What is one thing that I learned?
Anything is possible when you have the right people around you. During the interview on Monday, our goal was to capture the sounds of our environment and the story of Clarisa Evans. Upon arrival, we learned that we were fortunate to find that we could have ambient sound in abundance. This was an incredible first-time experience, but at the same time, I was toeing the line of overwhelm. Juggling a recorder, two phones, and a list of questions, Mónica was the best support I could have asked for at this moment and every day after that.
On the first day of this program, Doug and Gabriela made it clear that we would be supported in this process. That was the truth and every step of the way. Everyone on the team, virtually and in person, made sure that we did exactly what we came here to do.
What is one thing that I would have done differently?
I would have taken more moments to breathe when I was in the field. As mentioned earlier, when I was collecting the story it became a lot harder to deeply listen, stay aware of my surroundings, and stay in the moment. It would have been helpful to take a moment to breathe and be silent, maybe by recording the room tone at the front end of the interview, to give myself a small reset.
What did you learn this week that you will start doing next?
Mónica told me the best way to learn is to keep the momentum going, so tomorrow I am going to see if I can apply some of my newly learned audio skills and tools to a web article that could be enhanced with sound.
Furthermore, I will be using the brain dump, mapping, and storyboard techniques, because I found that extremely helpful in my writing process. It helped me keep an open mind and fresh perspective when reviewing my piece. Those are skills that have impeded my progress due to some of my perfectionist tendencies and a feeling of frustration when I feel like I have overanalyzed a piece I’ve written.
Overall, I’m very excited to see how these processes can help me grow as a storyteller and I hold this experience very dearly to my heart. I am honored that I had the opportunity to work with and alongside people who are amazing in their craft and were willing to share some of their wisdom and experiences with me.