Alaska : Simulated

December 13th, 2010

Sunday has 10 hours of footage and has edited it down to 20 minutes. It is a rough edit and the ending isn’t complete. It is shot and edited in a documentary style about the alternative life of the people in Skagway, Alaska. How they ended there and somewhat touching on how Skagway is a simulated tourism town. This cut might be too sentimental at the time and she wanted it to be about the part-time workers. About the tourism itself.

Critique:
John McNeil: “Alaska as an idealized place. But the people all seem to be running away from something instead of coming there.”

Meg Rorison: “The scenic shots versus the scene where you are in the tourist shops with the wax sculptures. The filming through a moving car and through the glass. All of these elements are different except for the presence of your voice which grounds it and makes it good. Would you consider doing a voiceover if you think your voice is important to the project?”

Sunday Ballew: “The cut might be too ‘soft’. Too tidy and pulling on heartstrings because of the interviews.”

Erin Zerbe: “It is hard to weigh who lives there permanently against the seasonal works.”

John McNeil: “I think the technical aspect keeps this piece from ever being tidy. It might force you to have to go back and record more content.”

Sunday Ballew: “This video will not be the thesis. Maybe some of the content, but just what brings people to this place is what is interesting. The cruise ship tourists, or the independents who don’t have a plan, but are here foe the ideal. These independents exists just riding the coattails of the tourist industry.”

Craig Kalpakjian: “I get the feeling you are afraid of getting to your point. The most interesting part was the few people who were describing the place as unsustainable . But them sitting in their living room was ‘visually dead. If you have an idea bout this place, say it very much through the piece. There are towns that exist without cruise ships, how do they look like? Can this town exist without them?”

Heather Stratton: “The parts where it is black and only audio seems like a ‘mistake’ with the beginning being the only exception.”

Nancy Daly: “Any way you would us appropriated footage?”

Timothy Druckrey: “You should narrate this piece. How the town began, the conflict with the locals and tourists. Having the voices (the local’s voices) tell their stories to help provide a foundation point. Instead of relying solely on a documentary edit-to-edit. You can also have their voices represented by an actor and they will be more flexible. Ultimately, less about them – more about you and your experience with the place.”