Better Know a Colorado Border: Baca County
About the Project
This video is the first in a series exploring Colorado’s border communities. The goal of the project is to shed light on communities and science policy related issues in the literal and figurative margins of our state. We hope to present audiences with perspectives they might not encounter in person, improve empathy and understanding for people with a variety of circumstances, and present a richer more complete picture of what it is to be Coloradan.
About My Role
I was responsible for every aspect of this video’s production, short of initial conception, for which, credit belongs to my excellent supervisor, Prof. Max Boykoff. Working with him we fleshed out the idea of what this Border series would cover, starting with our focus issues — energy, environment, and technology —and expanding to include a regional profile and regional issues. I conducted research, found contacts in Baca County, and arranged the trip. Once there, I set up the equipment, conducted interviews, and shot B-roll. Upon returning with the collected footage, I storyboarded the framework of the video, recorded the Voice Over sections, edited together the Interviews and B-roll, found supplementary free use assets, and created short animations in After Effects.
My favorite thing about this project was working with communities that were so eager to participate and have their story told. I personally feel so much more connected to Baca County and I want to see them succeed, and I think that same feeling will be inspired in anyone watching the video.
Exploring Digital Humanities Trailer
About the Project
This course trailer was designed to market a new course at St. Olaf College to both administrators and students. Digital Humanities uses cutting edge research methodologies to reinvigorate humanities research by providing new insights and new platforms that make knowledge accessible and exciting for everyone. Prof. Ka Wong, who received a grant to teach the course, wanted a slick, fast paced trailer to explain this methodology and its value to the St Olaf Community.
About My Role
This course trailer started as an assignment while I was taking the experimental course Digital Humanities Asia. With a team of two other students, I produced a concept trailer, and the Professor liked it so much he hired me to create a more polished version. I wrote the original script and storyboard, as well as recorded Voice over, created animations, and edited together the interviews. The final version is fully my creation, with the exception of a couple script revisions by Prof. Wong. I am particularly proud of the motion graphics, which I created with After Effects and taught myself how to do on the job. Prior to this project I had produced one short text animation project using AE, but that basic foundation and my love of animation were enough to let me realize this ambitious version of the trailer.
Fulbright Work:
Documentaries from Taiwan’s Indigenous Tribes
Preface
This project was like a phoenix emerging from the ashes of disaster. The 4th, and final iteration of my Fulbright grant project was born after the advisor of my 1st project discovered a life threatening health concern, Trump’s executive order cancelled my 2nd project and forced me to move from China to Taiwan, and a 3 month COVID lockdown dashed the chances of my 3rd project. At that point, 4 months before the end of my 10 month grand period, my 4th, and final advisor extended her hand, like Guanyin from the heavens, and invited me to do this amazing project with her. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
About this Project
Most people don’t know that Taiwan home to a rich diversity of indigenous peoples. Furthermore, those peoples, are widely accepted to be the origin of Austronesian languages and people (think Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia, and New Zealand). With 14 recognized tribes (and more pending recognition) and at least 9 language groups, the island is home to a diverse array of cultures and traditional knowledge. That legacy has long been forbidden from school curriculums, but with the increasing recognition that indigenous traditional knowledge is essential, both to its people and to the world (especially in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss), that knowledge is being reintroduced by schools across Taiwan. The purpose of this project was to elevate the profile of those efforts, inspire other schools in Taiwan to pioneer their own traditional knowledge curriculums, and connect with schools in the wider Austronesian community (starting with the Maori in New Zealand) to share knowledge and bolster each other’s efforts.
In total we produced 3 documentaries, one for the Tao People of Orchid Island (Lanyu), one for an Atayal tribe in Fushan (south of Taipei), and a third for the Tsou in Alishan (a high mountain community in central Taiwan).
A Postcard from Lanyu 蘭嶼 – Home of the Tao People
About My Role
My advisor brought me on to this project with idea that I would produce documentaries about three indigenous schools to share with other schools in Taiwan, and to make exchange connections with Maori schools in New Zealand. From that idea I came up with the concept of postcard documentaries that could be tailored to specific recipients. For this project I acquired all my own equipment, I conducted interviews in Chinese, and traveled the island filming B-roll for the documentary. I had the assistance of a local community leader Syamen Lamuran, who recorded the voice over for this video, and shot some of the B-roll at closed tribal events. I was entirely responsible for the video’s post production.
If asked if there was a particular part of this film I’m most proud of, I would have its entire production. This was my first one person, run-and-gun production, I was in a foreign country speaking my third language, and I felt a real duty to get this right for the indigenous communities that had graciously invited me to help them with this mission. This production taught me about the hard work, blood, (literal) sweat, and tears that go into every aspect of production, because there was no one to do it but me. So, I am extremely proud of this documentary just for the fact it exists. (I do also think the drone shots and incorporation of music from Tao singers is particularly lovely)
A Postcard from Fushan 福山 – Home of the Atayal People
About my Role
Similar to Orchid Island, I was responsible for almost the entirety of this film, from pre production to post production. I received some excellent support from a graduate student, Tengyu You, with conducting and translating interviews, as well as Prof. Sushin Li who provided additional B-roll and guided revisions of the film. Beyond that, I conducted interviews, filmed B-roll, wrote storyboards, found additional fair use assets, and edited together the final film.
A Postcard from Alishan 阿里山 – Home of the Tsou People
About my Role
From my point of view, this is the ideal outcome of a project like this. To provide initial support or a framework and platform where needed, but beyond that, let the local people be the subject and the authors of their own story. We had originally hoped that the schools in Orchid Island and Fushan would be able to do some or all of their own productions as well, however with younger students and less capacity, we agreed that is made sense for me to direct those projects with as much input as the teachers and students were able to provide.
For this postcard I had a much more limited role. Initially, we had planned to mix B-roll and interviews I had shot with footage provided by the school with the students. However, when we saw what the school had sent us, we decided it was perfect just as it was, and wanted to maintain the integrity of what the local community had produced. I added the title card, subtitles, and production credits, but beyond offering ideas and discussing the goals of the project with the local teachers, this work is all theirs.
Melanie Thompson 