Daddy’s Girl A Documentary Film By:Lesley Steele Thesis 1 | Fall 2012 | Instructor: Sassa
Thesis Concept Statement: Daddy’s Girl is a documentary film on my father Lester Steele who passed away when I was one and a half. When he was dying in the hospital, he knew his chance of living to see me grow into the woman I am today was slim. So he used a tape recorder in the last months of his life to record his voice and the messages he wanted me to hear, when I was old enough and ready to listen. Two years ago right before I turned 18, I realized it was time I heard his voice as I missed and needed my father in my life. I made a short documentary using the audio footage he left for me and decided to continue researching and exploring this project for my thesis.
Imperative: I am creating this film about my father because there is a part of me that needs to fulfill his legacy and tell the story that has so much do with who I am today as a woman, artist, daughter and so much more. I have always wondered what it means to have a father, what kind of moments a father and daughter share, what events you celebrate together and ultimately what kind of relationship exists between a father and daughter. Throughout the making of this film I hope to gain closure as well as an understanding of a father’s role in his daughter’s life. Graduating from college is a chapter in my life I wish my father were able to experience with me. In making this film I hope it will inspire others in the world to appreciate their family and loved ones and to make the most out of their experiences and precious time together. I hope it will encourage and strengthen relationships between fathers and daughters as well as challenge the viewer to step beyond limitations and rebuild broken, distant or lost relationships.
Visual Treatment + Process: I will be using digital video as well as super8, 16mm film, archived VHS footage, audio and some animation to create the documentary. The film essentially will be a reconstructed and well-developed family home video in a sense. Having incorporated much of my own personal memories and resources such as old videos, photographs and documents; I imagine the visual treatment will reflect a homemade, timeless and classic film especially with the integration of actual film. My creative process includes conducting interviews of family and friends who knew my father as well as my mother and I. Writing various forms of letters addressed to and about my father will primarily serve as my voice over narration throughout the film. As I am learning how to animate, I will use some forms of animation within the title sequence and transitions between interviews and video content. Conducting self-interviews and daily reflections in the forms of video and writing, guides me throughout the process of critically thinking and developing my narrative and visual structure of the film. Because I am creating a documentary, storyboarding has not yet been a tool for me to utilize as I still need to gather more footage which will ultimately define the film’s structure. Mapping out shooting locations is essential as I will be retracing my father’s footsteps, memories and life to an extent.
Research, Precedents+Mapping
Photographs + Memorabilia:
All of my father’s notes, letters, tapes and family photographs have been my primary forms of research and inspiration for the film. They have inspired me to think critically about my life, my father and why I’m making this film.
Spike Lee
– Do the Right Thing, Crooklyn, Malcolm X I am very inspired by Spike Lee’s use of storytelling through characters, setting, color and focus on a social issue.
Mark Singer
– Dark Days Documentary I was inspired by this documentary because of it’s raw interpretation and viewing of a very unique “subculture” which was eye-opening and also focused on the use of character and setting to convey a story. It was also shot on 16mm film which i am considering for my thesis.
Night Catches Us I was inspired by this film’s title sequence as it using animation mixed with phogographs and very suddle but exciting movements.
Malcolm X I love this Dictionary Scene, how the shots are composed throughout flipping through pages, zooming in on words. I would like to incorporate some of these techniques into my animations.
Jonathan Harris
– http://www.number27.org/
I am interested in interactive web media and how various forms of media can be contextualized into a storytelling platform and tool on the internet. I am extremely inspired by Jonathan Harris an artist/researcher who uses computer science, statistics and storytelling as visual tools on the web.
Dear Daddy Documentary
Dear Daddy is a feature length documentary about the life long effects of fatherlessness on women. The film follows the dramatic journeys of eight young women from the tough city streets of Washington,DC as they struggle to overcome poverty, poor educational systems, no healthcare, and the most difficult life circumstance they have been dealt... the absence of their fathers. http://www.indiegogo.com/ DEAR-DADDY
Mind Map:
Interactive Presentation Link:
http://prezi.com/qfbe6ugwbk4f/daddys-girl-mind-map/?auth_key=497f3e6b26c16237f f93b627adc21c392ce31d7a
Keith Haring Journal Pages I was inspired by Keith Haring’s use of documentary and self-reflection through writing. It inspired me to continue writing and keep a thorough journal of all my findings and research for my thesis.
Mediums: I would like to use primarily video for the major footage and also using supplemental 16mm film, Super 8, 8mm, and 35mm photography. I envision having a journalistic aspect, where having documentation of the series of events are key and is incorporated into the design and overall aesthetic.
Book References: 101 Things I Learned In Film School- Neil Landau Thinking Like A Director- Michael Bloom Directing the Documentary 3rd Edition- Michael Rabiger Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction - Jack Hart
Prototype: I am currently in the stage of developing my voice-over narration.The film’s narrative structure has evolved to become a letter addressed to and about my father. The opening sequence essentially will begin with my narration in the form of a letter. Throughout the content of the letter, I will pose questions that may be discussed or answered in video footage of interviews I’ve shot of family and friends and at times myself. I also have letters my father wrote to me before he died which may serve as answers to some of my own questions I ask him in my letters to him. This intricate correspondence will hopefully connect the many segments of footage, video and animation I am creating.
Feedback: I have received a lot of crucial feedback from my professor and peers regarding the construction and development of the film. This feedback includes: • Conducting self-interviews and using these moments of reflection to respond to how I felt about the interviewees, my process, progress and other thoughts. • “The whole point of the film is getting to know your father, it’s about your relationship with him.” • When writing letters to my father, it would be nice to see the progression of how I initially address him compared to later, after I have come to discover more about him, throughout my process and research while constructing the film. I currently address him as “Dear Lester”, because that is what seems natural to me at the moment, and hopefully by then end of the process, it will feel more natural to end the letter with “Dear Daddy.”
• When I visit my father’s grave in Florida, establishing shots will be crucial and impactful • Think of some ritual or ceremonial moment when I reach my father’s grave. This will be my first time to ever to visit his gravesite. • Retrace his footsteps, do a walking tour of some things he would do, or would like to do, whether that’s in Florida or NYC. • Ask questions in my letters that may be addressed in the video interviews. • Jump right into my letters, use my upcoming graduation as a way to begin talking to him and then unfold the narrative to where the audience realizes he is no longer with us.
Production Schedule: December 10th-31st -Complete overall voice-over narration through the format of letters. -Visit Father’s grave on Christmas 12/25-12/28. Get establishing shots and footage of the meeting, neighborhood, hopefully an interview with his only living sister and possible other family members. -Reshoot mother’s interview for footage or audio purposes. -Nail down title sequence animation. -Location shooting of the Bronx where I was raised, he lived with me, also Florida and supplemental footage of nature, season transition which can be used for visual transitions within in the film. January 1-30th -Begin putting all collected footage into a linear timeline/sequence. -Begin mapping out the structure of what I have and as soon as possible obtain whatever pieces of footage/audio or other supplemental material I may need. -Start editing the the footage, color corrections, sound, any digitization of film that may be needed. -Develop animation ideas or transitions, aesthetics,styles that will be incorporated into the film, stop action text for title sequence etc... -Do some storyboarding, style frames in relation to what footage I have so far. -Create some movie poster ideas and concepts that should be finalized. February-March: -Continue editing and finalizing the film, it all depends on what is created and collected during December-January.