Day Four: Last Minute Plans, Flip Camera Session...& off to Chitown!

A late day four.
Class was spent with the university's film coordinator, Bob Rafferty. We have several new ideas on our agenda. D'Arcy thinks it would be a good idea to document our trip and make it into a movie for Wittenberg's website. So, Bob came in to show us examples of what a good documentation looks like, show us how to edit and upload our videos from our flip cameras to our blogs and desktops. We are all responsible for scheduling an interview with Bob aside from capturing our own clips and editing them for the video. In addition, we are to upload our own videos and photos to our blogs. This online documentation is about to get 10 times more complicated and for a lack of a better word, cool.

I have to admitt, I am nervous about heading to Chicago. Yes...I am from this wonderful city, but I am setting foot in my hometown with a different identity and an agenda. My fears are the unknown, and knowing how to make the best use of my time during this seven day period. Thus far, I have one confirmed interview and concert to attend on the evening of the 8th. I have another concert to attend on the evening of the 9th for the same article. I will be spending time this week observing the different attractions for my new story idea that will appear at the beginning of the magazine: Top ten "Must Sees" while in Chicago. My plans for this article are to interview random people who visit these attractions: the Hancock building, Millennium Park, the Bean, etc. and write short reviews about each. I have yet to contact a friend who lives in Bucktown for my "Urban Neighborhoods" piece.

Am I behind? Not sure, I am a first timer moving at my own pace.

Off to Chitown, more later!
Alissa

Day Three: Innovative Ideas..Check! & Prospective Headlines...Check!

Day Three, and I feel a lot more at ease with what I am doing. Still a little anxious about filling up my time while in the city, but all in all, it feels great to have possibilities and fall back ideas. I have ditched the architectural idea out the window for now; I was having a difficult time condensing the idea into something less vague. Brian, a fellow student and experienced feature writer suggested focusing on something such as a monument in the city and writing about that. Of course then, I would need to find someone to interview and because many of the monuments in the city are old or extremely famous I run the risk of a great piece about a gorgeous monument and no one to talk to about it. D'Arcy, my sister, and my mother came up with some wonderful alternative ideas.

My main focus right now is emerging & young music artists in the city. I have contacted a high school and family friend who lives in the city and performs with his band (also all young men) The Hudson Branch. Luckily, they are playing on the evening of the 8th and granted me backstage access to interview the band members as a whole on whatever I would like. So, I need to be coming up with some questions to ask these young men and see if they can connect me to any other small bands known in the city. There is another music festival on the 9th loaded with bands I have never heard of, but are apparently also known in Chicago. I am planning to attend that as well, and see what I come up with...what I hear...what I feel...what I want to focus on writing about. This is what D'Arcy has us practicing in the cemeteries with our new flip cameras.

I came across a lovely little bakery whose website compared them to the TLC Television show, Ace of Cakes. These cakes and cupcakes were amazing. I had a difficult time seeing them as cakes...food, and not real pieces of ceramic art. Because D'Arcy recommended we all do a food piece for the magazine, I right away thought of my love for baking. I know I would be interested in writing a piece about little bakeries in Chicago...but what if I wrote a piece about one re known bakery in particular? Just a thought for now...

Another solid idea that would appeal to my young, college readers: young urban neighborhoods in Chicago. Which area attracts these young students and recent graduates? Where do they go to live after school? Why? What is there? I have the phone number of a family friend who lives in Wicker Park (Bucktown will be another focus of mine). I plan on meeting with her during my week and asking her these questions for my piece.

As for other ideas...since we need a rough total of about four pieces to write when we return, I think I will spend a large part of my time in the city walking around, observing, and seeing what I come across that sparks my interest. Hopefully, this all works out.

I am still very anxiously counting down the days until Sunday.

Wish me luck,
Alissa

Day Two: Struggle to Find/Maintain Innovation & Useful Contacts

Day two. I'm behind. In class today, D'Arcy emphasized the importance of having our contacts, interviewees, and other creative story ideas all in check. But I feel scatter brained. I have one vague idea, a blank address book, and a large question mark scribbled across June 2nd of my assignment notebook. Next, we were handed flip cameras we will be using to interview and record our Chitown adventures with (my first video assignment is posted). We took our cameras into the Ferncliff cemetary and were told to get comfortable with talking on tape, recording what we see and feel in atmospheres around us. We interviewed others in the class after reviewing the do's and do not's involved in a propper interview. That certainly clarified the interview aspect, and now I need contacts to put these tips to use. Here is a little tatse of my thoughts thus far.

I want to continue pursuing the idea of architecture. I need to contact the boat tours, walking tours...and see if I can interveiw one of the actual tour guides; pick thier brain on further information regarding architecture in the city of Chicago. Who were the architects, what was thier inspiration, etc. I really want to dig deeper and find the stories behind the buildings. Now I need to couragesouly click the "contacts" button of the website and start calling some numbers!

Another topic idea. Night life in Chicago. More specifically, a night in the life of the body guard for example. There was once mention in the movie "Knocked Up" where the body guard states he can only let in a certain percentage of african americans into the club a night. I can already see the headline..."Are you in?" What determines who gets into the night clubs? Age, ethnicity, gender? What kinds of experiences do these people at the door witness? Violence, discrimination? What are thier thoughts on the night life in the city? What would they change if they had the opportunity?

Thinking of the typical magazine, what more would readers be interested in? I guess I should be calling and setting up interviews...I leave on Sunday, after all!

Until next time,
Alissa (A.K.A very frazled feature writer/researcher)