Project by: Cassia Soodak (11th Grade)
Project Advisor: Stephen MacGillivray
Student(s)’s Advisor(s): Peter H
During the 1st trimester, I was in nonfiction filmmaking with Stephen. In this class, we were told to create a 3-4 minute documentary. I quickly fell in love with documentary film making and wanted to create a film on tattoos. I started weeks in advance. I got a contract with Mischief Tattoo Parlor (on West 4th). I went twice a week for around 2 hours, filming, as well as, setting up a relationship with this parlor. At the end of the trimester, however, I wasn’t able to use the hours of footage I had because it was too much work to take on. Instead, for Non-Fiction filmmaking class, my final was the first 6 minutes of my documentary of tattoo culture.
I wanted to be able to finish this film as an honors project. I want to learn how to scope out the progression of the film, how to edit my footage better, and how to convey what I had learned. Basically, I hoped to learn more about how to make a longer documentary that tackled many themes around tattoo culture. I worked on reviewing my videos and found where the story was; I very roughly outlined it and storyboarded what it would look like.
I wanted to take this on because I knew I had a real story hidden in the hours of footage I collected on the tattoo parlor. I also thought this story was worth telling, and I wanted to complete the work I started at the beginning of the year. been doing for the past two trimesters. I hoped to have a completed documentary around 30 minutes that explained the changes in tattoo culture and what makes the Mischief tattoo parlor so different than the rest.
Outside Mischief Tattoo
Jess tattooing an arm.
Jason, Tattoo Artist.
Kendra, Manager.
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T2 UPDATE: What actually happened in trimester 2
For trimester 2, I organized the majority of my long footage (3hours+ worth of footage) and storyboarded my documentary (very roughly, just to get the ideas out). Once I markered up the majority of the footage (everything but the B-roll and customers), I printed out a storyboard layout, I pieced together the main themes: the change in culture — rebel to art and the sense of community in the shop full of diverse tattoo artists with different experiences. I was then able to outline how the documentary will progress. This feeling was very motivating, since I can now start to see how the documentary is coming together and the potential it has! This helped me get out of a “slump” I was in. I learned that it’s hard working on a piece of art when you can’t visualize the outcome or end goal.
This trimester also helped me become more comfortable with premiere and my footage. Stephen helped me organize how I should work in premiere (we made my own “workspace” in premiere, as its called) which was extremely helpful. Before we changed the workspace, I felt disorganized. I couldn’t find what I was looking for which was stressful. However, now, with the change in layout, I am more organized and productive.
As of now, I have taken my first attempt at storyboarding the trajectory of the documentary, putting into premiere my first rough cut (or as I call it, “break down”). I had to use a lot of my problem solving and creativity to think through how the footage I have tells a story, which was challenging but also very rewarding. It came out to be aprxomiately 37 minutes long. It does not have every scene I like in it, but each video in the rough cut saves a “spot” for scenes that relate. Additionally, the rough cut is choppy (it has no B-roll in it so there are jump cuts), for the importance of a first rough cut is to get a trajectory of the story out onto the “page”, or in this case, into premiere.
Obviously, the documentary is not done. This trimester was really used to get my creativity running, as well as get me comfortable with premiere, along with the footage and the story I want to tell. The process of getting to the first rough cut and putting it together used all of these skills.
The next step is to watch the 37 minute rough cut and make edits, creating a new rough cut. I also will finish marking up the B-roll and videos of customers getting tatted so that I can add those shots into new rough cuts, creating a smooth flowing documentary. This all will be started during spring break (I plan on finishing marking my B-roll and videos of customers during break, as well as watching my rough cut and start a new rough cut through making edits to it).
Over trimester 3, I will be repeating the process of editing the newest rough cut into another rough cut (the edited rough cut will be a new way to tell the story) until finally, I have the documentary I want to tell.
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T3 PROJECT PROPOSAL
Please write a description of the project you are proposing. Why do you want to take this on, and what do you hope to learn?
Over the last trimester, I worked on reviewing my videos and found where the story is, very roughly outlining and storyboarding what it will look like. Now, I have to just finish it. I want to take this on because I know I have a real story hidden in the hours of footage I collected on the tattoo parlor. I also think this story is worth telling, and I want to complete the work I have been doing for the past two trimesters. I hope to have a completed documentary, around 30 minutes or less, explaining the change in tattoo culture and what makes Mischief tattoo parlor so different than the rest.
Critical thinking, creativity, citizenship and courage are essential LREI learning values. Explain how you’ll draw on at least one of these values to complete your proposed project?
As I stated last trimester, this project involves all of the Cs. It is a form of art, so, therefore, provoking creativity. It is courageous of me, to go into a shop and all on my own ask to make a documentary on them. It is even more courageous that I have decided to keep with this big project, even if I am nervous about how it will come out. Lastly, not much is being told right now about the change in tattoo culture. It is a form of citizenship to tell a story that hasn’t been told before.
What is your proposed outcome? How will you be able to demonstrate successful completion of this Project? How do you plan to share your learnings with the larger LREI community (e.g., exhibit of work, poster of learnings, performance, etc.)?
Over spring break I hope to finish marking up B-roll/customer footage and start editing my rough cut into a new rough cut. Every two weeks, I will have a new rough cut. I will do this by editing the last rough cut into what I think is a new/better way of approaching the topics. This way, by mid-trimester reports I will have a rough cut that has progressed into what I hope the documentary will be. The second half of the third trimester will be focussed on also making rough cuts (I hope to be mostly finished with big edits though) and finishing up small edits (color correction, smoothness in sound, etc).
Please provide a general outline that indicates your work plan for the trimester? What are some of the key project benchmarks (i.e., goals that will help to ensure that you finish the project)?
I will produce a documentary, around 30 minutes long (or less). I hope to be able to have a screening during the film screenings. If I get permission from the tattoo shop, I may be able to post it one of LREIs websites.
When do you plan on meeting?
weekly — Tuesday Xblock (and lunches in need be)
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T2 PROJECT PROPOSAL
Please write a description of the project you are proposing. Why do you want to take this on, and what do you hope to learn?
During the 1st trimester, I was in nonfiction filmmaking with Stephen. In this class, we were told to create a 3-4 minute documentary. I quickly fell in love with documentary film making and wanted to create a film on tattoos. I started weeks in advance. I got a contract with Mischief Tattoo Parlor (on West 4th). I went twice a week for around 2 hours, filming, as well as, setting up a relationship with this parlor. At the end of the trimester, however, I wasn’t able to use the hours of footage I had, for it was too much work to take on. Instead, for Non-Fiction filmmaking class, my final was the first 6 minutes of my documentary of tattoo culture I would like to be able to finish this film as an honors project (or at least get farther into the process). I want to learn how to scope out the progression of the film, how to edit my footage better, and how to convey what I have learned. Basically, I hope to learn more in depth how to make a longer documentary that tackles many themes around tattoo culture.
Critical thinking, creativity, citizenship and courage are essential LREI learning values. Explain how you’ll draw on at least one of these values to complete your proposed project?
Being able to organize hours of film into themes, as well as, figure out the order and editing is all critical thinking. I will need to be able to visually plan and order pieces to create a story. Additionally, documentary film is creative, for its a form of art. I will also be drawing on citizenship, for I’m creating a story about tattoo culture, which for many isn’t totally accepted yet in society. Additionally, my angle is showing the change in culture, which is rarely portrayed. By creating this film, I hope to dissolve stereotypes/past beliefs about tattoos, helping others be more informed. That to me is citizenship. Helping other people learn more, or even provoke controversy and new thoughts. Lastly, I have been developing a relationship which this tattoo parlor, which takes courage. I have gone up to adults and asked to interview them, I have signed contracts. I will continue to be courageous, as I take risks in this documentary.
What is your proposed outcome? How will you be able to demonstrate successful completion of this Project? How do you plan to share your learnings with the larger LREI community (e.g., exhibit of work, poster of learnings, performance, etc.)?
I would like to have a finished film by the end of the trimester. If that is too much work, I would like to get a draft of my film (and next trimester I will finish it). Regardless, I would like to show the finished film to the school (in my contract it says the tattoo parlor has to sign off on when I can show it, as well as who and how. They told me I can share it with the school, once they approve it). I would like to hopefully put it online, however, I cannot promise that due to my contract.
Please provide a general outline that indicates your work plan for the trimester? What are some of the key project benchmarks (i.e., goals that will help to ensure that you finish the project)?
I hope to finish making notes on my footage in a few weeks. After I want to outline my documentary, which will take some time. After, I will start editing and creating the documentary. I hope to get a draft for this trimester, at least. Hopefully, I will be able to finish compiling the footage to make a draft in time to edit it to create the final version. However, due to how many hours of footage I have, I am unsure if I can complete it in this short trimester. For that reason, I hope to get at least a draft of it.
When do you plan on meeting?
Tuesday Xblock. If I need more meetings, we will meet during lunch.
For trimester 2, I organized the majority of my long footage (3hours+ worth of footage) and storyboarded my documentary (very roughly, just to get the ideas out). Once I markered up the majority of the footage (everything but the B-roll and customers), I printed out a storyboard layout, I pieced together the main themes: the change in culture — rebel to art, the sense of community in the shop full of diverse tattoo artists with different experiences. For the first time ever I was then able to outline how the documentary will progress. This feeling was very motivating since I could now start to see how the documentary can come together and what potential it has! This helped me get out of a “slump” I was in towards the movie (it’s hard working on a piece of art when you can’t really visualize the outcome or end goal).
This trimester helped me get more comfortable with Premiere and my footage. Stephen helped me organize how I should work in Premiere (we made my own “workspace” in Premiere, as its called) which was extremely helpful. Before we changed the workspace, I felt disorganized. I couldn’t find what I was looking for which was stressful. However, now, with the change in layout, I am more organized and productive.
As of now, I have taken my first attempt at storyboarding the trajectory of the documentary, putting into premiere my first rough cut (or as I call it, “break down”). I had to use a lot of my problem solving and creativity to think through how the footage I have tells a story, which was challenging but also very inspiring. It came out to be approximately 37 minutes long. It does not have every scene I like in it, but each video in the rough cut saves a “spot” for scenes that relate. Additionally, the rough cut is choppy (it has no B-roll in it so there are jump cuts), for the importance of a first rough cut is to get a trajectory of the story out onto the “page”, or in this case, into Premiere.
Obviously, the documentary is not done. This trimester was really used to get my creativity running, as well as get me comfortable with Premiere, along with the footage and the story I want to tell. The process of getting to the first rough cut and putting it together used all of these skills.
The next step is to watch the 37-minute rough cut and make edits, creating a new rough cut. I also will finish marking up the B-roll and videos of customers getting tatted so that I can add those shots into new rough cuts, creating a smooth flowing documentary. This all will be started during spring break (I plan on finishing marking my B-roll and videos of customers during the break, as well as watching my rough cut and start a new rough cut through making edits to it).
Over trimester 3, I will be repeating the process of editing the newest rough cut into another rough cut (the edited rough cut will be a new way to tell the story) until finally, I have the documentary I want to tell.
MY FINAL REFLECTION ON MY 20 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY ON TATTOOS:
What parts were interesting?
I really enjoyed getting footage; staying late in the tattoo parlor and interviewing everyone. I enjoyed talking to everyone. I also loved editing after I had a basic layout (I knew how the film starts, how it ends, what kind of shots I want where). There was a day where I couldn’t stop editing the small details/shots, adding footage I knew was powerful, fitting it into the story arch. That day I spent 6 hours on my film.
What parts were less interesting?
Going through all my footage to find what was good and what was not was very hard to do. It felt like everything was disorganized and it was too much to take on. I didn’t know how to find the story, and so I decided to familiarize myself on my footage. This was the hardest part, for I was stuck on what exactly I should do. However, Stephen says every filmmaker goes through a part where they are “stuck.”
What are the strengths I now realize I have?
I learned that I am a people person. Meaning, I am very good at cultivating relationships with people (Kendra, the manager, for example), talking to different types of people, and just reaching out.
I am very good at finding visually interesting shots. I took a bunch of B-roll and interviews in all sorts of places throughout the parlor, which made the film entertaining. I took zoomed in and out shots, focusing on both the small details and the big picture. I feel as though I have an eye for unique shots!
I realize now that you can find a story anywhere, and so, once I trusted my gut, my movie was able to come together. I realize I have an eye for appealing stories, and I should trust myself more when finding the story.
What challenges did you have?
While editing, I realized that much of my footage was shaky. I remember filming many parts, in which I would get bored quickly and moved from one shot to another. This became a problem while editing. I hadn’t heald onto many shots and so many of my good ideas were too shaky to put in. The biggest challenge was letting go of these shots.
Luckily, I still had many shots (over the amount needed) of good footage. However, this brought another challenge: how do I cut out parts of interviews I find compelling, but doesn’t fit the story arch? I had to find a way to be okay with discarding many cool ideas I had because it didn’t fit the story.
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of how much I was able to learn on a personal level. Before this honors project, for my tenth-grade research paper, I wrote about the change in tattoo culture in NYC. I already knew much about the topic going into this documentary, however being part of the community, interacting with people and hearing personal stories made me connect to tattoo’s and the parlor so much more. I am extremely proud of what I was able to learn, and the stories I got to hear, on and off camera.
I am also greatly proud of how I was able to put a story together from just a jumble of interviews and B-roll.
Lessons:
I learned how to communicate well to people who are being exceptionally generous (letting me film them for many weeks).
I learned how to foster a productive working relationship with everyone in the shop — Here is how I did this:
I built up a conversation on and off camera about their lives.
I started by asking less personal questions, and as hours went by, I was able to learn many things about tattoo artists, customers, and the manager.
I would also stay late and chat with the artists about random things
By the end, not only did everyone trust me, but I built a working relationship with the tattoo parlor that goes beyond the film.
I learned the power of reaching out to people in person and through email. I was able to build my professional email skills, which is incredibly important for the future.
Moving beyond the people, I also learned how to edit a long piece for the first time. At first, I was overwhelmed by how much footage I had. This made me scared. However, I was able to outline the movie, put together a horrible first draft, and edit from there. After my first draft, I redid the movie outline with a better idea of what fits together. I also stepped back from the footage and wrote down scenes that I remember off the top of my head, to find what the most compelling story was. This was a key component to learning how to edit a long film. Now, I know instead of being scared about the outcome, I should trust what my gut finds compelling, and go from there. Although I wanted to layout the whole film and be incredibly organized, I learned that sometimes experimenting with tiny details and footage is the best way to put together a film.
Where you can find the film: the film will be posted on YouTube. The QR code will be on the poster. You can also look up “Mischief Tattoos: a Documentary by Cassia Soodak” on Youtube.