Take Two

Here we go again… Welcome back to my blog! It feels good to be starting again on this journey. As I embark on the process of producing my A Level Media Studies project, I’m anxious, but excited, for the following six weeks as work begins getting done and my ideas and visions start to become realities. This year for my portfolio project I will be doing the “documentary package” which includes:

• an extract from an original documentary TV programme, lasting approximately five minutes
• a website for the documentary 
• a promotional poster for the documentary 

So my tasks are clear, but what is going to be the basis of my documentary?

Every year, over 7,000 high school students, adjudicators, and observers from 16 districts gather in Tampa, Florida for the Florida State Thespians Festival, the largest festival of its kind in the entire country. The festival is comprised of a long weekend filled with talks, workshops, shows, and most importantly, competitions in different categories, all of which surrounding theater. I’ve attended this festival all throughout high school since my sophomore year when my schools allows you to attend the festival, provided you get a coveted Superior ranking on your performance piece at the district level. This year, the festival will be taking place March 15-19 and I, for my final year, will be attending. Throughout this extended weekend I will be following my troupe and peers throughout Tampa documenting the incredible States experience and captivating the ambiance that is felt throughout the festival as the city is invaded by students with a passion for theater, performance, and the arts.

The main problem I am facing right now, however, is what direction I will take my general idea. I am torn between two different perspectives I can take with my documentary. One being focusing on the experience, all the festival has to offer, and my troupe’s performance throughout. The other being the idea of focusing on the seniors in my troupe who will be pursuing theater and performance as a professional career at the collegiate level and how their final States trip and performances serves as a stepping stone and transition into this career.

By the end of this week, I will have decided on a specific route to take and begin planning exactly what I want to capture in my documentary and creating an outline for it. Until then, I leave you with this thought:

“If you were born with the ability to change someone’s perspective or emotions, never waste that gift. It is one of the most powerful gifts God can give—the ability to influence.”

-Shannon L. Alder