Chat with David

I had an amazing chat with David Ozier who works for paperny films. He gave me some good technical/lighting tips, which is the weakest part of my setup, but mostly he helped give the entire project more focus. His job is focusing in on stories and he really helped me to look at my story and ask what are the layers and how do they collide?

His question to me was what was is the story beyond the ranch? He suggested making the story more personal both with the interviews/ranch and with me. It'll make the project richer and more poetic. Focus in on relationships.

He suggested to look for the unresolved parts of the story which will make it more interesting. For example was there risk in the current owners acquisition of the ranch? Are there personal items (ie: cowboy boots) that tell a story. What is my relationship to the myth of the cowboy. Why do I feel that adventure is important VS my daughters desire for stability (perhaps the premise for the series).

There are 2 techniques to telling a story. Observational (seeing an event occur) or reflection (talking about an event after it has occurred). Choose which ways I want to tell a story and be aware of which method I am utilizing.

He suggested getting shots of my journey to the farm rather than just starting from the farm. Movement towards a destination.

A great tip was having a story in mind but being open to other stories as they occur.

Some of his keywords: The magic of the Myth, Painting a portrait.
Some Lighting equipment: Kino Flow. Flex Cards
Artist Suggestion: Ivan E Coyote A Canadian artist who reads the stories that she writes. A storyteller.

I'm off to the Ranch tomorrow for 3 days and I've prepared as much as I can now I will just be learning from the experience itself.