Digital Expression

Making a documentary for my Digital Design class really impacted me, transforming me with valuable lessons, from being creative to persevering to developing technical skills. The subject of the documentary was my friend Kofi, a former soccer player at Wesleyan University who quit the team and rediscovered his passion for Hip-Hop dance. This project has been an opportunity for me to understand the power of storytelling with visuals and further conceptualize the production processes.

I approached the project with the idea of showcasing Kofi’s choreography and his personal journey. We decided to film him dancing to a popular rap song, followed by an interview where he discussed his creative process and what inspired him to reconnect with dance. From the beginning, I wanted the documentary to feel authentic and reflective of Kofi’s growth. But translating that vision into reality was another issue altogether.

It was most challenging to determine a venue to shoot at since we needed one that would provide the desired setting with enough flavor to enhance the theme of the dance while having the required lighting but not too much that it would take away from the performance. We went around campus, trying several studios until we could find one that suited our needs. The amount of trial and error it took simply to get the shots just right was amazing. Another challenge that tested my patience and technical skills was editing. Having captured hours of raw footage, I spent extended nights in the Digital Design Center learning to use Adobe Premiere, among other editing software, to cut the final version of the documentary. At times, the work took its toll, but by steady persistence and being committed to the project, it was through patience that I could get to slowly learn how to craft a clear, cohesive, yet engaging storyline.

The making of this documentary taught me a great deal about trusting the process. I learned that with great challenges come great opportunities, and through them, I came to believe in myself that I can actually create something from an idea and in some technical skills that I earlier thought were unmasterable. Eventually, the whole project was not about making a film; it was about realizing that I do have the potential to make something worthwhile, no matter how impossible that may seem at the very outset.