Debriefing the showcase

On Saturday, Dec. 1st, Jordan Greer, James McCallion and I screened each of our documentaries at the 2012 Broadcast Communications Capstone Showcase at Mueller theater.

After my film, The Heartbeat of Lawrenceville premiered, it seemed as if the audience enjoyed watching the documentary. Many members of the audience asked questions about the building, and my experiences with the gym. Many peope pointed out how they liked my "Pittsburgh-esque" characters.They also were very interested in both Jordan and James' films as well.

I believe that my consultants were pleased with the way the film turned out. Although I am yet to receive a grade from either of them, Ryan told me that he thought it turned out well, and I am sure Mickey will feel the same way as the main character in the film.

Mr. Weaver was also pleased with the documentary. I was happy with my grade, and the fact that he thinks that the film could run on WQED in Pittsburgh. He seemed to be pretty happy with the class as a whole. One thing he did say about the film was that there were too many "talking heads." While I agree that there were a lot of interviews, I think this was necessary to telling the story. With a building with 100 years of history, it is tough to fit that into a short film without having a lot of interviews. This is a learning experience and I will definitely keep that in mind for the future!

It is overwhelming and rewarding to hear feedback from my friends at home about the film. Many of them said how it brought back memories of playing at the gym. This makes all of those days of shooting and long nights of editing worth it. In the creation of this film, my main goal was to make a documentary that the people associated with the gym in some way would enjoy. And for the most part so far, that is the reaction that I am getting.

Some advice from your elders

To the class of 2014 Capstone group, here are a couple of pointers I can give to you as this second semester of capstone comes to a close.

Pick a topic that interests you and one that you enjoy. I picked a topic that I was passionate about and ran with it. As you begin editing, you will start to memorize your interviews  word for word, and that is no exaggeration. If it is something you are spending this much time doing, you might as well pick something that you like, so you don't get bored or tired with the story. If not, it will make for a miserable two semesters. Also try to pick a story that will be easy to convey and relate to a diverse audience.

Get out there and shoot. It is never too early to start shooting. Once I got my topic approved, I started scouting out different shots over the summer. Make a shot list of things you may want to use. You also will find some shots you did not expect to shoot along the way. I would advise everyone to start shooting over the summer. Interviews are also something that I would stress to shoot as early as you can. This way, if you forget to ask a question, or you want to find out more from an interview subject, you can go back and talk to them again because you have the time. I went back and talked to my main subject, Mickey, several times before actually interviewing him. Long story short: start as soon as you can.

Don't be afraid to reshape your story. When I first got the idea for my topic, the focus of the story was slightly different than the final product. You may pick one thing, and then take the story a different way to make it more appealing. This is what happened to me, and I am pretty sure it happened to other members of my class as well. I think it gave my story a much better plot, and made the film much more interesting than it would have originally been.

Those are just a few things, but I am sure you all will be fine if you continue to do what you do. It is a rewarding experience and I wish you all the very best. Good luck!

December 1st, save the date!

 SAVE THE DATE

Seniors James McCallion (left), Liam Halferty (middle), and Jordan Greer (right)

Westminster College's Broadcast and Digital Communications Department would like to formally invite you to the third and final session of the department's 2012 Capstone Documentary Showcase. This portion of the showcase will feature the work of senior students James McCallion, Jordan Greer and Liam Halferty. The event will take place on December 1st at 3:30 in Mueller Theater, located on the second floor of the McKelvey Campus Center. Each student will present their capstone documentaries of the following various topics. 


"A Modern American Dream: The Souheil Obaid Story."
By Jordan Greer


The film will follow Souheil Obaid and his journey from living in his home country of Syria to immigrating to the United States and becoming a successful business owner.  The film will look to show a positive example of the current “American Dream” as opposed to the common media focus on illegal immigration. 


You can find out more about Jordan's film by clicking here.
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"Dirty Politics"

By James McCallion

In 2008 the United States Supreme Court decided that the First Amendment prohibited the government from restricting campaign funding from corporations and unions.  This in effect created Political Action Committees or Super PACs.  Super PACs now make large contributions to political candidates.  A portion of this money helps make negative campaign ads.  This documentary will investigate the effects negative campaign ads makes on voters in the 2012 presidential election.

To discover more about James' film, click here.

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The Heartbeat of Lawrenceville

By Liam Halferty 

 

Nearing its 100^th year anniversary, Saint Mary’s Lyceum has long been a place for the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Lawrenceville to come together to enjoy the various festivities held at this historical venue. This film will highlight how through economic and social trials and tribulations, the Lyceum has remained open because of hard-working people that put in countless hours to keep this century-old building, that is so rich in history, up and running. 

To see more about the documentary, click here.

 A short preview of my film :

 

Giving back to those who gave so much

Through the creation of this documentary, 100 years of oral history is being preserved in form of a short film. This film will not only be dedicated to and intrigue those whose lives have been affected in some way by the building, but all viewers can appreciate the story of this century-old landmark, and the way an urban community has come together over the years to keep it running.

Lawrenceville has long been a place of hard-working and determined individuals, and the way in which the Lyceum has been able to stay open through tough social and financial times speaks volumes for the people in the area. The focus of this documentary is highlighting how good has overcame a bad situation, when a group of people came together to save a building so rich in history from closing. The way some of the characters in this documentary have dedicated their life to Christian values of sacrifice and loyalty to their community, definitely meets the service learning outcomes of Westminster. This film will be made to honor those individuals, and the community of Lawrenceville as a whole.

One benefit from the service learning mission that this documentary connects with is that "involvement with important concerns helps students understand issues, builds their passions, and gives them skills." Before creating this film, I thought of the idea of the story through my past experiences and ties with the community of Lawrenceville, the people of the neighborhood, and the Lyceum itself.

 

Courtesy: http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/7720/08janpittsburgh27rg7.jpg

 

I knew that it was a place of hard-working, service-oriented people that have dealt with the rise, and more importantly, the fall of the neighborhood and their parish. These people definitely emulate the service learning statement of Westminster College.

My efforts in creating this documentary also connect with this benefit of service learning because through the production of the film, I have realized the passion I have gained for this topic. The skills I have learned in my three years as a broadcast communications student have helped me along the way, but the skills I am gaining in building relationships and the experiences from this production are much greater and more important in the grand scheme of things.

Westminster's Service Learning Mission

Music to my ears

Sound can be vital to making a video or photos memorable and unique. This is especially true in a movie or documentary. In my film, I will showcase music from two local musicians and friends of mine, Matt Rheingrover and Roscoe Rhoden.

Both of these musicians graduated from Central Catholic High School in 2009 with me.

Rhoden is an aspiring music producer in the Pittsburgh area. He is a graduate of Full Sail University, with a degree in Recording Arts. Rhoden has worked with artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Devin Miles, Scolla, and Pittsburgh Slim.

Rheingrover is a senior Electrical Engineering major at Penn State University, but creates music in his free time. He prodced Mac Miller's "Another Night" off of Miller's mixtape, The High Life.

Both artists have a vast background in music, from rock to hip hop, from guitar to piano, they can play it all. The music they provided can be used in different situations, such as the first part of the documentary highlighting the history, as well as other parts of the film.

Click here to listen in on some of Roscoe's work

Click here to listen in on some of Matt's music

"Another Night" by Mac Miller, produced by Matt Rheingrover


As far as natural sound goes, the most important scenes in my film featuring natural sound will be shots from the holiday tournament at St. Mary's Lyceum. The natural sound from these games will capture the essence of the historic building, better than just no sound at all, or an empty gym. The audience will be able to feel the energy of the 100-year-old gymnasium.

Shaping the idea

The idea to create a documentary and tell the story of this historic building came when I was sitting with my father at one of my sister's basketball games at St. Mary's Lyceum last winter. I thought to myself, this gym has been very important to many people over the years, and it has quite the history, but no one has really done anything media-wise to highlight the building's past. This is especially interesting that nothing has been produced a film, or wrote a book, with what the gymnasium, parish, and community have gone through in recent years with several closings and the overall condition of the neighborhood of Lawrenceville. 

Sitting at my sister's game, I talked with my dad about what I could go into when creating this film. We discussed the people I could interview, and the different pieces of history that I could research.

It truly is one of those places by which you ponder to yourself, "if only these walls could talk." The funny thing was, pretty much everyone that we thought of to interview, with the exception of two individuals, were at the game at the time. 

While this was the main "event" so to speak that influenced my documentary, my ties to St. Mary's Lyceum go back many years. 

My mother taught at St. Kieran's and St. John Neumann in the early 1990's, both parishes associated with the Lyceum. I grew up in Lawrenceville, and went to St. John Neumann until I was in second grade. My family then moved to a neighboring community, Bloomfield. When I attended Central Catholic High School, I ended up reuniting with many of my friends from St. John Neumann. I then played on the Lawrenceville neighborhood summer baseball team, 9th Ward, in high school with many of these friends. The coach of that baseball team, Mickey McGrane, basically is also the manager of the lyceum. He is also a consultant, aiding me along the way in the creation of this film. 

Whether its through my early ties with the building, the epiphany that I had while watching my sister's basketball game at the gym, or Mickey McGrane himself, the idea of creating a film to display this great piece of history came to me. I hope to convey the building's importance and unique story.

A link to the parish associated with the Lyceum, Our Lady of the Angels

A link to an article by James Wudarczyk on the history of St. Mary's Church

Here is a very raw, outside look of St. Mary's Lyceum, St. Mary's Church, and the old St. Mary's rectory.

Taking a different path

The inside of St. Mary's Lyceum.

Just like anything you do in life, sometimes you are thrown a curveball, and it is up to you to adjust.

When shaping my documentary, I originally wanted to highlight the history of the Lyceum, with a small segment dedicated to the closing of St. Mary's Church and St. John Neumann School, and the way the community responded. When I went to propose my documentary to faculty here at Westminster, I was given the suggestion to focus more on the adversity that the community of Lawrenceville faced when the school and church closed, as this displays a better story. While the building has an interesting and storied history, the way that the community came together and still share this building together, is a much more compelling story.

10-30 minutes would not do 100 years of history justice, either. I hope to include a brief history of the building in my film, but focus more on the recent history of the community, and the way the gym is still used today despite all the closings in the neighborhood.

A litte help from the outside: Ryan McNaughton

Meet one of the people helping me along the way with my documentary, Ryan McNaughton.

McNaughton is my faculty, or broadcast expert consultant on the project. McNaughton currently teaches a sports broadcasting course here at Westminster.

He also currently works as a Career Counselor at Kent State University, but has 13 years of experience in the broadcast field. Ryan has worn many hats over the years, working as a sports reporter and producer at News 10 Now in the Syracuse area, Communications assistant for the Cleveland Browns, not to mention a number of other positions.

McNaughton earned his Master's Degree in Counselor Education from Westminster College and his undergraduate degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

I asked McNaughton to help me with my documentary as my consultant because he has a vast background in the broadcasting business, more specifically the sports broadcasting field, a career that I am looking to pursue.

McNaughton is helping me with the project by advising me on different aspects of the documentary. Most recently, McNaughton gave me an idea of who I could contact for help in the production of the music for the film. He has agreed to advise me throughout the course of the semester, giving me feedback on my progress, and the overall creation of the Living Legend film.

You can learn more about Ryan McNaughton here:

http://www.kent.edu/career/about/~rmcnaug2/

Living Legend to be entered to film festival

 

 

I have decided to enter the documentary into the Soutside Film Festival in Bethlehem, PA. I chose this festival because the deadline is time appropriate (February 14th), and the entry fee is very cheap ($15.00). The one disadvantage of the festival is that it is not close to Pittsburgh, where St. Mary's Lyceum is located. I was hoping that those from the Lawrenceville community interested in seeing the film could come to the festival, but unless another film festival in Pittsburgh surfaces, that probably will not happen. While I wanted to enter the film into the Three Rivers Film Festival in Pittsburgh, the deadline for that particular festival was too early, as the festival takes place in November. To make up for not submitting my documentary in Pittsburgh, I plan on submitting the film to WQED Filmmaker's Corner. This is not a contest, so to speak, however, the Filmmaker's Corner features documentaries about local subjects, perfect for what my documentary is about. This way, those from the Pittsburgh area will be able to view the film.

Research

Research

A key ingredient to creating a documentary is having good research techniques, and sufficient sources to find content to display in your film. A key piece of research in the production of my documentary has been my contact with a local historian in Pittsburgh by the name of Jude Wudarczyk. Wudarczyk has a very vast background in knowledge of the history of Lawrenceville, the neighborhood in which Saint Mary's Lyceum is located. He is also a published author, writing of several topics about the history of Lawrenceville. In speaking with Mr. Wudarczyk, I have received information that I could not have found otherwise. I also plan on interviewing Wudarczyk, to hear his insight on the history of the neighborhood and the building specifically. The research that I did to obtain the information that Wudarczyk has given to me, has helped get my documentary on its feet. The research has also opened doors to more research as well. With information that Wudarczyk possesses alone, I have plenty of material for my documentary.

Jude Wudarczyk (left) and his brother, James Wudarczyk (right)

"A Living Legend" Treatment

A Living Legend: The Story of Saint Mary’s Lyceum

A Documentary by Liam Halferty

Logline: Nearing its 100^th year anniversary, Saint Mary’s Lyceum has long been a place for the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Lawrenceville to come together to enjoy the various festivities held at this historical venue. This film will highlight how through economic and social trials and tribulations, the Lyceum has remained open because of hard-working people that put in countless hours to keep this century-old building, that is so rich in history, up and running.

Redbeard Productions, run by Liam Halferty, presents a historical digital short documenting the history of a very special 100-year-old historic landmark in the city of Pittsburgh. The film will also highlight the way in which a community has come together on several occasions to prevent this building that means so much to the neighborhood, from closing forever. The hard-working people of Lawrenceville, mainly one of the main characters listed below, Mickey McGrane, prevented the closing of the building in 2004 and 2010, when the church and schools associated with the Lyceum, were closed by the Diocese of Pittsburgh. The film will highlight how a community came together to overcome this conflict.

Main Characters

Mickey McGrane: A lifetime resident of Lawrenceville and an active member in both the community and Saint Mary’s Lyceum, Mickey is the main reason that the Lyceum is able to stay open. Mickey’s father, John “Baldy” McGrane, was the most active member in the community before his death in 2005. Mickey takes care of the day-to-day operations of the gymnasium, and he is the coordinator of the local baseball league. He is the most active member in the community of Lawrenceville and the true definition of a model citizen. McGrane is the main character in this documentary, as Lyceum has meant the most to Mickey and his family, as well as the entire community of Lawrenceville.

James Wudarczyk: An author and historian for the Lawrenceville Historical Society, Wudarczyk has written several articles on Saint Mary’s Parish. He also is co-author of In Loving Memory—and Still More Lawrenceville Stories. Wudarczyk, like McGrane, offers his knowledge of Lyceum and Lawrenceville history of years ago because of his extensive research. This is something that people living today most likely will not be able to offer.

Jude Wudarczyk: Also an author and historian for the Lawrenceville Historical Society, Wudarczyk, James' brother, has a very vast background of the history of the neighborhood of Lawrenceville.

Andrew Czachowski: A resident of Lawrenceville and a member of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, 20-year-old Andrew Czachowski restored St. Mary's Lyceum in 2009 as part of his Eagle Scout project, the highest rank of achievement possible for the Boy Scouts of America. Czachowski not only knows much about the parish himself from growing up so close to the gymnasium, and playing basketball there for many years, but Czachowski also knows many other people very involved in the parish and gymnasium. Over 40 people who this building means so much to from the neighborhood helped Andrew in painting, cleaning, and remodeling the then 98-year-old St. Mary's Lyceum. Czachowski is an expert on the Lyceum as he will stress the importance that this building has had on not only his life, but the lives of the surrounding neighborhood as well. He will also tell how this building influenced his Eagle Scout project, and how neighborhood businesses aided him financially, and supported him in his work. Czachowski is now a student at Kent State University.

Through the creation of this documentary, 100 years of oral history is being preserved in the form of a short film. The film will not only intrigue those whose lives have been affected in some way by this historic building, but everyone can appreciate the story of how a community came together to keep this building open through difficult times. Lawrenceville has long been a place full of hard-working, determined people and the way in which the Lyceum has lasted all these years reflects that. Visuals used in this documentary include shots of the gym itself, the neighborhood of Lawrenceville, and the church associated with the gym. Still pictures also will be used from years past to depict the 100 year history of the Lyceum. The point of view will be someone telling the story from the outside, or an etic point of view. First, the film will show a brief history of the Lyceum. Then, the film will show how the neighborhood and building have survived the closing of the church and school affiliated with the gymnasium,  because of a tight-knit community of hard-working individuals coming together. Finally, the film will show again the present-day state of the building, showing how it has triumphed many trials and tribulations, and well as a description of what may be in store in the future for the building.

Redbeard Productions will tell the story in a 25-30 minute digital video movie to be presented to the BC 602 Capstone Showcase audience in Mueller Theater in December 2012.