Week 16 Update

This past week, we edited Starting Again to prepare for the end-of-semester screenings. Getting all the b-roll assembled and color correction and titles added took more time than expected. Although we were able to wrap things up into a completed film, it is currently not anywhere where I want it to be. We will be tweaking the film this week to prepare for the Carolina Bay screening, and probably more so on my own before submitting to festivals. I understand that the way the film is shaped now it is kind of one-sided, without anyone really saying anything negative about their retirement experience, either a homeowner or a community resident. I also realize that adding more from the gerontology professors about how younger audiences could relate to the film is a necessary component. Looking back over the course of the semester, I feel that we accomplished a lot as far as getting interviews scheduled and filmed and making extra time for b-roll filming. Although it would have been nice to possibly get perspectives from not-so-happy retirees and more variety in b-roll, we just did not have the time. I should have dedicated more time to editing on a regular basis, so that I was not scrambling around to get the final cut in this past Tuesday, but I definitely learned the importance of time management.

Week 15 Update

The past several days have been spent cutting down all the interview footage and editing to create the final sequence. It has been time consuming and stressful, because each and everyone of the people we have spoken to and interviewed throughout the course of this semester have provided such interesting perspectives on the topic of aging. Having to decide on only certain soundbites to use in order to tell an organized story has been a challenge. Although I did radio edits of each of the interviews throughout the production stage, I do feel like I wasted valuable time to really focus on editing. The end-of-semester screening date coming up so unexpectedly threw me a loop, as well. I tend to be a perfectionist and take pride in all the work that I do, so making sure this film represents my vision is crucial. I do plan to edit a slightly longer cut before submitting to festivals, but I will for sure be submitting. I believe the ideas discussed in this film, hearing various individuals' stories about retirement is interesting and  important for audiences to see. I do feel that we were able to film unique people this semester and that having enough footage to work with was never a concern/issue, because of the amount of footage we have. I have enjoyed the experience of serving as director on this short documentary and I look forward to the possibility of more directing projects in the future post-graduations including gaining the funding to make an environmental feature that my co-director Henry Klein and I have been pitching in producing class.

River Run Film Festival Response

Participating in and attending my first ever River Run Film Festival was a valuable experience. On Friday morning, I met with both Caroline Cuny, the organizer of the PitchFest and the other three contestants from Elon, UNC School of the Arts, and Wake Forrest alike. We each presented our brief pitches and film clips and engaged in a Q&A session with the three judges. A discussion panel with the judges proceeded afterwards, in which they shared their personal experiences getting into the industry and their advice on the art of pitching. Top points that resonated with me included remaining passionate about the idea and expressing that not only to potential funders, but to the audience as well. Maintaining a professional as well as colorful presentation hook individuals in and allow them to care about the film and its future. Also, being able to articulate why a filmmaker is the right one for the job is the right one to make a particular film is important to consider. As far as my film is concerned, some constructive criticism I received/tips for the editing process included narrowing down the scope to allow stories of certain characters to shine through and allow audiences to follow through with the overall story.

Apart from the PitchFest, I attended student film blocks of both documentary and narrative films on Friday. The following day, I screened a block of documentary shorts from established filmmakers in the morning, attended a panel discussion in the afternoon, and screened a narrative feature in the evening. It was interesting to listen in on the Q&A sessions at the different film blocks, to hear the filmmakers’ challenges and visions, and the audiences’ reactions to the films. Naturally I am fascinated by the documentary film genre and the various people explored in film. Watching the selections of documentary shorts at the festival gave me some inspiration and ideas for how to go about editing the final cut of my film. Certain aspects I noticed were gradual breaks/pauses in dialogue with overlaid b-roll to allow breathing room for audiences, to allow them to focus solely on the imagery and take in the information presented. I also noticed rare moments within some of the films where the filmmakers’ questions to the subject were included. To hear the filmmaker’s voice proved to me that they were genuinely interested in learning about their subjects and what they had to offer. I am not sure whether I will utilize that technique, but it was rewarding nonetheless to see how other student and established filmmakers shaped their films into stories.

Week 13 Update

This past weekend, I attended RiverRun Film Festival and pitched Starting Again to a panel of three judges. Some constructive criticism I received/tips for the editing process included narrowing down the scope to allow stories of certain characters to shine through and allow audiences to follow through with the overall story. Watching selections of documentary shorts at the festival gave me some inspiration and ideas for how to go about editing the final cut of my film. Certain aspects I noticed were gradual breaks/pauses in dialogue with overlaid b-roll to allow breathing room for audiences, to allow them to focus solely on the imagery and take in the information presented. I also noticed rare moments within some of the films where the filmmakers’ questions to the subject were included. To hear the filmmaker’s voice proved to me that they were genuinely interested in learning about their subjects and what they had to offer. I am not sure whether I will utilize that technique, but it was rewarding nonetheless to see how other student and established filmmakers shaped their films into stories. This afternoon and evening, we gathered the remaining b-roll footage for the film. This included going to Kure Beach with Emma and Anthony to get footage of Cathy and Steve doing activities in and around their house, followed by going to Carolina Bay where Anthony and I got footage of residents at a forum, as well as footage of residents attending a dance class. We then went downtown by the waterfront and captured the sunset. The remainder of this week and next will be spent editing in order to prepare for fine cut.

Week 12 Update

This past week was spent editing selects from our interviews to prepare for the Rough Cut 1. Anthony and James went to Carolina Bay for a Garden Party & Piano Recital to get B-roll and sound bites of the residents in action/socializing. Today, Anthony and I went back to Carolina Bay and got B-roll of a resident painting and conversing with Erin. This week will primarily consist of completing the Marketing and Distribution Assignment and planning out times to gather more B-roll at both Carolina Bay and Cathy and Steve's house. The next few weeks will be spent structuring and polishing the film for Fine Cut.

Week 11 Update

This past Friday, the whole group and I met up and took a drive to Wallace, NC to interview Emma's aunt, Kathy Lord, who lives in River Landing, a gated community with homeowners of various ages. We gathered some b-roll inside her home and then took her golf cart for a spin around the neighborhood, getting driving footage in the process. Anthony and I also worked on a 90-second clip for my River Run Film Festival pitch of the film. It basically features soundbites from various interviewees about the idea of owning a home or moving into a retirement community and how retirement has treated these people. The rough cut, which we will work on today, tomorrow, and Tuesday will have a similar approach, but expanded further. To save time and hassle, Anthony discovered a feature on Premiere Pro that allows you to combine and sync a two-camera set up together. Our interviews of Cathy/Steve, Doug, and Kathy had interview footage from two cameras. This feature allowed everything to be more concise and easier to edit for rough cut assembly. Today, Anthony and I filmed the sunrise on the beach and will hopefully film the sunset in downtown near the waterfront soon. We also need to schedule out Carolina Bay events to attend to capture residents socializing together. I would like to get back up with Cathy and Steve and see when they plan to spend time with friends, so that I can hopefully get some b-roll of them interacting with others, as well.

Week 10 Update

Since the beginning of April is quickly approaching and I continue to play email and phone tag with Erica from Lake Shore Commons, I have decided not to include any interviews from that particular retirement community. We have a lot of footage already from Carolina Bay and I would like to gather some nice b-roll of social events, showing the residents engaging with one another. I also need to work on completing radio edits of all the interviews, so that it will be easier to pick out selects to put into the rough cut in more of a storytelling manner. I need to seek out editing help from my group mates, because it is a lot to take on by myself alone. I am looking forward to interviewing Emma's aunt in Wallace this Friday and getting some b-roll of her in and around her home. The following weeks will be spent gathering needed b-roll and editing editing editing.

Week 9 Update

This past Friday morning, Anthony and I filmed some beach b-roll of the sunrise, but will need to come back since it was kind of cloudy that day. Friday afternoon, Anthony, James, and I filmed interviews of a select group of residents at Carolina Bay, as well as some interior and exterior b-roll footage of the facility. Last night, Anthony, Emma, and I filmed some b-roll footage of the Watercolors and Wine event at Carolina Bay and sat down with a resident and asked him some questions based on his stay at Carolina Bay as he painted pictures. This morning, Anthony, James, and I interviewed both Erin Rhyne, the Life Enrichment Director, and Joe Soto, the Executive Director. We may or may not be getting some b-roll tomorrow at Lake Shore Commons. With the amount of footage we have already gathered, I am debating spending time interviewing people at Lake Shore, but I am thinking it is better to have the footage still even if we do not end up using it for the end-of-semester edit. Next Friday, we will finally be heading to Wallace, NC to interview Emma's aunt and get b-roll of her living space. I also just noticed that I was featured in the Carolina Bay event newsletter for my documentary, so that marketing is pretty cool. As we near the beginning of April, hopefully after next weekend we will be done with all interviews and will just need to gather b-roll of social events, downtown, beach, etc.

Week 8 Update

Shortly before Spring Break, Anthony, James, and I interviewed Dr. Andrew Zeldin. Like with Dr. Anne Glass' interview, Zeldin was set up in his office. He provided plenty of interesting and useful information as it pertains to the focus of the film. Over break, I had plans to edit my gathered interview and b-roll footage up until this point, but unfortunately did not make much progress. I need to focus more on dedicating productive time to work on the project as we continue to gather more and more material. This Friday, we have an interview set up with Erin D. Rhyne, the Life Enrichment Director at Carolina Bay at Autumn Hall. We will also be setting up times to meet with actual residents to interview for the following week. Anthony and I will be getting sunrise footage on the beach this Friday and possibly sunset footage sometime over the weekend, as well. We will also be meeting with Erica Sadler, the Enrichment Coordinator as Lake Shore Commons next week, and similar to Erin, setting up times to meet with actual residents for interviews. I would like to get our last two potential interviewees, Emma's aunt in Wallace and Joseph L. Soto, the Executive Director of Carolina Bay, knocked out one weekend in the near future, so that I have plenty of time to edit the film.

Week 7 Update

This past Saturday, our group traveled to Kure Beach to interview Cathy and Steve Hobson, a couple that has been retired for nearly five years now and currently resides in their dream beach house. The interview went very well and if possible, I would like to visit them again on a day they plan to go to the beach with friends/go out on their boat, to gather b-roll footage of them staying active and maintaining a social life. On Monday, Anthony, Emma, and I interviewed both Doug, a drummer and formally the owner of a bed and breakfast in downtown Wilmington, and Dr. Anne Glass, a gerontology professor at UNC Wilmington. Both individuals provided interesting and personal sound bites. We also gathered b-roll of each of the interviewees' locations. Our final interview before Spring Break is this Friday with Dr. Andrew Zeldin, another gerontology professor at UNC Wilmington. I am looking forward to hearing his ideas and perspectives on the topic of aging and the need to study, learn, and appreciate older adults and their lifestyle choices. Over break, I plan to begin editing the completed interviews up until this point. When it is all said and done, there will be a lot of footage to sift through and I would like to get in the habit now of staying up-to-date with editing.

Week 6 Update

We were originally planning a trip to Wallace, NC for this past Friday, but Emma's aunt was feeling under the weather, so we are rescheduling that trip for Saturday, March 5th, depending on my work schedule. Yesterday, my group and I took a trip to Wrightsville Beach and gathered some shots of the ocean and surrounding area to potentially use as b-roll when individuals discuss why they choose to live in Wilmington specifically. We have the Carolina/Kure Beach couple set up to interview this coming Friday, February 26th and will be getting both footage of them doing things around the house and shots of the house and its proximity to the beach. I sent emails to the gerontology professors to confirm the dates for their interviews. I'm still waiting to hear back, but hopefully things will remain as planned with Dr. Anne Glass on Monday, March 29th and Dr. Andrew Zeldin on Friday, February 4th. Erin Rhyne, the Life Enrichment Director at Carolina Bay is available to interview on Friday, March 11th. We will most likely be speaking with 1 or 2 residents that day, as well. We will also be sitting in on an activity/class/event at Carolina Bay in the coming weeks, to capture how the residents interact with one another on a social level, and also to have as overlaid footage when they talk about what they enjoy about living at the retirement community. I am still waiting on approval from the regional director at Lake Shore Commons. I'm planning on hearing word on that sometime this week.

Week 5 Update

This past week, I have been in contact with both Lake Shore Commons and Carolina Bay at Autumn Hall in order to set up possible interviews. Lake Shore is interested in being part of the project, but because they are owned by a corporation, they need to wait on approval for filming from the higher up people. The Life Enrichment Director at Carolina Bay has been proactive in discussing the film interest with Joseph L. Soto, the Executive Director, and the marketing team. The man who is in charge of all video and press for Carolina Bay was working in Charlotte this past week, so there is a slight delay on permission to film interviews and what not. Our group is planning a trip to Wallace, NC this Friday to visit Emma's aunt, Kathy Lord, who is a widower currently living in River Landing. River Landing is a community of many retired personnel but also families as well. It is a relaxing place without the amenities of a true retirement community or a home. We hope to knock out her interview and get a lot of b-roll of the area in and around where she resides. I contacted Cathy Hobson, the retiree living with her husband in Carolina Beach and she is willing to help in any way she can, so hopefully either this week or next, we can get the couple's interviews in. Aside from upcoming filming, Anthony, James, and I went to Carolina Bay this past weekend and gathered some initial exterior b-roll and edited the footage along with footage that Anthony shot on his Sony HDR-FX1 of Doug Zieschang, a retired musician, who currently runs a bed & breakfast. 

Week 4 Update

This past week, I have been reaching out to the two gerontology professors and have set up confirmed dates to film their interviews. On Friday, Anthony and I went to a few prospective retirement communities to see if there was any interest for the film project. We spoke to people at Lake Shore Commons, including Erica Sadler, the enrichment coordinator, and Al Isselin, the ambassador who headlines the extracurricular events and trips the residents attend. We also went to the recently opened Carolina Bay at Autumn Hall and the people were more than happy to be a part of the film. I have begun contacting Erica and Erin Rhyne, the Carolina Bay enrichment coordinator, in order to set up dates to film interviews. Both coordinators have residents in mind that would be willing to answer questions on camera. The communities also have detailed schedules of events for the month, including cultural events, group classes, trips, etc, giving us opportunities to get a lot go B-roll footage. I have also been working on my portion of the Week 3 Assignment and have assisted Emma in putting together our detailed schedule from pre- to post-production. This coming Friday, we plan to work with James' Canon to gather some initial B-roll footage, taking note of the clarity/quality of the image. We plan to experiment with a few different types of cameras in order to find what will work best for the expert interviews. Our first two interviews are scheduled for February 29th with Dr. Anne Glass and March 4th with Dr. Andrew Zeldin.

Week 3 Update

This past week, I have began contacting experts for potential interviews to supplement the film. I personally contacted two gerontology professors from UNC Wilmington, Dr. Andrew Zeldin, who specializes in geriatric care management. Andrew is dedicated to older adults and their families and believes that educating young adults on aging issues will benefit the local community and society as a whole. Dr. Anne Glass is a leading researcher in the new field of senior co-housing and other elder self-directed intentional communities. She is especially interested in the potential for older adults to provide mutual support to each other. She is also interested in exploring the ways that communities can facilitate this process and be more age-friendly. I believe both professors have interesting and experienced backgrounds as it relates to the study of older people and I feel that they will provide helpful and important information for my film. They have also both gotten back to me quickly and are very much happy to take part in this project. I also reached out to a psychology professor on-campus, Dr. Alissa Dark-Freudeman to see if she would be able to provide input into the psychological/behavioral aspect of why older adults make the choices/decisions that they do when it comes to finding a place to live in the retirement stage of life. Later this week, I plan to contact the individual communities to see if there is possible interest in filming there, both from staff members and residents themselves. I also plan to contact the couple in Carolina Beach that have chosen to live out their retirement right on the water as home-owners. 

Expert Bios and Initial Interview Questions

Steve and Cathy Hobson  
Former high school teachers from Maryland who worked all the way up until retirement. They currently reside in a large beach house in Carolina Beach, NC. 

1. Where are you originally from? 
2. What drew you to the Wilmington area?
3. How long did you work in the education field? What did you enjoy most about the experience?
4. How has retirement been treating you? 
5. In what ways do you remain active in your community?
6. Do you attend a lot of local concerts/cultural events? If so, what have your favorites been?
7. What would you say are the pros to being a homeowner as opposed to living in a more secluded   community with only neighbors/residents of a similar age? Cons?
8. Do the majority of your retired close friends/family own their homes or have they chosen to move into active adult/independent living communities? 
9. How long do you plan to reside in your beach house? Any future plans to travel and/or move?
10. Would you ever consider living in an active adult/independent living community? Why or why not?

Andrew Zeldin, MS
Gerontology lecturer for the School of Health and Applied Human Sciences at UNC Wilmington
and works as a professional Certified Geriatric Care Manager. Andrew received his master’s degree in Gerontology from UNC Wilmington and completed the University of Florida’s Geriatric Care Management Graduate Certificate program. Andrew is also the owner of Assistance for Life Care Management which is a Wilmington, NC based geriatric care management company. He is an active member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers and serves as the Geriatric Care Manager Chairperson on the International Commission on Health Care Certification executive board. 

1. Are you originally from Wilmington? 
2. What do you love most about living in this area?
3. What encouraged/inspired you to study and teach gerontology?
4. Discuss your education and work background.
5. In what ways do you stay active and involved in the community as it relates to older adults?
6. Why do you think there is such a large percentage of retirees/seniors that choose to live in communities with only people of a similar age and still others that decide to live and interact with people of all ages?
7. What are your thoughts on the variety of living options offered to retirees/seniors? 
8. Why do you think there is such an attraction to North Carolina for retirement, specifically Wilmington?
9. Do you think options and services for retirees/seniors will become more or less accessible in the future? Why?
10. Discuss the importance of exploring and learning about the lives of older adults within the local community and society overall. 

Documentary Film Treatment

It is a sunny afternoon at a popular independent living community for the elderly, Carolina Bay at Autumn Hall in Wilmington, North Carolina. The outside provides a sprawling facade with a well landscaped courtyard that leads to the main entrance of the community. Seniors stay active by golfing on the lush, green fields surrounding the community, swimming in the clear blue indoor pool, and participating in relaxing yoga sessions with friends. They roam freely around their clean and safe neighborhood with other seniors and take pleasure in the simple life. A couple staff members describe their experiences working at this particular retirement community, including both challenges and joys they face on a daily basis. The staff goes into detail about the knowledge that can be learned from the elderly and how their interactions with the tenants have shaped who they are. Additionally, a select few residents explain why they chose to live in a community in the first place and interact with like them.. Their individual stories all represent the diverse backgrounds they come from and the various roads that have led them to this particular living community. One by one they discuss further in depth their backgrounds and history. They discuss growing into the person they are now and the journey that brought them to want to live here. They take us through a typical day in this community and the aspects they do and do not enjoy. They also demonstrate typical activities they engage in, including playing intensely focused games of bridge, making ceramics and painting in crafts class, and going on group field trips to orchestra concerts in the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Kenan Auditorium, unwinding to the sounds of piano and violins. These individuals represent how they choose to live in communities like Carolina Bay at Autumn Hall and how they enjoy their days and life surrounded by similarly aged people.

In an old, dark brick home in historic downtown Wilmington with vibrant-colored potted plants assembled on the outdoor patio and both framed art and family photos lining the walls within the home, an elderly couple sits down in their comfy leather chairs and discusses their life. They talk about everything from how they met, what they did for a living before retiring, and how they currently spend their time, as well as explaining why they chose not to move into a retirement community. They elaborate on how they have several friends in retirement communities and others who choose to live independently. They discuss in their mind the pros and cons of both situations and why they are extremely happy living independently for now. They talk about their family and how the decision they made to stay in their home is one that they are happy with. They enjoy being able to see their children and grandchildren often, from regular visits to special occasions. On a clear night, the couple ventures out into the heart of downtown for cocktails and appetizers at their favorite restaurant. As they walk down the street, college kids and middle-aged people crowd the narrow streets. The sounds of car horns and blasting music from nightclubs flood the air. The couple walks hand-in-hand, smiling, as they take in the nightlife scene. They like having the freedom to interact with people of all ages and go to various different events on a regular basis, constantly expanding their knowledge and adapting to the changing culture of the area. As they sit at the table they elaborate more about their life at home. The couple ends with a warm goodbye as they return home. The couple enters their home and the door closes.

Week 1 Research

In starting to research for my documentary short on the lives of individuals who have reached retirement age, I discovered a wide assortment of options for seniors ranging from active adult communities to independent living communities to traditional retirement communities, such as senior apartments and 55+ places, including the differences of each. North Carolina alone has over seventy communities in various cities and has become a popular spot for living due to its mild climate and geography, and cultural/recreational activities. Seniors have the complete freedom to pick and choose what kind of amenities they would like to have available to them and what kind of opportunities they would like to pursue whether it be taking classes, engaging in physical activities like golfing, swimming, biking, etc., or going to events outside their neighborhood with other people of a similar age. Some possible places our group can check out right in the Wilmington area are: Coastal Plantation, Plantation Village, Brightmore of Wilmington, and Carolina Bay at Autumn Hall in order to talk to both residents and staff. As far as seniors that live outside of these types of communities are concerned, I would like to try to find either individuals that live with their family or completely on their own in order to understand both the pros and cons to being immersed with both young and old people.