The last one...

 It's over :(

Hey... So this is my last blog ever, and it's a tad bit bittersweet. I'm so excited for you to finally get to see my portfolio, but that means this is all over. It's been a blast being at Aice Media the last two years, and I hope you enjoy!

Link to Documentary :)

When Your Life Turns to Ashes: Documentary Excerpt

(If you want to see the full version, check it out here.) 

Link to Social Media 

When Your Life Turns to Ashes: Social Media Demo

Link to Magazine Article 

This feels crazy to say but...

For the last time 

- Emma <3

Critical Reflection

 

Critical Reflection for "When Your Life Turns to Ashes"

The documentary "When Your Life Turns to Ashes" focuses on the aftermath of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and the impact of grief on individuals and the community. This includes many different stages of grief and recovery that can affect a family or friend's ability to move on. Within this piece three individuals were featured who were each directly or indirectly affected or impacted by the shooting.

These past two years in Aice Media have truly taught me so much about planning when it comes to production, and I truly believe that that is something that helped me so much in this process. I'll be honest to say that the second I came up with this idea with my friend Orianna, I couldn't have this documentary be anything different. It was something that from the literal first blog I wrote, I was infatuated by the concept, and I needed to do this to the best of my ability. 

I mean to be completely honest, I spent a ridiculous amount of time researching with about 25 different tabs open, all working to shape and form an understanding of concepts that would be discussed within the documentary. Research played a fundamental role when it comes to the documentary conventions in understanding grief, prolonged grief disorder, and survivor's guilt. This research also informed me of topics I should steer away from/towards for my interviewees. For example, Rylan was more comfortable talking about the day than the grief and recovery process, whereas Mitch breezed over the conversation of the day and was much more thorough in his conversation about grief. Before the beginning of these interviews though, I spent hours on end researching studies, articles, and personal accounts that discussed how individuals cope with this. That's not even discussing how much time and energy it took to contact and, to be completely honest with you, convince my three subjects to do this documentary. I mean to be completely curt, these three individuals were directly impacted by the MSD shooting one way or another, so for me to have an almost 2-hour conversation with most of them became difficult if they weren't entirely comfortable with the concept. Something that was really important to me was also just being extremely respectful and understanding of people. I paid really close attention to how other documentaries approach topics like this and even had conversations with Mrs. Stoklosa regarding how I should react and respond to my subjects if the interview were to get a little bit more emotional. During my interviews, I used open-ended questions, which, in my opinion, allowed the audience to connect with the interviewees at a deeper level. 

In terms of conventions, "When Your Life Turns to Ashes" really is more of an observational piece. For me, I felt that I should be prioritizing the voice of the interviewees rather than my own voice, and to let their story be heard without my voice to carry it along. I think for me it was a matter of respect in that I didn't want to intervene or interrupt their personal narrative, and I felt the piece would be a lot more integral this way. However, I also made conscious choices to incorporate elements that reflect my own perspective and approach. This includes a strong emphasis on establishing a personal connection with the interviewees before filming, which comes through in the intimacy of the interviews.

Audience engagement was also something heavily considered within this project; this can be seen in decisions within the documentary, the social media campaign, as well as the magazine article. I think with a documentary like this, the human aspect is really important. If someone can sit down and empathize with what is going on, they will be more drawn to how strong the MSD community is after the shooting. The primary goal is really just to create contact that is respectful while drawing at the heartstrings of what was lost that day. If you can see to the left, one of the ways I did this was with memorial posts where individuals could engage with posts of each victim of said shooting. Within the captions, their families are discussed, and how they carry on their legacy instead of letting grief overcome them. Honestly, my entire aim with the documentary is to create a space of reflection and understanding of the nature of grief and the resiliency of humans. 

The social media campaign was designed to extend the reach of the documentary so that it was not only explained there but also continued within the documentary, where you could read more about each of the families rather than just the ones mentioned within the documentary. The magazine article also offered a different mode of engagement, providing a deeper perspective of the interviewees. By describing their individual stories and incorporating key quotes from the interviews, the article invites readers to connect with their journeys on a personal level.

Something else that was really important to the reinforced identity of this portfolio was also the brand identity and cohesiveness. I would say the "brand" of "When Your Life Turns to Ashes" is centered around the basis of sensitivity, respect, and minimalist style. This is reflected in a lot of different ways, but I think a major one would be the color scheme of maroon and black, and the font family used on all platforms. Something that I felt was really important within the documentary was how the lower thirds, graphics, and social media all came together to form a cohesive brand. I think that while it may seem small, having the same collective design allows for an emphasis on the emotions felt. With such a sensitive subject, creating a brand identity could either go very right or very wrong in terms of being respectful to the family and loved ones of those lost. The overall goal was to make the brand feel authentic, compassionate, and dedicated to those affected by the tragedy, and I'm happy to say I think with my creation, I was able to do that. 

This documentary is honestly really largely related to major social issues, specifically how harsh the effects of major school shootings can have on individuals and how they cope with grief. It represents how people's lives really crumble when they lose a loved one to a tragedy, and how many people can be affected by this loss. Aiming to portray their stories, the documentary addresses the topic with sensitivity and respect because I felt as though this piece would not appeal to anyone if it were not done correctly. I'll be honest to say when I first discussed my concept with my teacher or friends they all said the same thing, "Are you sure Emma?" and to that I responded I've never been so sure of something. This piece really addresses something that is so heavy to talk about, and there comes the issue: people don't talk about it. School shootings are something that unfortunately happens every day, but as Mitch says in his interview, without a support group, parents and loved ones feel so alone when this happens. In being able to represent these social groups and issues, the project strives to be the center for the voices that were affected and show them that they are not alone and that there are others with them. There is such a deep importance to support those who are grieving and advocate for honoring the lives lost and the healing of our community.

Creating "When Your Life Turns to Ashes" has been the most impactful experience of my life. It's corny to say, but I'm sitting here tearing up thinking about how much this project has changed me as a person. I know that sounds stupid, but honestly, I've said this to so many people over the past month or so, but this is the first thing I've created where I genuinely understand why I'm doing this. Journalism for me has always been a passion, but this documentary made me realize how much good this career can do for people. Getting to talk to my three interviewees and so many others at the MSD memorial made me realize how thrilled people are to just have someone supporting them and someone who cares. Something that Mitch Dworet said to m,e and it has stuck with me since the day I met him: "I don't want to talk about the day my son was taken from me, I want to talk about everything I've done since that day," and I've never understood something so deeply. These parents are exhausted of talking about school shooters and losing their kids; they work to grieve and cope, and they do that through all the incredible advocacy they've done for their community. Honestly, I wish I had more time to work on this project because if I did, this documentary would've been at least an hour long. 

I've just never been so proud of something I have created before, and I am truly so excited for you to get to see the work I've been able to do. I feel as though I have gained such a deeper understanding of this topic and grown so much. My project will be posted in the next blog, but if you'd like to check out the full 10-minute documentary, please watch it here! :)

Until next time 

- Emma <3

Last comments :((

One last time...

Hey blog. So today is my last blog before I post my project and critical reflection, and honestly, I just wanted to take this time to reflect on my project less seriously. I just now finished my article & social media to completion, and there is a two-day countdown till everything is published.  

With everything now finalized, I've been allowing myself a little bit of time to just... reflect. It's been such a long and intense process, and I've poured so much of myself into this project. It's a bit surreal to think that it's all coming to a close.

I am just really proud of everything I've been able to accomplish this past year, and it's pretty sad that it's all over. I cannot wait for you to get to see my project!!! I don't have much to add other than that everything is pretty finalized, and I'm really excited and ready to post everything 

Until Next Time - 

Emma <3

CCR & Final Production Blog Post

 CCR final planning 

Hey everyone,

So sad to say today's my last ever production blog post :( This has been such an incredible journey, and honestly, I'm so sad that it's over...

But nonetheless, the final stages of the project are now underway, and I need to begin my CCR essay. This essay serves as an opportunity to reflect on the entire process of creating "When Your Life Turns to Ashes."

The project has evolved from its initial documentary excerpt, social media component, and a magazine article into a journey for me to be honest, and has opened my eyes to the world around me. The CCR will involve an analysis of the decisions made throughout the development of these elements as well as my emotional journey through this all. To be honest like I never really thought about situations so thoroughly but through the hours of interviews I underwent I really started to reflect on not only how shitty our world can be but also how much we all take our lives for granted. 

My focus for the essay is to include the research that informed the project, the audience engagement across different platforms, the ways in which production elements contributed to the overall branding, and the representation of relevant social issues.

Preparation for the CCR for me is going to be reviewing research materials, initial project plans, and previous blog entries to provide a comprehensive reflection on the creative and technical choices made. 

With the final deadline approaching, the completion of the CCR will mark the conclusion of this project.

Until next time

- Emma <3

Magazine Article Nearing Completion

Magazines done!! Yay :)

I'm so excited to finally say that the magazine article component of my project, "Grief of Those Lost to Shootings," is officially done! It's been a really interesting and rewarding journey to translate the documentary's themes and the interviewees' powerful stories into a print format.

As I mentioned before, this article is designed to complement "When Your Life Turns to Ashes" by offering a deeper dive into the perspectives of Mitch Dworet, Rylan Knox, and Lindsay Carpenter. I wanted to create a piece that not only informs but also resonates emotionally with readers, just like the documentary does.

The overall structure of the article is built around the voices of these three individuals. It begins with an expanded introduction that sets the stage by addressing the broader context of grief in the aftermath of school shootings. I wanted to establish the urgency and relevance of this topic, drawing attention to the sheer number of tragedies that have occurred. As I wrote:

"With the recent release of 'When Your Life Turns to Ashes,' directed by Emma Luckman, a crucial spotlight is cast upon the profound and multifaceted ways in which grief manifests in the aftermath of a school shooting. In a nation grappling with an alarming frequency of such tragedies – with over 1700 school shootings recorded in the past decade according to data from k12ssdb.org – the documentary compels audiences to confront the enduring consequences that extend far beyond the immediate loss of life."

This introduction also emphasizes the specific focus of the documentary on the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and the Dworet family's experience, which serves as a central thread.

Each interviewee then has a dedicated section, allowing their individual narratives to unfold.

Mitch Dworet: In his section, titled "A Father's Unending Love," I focused on capturing the depth of his love for Nicholas and the enduring nature of his grief. I included poignant quotes from his interview, such as:

"He was known as the 'swim daddy,'" to highlight Nicholas's role as a leader.

"He had earned an academic scholarship and committed to joining the University of Indianapolis swim team, where he planned to study finance," to emphasize his son's potential.

I also included the heartbreaking detail about Nicholas's dream of visiting Hawaii, which was cut short, to underscore the lasting impact of his loss.

Rylan Knox: Rylan's section, "Surviving the Unthinkable," provides a firsthand student perspective. I aimed to convey the confusion and fear of that day, as well as the long-term emotional toll. Quotes like:

"It was just a normal day at school...last class of the day, the fire alarm went off and we all kind of started packing up our stuff to go to the fire drill...Everybody's like, a little annoyed, like, come on, we just had a fire drill,"

help to place the reader in her experience.

Lindsay Carpenter: Finally, Lindsay Carpenter's section, "Finding a Path Forward," offers expert insights into grief and recovery. Her words provide a sense of hope and guidance.

Writing this article has been a deeply moving experience. It's reinforced the importance of sharing these personal narratives and the enduring impact of events like the Stoneman Douglas shooting. I hope the article effectively complements the documentary and provides readers with a deeper understanding of the complexities of grief and the resilience of the human spirit.

I'm really proud of how this print component has come together, and I'm excited to share it alongside the rest of the project!

Until next time,

Emma <3

Social Media Page!!

 Social Media designs are complete!

Hey!! So I'm not sure the last time I updated you on social media, but I'll be honest to say that recently it's really been slipping my mind. So during the first couple of weeks of my project, I was posting a memorial post every day to engage with viewers over the lives lost and the impact it caused. The captions contained stories of the person they were as well as their families and their efforts to honor their children, even though the grief of losing a child is so difficult. 

Here's an example of how those posts looked and the captions that went with them. 

Caption: Today, we honor Nicholas Paul Dworet. Nicholas was a 17-year-old senior and swim team captain at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, when he was killed in the school shooting. Known as the "swim daddy," Nicholas was dedicated to his training and helped his teammates practice. He had earned an academic scholarship and committed to joining the University of Indianapolis swim team, where he planned to study finance.

Please visit his memorial website https://nicholasdworetfund.org/ or swim for Nick for more information.

This is just one example of the 17 that were posted on Instagram to honor the lives of those lost at the MSD shooting. Once my series of these was posted, I moved on to more of the documentary side of posts. For example, I met the director, met the featured interviewees, and saw a coming soon poster for the documentary. Which you can see below :))

After this, I kind of finished the posts for this episode and began to set up the next episode to be released. As you know, this documentary is actually a series, so the next episode will focus on the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Because I'm mainly done with the posts for this side of it, I'm going to work on designing a post to introduce the Sandy Hook tragedy. 

Well... I started this blog at 7:40... It's now 8:40, but oh well!! First Instagram post for the second episode has been created :))) Here's a time-lapse of me designing!

I'm so tired after making that, to be honest, so I'm going to sign off, but 

Until next time - 

Emma <3

CCR :))

Reflection time 

 So, spring break went by so quickly, but now it's back to reality and the final push to get everything ready for the portfolio. That includes finally writing my CCR.

I'm honestly really sad because I'm coming to the end of my Aice Media Journey, and I just wanted to take a second to reflect. These past two years have been nothing but incredible, and I genuinely feel like I've grown so much in this class. Aice Media has taught me so many important life skills, and I am so sad it's ending so soon. These are my last few blogs of high school,l and so let's try and make them good. But I'll be honest to say (and if you told me this last year I would've laughed in your face) but I'm going to miss getting to write these :(((

Ok done being sad and reflective on the curriculum lol!! For those of you who might not know, the CCR, or Critical and Contextual Response, is basically where we get to really analyze our whole project – for me, that's the documentary, the social media campaign, and the magazine article. It's our chance to explain all the decisions we made and why. Honestly, while critiquing my own work can be a tad bit difficult to do, I do think this is a super important part of the process. It helps me solidify everything I've learned while creating "When Your Life Turns to Ashes," as well as any mistakes that I can learn from in future work. 

Looking at the breakdown of what the CCR entails this year, the 1000-word essay format definitely feels a bit more straightforward than having to produce two videos like we did last year. Those videos were a lot of work on top of everything else, so I'm appreciating the chance to really focus my energy on thoughtful writing for this part.

My Initial Thoughts on the CCR Questions for "When Your Life Turns to Ashes"

The four questions we need to address are:

• How did your research inform your products and the way they use or challenge conventions?
• How do your products engage with the audience?
• How did elements of production work together to create a sense of "branding"?
• How do your products represent social groups or issues?

As I've been thinking about "When Your Life Turns to Ashes," some initial ideas are already forming around these questions:

1. The Role of Research and Conventions: My deep understanding of grief, prolonged grief, and survivor's guilt was absolutely the backbone of this entire project. I really had to research and understand everything prior to going into these interviews to ensure I was ethical and informed in everything I was touching base on. It influenced the questions I asked in the interviews, how I connected with Mitch, Rylan, and Lindsay, and even the overall feeling I wanted the documentary to have. When it comes to conventions, I've definitely watched other documentaries that handle difficult and sensitive subjects, paying attention to how they structure their narratives, conduct interviews, and build trust with their contributors. For the CCR, I'll need to analyze where I intentionally followed those established approaches to create a respectful and understandable viewing experience, and also consider if there were areas where I tried to bring my own perspective or style - I would definitely say that comes into play when forming relationships prior to the interview in making sure they felt comfortable and cared for in the interview process.

2. Connecting with the Audience: This is something that's been really important to me throughout this whole process. I truly hope that "When Your Life Turns to Ashes" will resonate with people on an emotional level, especially those who might have experienced similar losses. Every choice I made in the editing room, the music I carefully selected to underscore the emotions, and the way I framed the interviews were done with the audience in mind. When Your Life Turns to Ashes is something that doesn't only relate to this one episode. Essentially, this series will turn to focus on all school shootings, but it all has this underlying purpose of losing someone so suddenly. I mean, truly,y my interviewees and so many others' lives were really detrimentally changed when they got that phone call at 3am telling them their child was gone forever. For the social media aspect, creating those daily tributes was a conscious effort to honor each individual and hopefully create a shared space for remembrance. And with the magazine article, my goal is to offer a more in-depth exploration of the interviewees' personal stories, inviting readers to connect with their journeys on a deeper level.

3. Building a "Brand": It's interesting to think about "branding" for a documentary like this. For me, the overall feeling I wanted to create was one of sensitivity, respect, and a genuine focus on the human side of grief and healing. The consistent use of those maroon and black colors across the documentary itself, my social media posts, and the magazine design definitely contributes to a visual consistency. Even the fonts I've chosen and the tone of my writing in the social media captions and the magazine article are all intended to reinforce this sense of thoughtful reflection. I'll need to really analyze how all these different elements work together to create that overall impression.

4. Representing Important Issues: This documentary directly tackles the incredibly important issue of grief, specifically in the context of the tragic school shooting. It aims to represent the experiences of individuals who have faced unimaginable loss and trauma, highlighting their resilience and their ongoing journeys. My intention was to portray their stories with empathy and avoid anything that felt exploitative or sensational. Lindsay's expertise as a grief specialist also provides a broader understanding of the complexities of grief. For the CCR, I'll be looking at specific moments in the documentary and the other components to illustrate how these representations are made and what I hoped to communicate through them.

My plan is to structure the essay in a way that clearly addresses each of these questions. I'll start with an introduction that sets the context for "When Your Life Turns to Ashes" and outlines the main themes I've explored. Then, I'll dedicate specific sections to thoroughly answer each of the four questions, making sure to back up my points with concrete examples and evidence from the documentary itself, my social media content, and the magazine article. Of course, I'll also be referencing the research I conducted and linking back to my blog posts to further support my analysis. Finally, I'll wrap everything up with a conclusion that summarizes my key reflections on the project as a whole.

Even though the CCR is a big part of the final portfolio, thinking through these questions and seeing how everything I've done connects is actually making me feel more prepared. It's a chance to really appreciate the entire process of creating "When Your Life Turns to Ashes" and to articulate all the thought and care that went into it.

Until next time 

- Emma <3

My print component

 Making headlines...

So, alongside the documentary itself, we also have to create a print component for our AICE Media portfolios, which in the case of my portfolio, consists of a two-page magazine article! I'm really excited about this because it's a chance to explore the stories of my interviewees in a different way and give readers a deeper look into their perspectives within my documentary.

I've actually already been playing around with the design, and I think it's really starting to come together! I wanted the article to feel connected to the documentary but also stand on its own as a compelling piece of journalism. (ignore the writing because that's not quite done yet, but the front page will look something like this!)

Keeping with the overall aesthetic of my documentary, I'm planning on utilizing brand continuity in the magazine design. I think using maroon for the main headings and maybe some subtle accents will create a nice visual link. For the body text, I'll definitely be sticking with a clean, readable black font on a white or off-white background, as you can see to the right. 

Structurally, I'm envisioning a layout that flows really well across the two pages. I'll likely start with a strong title that grabs the reader's attention and clearly connects to the documentary's themes. Maybe something like what you see here, or something else, I'm still playing around with it.

I definitely want to feature a powerful image right away, and I do feel like this shot really encapsulates emotions at the Stoneman Douglas Memorial.

The core of this article is really going to be about Mitch Dworet, Rylan Knox, and Lindsay Carpenter. I want to focus on their individual experiences and how their unique perspectives contribute to the overall message of the documentary.

For each interviewee, I'm planning on having a dedicated section. I'll likely start with a brief introduction to who they are and their connection to the MSD shooting (as it relates to the documentary). Then, I'll utilize excerpts from their interviews, focusing on key moments and insights they shared. 

In terms of the writing style, I want to maintain the same level of sensitivity and respect that I've aimed for in the documentary. It's important to me that the article feels authentic and truly reflects the emotions and experiences shared by Mitch, Rylan, and Lindsay.

I'll be focusing on telling their stories in a clear and engaging way, making sure to connect their individual perspectives to the broader themes of grief, recovery, and remembrance that the documentary explores. I want readers to come away with a deeper understanding of their journeys and the impact of the MSD shooting on their lives.

Overall, I'm really excited about this magazine article! It feels like a great way to complement the documentary and offer audiences another way to engage with these important stories. I think the combination of strong visuals and compelling writing will create a really impactful piece.

I can't wait to actually start writing it and see it all come together in the final layout!

I'll update you in my next blog about how it's coming along, and hopefully it'll be close to finished, but..

Until next time -

Emma <3

Doc is being finalized :)))

 Super big news in the world of Emma!!!

So I'm so excited to tell you that my documentary editing process has come to an end. I want to get some people to watch over it and give me some notes, but it's pretty much done. This process has been truly so fulfilling, and I am so happy with how it turned out. 

I know I had discussed with you previously that I wasn't sure what part of the documentary I wanted to include since I was a tad overzealous and happened to create the entire episode, but after a                                                                                          lot of reflection, I came to an end...

It actually all started when I was driving with my mom, and I was honestly yappingggg about my documentary and everything about it. I started telling her about my predicament of what portion of the documentary to provide for my portfolio,o and somehow solved my own problem through just talking about it. 

So, essentially, I will be submitting the middle five minutes of the documentary. This way, you see the title, the lower thirds, and get a bit of establishment whilst still getting the grief and recovery elements. I feel like this was my happy middle ground in getting a bit of everything instead of being unhappy with not enough being explained or described. 

Now that the editing is (mostly!) done, my next step is to get some fresh eyes on it. I really want to get some feedback from a few people – maybe some friends, maybe even Mrs. Stoklosa – just to see if there are any areas I could improve or tweak before I finalize everything. I'm feeling really confident about it, though. Honestly, comparing this documentary to the last one I worked on (you can read about that whole experience [link to previous documentary blog post]), it's like night and day! I was so disappointed with how that one turned out, so it feels amazing to have created something with "When Your Life Turns to Ashes" that I'm truly proud of. It's been such a different and much more fulfilling experience this time around.

Because we're currently in spring break it's going to be a bit difficult to get feedback, so I plan on for the rest of the week finalizing my print component in creating a newspaper article, but I'll talk about that next time I write. 

So, the next step is getting that feedback and then putting together my print and social media components. I'm so excited to share this project with you all soon!

Until next time 

- Emma <3

Locking in on editing

Major Post Production 

So, the documentary has officially moved into the post-production phase. This week has been focused on starting the editing process in Adobe Premiere Pro.

As I mentioned previously, my line edit is complete. This involved creating a detailed script with all the interview clips and b-roll moments I plan to use, along with their corresponding timestamps. This stage was crucial for establishing the structure of the documentary and ensuring a cohesive narrative.

The primary focus this week has been on creating the rough cut. This involves laying down all the selected clips onto the timeline according to the line edit. The current stage is about establishing the basic structure and flow of the documentary. Transitions and audio levels are not yet refined at this point.

The b-roll footage filmed at the memorial and the collected photographs are now being integrated into the timeline. The b-roll is strategically placed to enhance the visual storytelling and provide context to the interviews. As planned, the photographs of Nicholas Dworet will be incorporated with a slight fade and a Gaussian blur in the background to maintain focus on the subject. The use of a subtle vignette is still planned to enhance the overall aesthetic and theme.

Within the concept of audio, the current focus will be on leveling the audio tracks, reducing background noise, and ensuring the interview audio is clear and understandable for the audience. Sound design, including the selection of appropriate music, is also being considered to enhance the emotional impact of the scenes without being distracting.

Following our team meeting, my lower third is being addressed. For the 5-minute excerpt intended for my AICE Media submission, a specific lower third for Mitch Dworet ("Mitch Dworet father of Nicolas (victim of MSD shooting)") will be artificially included to provide necessary context. For the full documentary, lower thirds will adhere to standard media conventions, appearing upon the first introduction of an interviewee. The creation of any additional graphics, such as title cards, is also underway, with a focus on maintaining a clean and simple design.

Post-production is an ongoing process with many detailed steps. The current focus is on building a strong foundation with the rough cut and then progressively refining the visual and audio elements. The goal is to create a documentary that is both impactful and respectful of the stories being shared.

I anticipate sharing a more refined version soon as the editing progresses.

Until next time -

Emma <3

Team meeting today

 Team meeting :)

Heyyyyy!!!! So today we had our team meeting to talk about our documentary. My group consisted of Gabi, Romina, Corina, Alec and myself. We all got to talk about our portfolio projects and get notes that helped us improve our projects. As I said previously I finished my line edit yesterday so it was great to show them my structure and they all loved it. We talked about which portion of my documentary I should showcase, and we all agreed that even though I can only show a 5-minute excerpt, I would still allow you to view the full documentary to make me feel better about it all. 

One of my main topics was the lower thirds and technical aspects of the piece. Something that was brought to my attention was that if I were to showcase the last five minutes of my documentary the lower thirds wouldn't naturally be there. This really conflicted me because due to typical media conventions, the lower thirds would be shown the first time the interviewee was shown and then it wouldn't be included past then. However, if I'm going to submit the last five minutes of the piece it made me question if I should artificially include the lower thirds for context to the audience. For example, my inclusion of Mitch Dworet may not make sense if the audience isn't made aware of his connection to the MSD shooting in that his son died. Within the first five minutes, it's established that his son passed away so I decided that for the artificial aspect of the documentary I would put a lower third for my aice media submission that says something along the lines of "Mitch Dworet father of Nicolas (victim of MSD shooting)". 

I do feel like this lower third is a bit long however I feel like it does establish what I need to make the last five minutes make sense by themselves slightly. Another topic we discussed is social media and everyone really thinks that my social media so far matches the aesthetics of the documentary well. I honestly need to get back on my game with the social media and finish that by the end of this week for this documentary so I can move onto the next episode in the series. 

Also with spring coming next week I want to finish post-production so that I don't worry about it as much next week. We'll see how well that goes for me but I'm really excited to finish this project and am loving it so far. 

Until next time - 

Emma <3

Scripts done :))

 Faster than expected...

Hey, the last time I updated you, I told you it would take until Friday to finish the script/line edit, and that didn't happen. I was really motivated this weekend and really focused on getting it all done. So my line edit is completely done.  

Side track but maybe it's just because today's my 18th birthday so I was freshly motivated to do as much as I could before today because I expected to be a tad bit busy. It's really crazy to believe I'm 18 and that I'm an adult. It really puts things into perspective for me and just made me realize how much life I've lived versus how much life I have left to live (which makes editing this piece all that much sadder) 

For example, Nicolas Dworet never made it to his 18th birthday and I'm so grateful to be safe and meet this incredible age. 

Ok back to the doc, if you would like to check out my complete outline, you can check it out at this link. 

And now that that's done I can get to my editing process :)) 

So my line edit will be done by the end of the day since I basically just have to look up the time stamps on Premiere Pro and insert them into my sequence. Once my line edit is done I'm going to get into editing and hopefully
be somewhere good by the end of the week. I feel really good about the line edit, to be honest with you. I've been looking through my broll as well and I am a bit nervous I'm not going to have enough but I'm going to trust the process and see what I have. Worst comes to worst I can always go out and film more but it's not ideal of course. 

Overall, my documentary has a total run time of 9 minutes and 45 seconds but obviously, for the purpose of my portfolio project, I will be submitting the final 5-minute excerpt of the documentary. I'm going to be honest and say this documentary has just become so much of a passion project for me and I was really excited to create something that could be shared with others and I decided to edit the entire package.  

But that being said!! Hopefully, by tomorrow I can show you a finalized or at least a part of my line edit complete. 

On Wednesday we have team meetings so the prayer is I can show them a finalized line edit and get their input on what is good and what needs to be fixed about it. I think I'm going to struggle with spacing and just giving the documentary breathing time so I hope that once the line is complete I can get some of those opinions.

But anyway that's all the updates I have for you today 

Until next time - 
Emma <3

Last interview is done :))

 Yay last interview!

So I just had my final interview tomorrow and am excited to begin the post production process. Today's was my interview with Lindsay Carpenter, a grief specialist at Eagles Haven. We did the interview in her office, and I'm iffy about her interview shot, but I'm planning on working with her in the post. 

I talked to her and she made me realize that we could still use the background with a bit of practical lighting. I think she perfectly answered the questions I didn't have yet and I'm happy with how this interview turned out. It was about 30 minutes in length, so now I am beginning structuring and piecing together the final product. 

I believe I touched on this before, but essentially I'm not going to touch premiere until my "script" of interviews is finalized, and then I'll go into premiere and actually do the line edit. I'm unsure of if I have enough b-roll, but I'm going to work with it for right now, and I can always get more if it's needed.

Eagles haven is being super sweet about everything and really loves what I'm doing, so they are super flexible in helping me with anything and getting me into contact with anyone if I need to. (Fingers crossed I won't and production is complete!!). In total I probably have about 2 hours worth of interviews and about 200 b-roll clips that I can use in addition to the photos that I have/will search for of the individuals lost. 

I'm going to update you soon on everything going on in the editing process, but for right now I'm just working through the structure which I think is going to take me a bit but the goal is to have the entire line edit done by Friday so I can get to work on the broll and all of that next week. 

But that's all I have for you today so 

Until next time 

- Emma <3

Interview #2 done

 Two interviews down...

So I finished my interview with Mitch Dworet!!! Yay!! Honestly, this interview was so much more than I ever felt like it would be. It was such an emotional and deep atmosphere and it both made me feel so comfortable but also so much pain towards what this man went through. My interview was around an hour and a half with him, but I'll be honest to say that it felt no longer than 15 minutes when I was talking to him. 

It was the most fascinating place where he really put into perspective how much grief can affect a person. He said one quote that just really stuck with me and I'd love to be able to share it with you today. 

"I think talking to a young person, to young people and, you know, how do I, at 65 and as a father and going through my life expressed to you the depth of grief and loss of, of a son of a child, right?"

Now this is one of many breathtaking things he said to me, but I'm really in love with the concept he made with this and it's something I definitely want to put into my documentary within post production. 

So I know this may sound a little overzealous, but I want to start thinking about post production with the two interviews I have done to get a little closer to feeling complete with this, as well as see what things are missing when I interview Lindsay. So essentially, what I did to organize my structure, I wanted to work through the interviews in an easier way. I decided to do this by transcribing my interview in Premiere and putting that into a Google Doc to see the interviews in a visual way rather than finding things in an hour and a half long interview. 

On Google Docs, there's a way to organize your file to have tabs so this is what my tabs are currently looking like. This way everything is super organized. So as you can see, Rylan and Mitch have their distinct tabs for their transcription, and the structure is the place where I can essentially in a way create a script of where I want to place certain interview clips with times attached. 

This is currently super helpful and I feel like this is also a better way to get peers to look over my documentary without taking so much time to watch it and can edit in a less permanent way. 

I'm really excited for my third and final interview with Lindsay as well, and so the plan is that essentially I need to focus my interview more so on the definition of grief, recovery, and trauma, as I feel that is a major part I am missing in the structure right now. 

I think that genuinely this documentary is going to turn out really well and I'm really happy with it

Until next time 

- Emma <3

Interview with Mitch Dworet

 Interview today :))

So my second interview is scheduled today and I'm super excited. Today's interview is with Mitch Dworet, Nicolas's father, and Alexander Dworet's father. As I've said, all my questions are filled out, I have my questions listed and equipment checked out so now it's just executing the interview. We have been set to start the interview at 4:30 and I'm expecting it to run for at least an hour so that's pretty much my plan for today after school...

My main goal for today is just filming the interview, as speaking to Mitch recently, he revealed that he was uncomfortable with us filming b-roll in his house (completely understood). I am going to look into also finding some footage of him, maybe at swim meets or any old footage of him that could be used within the piece. 

I did some prior research on the Dworet family as well to find some talking points to engage with him before the interview starts

This includes 

- Nicholas' passion for swimming

- Mitch's passion for athletics (he's literally running a 5k this morning)

- The focus on grief and recovery 

- Not very open about that day (avoid talking about it mostly) for him to remain comfortable

Now the last point I make kinda sucks for the content of my piece however what I will say is through my plan Rylan will lead the beginning of the piece and Mitch will end the piece mostly with the content of grief and recovery. 

I do still have one more interview after this one, which will be with Lindsay Carpenter at Eagles Haven. This interview is taking place on Thursday at 4, and I plan on filming b-roll with her when I am there. 

A tad more planning happened too yesterday when I got to watch the documentary - Devil in the family - the fall of Ruby Franke, 

This just gave me another aspect to watch about documentaries. This is a true crime documentary (slightly strange for my content but really helpful). 

The main thing this documentary helped me with is just to see the necessity and helpfulness that giving interviews breathing room provides. I find that in the last documentary I did, and just my history with TV, I tend to just put interview clips with constant powers in the middle, but never give breathing room, and I feel like especially with this piece, breathing room is really important. 

They were also very b-roll heavy with establishing shots which I really liked and think it's something very manageable for me to get of MSD which could add to the piece especially in its earlier parts. 

Oh, I also watched American Murder: Gabby Petito, which I didn't love but it taught me to be careful with my audio and really make sure everything looks visually and audiotrially pleasing before I begin working through my interviews. 

But that's all I have for today, so I'll update you tomorrow after my interview 

Until next time 

- Emma <3

Production begins

 And so it begins...

So this week marks the start to major production within my documentary. This means that I will be conducting & completing my interviews by the end of next week. Some things that I need to get started in order for this to be possible are an equipment list, b-roll thoughts, and just really sitting down to think through each step of the interview. 

As I believe I have mentioned previously, Mitch Dworet kindly invited me to his home in order to film his interview. So that interview is scheduled for later this week, and I am going to bring my friend, Oriana Rangel, who's in television production with me, to help with the shot framing and being behind the camera during the interview. 

Equipment, some of the equipment I am using includes 

- A Canon t-8i

- Hollylands (

- Tripod

- Zoom lens 

- Standard 45 lens 

- A rhode for all audio 

- A light kit (if needed)

- ND filters (if needed)

I am more than grateful that my television program at my school allows us to check out equipment, so luckily I will be able to check out equipment for my documentary production. 

In terms of b-roll, I luckily got a large portion of it at the memorial, however, for Rylan's interview, I actually get to go into one of her classes to get some b-roll of her instructing a yoga class. Also, for Lindsay's case,e I am going to film some of her working within the office, in order for the audience to see what they hear at the time.

Currently one of my only major issues is creating all b-roll on my own with situations where I am dealing with individuals who lost their lives. It's been difficult to look past using pictures and really dive deep into more creative ways of creating footage that is used in emotional scenes to cover up jump cuts once I get to the post production stage. 

But that's all I have for you today 

- Until Next time 

Emma <3

No group meeting :((

 Absences are the death of me... 

So this week, as I said previously, I have been crazy busy. I mean I just counted, and after today, I have missed the past 11 days of school. And unfortunately, missing so much class means I also missed our group reflection where we get to talk about our projects and get feedback. 

That being said, I knew I was going to miss this, so I talked to some of my peers within aice media in order to at least partially get some understanding and feedback on my documentary. Some of the discussions we had were just little things like ways to get my interviewees to feel comfortable and a bit on my graphics, and in the future, ways to make sure within the post production stage I am able to have enough b-roll. 

In talking to Mateo, a classmate, I realized that b-roll can be as simple as me going to memorials where I can find pictures (in front of the Stoneman Douglas sign) and really just use what is there for me to use. Also, in case of pictures, I realized I can stage shots with printed out photos or for example, someone looking at pictures on a computer screen. 

So far from talking to classmates, the reception on my documentary has been mostly positive. People really like the focus on grief and healing, and all agree that is the main purpose of this documentary, rather than just sharing what was lost that day. 

Also, I will share something really cool that happened to me tonight at Elon University. So tonight we had a meet and greet at the communications school and I got into a long discussion with a professor in charge of a program called elondocs. 

His name is Colin Donohue and he gave me some really insightful tips on this documentary, having worked on some in the past. I told him about my documentary and he shared with me some tips, such as once I complete my interview, to put it into a Word document and work on the structure outside of Premiere to create a script of sorts. He also advised me to make sure that I really allow breathing room for the audience to take in what is being told to them in a slower, more emotional manner. 

Also, it was really cool to see how an older person really resonated with something I am currently working on and was impressed with the progression of the documentary. 

As I get back to school this upcoming Monday, I am also excited to discuss with my peers the progression of my documentary, especially with my interviews coming up. I wish I had more to update you on, but I am excited to hit the ground running in the beginning production and eventually the post production of this documentary

But until next time 

- Emma <3

Staying productive..

 Life's been really busy...

So I just got back from STN, which is a television trip I go on with my TV production program. We compete at a national level, but that also caused me to miss a week of valuable time in this portfolio project. As you have been made aware, my project started off pretty strangely as I had to film the memorial and one of my interviews pretty early on, but the rest of production has been paused until I researched further. 

Unfortunately, with everything going on it's just been crazy, and I leave today for Elon University, where I am a finalist for a huge scholarship. That being said, my interviews are both scheduled for next week and I really didn't want to lose a week without doing anything productive to move my documentary along. 

Because of this, I wanted to plan ahead and begin to think of title graphics, colors, lower thirds, and everything that will make my post production process smoother. I really loved the idea of using red as a color to symbolize urgency. Also, I wanted to keep my brand consistent to the social media so everything is definitely the same fonts, colors, etc.

Here is what my lower thirds will look like... 

Ignore the blue that's just so I can key out the color on Premiere using ultra key. Buttt this is what my lower thirds currently look like. I used Canva to make them and I am also going to use Premiere to transition it to slide in and then out. I think these lower thirds are simple enough and for each episode in the series, the bottom right corner of the third would be used as a space to put the memorial/schools graphic. This graphic may be subject to change depending on how it fits into the actual edit, but for right now this was one little thing that made me feel like I was being productive in the project. 

Aside from lower thirds, I also thought about possibly using sections to divide up the documentary. These sections would be the subtitles from my outline I told you about previously, but I'll show you what those slides would look like so I can jog your memory. 

These are the three main sections I plan on using to divide up the full documentary episode. I may use these with a lower opacity in the background to show off b-roll as well,l but I am not entirely positive on this factor yet.

I also plan on ending my documentary with credits that memorialize the 17 lives lost, whilst crediting the individuals who helped me with this documentary. 

But that's all I have time for today

Until next time 

- Emma <3

Planning

 Third & Final Interview Plan

The third interview I am filming is with Lindsay Carpenter from Eagles Haven. She is a specialist in grief and the expert within the documentary. I, of course, would love to ask her questions pertaining to the MSD shooting and her personal connection with it, but what's more important is the second part of the doc for her in explaining grief and how individuals can work through those heavy emotions. So, Lindsay is going to be the one who really helps tie everything together. 

I want to think about the same similar scenario of Mitch in that I want a general basis of what questions I am going to ask 

Even though I'm focusing on the general concept of grief, it's still good to establish Lindsay's connection to the community. Here are some questions I'm thinking of:

1. Lindsay, can you tell me a bit about your role at Eagles Haven and how you became involved with supporting the Parkland community?" (This gets her background and connection.)

2. "From your perspective, how did the MSD shooting impact the community, and what were some of the immediate needs you observed?" (This gets her professional observation of the events.)

3. "Working so closely with families who have experienced loss, what have you learned about the unique challenges they face after such a tragedy?" (This bridges the gap between the specific event and the broader topic.)

Now where Lindsay really shines is with the section about grief and recovery. I really want her to explain the complexities of grief in a way that's easy to understand, but also respectful to this community. Some of the questions I want to ask are  

1. "Can you explain what 'prolonged grief' means and how it differs from typical grief?" (This addresses a key concept you've been exploring.)

2. "What are some common misconceptions people have about grief, and how can we better support those who are grieving?" (This helps to educate the audience.)

3. "You've worked with many individuals on their journey of recovery. What are some healthy coping mechanisms you've observed?" (This gives practical advice.)

4. "How important is it for people to find ways to honor the memories of their loved ones, and what are some ways they can do that?" (This ties into the theme of honoring those lost.)

5. "For those who are watching this documentary and are struggling with grief, what is one piece of advice you would give them?" (This is a powerful closing question.)

For Lindsay's interview, I want to create a calm and supportive atmosphere. I'm thinking of filming in a quiet space at Eagles Haven, maybe with soft lighting and a neutral background. I want her to feel comfortable and relaxed, so she can share her expertise openly. I also would like to get some b-roll of her interacting with people at Eagles Haven, or in her office, to give context to her role.

I think this interview will really add depth and credibility to the documentary, but that's all I have for today 

Until next time,

Emma <3

Planning

Next interview planning

So, as I mentioned previously, I am currently in the process of interviewing Mitch Dworet, the father of Nick and Alex Dworet. I wanted to write some questions that would help me in my process and here's what I came up with. I know just based off of my own creative style, this will of course change slightly depending on what he says, but this is for me to go off of. 

1. What is your name and affiliation within the MSD shooting?

2. Can you tell me about who your son was and what his beliefs/values are

3. What was the day of the shooting like for you? (if you're comfortable ofc)

4. What has the process of grief been like for you?

5. Why is recovery such a complex process?

6. Can you touch on survivor's guilt/prolonged grief? What does that mean to you?

7. Moving forward, how have you been able to push through this grief and honor your son rather than allow his name to be forgotten? 

So these are my main questions I want to ask. Within Broll, I had previously talked to Mitch about my opportunities there and he stated he wasn't very comfortable with us taking footage in their house so I'm going to utilize photos I can find of him online/ones that are sent to me...

Here are some I have found online that I think might work:

       

   

So as you can see here, I feel as though these pictures are a nice perspective on who Nicholas was as a person. My plan for these images is to do a slight fade and utilize a gaussian blur in the background.
I also plan on using a slight vignette to add to the aesthetics and theme of my docuseries.



Also, I want to film my interview in front of this picture in their dining area, which shows a beach. This beach was actually the one his son always dreamed of swimming in, so I feel as though it would mean a lot for Mitch to show this in the shot. Also, if we film that way there's a picture of Nicholas that he can look at during the interview.


I am really excited for this interview, which I will be filming in the upcoming weeks. I'll update you soon

Until next time

- Emma <3

Social Media Page

     Becoming a micro-influencer.... Or so I hope

So I believe I have already slightly mentioned my process however I've started posting to social media! So originally I had talked to my Aice Media teacher about wanting to have a memorial-like posting where I honored each person who passed during the MSD shooting and slowly worked on content that establishes my documentary purpose. My first post was made on the 7th memorial. I'll attach that below so you can see... 

So I wanted to really work with my brand colors and show why I decided on this specific brand. So as my documentary name "As Your Life Turns to Ashes" asserts this documentary is about loss and grief. Even though it was awfully convenient the Stoneman Douglas colors are maroon and black I honestly really liked these colors overall to symbolize loss and grief. Aside from just doing this post the day of however I knew I needed to do more. 

Something really important to me is keeping everything congruent so my main font styles for this project are Alex Brush and Lovelace Text on Canva. On that note, I have actually been using Canva for all of my blog posts. And I mean all of them. I love having learned how to use this program so efficiently because honestly, it makes social media design so much faster. After moving on from this post I wanted to create posts every day (or at least try to post every day) of pictures/memorials of each life lost that day. Once I move on to other episodes within the series I'll move on to posting about them but for right now those 17 individuals will be posted. I maintained a template to use for each of the individuals

so everything looks the same and also so I only have to change their name, birthdate/death date as well as their picture. This is what the templates look like and I've been working to post every single day. Based off of my schedule I shouldddd be on day 11 of these posts but I'll be honest to say two days just weren't my friend. That being said I am happy with the engagement I am getting with these posts. Of course, I'm not exactly a celebrity but anyone I have shared this with has reacted in a positive way.

 Also in a more human aspect honestly being able to make these captions with their stories has put things into perspective for me. For example, Nicholas Dworet was about to graduate from high school. He was 17 years old, just like me, and this just really hurt my heart to think about. He had so much potential and strived for positive influences and so his being lost that day is really devastating. His father, Mitch actually talked with me at the memorial and I am working to schedule an interview so that we can go a little deeper. His main commitment in life is to face his grief of losing his son while inspiring others with this. 

Nonetheless, if you'd like to check out my Instagram account you can look it up @whenyourlifeturnstoashes. 

I think that is all I have for you today but 

Until next time 

- Emma <3

Genre Research

 Interview research 

Troughout this topic of documentary, it's not only important to research through watching other documentaries but just learn more about this topic so that during interviews I sound knowledgeable. The first topic I really wanted to research was the topic of survival guilt as well as prolonged grief.

Let's start with some definitions: 

According to Oxford's English Dictionary survivor guilt is "a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress experienced by someone who has survived an incident in which others died." This was an issue that many individuals who survived the MSD shooting faced. In my interview with Rylan, she mentioned her best friend who unfortunately took her life due to survivor's guilt. This is something that people can overcome however it takes many years of therapy and recovery. 

The other term that is commonly mentioned within my conversations I wanted to familiarize myself with is prolonged grief. The DSM-5-TR (diagnostic tag) criteria for PGD requires that an individual has distressing symptoms of grief for at least 12 months following the loss of a close attachment and that the grief response is characterized by intense longing/yearning for the deceased person. An example of someone who suffers from prolonged grief is Mitch Dworet who within our conversations actually mentioned this phrase to me and discussed how most individuals who lost a family member that day are now diagnosed with this disorder. 

I also decided to look into news articles from different parents and friends to identify good subjects to talk to. I had actually done this before going to the memorial as well to see if I could find these individuals at this event and find someone who specifically focuses on grief like Mitch does. 

So like I had said this week I plan on going through my b roll from the memorial as well as beginning the structure with the interview I have received. I need to work with my other two interview subjects to create a good time to film those interviews. Also!!! It's really far-fetched and probably not going to happen but I may have a fourth interview with Dara Hass who was in the English classroom at the time of the shooting. I'm not sure if she will be comfortable but I am working with her to possibly film a brief interview 

But honestly, I have my work cut out for me so

Until next time 

- Emma <3

Research...

 You can't make a documentary without some research first... 

So as I mentioned in my last vlog... yeah lots and lots and lots of research. Currently, the main thing I'm researching is the topic of prolonged grief as well as documentaries within the same genre. 

Last night I was able to take some time and watch the documentary "Bowling for Columbine". This was the first documentary that discussed a similar topic as it was a political one that explores the circumstances that led to the 1999 Columbine High School massacre as well as homicide rates. While this piece focused more on the context of gun violence and mine will focus on grief I felt that it would still be a strong example of what I'd like this piece to become. Moore was actually thought to have a very controversial piece due to bias which is something I recognize going into it that "When Your Life Turns to Ashes" might slightly relate to. I plan to take myself out of this documentary to my best effort however that can be difficult when discussing a mass shooting.  

Some of the technical elements I recognized within this film that I would like to utilize in my piece include archived footage like videos or pictures before this happened, interviews with family or survivors, and music. As much as the piece utilizes graphics I decided that with my own personal outlook, I don't think this piece needs to use them. 

One of the only aspects of this documentary I didn't like was the use of humor in the piece. Whilst I do agree that creating a documentary like this may be nice to lighten the mood to me it just merely feels insincere to their grief and loss.

Another documentary I found to be helpful was "The Trials of Amanda Knox." This documentary was a true crime one that discussed the trial of Amanda Knox for the murder of her roommate. While the context of this film is entirely different from mine I found that this piece was incredibly helpful in terms of understanding how to structure a documentary. In terms of my own documentary, I'm having a difficult time structuring the film in a way that would make sense to an audience. That being said, the use of flashbacks and interviews in "The Trials of Amanda Knox" was incredibly helpful. I really liked how the directors utilized flashbacks to show the audience what happened that night and then used interviews to show the different perspectives of the individuals involved. I think this would be a great way to structure my own documentary as I could use interviews to showcase the different perspectives of the individuals I interviewed and use flashbacks to show the audience what happened on February 14th.

In terms of the technical elements used in this film, I really enjoyed the use of music. I felt that the music used in this film was very suspenseful and kept the audience on the edge of their seats. This is something I would definitely like to incorporate into my own documentary as I feel that music is a powerful tool that can be used to evoke emotion. I also liked the use of interviews in this film. The interviews were very well done and they provided a lot of insight into the case. I think this is something that I would like to focus on in my own documentary as well.

But that's all for me today! 

Until Next time 

- Emma <3