Storytelling Through a Lens

I'm a movie buff... always have been. I remember seeing Gone with the Wind with my folks when I was a child; when Clark Gable first came on screen all the women in the audience gasped. For a film created in the 1930s it was beautifully done, despite its somewhat distasteful story line. That experience stuck with me; not the story, but how the imagery and music made me feel. Films do that to us. They invoke our inner-most feelings, whether good or bad.

Today, filmmaking has become something that anyone can do thanks to the technologies most of us are afforded. Just pick up your iPhone and you too can tell a story. Most folks do it all the time and don't even realize it. They film their dog or their grandchildren doing the cute things they do and post it on Instagram or Facebook. They are telling a story through film.

Now imagine an important topic or passion that you want to share. Put a little more planning into the message and it can become a story told through film. Who could be a part of the film to properly convey your story? What location would make the most sense to serve as your backdrop? Now take that iPhone and get these images and interviews on camera. There is even simple software on your iPhone that will allow you to edit and add music. Now you have something that can truly achieve benefits for your passion projects.

My class partner, David Rae Morris, and me shooting our film
Drawing on a Dream featuring deceased Delta artist, Duff Durrough

In 2011, I had the pleasure of attending a month-long workshop in Clarksdale to learn about documentary filmmaking by the talented folks of Barefoot Workshops. It was a transformative experience for me. I learned the power of storytelling through the lens. I also learned to tell a compelling story in the time it takes for someone to sit down, turn on their computer, and drink a cup of coffee. In this day and age, instant and quick messages are the most effective.

I encourage librarians to use these tools to share the stories of their outstanding work. I have traveled across the state and have seen first-hand the dynamic, life-changing programs going on. Let's get these on film and share them with lawmakers and stakeholders. We need decision-makers to know how valuable libraries are to Mississippi communities.

I'm grateful that my chosen profession has allowed me the opportunity to see some interesting places, to meet some great folks, and to be able to tell their story through my lens. Too bad Clark Gable is no longer with us... it would have been really fun to make women gasp!

Visit MLC's YouTube channel to check out the stories we've told through film. Look for more to come very soon.