March 05, 2020
On day three of ECS, students spent the morning with Coach Vaughan talking about what it means to really “listen” while interviewing someone. Coach Vaughan talked about how we can tell if someone is listening to us speaking through body language. She also shared a list of quotes about listening. My personal favorite was “Do not listen with the intent to reply, but with intent to understand.”After the group discussion on listening, students paired up with their documentary groups to plan seven scenes in our documentary. This activity led us to the special treat of the day. The Storytelling Through Film ECS got the pleasure of eating lunch at the Indian restaurant, Little Nepal, then visiting Bourbon Street Productions created by Producer John Bourbonais. Students did not only meet John Bourbonais, who has done work for big companies like ESPN, Disney, National Geographic, and many more, but also Betsy Mueller. Besty Mueller is a VFX artist who specializes in light. Betsy Mueller has done work for big name movies such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Iron Man, and Jurassic Park. Students were able to ask questions of John and Betsy about their careers in the film business while also experiencing mini documentaries through virtual reality created by John Bourbonais. John also explained how to film a good interview using B-roll (film of the surrounding environment and context). His great answers to questions and his advice on filming gave students added direction on how to create their own documentaries.
