Chamisa Mesa High School
Media Literacy
Rethinking the Message
Students Practice Responsibility in Filmmaking
by Michael Brooks
We feel the influence of the cinema from a very early age -- when we check
under the bed for monsters after seeing a horror movie, when we make life
changes after seeing a drama, or when we boycott a certain product after
viewing a hard-hitting documentary. The movie-going experience shapes each
of our lives in different ways, and though we may not always be aware of
this influence as viewers, it is our absolute responsiblity as filmmakers to
not only be aware, but to approach this power with reverence.
As a student of the moving image arts with a concentration in screenwriting
and directing, I am conscious of the equal influence of word, character and
image working together. Somewhere in this magical combination lies the power
to shape a whole culture and my fellow students and I often contemplate the
magic we wield as we make decisions about concept and story, casting,
interviewing and editing.
Know Your Message -- Own Your Message
Not knowing your intent, your message, is like firing a gun at random, not
knowing if it shoots blanks or bullets. I feel that my first obligation as
an artist working in this field, is to know my message - from the beginning
- and to make sure it fits with my own personal value system. If I don't
know my message, I certainly can't communicate it and am in danger of
sending unintentional messages. Sebastian Puente, a filmmaker and sophomore
at the College of Santa Fe, takes this very seriously. "We project a whole
belief system onto the screen. I have to be accountable for who I am."
But not all media makers "own" what they put out there. Many subscribe to
some divine right to entertain, thereby being absolved from
accountability--after all, "it's only entertainment." In a course taught in
the Moving Image Arts department, Mass Media & Society, students learn that
there is no such thing as "only entertainment." Beware, there are bullets in
that gun.
Challenge Sterotypes
As a relative newcomer to the field, I found myself developing my stories
and characters by deduction by studying images that are prevalent in the
mainstream media that do not depict the diversity of the world and all its
citizens. Helpless female "fashion victims" portrayed ethnic and racial
stereotypes perpetuated violent role models glorified in the cinema and
after seeing enough of this, I began to formulate a strategy to replace
these images with my own original and thoughtful ones. Why does the working
class character have to be uneducated? Why does the woman "go to pieces"
when the man leaves her? Why is the seedy gun dealer character an Hispanic
male? If I find myself writing sterotypical characters, I change the sex of
the character, the race, the socioeconomic status, etc., until I come up
with an original character that may challenge another's view and certainly
my own.
Though we are not obligated as media artists to deal head-on with these
issues, Lynette Arellano seeks the opportunity. "I want to show a point of
view that doesn't get shown in the mainstream, the minority point of view."
She wants to make the standard media fare one of more substance and
relevance for an audience beyond "white and middle class." "It's just to be
fair. I know that life isn't fair, but we have the chance to equal out the
scales."
Fairness in Documentary
Fairness is another concept that begins at a personal level, that cannot
taught in an ethics course. Rather than seeing her ethical beliefs as
separate from her director's vision, Elizabeth Curtain, a documentary-maker
and graduating senior, sees responsible filmmaking as a natural extension of
sensitivity to people. "Because I did a piece where I interviewed people, I
felt a responsibility to them. And that responsibility was not to
manipulate, not to try and shape them. I felt a huge responsibility to allow
them to speak for themselves and not to be heavy-handed in the editing
process."
In that almost all documentaries are approached with a certain slant in
mind, many times footage is manipulated to fulfill the vision of the maker.
More times than not interviews are broken up into such tiny fragments as to
mold the meaning to fit the piece. It is that respect for the interviewees
and the integrity of their intended message that epitomizes responsible
filmmaking.
Provide Context
We are hit with a barrage of images on the nightly news, often strung
together with nothing more than a desperate segue. It was decided, somewhere
along the way that images need not be rooted in context to be juxtaposed -
or, to be presented to the public for consumption. When a movie takes a
violent act, a slice of history or a group of people out of context, we
enter a dangerous zone of irrelativity.
Ethan Kauffman, a graduating senior who has already begun his own production
company, has a penchant for capturing the daring of outdoor sports such as
whitewater kayaking and skydiving. But Ethan does not present only the
sensational. He believes strongly in stressing the training behind the sport
and importance of respecting the environment which hosts it. He tries to
show the many facets, in context , by demonstrating that none of these
elements exists separately from the others.
Be True to Your Vision
With all these personally developed guidelines which could potentially make
me hesitate as an artist, I recognize my final obligation: to not
self-censor. I will never be an inspirational filmmaker if I am not honest,
first with myself and then with my audience. Beyond the responsibility my
colleagues and I feel toward the movie-going public, we also realize the
unique opportunity we have as filmmakers to educate and raise consciousness.
Granted this is optional as responsibilities go, but many of us are more
than ready to take it on.
About the author: Michael is a student at the College of Santa Fe,
screenwriter, image-maker & ballroom dancer who is currently plotting her
escape from Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Return to Media Literacy
Site Index