Visual Storytelling by Molly Stuart

Over the years, I’ve dabbled in the field of video storytelling quite a bit and fell in love with it- not just “fell in love with it” as a hobby, but in more of a career way. However, I had no idea how diverse the world of filmmaking really is until I came to Marymount. For example, I hadn’t yet realized how incredibly vital audio is to any visual story. I found the audio portrait especially interesting because I had never worked on a piece that was strictly sound. I have gained such a strong appreciation for sound editors; there are so many layers and it can be very overwhelming at times.

This class opened my eyes to what New York City really is. No, it isn’t the magical place that all movies make it out to be, but I do still agree that it is the greatest city in the world, despite all of its quirks and setbacks. One of the aspects of this magical concrete jungle that amazes me most is how individualistic every person walking on the sidewalk is. This semester, I fell in love with the concept of strangers; everyone is here for a reason, living their life and doing what they’re meant to be doing. Nobody lives in New York City, pays this ridiculously expensive rent and puts up a raging sea of people on their daily commute for no reason. The people here all have a purpose, and I want to find out what that is.

Ultimately, I’ve learned that I produce my best work when its something I care about. I want to continue telling visual stories, not just about New York, but about anything and everything. I am hopeful for my future.

I am doing a story about college fashion in Manhattan and what’s interesting about it is that youthful people are able to find ways to be stylish while living on a budget. In my film, I will be exploring current trends and the hottest places to shop. I will discover what brands are most sought-after, why young adults value such expensive clothing and the lengths they go to attain them. I am hoping to find what places are most popular to shop at and learn the different ways personal style evolves from person to person.

The setting of the story is imperative in explaining what styles take place in colleges around New York City and what differences/similarities some of the students have. College students will be able to voice their opinions and showcase who they are through their clothing. Style evolves with time and capturing what certain students are adamant about wearing will explain what they’re interested in, what they’re no longer interested in and what they’d like to see more of.

The story will be visually captured by the subjects of the film to try on different types of clothing, catching different students throughout their normal day and ask them to show off their outfit and define what it feels like to express yourself through clothing as a student in New York City. We will use medium, close up and extreme close up shots to capture details of the outfits. We will also take time lapses of the booming streets, mess around with filters (color vs. black and white), play with overlays and fast cuts etc.

I plan on utilizing popular hip hop background music to appeal to college students, as this music is associated with such desirable fashion/street style. I will take audio from booming stores, heels clicking on the grounds, the roars of college parties, subway sounds etc. Through sound I hope to capture all of the chaos nightlife in the city has to offer, especially for students living in a non-traditional college campus.

Elf is (arguably) one of the most beloved Christmas films of all time by families all over the world. In the spirit of welcoming this years holiday season, I decided to watch the movie for this weeks video story reflection post.

It is no secret that the film industry portrays New York City as a magical wonderland where all dreams come true; however, Elf challenges this notion by highlighting some of the cities worst qualities… filthy streets, angry taxi drivers, and most significantly the cold-heartedness and lack of christmas spirit due to selfishness. Manhattan is undoubtedly one of the most wealthy places in the world. Life here incredibly sought after- yet, most films taking place in New York glorify this truth. On the other hand, Elf goes against all stereotypes about the concrete jungle and demonstrates some of the most realistic aspects of everyday life here. To go into further depth, Buddy, the protagonist, has a disposition comparable to that of a child, while all other characters see him as someone who should be acting more mature. Buddy is scorned or judged anytime he expresses excitement towards the holidays, which shows that societies definition of an “adult” lacks any form of Christmas spirit. It is honorable that Elf sheds light here since the majority of films about New York look over the materialism of the city.

While watching the film, I noticed that the most valued editing strategy from the ‘Rule of Six’ was the storyline. I found it difficult to find shots that didn’t effectively contribute to the story. Because Elf is a movie made to include a childlike audience, it seemed important that every shot drew attention to keep everyone engaged. I’d argue that the emotion strategy was second priority. All characters had very exaggerated personalities and all shots did a wonderful job maintaining this.

All in all, I’m impressed with the movies originality when it came to portraying the city. It was honest, comical and beautiful.

All of the documentaries we watched about Los Sures were incredibly compelling; while all of the films were similar, they had vast differences. The first hour-long documentary felt very personal to the neighborhood, as it showed in great detail the lives of real people living there. On the other end of the spectrum, the short documentaries were more focused on the overall feel of the town, what life looks like there and the aesthetic.

I am looking forward to visiting Los Sures with my Storytelling Across Media class! All of the preparation for the field trip has made me wonder…

1. Has Los Sures always been recognized as the most impoverished town in Brooklyn?
2. Is there hope for the future of Los Sures and everyone living there?
3. Is it possible to thrive and be successful in a place like Los Sures, or is it all about where you’re from?

I’m doing a story on New York street style. And what’s interesting about it is that there’s nothing like fashion in New York City.

Because New York street style exists everywhere in Manhattan, finding a specific location to focus my audio portrait on was a challenge; however, I decided to center my story on street style in SOHO, simply because I’ve found that the fashion in that area is most diverse/eclectic in my opinion. I believe that the sounds of booming retail stores, car horns and heels clicking will be rather intriguing.

I will be interviewing someone who has worked with fashion/retail in lower Manhattan for a number of years. I plan on hopping from store to store to find the perfect match for this interview and to schedule a convenient time for us to meet. I am specifically looking for someone who has lived/worked in the SOHO area for a while simply because they’ll have a good say in how trends have changed over the years and how fashion here in the city compares to that of the rest of America and all over the world!

Lastly, here is a list of questions I will be asking my interviewee!

1. What are some of the biggest trends in fashion you’ve noticed lately/what have you seen a lot of on the streets?
2. What current trends have you been loving, and why?
3. What current trends can you not stand, and why?
4. Have you ever come across a look/outfit on the streets of SOHO that you’ll never forget? If so, describe it.
5. What specific designers blew you away this year at New York Fashion week? What was it about their pieces?
6. In your opinion, what is the hottest look on the streets of New York at the moment?
7. Who do you think the biggest influencers of trends are?
8. How quickly would you say trends come/go?
9. Why do you think so many people are willing to spend so much money on designer clothing?
10. Do you think that part of the appeal of designer brands is that the clothing is so expensive?
11. Do you think it’s possible for countless fashion designers and brands to thrive or do you think only a limited amount can stay in the spotlight at once?
12. Are there any limits to what is considered “fashion”? If so, where’s the line?
13. Are you originally from New York? If not, where are you from?
14. In your eyes, how does fashion in New York differ from fashion everywhere else in the world?
15. In your eyes, how does fashion in SOHO differ from everywhere else in the world?
16. What specific trends are unique to New York only?
17. Where would you say the fashion capital in New York is? SOHO? Upper East Side?
18. What is your favorite aspect of fashion? Tops versus bottoms versus shoes etc…
19. Do you think it’s possible for designers to produce completely original art at this point, or do you think everything is inspired/recycled from past trends?
20. What does “fashion” mean in your own words?

Hearing these audio stories on NPR was a very enriching experience for me. I chose to listen to Remembering Self-Determination by Kelley Libby and Who Is My Neighbor? By Mona Yeh.

I found that both audio stories did an excellent job utilizing background noise on top of their interview excerpts and narration. Some sounds that stood out to me were creaky footsteps, squeaky chairs and the busy streets / transportation in a city. Personally, I found that the creaky steps and squeaky furniture established more of an intimate feel to the piece; these sounds can only really be heard in a quiet and desolate place, which made me feel like I was right there with whoever was speaking at the time. Additionally, the sounds of car horns and traffic was, also, very effective in the sense that I felt present and apart of the interview.

I found that these aural postcards are very similar to Her Long Black Hair– the audio story we listened to on our field trip in Central Park. Both stories felt very intimate, personal, thrilling and a bit creepy. For example, both experiences involved background noises that could have be mistaken for actually occuring in real life. In other words, I felt a little confusion when listening to these stories because it was difficult to differentiate what was coming out of my headphones and what I was organically hearing.

Overall, I am fascinated by the world of audio stories that I am just now being introduced to! I hope to expand in this field and become familiar with all the enriching material it has to offer.

After much consideration, I’ve decided to base my written story piece on New York street-style, current fashion trends and how fashion statements come in and out of style.

Fashion is one of my favorite aspects of life and something I’ve always cared deeply for; In fact, one of the most prominent reasons why I was drawn to New York City from a very young age was because of the bold, elegant and diverse street style one encounters in their everyday life here. I, myself, am a fashion major at Marymount and I thought this assignment would serve as a beautiful combination between my two passions: storytelling and fashion!

After living in NYC for over a month now (and on top of many trips to the city throughout my youth), I’ve concluded that I am most drawn to the street style and fashion found in SOHO. I’ve acknowledged that every area of Manhattan has its own style; for example, where I live in the Upper East Side, it’s common to see rich men and women sporting designer brands (and a miniature puppy by their side), whereas Brooklyn, for example, has more of hipster/thrifty feel to it. Considering all of this, I’ve theorized that SOHO has a perfect mixture of all styles imaginable: hipster, high-class, sporty, grunge, bohemian… they have it all! With NYU in the neighborhood, SOHO has tons of trendsetters and a young crowd of people fresh to the fashion industry. My goal is to visit on a regular day so I can capture the most authenticity I can.

I will be interviewing Shelby Heard, a young sales representative for Gooten. Her job is to help promote startup fashion brands to get those small companies on their feet. Aside from her many talents, Shelby has lived in the SOHO area for two years now and is very knowledgeable with the trends there. I know she will be the perfect fit.

I know this project will be a wonderful opportunity for me to learn more about diverse fashion trends I’m not quite up to speed on; I tend to obsess over my favorite looks and brands without educating myself on the rest of the world of fashion. My hope is that my readers are able to expand their views and perceptions as well!

Here are my 10 interview questions for Ms. Heard:

1. What are some of the biggest trends in fashion you’ve noticed lately/what have you seen a lot of on the streets?
2. What current trends have you been loving, and why?
3. What current trends can you not stand, and why?
4. Have you ever come across a look/outfit on the streets of SOHO that you’ll never forget? If so, describe it.
5. What specific designers blew you away this year at New York Fashion week? What was it about their pieces?
6. Who do you think the biggest influencers of trends are?
7. How quickly would you say trends come/go?
8. Why do you think so many people are willing to spend so much money on designer clothing?
9. What does “fashion” mean in your own words?
10. Are there any limits to what is considered “fashion”? If so, where’s the line?

Feature stories are not a writing style I’m too familiar with, so in all honesty, this assignment was a bit intimidating at first glance. While the five key components/ingredients to a great feature story that were given by author Tony Rogers made sense, I struggled at first to envision their role in this form of storytelling. However, after reading the four featurettes from the Talk of the Town section in the New Yorker, everything clicked for me and I was able to understand the power of such literary techniques.

To go into greater detail, I found a beautiful example of a LEDE in David Owen’s article titled Barren Island’s Treasure Trove. This story was about the old wasteland in Brooklyn and all the fascinating things archaeologists, adventurous professors and eager students have discovered on their trips to the islands campsites. The article starts with this quote/lede: “Barren Island has been likened to ‘a scrotum hanging from the bottom of Brooklyn’.” Immediately, David Owen grabs the attention of his reader with this hilarious comparison. This featurette was the first time I have ever heard of Barren Island personally; however I was able to imagine that it wasn’t a very pleasant place since it was compared to a man’s testicles. Personally, I thought this was a very clever move on Owen’s part. Very effective lede!

I discovered a great example of DESCRIPTION in Ian Frazier’s story, A Sri Lankan Museum on Staten Island. His article describes how a highschool girl, Julia Wijesinghe, converted the basement of her family’s restaurant into a museum on her country and her culture. A detailed passage that stood out to me was when Frazier wrote about the palm leaves that Julia’s grandmother would write stories on. Frazier writes:

“On exhibit were a palm-leaf book the size of a sheaf of paint samples, a big ball of raw rubber from a rubber tree (one of Sri Lanka’s resources), boxes of Ceylon tea (“We have the best, best tea”), a large stone grinder for spices (“Sri Lankan women were strong, back in the day”), her grandmother’s sitar, a replica of a seated Buddha considered to be the fifth-greatest statue in the world, and a statue of the fasting Buddha (“For six years, he ate no food and never opened his eyes”) that was made of welded iron”.

This description gave me so much insight on Julia’s culture, the relationship she had with her grandmother and the traditions/rituals that mattered to her and her family. I wouldn’t have gotten all of that if it weren’t for Frazier’s great detail.

QUOTES were one of the most prominent devices I noticed the authors utilized well when reading these stories. I picked up on a great example in Jessica Leigh Hester’s story, Archaeology in an East Village Classroom. Hester interviewed children who went digging for old artifacts in their schools floor planks. She ends the story with this quote from a young boy talking about hiding a time capsule of the class’ findings deep within the old building:

“One boy said, ‘Probably when they find it, it’ll be—” He scrunched up his face, thinking. “Probably it’ll be when they knock the building down’.”

This quote shows just how excited the little boy is about the whole enriching experience, and how he will clearly remember it for the rest of his life. This made me realize just how important it is to capture such raw and honest dialogue; it is essential when trying to uncover the truth about anything in storytelling.

Lastly, I noticed that ANECDOTES were strongly utilized in these readings. The best example I could find of this was in Survivors by Raffi Khatchadourian when the author discusses ancient living things that were photographed but have recently died for various reasons. Khatchadourian writes:

“…a thirty-five- hundred-year-old tree just outside Orlando, Florida—actually, the original tourist attraction before Disney. Meth heads snuck into it to do meth, and they accidentally burned it down. One of them later said, ‘Oh, shit, we killed something that was older than Jesus’.”

I loved this passage because it added a nice touch of humor to the piece. I realized through reading all of these stories that anecdotes/short tangents on the side are quite effective when it comes to entertaining a reader.

I will continue to take advantage of all these newly acquired tools in my writing!

It’s a tourist attraction, really. That’s what they say, at least. I’m alone. My roommate flaked. Dumb excuse. It’s just a library, I suppose. That’s what I’ve been told. But it’s not just a library. It’s so much more.

Look up. The ceilings are smothered in art by angels. Blues and greens and golds. Lots of gold. Big windows. Ceiling windows. Natural light pours through. The colors of the wall changes by the minute. Focusing on anything else is an impossible task- I keep getting distracted. My neck hurts from staring above me. The rooms are so big that they’re forced into silence. One could hear a pin drop. My footsteps echo. Click click click. Marble everywhere.

A large divide. Very easy to tell who’s authentic “New York” and who’s here on vacation. Pages are turning and keyboards are clicking. So many keyboards. Just two decades ago it’d be all paper. Everyone’s either too focused on their work or too focused on the actual beauty of the library itself that it’s nearly impossible to catch someone’s attention. Madonna could walk in and no one would notice. However the minute you cough to clear your throat, a hundred classic “New York” bitch-stares glare your way.

No flash photography. “Maam? read the sign, pleeeease?” Tourists are walking up and down the aisles as I’m trying to focus on my assignment. Focus, focus. Focus on them. Mother dragging her daughter behind her. But she wants to look out the window!!! “Excuse me, pardon me” doesn’t exist. Getting to your destination is a physical event.

People aren’t here for the books. If I wanted to check out a book I wouldn’t know where to begin. Must be the case for most libraries nowadays. Good place to think. A good place for good ideas. Tick-tock. Time feels frozen but moves oh so fast. Got lost in my thoughts. Oh no, I’ve been here an hour. Do the assignment. Focus, focus.

No food. No one told me I couldn’t eat; Logical assumption. It’d be easy to sneak it in, though. Throw in a pretzel every now and again? Foolproof. Gum. Lot’s of it. I’ve had two different sticks. First lost its flavor. Neighbor asked for a piece. “Of course”, I said. “But I’m on a college budget”, I thought.

I am safe. The collective chaos of 5th avenue ceases to exist through these cold walls. Inhale. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Exhale. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. I am here. I am present. I am alright. I am new. I am fresh. I have reset. So many stairs. Marbel of course. No, I did not check out any books. You have a nice day, as well, sir. Oh, how I love rotating doors.

After reading many works by the author Colson Whitehead, I have come to realize that he not only has a very prominent and distinct writing style, but a writing style that I cannot say I’ve ever seen any author use in my lifetime. I read three pieces by Whitehead: One about the happenings in Central Park, one about Coney Island and the last about Times Square. To me, based off first impression, he is a very comical writer; he writes in the first person, almost like he’s in a train-of-thought and he’s making no revisions as he goes. He sees something, and writes it down. And if he sees something with greater significance than of the last thing he saw, he will quit whatever it is he was writing down before and shift his attention to the greater thing. This writing style, to me, feels more honest and real, and makes me feel as if I’m really present with the author. His writing style allows me to formulate a good visual. Whitehead’s personal language tends to be a bit sarcastic when it comes to talking about these places, not particularly because these places are (primarily) tourist attractions (which any true New-Yorker would despise of), but because of all the miniscule details that he observes.

For example, in his piece on Central Park, Colson Whitehead describes a hot, spring day in the city and adds (with what to me seems like irritation) that “everyone has the same idea”, which is to go to Central Park. Then, later in the piece, Whitehead writes that “our whole future depends on where we choose to sit”. When I first read this line, I laughed at such a nonsense statement and concluded that the author must be mocking how seriously some Central Park visitors take their experience. To me, it seems as if Whitehead is the Central Park “expert”; he gives off this energy that he is superior to every other human life  he encounters in the park, and it simply leaves me to hope I never come off to my readers in such a negative light.

When it comes to the other two pieces which I read by Colson Whitehead, the ones regarding Coney Island and Times Square, I got the same negative vibe from his writing. He doesn’t add many positive remarks about what he’s obserserving. To me, I see these places as beautiful New York City attractions, although I do acknowledge that I’m not quite a true New-Yorker as Colson Whitehead is/was, so my say in his perspectives is biased. However, to back up my statement, I would argue that many of the aspects of these attractions which Whitehead describes can be viewed in more of a positive light and the unfriendly attitude Whitehead has towards these details are simply by choice. Some of these details I’m talking about include the large amount of residents (or “neighbors”) on Coney Island enjoying their coolers and swimming on a hot day, or the bright, “heavenly” lights of Times Square. Colson Whitehead describes these things as a burden, almost. I can understand why he feels this way, but I also think these details are what makes New York the city that it is- such a beautifully unique city that deserves all the tourism and attention it does.

Now, the article by Randee Lipson Lawrence and Dennis Swiftdeer Paige titled “What Our Ancestors Knew” touches more on why we as a society tell stories in general, and why storytelling is so important in our world. The two begin their piece with some insight: The primary function of telling stories was originally to serve two purposes, which are (1) to entertain and (2) to educate people so they can become better humans. The authors add that the human life is composed of stories, which is why people naturally gain wisdom with age. They write that “telling stories is a way to make sense of our own experience and to communicate that experience to others”. I wholeheartedly agree with this statement; I’ve always been such a big fan of literature and storytelling, but somewhere along the lines in the public school system, reading switched from intrinsic to extrinsic and I lost my love for the hobby. I personally believe that people and places are always changing, and in this day in age, they’re changing rapidly. And, the best way to document these changes are by telling stories of their time. That is why storytelling is so vital in my eyes.

My hope is to contribute beautiful insights and perspectives on this city throughout the semester. Since I was little, New York has always been the most magical place on earth… and, yes, I really do mean more magical than Disneyland. Now that people ask me as I moved directly across the country for college why I love this city so dearly, my only wish is to be able to show them why through my writing and through my stories. I will explore neighborhoods like SOHO and Greenwich Village in attempt to uncover what it is about these neighborhoods that draw me to them. I will discover what it is about the New York Public library that makes it feel so safe and disconnected from all the chaos, even though it truly is the most chaotic library I’ve ever set foot in. I will get to the bottom of why bagels just really do taste better in this city than in any other city in the world. I will find out why… why I love this city and why all of this pandamonium is worth it.