monday.. I've told him to try to get atleast some still pics and he says he might be able to bring a video camera/the school may bring one. So we'll see about that but I told him I'd def. want to get some footage of what happened on Monday when he returns-I've requested to check out the panasonic, a wireless mic, and a boom mic from tony (from fri-tomorrow until after break-more than 4 days so we'll see if that's possible.. if not is there a way we could use your panasonic? will you be in town over the break?)
*Next Weekend-Jasons Lacrosse Coach coming to town: He'll be in town Fri. Oct 12 through Sunday Oct 14th. That Satuday at 10am they have a clinic, I'm blocking off my entire Saturday... I normally work all weekend every weekend but hopefully we'll get enough on Saturday and can possibly record some friday night or sunday afternoon.
**I've just emailed Jason's senior seminar teacher about filmming his presentation which is Monday October 15th @ 2pm (do you have class during this time? I have a break from 1pm until 7pm that night). His name is Dr. Kim-a fan of Jason.. in the email i asked if he'd like to say a few quick words about Jason, so maybe we'll get a little character comments from him.

I've began developing some questions for both Jasons coach, and a few for the head of the psychology dept: please add/begin thinking of some ?'s as well and let me know what you think:

For His Coach:
- Did you know Jason before the acciedent? (and if yes) Any differences you can describe from before and after?
-Did you visit him in the hospital (and if so) can you describe the visit (how you felt/what you saw)?
-How did you hear about the accident (time/place/thoughts)
-From the accident Jason suffered memory loss, was this an apparent problem during the rehabilitation process- of re-learning locross cognatively? or was it more just the physical process? (Mario, maybe you can help me rephrase this ?... I think you have more interviewing experience than I do)
--Jason didn't have a lot of encouragement, in the way that he'd be able to do the physical things it takes to play lacrosse again. When was it that you knew he could?

For the Psychologist/Memory specialist
-Jason was 13 when he experienced a severe head trauma leaving him unconscience in a coma for about a month. Can you describe what happeens to the brain during this (for a lack of a better word) "process"?
-Have you done any research/studies of subjects who have experienced memory loss? (if so) What have you found both cognatively and physically?
-Any kind of statisticks you can provide of the likelyhook of this kind of recovery?

I'm meeting with Jason tomorrow morning to get the contact information for the two hospitals he went to after the accident, Hopefully while I'm there we can call and get those records on their way to us, I'm trying to wait until we have those to email the head of the Psychology Dept.. that way we'll have some actual medical info to ask him about.

I've been blogging...www.creedsthoughs.com/www.creedthoughts

So this past Sunday Mario and I got some great footage of JDog. He went to Myrtle Beach for the weekend for a Lacrosse Tourny and had just gotten back, they went undefeated and won it so he was stoked. I was very pleased with what we got. I have been wondering if it would be possible to 'capture' his essence on tape but after Sunday I feel that will most defiantly not be a problem. We ended up shooting for a while, taking breaks and grabbing the camera trying not to miss anything. JDog spoke of a lot of different things, we got him talking on the phone with his grandma on loudspeaker-adorable. Ended up using an entire minidv tape, it's going to be hard to keep it down to only 6 tapes-but for the editing process I know it will be easier if we do. Anywho thats an update on whats up.

J Dog Resurrection

The topic will be Jason Kenuk. The story will cover his life including: the tragic accident he was involved in on July 27, 1998, the loss of his mother, the loss of his memory of life before the accident, the rehabilitation process, past and future surgeries, and what he has accomplished/where he is in life today.

At its core the drama is Jason’s struggle to overcome what he was told was virtually impossible. After the accident his life and future abilities were uncertain. Jason describes his biggest obstacle as overcoming the negativity of those around him due in part to them not wanting to give him false hope. The loss of his mother will contribute to the drama of the story as well as his inability to remember having a mother. In every situation he sees an opportunity for good. A positive dramatic point will be the inspiration Jason feels in everyday life and the upbeat character his has become.

Stylistically we plan that the majority of shooting will be done using a handheld camera with the exception of sit down interviews. Close ups will be used during dramatic moments. Most of what we envision stylistically will be communicated during the editing process, touching on the experimental side.

The most important interview(s) to be conducted will be with Jason Kenuk because he is the heart of the story. Mr. Val Curran is his hometown lacrosse coach who will be coming to Wilmington the second weekend in October. This man is extremely important to interview because Jason credits him as his biggest source of encouragement during his rehabilitation process. Mr. Curran is the one person that worked with Jason to improve on a daily basis and got him to a level at which he was able to play lacrosse again. Jason’s father, John Kenuk, is another person we hope to interview. Mr. Kenuk can provide information of life prior to the accident as well as a better understanding of the Kenuk’s family life during the accident and rehabilitation. He can also provide more information of Jason’s rehabilitation and what actually occurred (as Jason does not remember all of his time recuperating due to being in a coma, in out of consciousness, and memory loss). Paul Gilbert is the head lacrosse coach at Cape Fear Academy where Jason currently coaches lacrosse, swimming, and substitute teaches. Brent, Andy, and Charles are three lacrosse players at CFA who have been trained and inspired by Jason. These four people will be good to interview for an idea of Jason’s character, motivational personality, and dedication to helping others.
Ideally it would be a huge addition to interview one of Jason’s physical therapists (he was very close to them and believes they will be happy to help with the documentary). Jason is close with many people from his home town that will be willing to comment on Jason pre and post accident including a high school teacher/advisor. Another idea would be to interview a Psychologist preferably who specials in memory who could give statistics of the likelihood of the rehabilitation Jason has made.

Articles:
1. Book: Reversing Memory Loss By: Vernon H. Mark M.D.
(I’ve written an excerpt because I feel it relates extremely closely with Jason’s case)
Amnesia and Closed-Head Injuries
The immediate consequences of head injury may be retrograde amnesia, in which the victim has difficulty recalling events that preceded the brain injury, or antrograde amnesia, in which the victim blocks out for a matter of minutes to hours, or sometimes even days, the events following a head injury.
That’s what happened to Karen, a fifty-seven-year-old instructor, who was sitting in the passenger seat of an automobile struck head-on by a drunken driver speeding in the wrong lane. She was unconscious for a time following the injury and was in the hospital for several weeks. She then began to make a gradual recover, to the extent that six months later she returned to teaching. Karen then found that her ability to study and teach was compromised, which clearly signaled memory problems since the recent-memory function is central to the acquisition of new information-that is, to learning. Karen had to transfer many of her students to other teachers and dropped down to limited teaching.
She sued the drunken driver, but when the case went to trial, the insurance company covering the other driver minimized Karen’s problems, saying that because she was able to teach in a college, she couldn’t have suffered major brain injury. It was at this point that we undertook a full evaluation of Karen’s case, including neuropsychological and psychodiagnostic tests as well as brain wave studies, neurological examinations, and a CAT scan of the brain. Karen’s brain examinations showed a previously unsuspected hole inside her brain which had been caused by the destruction of brain tissue at the time of the accident. This loss of brain tissue resulted in her loss of memory.
Karen’s case has two important lessons. First, even patients over fifty who have had major brain injuries may recover a significant amount of their mental abilities, so that inexperienced observers may say that they are completely normal when they are not. And second, even when such recovery takes place, a full neurological evaluation is necessary to pinpoint residual problems. This is important not only in working out programs for future rehabilitation but also in determining the amount of functional loss. When Karen’s loss was presented to a jury she was compensated with over $3 million in damages.
In my experience, neither the patient nor the physician should ever give up hope of recovery after a serious head injury. The mental abilities of one of my patients, a sixty-three-year-old man who had experienced severe intellectual deterioration and memory loss after a major head injury, were significantly restored five years after the damage to his brain occurred. Such improvement is more likely in a close-than in an open-head injury because extreme loss of brain tissue is less common in patients who suffer closed –head injury.

2. Book: Neuropsychology of Memory Second Edition Edited by: Larry R Squire and Nelson Butters
This book has a few sections that are helpful but the main one is called Posttraumatic and Retrograde Amnesia after Closed Head Injury. It describes the early stages of recovery after an injury that leads to a coma and in turn memory loss. It covers the definition and measurement of posttraumatic amnesia and the duration of posttraumatic amnesia in relation to the duration of a coma.

3. Article: Empowerment through the sport context: a model to guide research for individuals with disability Taken from Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly
(http://0-web.ebscohost.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/ehost/detail?vid=9&hid=13&sid=2757009c-f5c3-4340-8989-766c81161b63%40SRCSM1)
This article discusses sport as a rehabilitative philosophy and the concept of empowerment in relation to sport for individuals with disabilities. The article gives information on empowerment through sport on an individual level for someone who is in rehabilitation. The article relates to Jason’s rehabilitation both mentally and physically.

4. Article: How Exercise Builds Your Brain and Reverses Memory Loss
(http://0-web.ebscohost.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/ehost/detail?vid=10&hid=13&sid=2757009c-f5c3-4340-8989-766c81161b63%40SRCSM1)
This article discusses how brain tissue loss can be minimized through physical exercise. The article discusses brain tissue loss through age, however is still relevant during the rehabilitation process proceeding Jason’s injury and time spent in the hospital.

5. An Exploration of the Relationships Between Memory and Sport From Sociology of Sport Journal.
(http://0-web.ebscohost.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/ehost/detail?vid=13&hid=13&sid=2757009c-f5c3-4340-8989-766c81161b63%40SRCSM1)
This article discusses the relationship between sport and personal memory. In a conducted study results show that “our memories of sport link us not only to the institution but also to significant group relationships and important episodes in our lives.”

Hands on a Hardbody

On a note aside from the work-in-progress documentary,

I enjoyed this film and thought that stylistically it was shot well. I liked the lower budget look and feel it had as if it was a home movie caught on tape. It was apparent that the filmmakers got so into in that I believe they didn't take breaks because by the end they became a big delusional which added to the film. I liked the different point of views of each character mixed with the editing style. Parts of the film that were in slow motion were edited in more as the film progressed. The pace of the film was enjoyable and pleasing, in the beginning of the film everything seemed a lot more planned out and clean whereas as the film progressed what was before "clean" began to get a bit sloppy (through editing and camera positioning). All in all I thought it was well told and shot in a way that was interesting instead of loosing some of the impact due to the length of a full feature film.

Group Meeting 9/23

I thought our meeting went well. We're coming closer to our direction. I spoke with Jason and he is available Sunday evening for an interview at his house. He'll be coming back from a Lacrosse Tourny (He should be back b/w 4 and 5... So we should be prepared to shoot the interview between 6 and 7) A concern would be that he would be too tired/worn out and I asked him if he thought that would be the case and if so we could do it sometime Monday perhaps... but he is all about doing it Sunday he said he shouldnt be worn out, so all systems go. I'll write more a bit later after I continue researching... I've gotten several names of people to interview (His Lacrosse coach who will be coming in town the weekend of October 12th- Mr. Val Curran, The Cape Fear Lacrosse coach- Paul Gilbert, a few players/goalies he's trained: Brent, Andy, and Charles).

Group Meeting

Mario and Griffin,
Spoke to Jason, he's able to meet with us on sunday night at 7pm.. he went home to jersey today for an MRI for his next surgery (kidney) and I asked him to speak to his family/friends/Physical Therapists about being interviewed.. he seemed pretty encouraged that the town would be more than willing to participate in some interviews. I'll see you all on sunday!

Afterbirth...yummmmm

Talk to Me

One could almost call this Documentary a Journey Film but not in the sense that the filmmaker is showing the journey of an onscreen character, but rather the journey of 20 years of his lifetime. Viewing this film is a journey. I was very intrigued by the way the film was shot. I wonder if it was just a GIANT collage because I did not notice any cuts, just the camera moving along. I personally thought this was one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. For one reason, I had never seen a documentary like this one or can even recall another film that mirrors this one. The structure of the documentary was impressively original. I also enjoyed the time development that occurred by playing the messages in conjunction with showing pictures during the time period in which the messages were recorded. Faces were changing and growing older through out as well as emotional changes. Voices were changing from happy to sad telling the time has passed and an excitement they once had was gone, or visa versa. Another surprisingly intelligent part of this film was the ability to use the camera to force the attention to any direction it pleased. Often time was apparent (through layered messages such as the young woman having a baby) but time being apparent was also intermingled with times that were not (such as the “party people” of the documentary). I feel that the filmmaker used this notion of time and the knowledge of real time to carry the viewer through the three major time periods of the film (the beginning when he was younger and partying, to the growing up portion, until the end when his father dies.) I thought it was a very interesting concept and worked extremely well for a documentary film.

Window Water Baby Moving

I can appreciate the topic of this film, it’s honestly not something I would prefer to see so graphically however I thought the way in which the makers went about creating this film and editing this film was creative. Time was told through editing and interchanging past and present. There is a definite structure to the film, showing the period of time before the child is born. This part of the film is slower and more intimate as you can see the love in the woman’s eye. Although the man is never fully pictured you can sense him on the other side of the camera from her expression juxtaposed with their hands on her stomach. As the child is being born the film quickens and shots are edited together to show the birth. It is at this point in the film that time is not always apparent. The process of the birth is shown, reversed, and paired with previous shots of the calm bathtub prior to the birth. Although this was graphic, I like the way the filmmakers kind of montaged these shots together. The last structural part of the film is of course the child appearing out of the womb. I don’t really know why the doctor decided to cut the placenta open for all to see, but hey it’s experimental film right?

The Dealy YO!

Okay so here's my pitch...

This project would be a profile piece about a good friend of mine Jason Kenuk. He had a horrible accident when he was younger(lost his mother, was in a pronounced dead, in a coma, was told he would not walk again), and the main focus would be about his recuperation, struggle, ect.. but it could possibly lean in a direction of his character to date. He is extremely motivational and has the utmost positive outlook on life, and he also loves to freestyle (he's hilarious). I feel this piece would be a good mix of dramatic emotions (sad, happy, laughter, tears..).

The topic: Jason Kenuk (J-Dog Resurrected)
Tone/Mode: Mix... sadness followed by inspiration followed by laughter and appreciation.
This would make a kickass short because it covers a lot and will maintain interest, he just has a great story and is a truly original character.
The plan: I would interview Jason many times I'm sure, I would also like to take a trip one weekend to Jersey if possible (I know it's far but it would add so much to the film) and interview his lacrosse coach (this is the one man who did not give up on him-Jason's lacrosse coach practiced with him every day to help gain back movement and strength.. and eventually Jason became an all state player and got into college for Lacrosse before he transferred to UNCW) I'd also like to try to interview some of the doctors he currently visits (he has continuous surgeries.. his next is on his kidney) as well as doctors that worked with him during the time of the accident (Jason still keeps in touch with some/most of them) I'd get footage of him playing lacrosse today and get commentaries from coaches/players (he is a lacrosse coach at cape fear academy, played UNCW club lacrosse, and is now playing for a Wilmington Men's Rec Group) If traveling is not an option there are two friends that live in Wilmington that knew Jason at the time of the accident.. commentaries. And I would also like to keep the camera close and catch Jason during some of his inspirational rampages/flowing freestyles.
The only technical challenges I can think of would be traveling to Jersey for a weekend, but if planned out correctly I think things could get accomplished.
Jason is aware I am pitching this project and he's all about it (we're getting him on Oprah one of these days) With the issue of interviewing doctors/nurses some accessibility problems may occur but I'm hoping if this get picked up and a trip can be made that Jason can talk to them on a personal level and get them to spare a few moments for questions.
I'm the right person to direct this film because I know his story, I know him.. he's one of my dearest friends and is always willing to create a positive outlook, and I can always tell when he's going to say something amazing..
The audience is anyone really, anyone who's had a tragedy happen to them personally or had any kind of major life struggle.
I would want this film to screen at independent film festivals, and most defiantly locally.
This idea is already unique and I believe audiences will care for one solid reason: I don't know a single person who's ever known his story that hasn't been touched.

Blue Vinyl

In Blue Vinyl filmmakers Judith Helfand and Daniel Gold tap into the truth about vinyl and the harmful effect of PVC. The film opens up with a scene from Helfand’s parents home which is being redecorated with blue vinyl siding. In reference to the Rabiger readings I feel the opening of this documentary does a good job introducing the projects “world” including some main characters of the film. Humor is used throughout the film to prove points and keep the audience interested. Judith Helfand’s parents were two of my favorite characters in the film. They brought in an every day kind of feeling to the project which addresses how easy it is to flow with what is popular to the public while disregarding the negative side to vinyl. The beginning of the film sets up a plot-like underlying story of the documentary, that is can this filmmaker who is so passionate about PVC’s harmful effects influence her own parents to employ a more environment friendly house treatment. (Although I have not seen the end yet, I believe if she successfully does this, the documentary will be that much more informative of how to get around using vinyl).

The documentary takes on the point of view of Judith Helfand (referred to as a Single Point of View via Rabiger) having her in most of the shots or just next to the camera having an off screen voice of her questioning someone/thing. The film supports her point of view by her narration throughout the piece.

I believe the filmmakers do a good job showing different sides to their argument (as mentioned by Rabiger) and not just showing only the views that support their feelings on the subject. The two filmmakers use many credible sources during the duration of the film. Scientist and Professors are expert witnesses used to explain and inform of the harmful effects. Testimonies from local residents surrounding PVC factories provide a more personal opinion and footage of PVC melt downs represent a visual image providing the harm of such an incident can not be ignored.

Documentary Idea(s)

A Documentary idea I’ve had over the past few years is a profile on a best friend of mine named Jason Kenuk. In 1998 when he was twelve years old he and his mother were driving on the highway when they were hit by a driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel. Both Jason and his mother were pronounced dead and transported via helicopter to the hospital. Jason’s mother passed and he was kept on life support. Jason was in a coma for months and doctors told his father to plan his funeral. After Jason woke he was told (among other negative things) he would never be able to walk again. He has no memory of the time period of his life before the accident. He knows his mother was a great lady, but does not remember her. Today Jason is one of the most inspirational characters I have ever met. Although he will continue to have frequent surgeries over his lifetime he sees a positive side to every problem, has done motivational speeches, and has won several lacrosse awards. Jason describes the hardest part about post accident was acceptance and overcoming the negativity from others around him in reference of his future capabilities. He’s just an all around great guy with an awesomely inspirational story.

Other topics that are of most interest to myself are: Music, Beach/Ocean (would like to look into the surfrider foundation) the real silver surfer seems very interesting and living at Wrightsville Beach I have heard of his story – anything having to do with surfing/waves/beach is something I’d love to research, and I think it would be cool to do a profile piece on Marshall the Photographer which is a guy who is notorious downtown for taking pictures and I bet has a crazy awesome living space (like crazy buffalo bill style).

Response To Readings This Week

Reproduction – is there an unbiased Documentary? Probably not.

I like the idea Richter has brought up about the novel adapting itself over the last fifty years to film. With growing technology in the film industry, is it possible that the images created in a readers mind (as they journey through a novel) could be identically created on screen? In response to the relation of film as entertainment and as a form of art, I wonder if film art and film entertainment could become identical… would/could the minds who seek entertainment from films ever be able to see this piece of work as an art form? Would they see all the aspects that are involved in the creation of this art form? As time progresses I do agree that the general audience transforms however I am pessimistic in thinking the two views (entertainment vs. art) will eventually become identical. All in all I enjoyed this reading and thought Richter had creative ideas.

The reading from the book made me think more about filming a documentary. For instance re-enactments or certain things that are imperative to the substance of a documentary that can not be filmed for one valid reason or another. I thought the readings were very helpful and to the point (much appreciated), especially chapter 3 which throws out some simple ideas that could be used to make a point or allow reflection. I feel this book will be a good guideline for the preparation as well as process of filming a documentary. I loved the quote by Marketa Kimbrell in Chapter 10 about work-it’s a deep rooted belief of mine. I liked this chapter because it touches on finding yourself and your passions. I like the idea of a dream log, I’ve woken up at times and thought “what a good movie that would be” many times. This idea, along with much of Chapter 11 will help to organize and develop some of my thoughts and visions. Overall I found the readings to be interesting in a way that I can see myself taking a lot from them and gaining knowledge… which I feel is too few and far between these days in school assigned readings.