Klukwan Site-based Documentary Project

Klukwan Site-Based Documentary for students

First, ask an essential question: Here are some examples you might use. How can I understand the living history of my community by researching and understanding its artifacts, places, events and people? How can I use place-based community research to help me better understand the history, present and potential futures of my community? How can I present my understanding using a media-based documentary?

Then turn this question into a goal, or goals: Here are some examples you might use. Students will identify an artifact, person or group of people, event, or place in Klukwan that they want to research. This becomes the topic of their research. Their research is focused on unraveling the mystery behind their topic: What is its history, both in Klukwan and within the broader contexts Alaska and Native communities? What are its unique contributions to that history?

--- Steps in the Documentary Development Process

Basic documentary process. The basic process includes asking a question, developing a preconception inventory, creating a list of resources, gathering those resources, analyzing the results of their investigation, and presenting those as a short documentary of 2-3 minutes in length using common media development software, such as iMovie (for the Mac) or MovieMaker (for the PC). Each step is addressed below.

Step 1. Begin by asking a general question, as well as more specific questions. Every documentary is driven by a question that documentarians seek to answer, for themselves and on behalf of their audience.

Therefore, students begin by asking a question about their topic, which is typically a person or group of people, place, artifact or event. The question they ask is along the lines of, "Why is this important in Klukwan's history?" or, “What is the story behind my topic?”

Then ask more specific questions. They can also develop more specific questions to accompany this, like, When did this family move to Klukwan, and what did they do when they arrived? Or What is the significance of this painting (or garment, totem pole, etc.)? Who made it and what story does it tell?

** The questions drive the project. The questions must be clear and well-formed. **

Step 2. Create a preconception inventory. Students then make a list of what they think they know about their topic. This allows them to document what they learn. They should create this as a list of bullets. There is no need to write this formally, using full sentences and paragraphs. Using bullets or their own shorthand is fine.

Step 3. Create a list of research resources, i.e., people to talk to, places to visit, etc. Students create a list of people they think they might talk to, places they might visit, artifacts they want to look at, etc., in order to answer their question. There is no need to write this formally, using full sentences and paragraphs. Using bullets or their own shorthand is fine.

Step 4. Students peer pitch about their projects. Students present projects to each other in small groups. They peer critique it on two points: Is it interesting? Is it clear?

Step 5. Gather resources. Students gather their resources, which include:
- several pictures of the person, artifact, event
- several pictures of anything related to that person, artifact, event
- a map or diagram; the point is to show where the person, artifact, event is in relation to all of Klukwan
- a map or diagram that shows Klukwan in relation to the rest of Alaska

- anything from Wikipedia, books or other resources developed locally?
- perhaps an interview with one or more people

Special note about interviews. If students are going to interview people, they need to be respectful of their time. The best way to do this to prepare a list of questions ahead of time and peer critique these to make sure they will get the information they need.

Step 6. Analyze findings, create a list of the results of research. Students create a bulleted list of what they discovered. There is no need to write this formally, using full sentences and paragraphs. Using bullets or their own shorthand is fine.

Step 7. Write a script. The script is usually one page long, double spaced. This is formally written. It contains what students read to create a “voice-over narration” in which the audience hears the narrator’s voice, while looking at still images on the screen. Interspersed may be video footage.

I try to talk people out of using video who are working on a short timeline because video takes much longer to gather and edit.

The script needs to address:

- Intro, and question- What questions does their documentary ask?

- What did the researchers think they knew before they started?

- Their story of discovery - who they talked to, where they visited, what resources they used (musuems, wikipedia, whatever.)

- What they learned, how it expanded their understanding of their community.

- It should also include a personal reflection about how it changes their understanding of themselves in relation to their communities.

Step 8. Write a story table. The script is then annotated with what will be appearing on the screen. The easiest way to do this is to create a story table, which is a Word table in two columns. In the left hand side appears the test you will voice record. In the right hand columns appears their throughs about the kinds of images and other media they might want the audience to see or hear as they are listening to the voice-over narration. This is the students' opportunity to think through how they want to match their words and images, rather than just "shoot from the hip." Click here to a website that explains story tables in more detail.

Step 9. Assemble project. Once they have a script, and all of their media elements (pictures, interviews, whatever), students will need at least one full day to assemble the project.

Technology needed - please check to make sure you have these before I get there:

- Computers. Students need access to computers, preferably laptops.

- Software. Apple users - I use iMovie HD (vs. iMovie 7-11); if the students know how to use any of the later versions of iMovie and feel comfortable using them, that's fine. But teaching it from scratch takes a long time, whereas I can teach iMovie HD in 15 minutes. I will provide iMovie HD if you don't have it. PC users - I use MovieMaker 2.6. If you are running XP or Vista, it comes shipped with it. If you are running Windows 7, then you need to download it. You can do so from this site: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=34.

- Cameras - They will need digital cameras and way to get their pictures from their cameras to their computers. Sometimes their cell phones can work.

- Video cameras? - In order to interview anyone, they will need a video camera with an external mic input, and a wireless lavalier mic. I will bring one of these.

- Audio recorders? If students are doing just audio interviews, then they will need a way to do this. Sitting around a laptop, and recording using iMovie, can work just fine for this.

- Headsets – for recording and listening to their audio narration.

Step 10. Export their project. This refers to saving their file in a particular way that allows them post it on a video hosting service. Typically this is in Quicktime format (.mov) or Windows Movie File format (.wmv).

Step 11. Invite the public to a performance. This step is very important.

Questions? Let me know - Jason (jasonohler @ gmail.com)

Klukwan Site-based Documentary Project

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

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Saturday, November 5, 2011

Online resources for your project