My first documentary (completed in 2011) is finally online!
There’s something to be said for a project without a due date. In October of 2007, I heard my great Aunt Hope tell a riveting childhood story of escaping a flood in the small town of Malott in Okanogan County, WA. At sixteen years old, I was considering documentary filmmaking, and the story sounded like a great opportunity to test the waters! If only I’d known how much time it would cost me…
Through the rest of the year and into 2008, I did research here and there, finding only one short article and a book memoir, written by a flood survivor. By 2009, I wrapped up most of my highschool requirements and dove into uncovering the story of the flood, contacting extended family members and getting scattered bits of the story. I also went through the memoir again, copying down names and bibliographic references to search obituary records and websites. That didn’t take me very far, so I contacted the historical society near Malott in hopes of finding contact information for any of the names in the book. The Okanogan Historical Society opened the door and the contacts started appearing.
In 2010, I took two road trips around Washington state, collecting phonebooks from areas near Malott and interviewing as many survivors as we found. Many were still spread through Washington, though one had moved to Texas and another to Montana. I contacted them all, eager to get the story straight, with as much detail as possible. Over the phone, many sounded suspicious at first, but once I mentioned my great grandfather’s name and the nature of my project, most people could hardly stop talking!
I met dozens of incredible people that I will never forget, and it is because of all the amazing stories that editing took me hundreds of hours. Without any previous experience, I nearly drowned in 30 hours of footage (small potatoes!). I transcribed every interview and created at least forty-two drafts of the story, with most drafts far too broad and factual. Talking heads became the bane of my existence, as I tearfully scribbled ideas into my production notebook, in tatters from adventures and hours of writing and re-writing notes and outlines. Sure, I’d shot a lot of b-roll, but footage I desperately hoped to look professional didn’t turn out the way I wanted. Through all of this, I learned why there are film crews: a single person cannot successfully produce, write, direct, budget, shoot, narrate, and edit a documentary project. At the very least, someone with no experience shouldn’t attempt it and expect a feature-length professional-looking documentary! In the agony of editing, I started college at MHCC, where I met my amazing video profs in the Integrated Media program. I laid out my precious project for scrutiny, and the initial critique made me sick. Looking back, I am forever indebted to my teachers for taking so many hours to work with me and point out my blind spots.
This project was, in many ways, a turning point in my career. I learned hundreds of valuable lessons the hard way, and that experience can’t be bought. In addition to the video production side of the project, I found great fun in digging up old stories, visiting courthouses, checking out county plat maps, verifying contradicting accounts, traveling across Washington state, flying in an ancient passenger plane, exploring deserted ruins and meeting fascinating people. Through the ups and downs, this project enriched my perspective on life and filmmaking.
Equipment used:
–Sony FX1
–Canon HV30
-ancient tripod
–Sennheiser EW122-p G3
