Documentary in Sierra Leone, Africa about Period Poverty
Below is a written summary of my experience. Following my written summary is a gallery of stills from over ten hours of B-roll footage I personally shot. The six-minute cut of the documentary can be accessed through a password-protected Vimeo link. Contact me using the information on my 'About Me' page.
In the fall of 2023, my professor Alison Davis asked me if I had any interest in joining the "Global Advanced Documentary" course offered in the spring. Immediately, I was honored that she invited me to be one of six students in the course. This course format leans more towards a real working experience from start to finish of a documentary. Alison has worked on several documentaries in various roles throughout her career and has won Emmys for her work. Charles "Stretch" Ledford completed several years of pre-production for the project by visiting the people in Sierra Leone and working with Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone, Africa.
​
As students, we engaged in pre-production for the documentary as soon as class started, which lasted for approximately eight weeks. We conducted pre-interviews, watched documentaries on the subject, talked to experts at our college and beyond, practiced our camera skills, and had some bonding time so we could work together productively.
Early in the process, Alison and Stretch approached me to become the Director of Photography for the project. They made me the student point person for other students to go to with camera questions and make the style guide for the documentary, with their approval. No other student was given a specific title.
​
I made a fifty-page style guide and production packet for my professors, fellow students, and our colleagues in Sierra Leone. The style guide included a general camera formation for interviews, B-Roll to capture at each location, ambient sound to capture at each location, space for interviewers questions, space to write down what content is on each SD card, SD card key (ex: Card A=Stephanie shooting, Umantok Day 1, Interviews of ___, B-Roll of _____), space for production notes, and other key elements.
​
Once in Sierra Leone, I maintained a well-organized style guidebook with detailed notes of content. I also kept track of all of our batteries and charged them every night. Power and Wi-Fi are not guaranteed in Sierra Leone, so it's necessary to ensure that all of the batteries remain charged.
After we returned from Sierra Leone, our professors led the editing process for the next eight weeks. By the end of the semester, another student, Alison, and I were the head editors for the six-minute version submitted to the Frank Awards. Over the summer, our professors intend to make a longer cut of the documentary.
​
The link to this cut is currently password-protected. If interested, please get in touch with me to obtain access to watch the cut.
I led the research we submitted to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Undergraduate Research Symposium. I was the project leader, along with another student who aided me with the research we presented. She helped present and conduct the writing of part of the research. I made all of the materials presented and oversaw the making of the general B-Roll and A-Roll playing at the presentation. The presentation won an award for "Outstanding Performance/Exhibit."
Gallery of Stills From Camera A
EFA Assembly
In the classroom at EFA
Umantok
Student at Home
Around Sierra Leone
Umantok Visit to EFA
Inside the Pre-School Classroom
