My Goal As A Filmmaker

I don't think I have ever stopped to sit down and write out my goal as a filmmaker. However, I guess my goal would have to be directly correlated with my purpose as a filmmaker. My purpose is to create unity and understanding amongst the people within my stories as well as those who view them. Film is an intriguing medium that allows the viewer (observer) an access to the subject (observed) in one of the most intimate ways I have known. My purpose in film making, particularly with documentary form, is to analyze this intimate dynamic of the observer and the observed  and effectively manipulate it in a way that will lead the observer to connect emotionally with the observed. Emotions are powerful tools that shape political motivations, thus if you can connect intimately with a person and their experience, then you will ultimately find motivations to treat them as equal (human). In essence, I want to expose our depth (motivation/desire) as human beings, hopefully my films will allow people to realize no one is completely perfect or completely flawed.

I intend for this class to help me visually illustrate my motivations for documentary film. I come from a writing background, so the content seems to be less of a problem for me than form. This class has shown me that it is necessary to explore form to accent the content of film. I hope this class expands my understanding of how to convey the tone and mood of particular situations I am filming. It may be the small detail of light that provides more depth to a story and allows the viewer (observer) to connect even more deeply with the subject (observed). I look forward to learning how to manipulate a message visually in conjunction to the content.