Legacy Arts and Cultural Heritage

The goal of this project is to make a personal essay film that uses both art and science to reach out, through various media, to a broad audience in western Minnesota on an issue that rural people are very concerned about. For my own artistic development, this film represents an exciting opportunity to use my skills and the new prosumer digital tools to create a film that is personal, and narrative, one in which I have almost complete control over all aspects of the filming and editing. It will give me the opportunity to gain greater technical skills as a videographer and editor, as well as serve as a springboard for further small budget productions. I hope to use this film as part of a broader discussion about monarch decline and habitat restoration in Minnesota, and to make it available to a variety of cultural institutions who, through their own missions, can advance community involvement through an understanding of the issues it addresses.I plan to use the institutional screenings as my base for evaluation. I will distribute a questionnaire asking for feedback about the film. Questions that will be helpful for me are TECHNICAL 1) Is all the AUDIO clear and intelligible? COMPOSITION 2) Does the film hold together? EDITORIAL 3) Are there places where more or less information would be helpful? Those answers will give me a measure of the films effectiveness and also allow me to make adjustments for the final edit. Ultimately, my goals will be best measured by whether or not the film is accepted for broadcast on the Minnesota Channel on public television. In order to be accepted, the film must meet broadcast quality standards, and be well composed, exceptionally thoughtful, engaging, and of interest to greater Minnesota. That is a high level standard, but I believe I can meet it.