Documentary Subjects

Food Bank of Northern Indiana

  This food bank serves the Elkhart, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Marshall, Starke, and St. Joseph Counties. While their mission is to provide food for the hungry using community donations, they also put on hunger awareness programs, bringing to the surface the hidden 16% of people in northern Indiana who go hungry. The focus I would take with this documentary is the food bank's history, along with the advancement of the food bank’s present and future. So I would interview one of the food bank staff members about the history and current events of the food bank, and also a couple of the other workers about their experiences with the food bank. I’d include toward the end how someone could help keep the food bank going with their mission of feeding the people of northern Indiana, including any annual events that people could get involved with. If it was allowed, I would also film some B-Roll of the warehouse sorting foods, the distribution of the food, and the upcoming Chili Cook-off in Mishawaka being put on by the Food Bank.

Ray Bird Ministries

Ray Bird Ministries is a camp for children ages 8-15, located in South Bend, IN. It is known for its service toward economically disadvantaged children and teens, providing memorable camping experiences for those who could not otherwise afford to do so. They are able to cater to these kids through donation-based support. It is a Christian camp, with a mission statement of sharing the gospel, nurturing them as believers, and preparing kids for participation in local churches. Since it is currently the off-season of the camp, my focus would be on Ray Bird’s preparation for summer camp, like raising funds, hiring staff, and camper visits. I would interview the Director, and conduct a short interview with the other two full-time staff members. I'd include B-roll of them filling camper mail, other office activities, ongoing maintenance activities (like them currently painting the lodge), camper visits, and serene shots of the campgrounds. The documentary would be geared toward donors, rather than toward campers or potential staff members. It would give potential donors an insight into the amount of effort and commitment the Ray Bird full-time staff has towards the campers, and essentially why their donations would be “worth it,” showing that it would be a good investment in the year-round commitment of the staff to the development of the summer campers.

 The Michiana Music Scene

This documentary would focus on the life and growth of the Michiana Music Scene. In the past few years, the attention toward the scene has started to pick up, and appreciation has been growing toward the musicians who are committed to their craft. I would focus on the local venues that frequently host shows for these musicians, and a brief overview of the bigger bands/songwriters who contribute to the musical community. I would get clips of shows at the Well, the Pool, Chicory Café, McCormick’s, and include old clips from the last South by South Bend Music Festival. My main interviewee would be Dena Woods, who has led in organizing the SXSB Music Festival, and her thoughts and opinions on the growth in the scene (and perhaps any information on the pending Musician Co-Op opening up in downtown South Bend). I would also get brief “Hello’s” from the main groups of the scene, like Von Strantz, The Tumbleweed Jumpers, Shiny Shiny Black, Dena Dena Dena, The Beat, etc.  The motivation of this documentary would be to encourage further growth and attendance in the scene.