Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Finding Inspiration in Different Places


I recently watched a documentary called “The Ninth Floor” on Mediastorm.org.  I really wasn’t sure what to expect when it started.  It almost seemed to resemble and episode of “Intervention,” which drew me to it.  I don’t know why, and I wish I knew why people have something inside them that draws them into to watching people who are misbehaving or doing bad things.

That is why I started to watch it, as bad as it may sound to say.  This story was beyond incredible though.  I wish there were words to describe its beauty.  Just a series of images placed together, you never see anyone on a video, that simple.  I say it’s simple, but I know it’s not.  You wouldn’t see me walking around with a still camera getting the images that Jessica Dimmock got. 

The story really got me thinking though.  I had to turn my head away at times because it was just so hard to watch.  What happens if I’m asked to do a story about something that is too difficult?  How will I handle it?  It also made me wonder about the people she found.  These three people opened themselves up like I’ve never seen in a story before.  How do you find those people who are just so willing to let loose in front of a camera and be themselves, whether it’s good or bad?  In every story I’ve done, I’ve been lucky enough to find sources who will help me and say the things I’m hoping they’ll say, but they would never be willing to let me follow them around and get as intimate into their lives as Dimmock. 

The story is a reminder of how much learning I still have to do.  Yes, I’m fairly far along in college, but learning never ends.  After I graduate and get my first job, I will still be learning so much.  It will never end.  All you can do is strive to be better, and have that story that people look at and think, “Wow, I could never do anything like that, I’m not talented enough.”  I think truthfully, we are all talented enough, we just have to find that right story or source to connect to in order to truly tell a good, deep story the way Dimmock did.  

No comments:

Post a Comment