My Artist Statement

I would start by saying that when I signed up for this class I didn't even have the closest idea that it was going to be like this. All-in-all, the class exceeded my expectations and even more. Walnut Way was a GREAT organization to work with, I wish I had met Larry, Sharon and Nicole earlier in the semester because they are one of the nicest people I had ever met, and my documentary would have never been realized if it wasn't for their help and support.

Speaking of the documentary, I must say it was a challenge to make. I didn't think I was going to pull through with what I imagined. To start, I changed the whole concept two weeks prior to the due date, then I wasn't able to find enough media to cover my new concept. These must have been for me the hardest two weeks this semester, I've "call off" twice from work because I didn't think I had enough time. I really felt like a ping-pong ball when all the municipal agencies sent me back and forth to other departments because they didn't have the information I needed, which is a shame by the way. What made my experience even better was those municipal employees that pretended to be busy just because they don't want to help you (ahem!) Historical Society (ahem!). Anyways, those of you expecting a History Channel-esque documentary I'm sorry but I didn't have all the information I needed. But it was for the best!

Going back to the making of the documentary (which is my first one), doing the research I did on the house was very interesting. I learned a lot about the house's past and through the interview I had a sneak peak about its future. Interviewing Larry and Sharon Adams was the best part of this project. I could really tell they are very committed to their cause and that is very inspiring. It was really hard for me to cut as much footage as I did when all they said was very important. Now the hardest part about making this documentary (aside from getting all the information together) was editing. To be honest, its been a year exactly since I haven't use Adobe Premiere, so going back was like starting from the beginning. I spent 3 days just to put 10 minutes together (but thats my computer's fault, its a bit too slow), but they were worth it and it shows (I Hope). In the end, I didn't get what I wanted (due to the lack of historical content) but I did get what I didn't think I wanted.

Well to finish this off, this class has been a great experience overall (I'm glad I left my GER for last), I don't think we could had gotten a better organization than Walnut Way. Vicky, Larry, Sharon and Nicole thank you so much for this great opportunity! This is William Ramirez...signing off!

Hope you enjoy this documentary!