Blog: My group has officially decided to focus our documentary on Leah's family and how they have coped with the adoption of Leah's younger sister, Maya. We haven't figured out our theme, but we have a few ideas. We want to ask Maya if it is hard at times knowing you are adopted, what she pictures her life would be like if she was still in China, and what have some challenges been that she has faced. We also want to ask Leah's parents questions about the adoption process and their reasons for adopting. Our documentary is going to be very personal and I think our audience will thoroughly enjoy it. The challenging part that we now realize will be getting Maya to talk freely on camera. It's a concern that she may not be very personable and the type of person Alex and John want us in interview. However she is the one we want to interview so we will have to find a way to make it work. I know we can do it though!
Response: As I read the article "How Real Does It Feel" by A.O. Scott, I came across many claims that were interesting. Some that I agreed with and others that I didn't. A.O. Scott states that "pretending to be someone else, or a different version of yourself, in front of the cameras is no great feat or revelation. It's a fairly normal mode of being, for the famous and the obscure". This would be one of his ideas that I agree with. I believe that when someone if put in front of a camera they instantly become someone other than themselves. Not because this is what they desire to do, but that it is easier to be someone else than yourself. Everyone has things that they dislike about themselves. So when you are put on the spot, especially for others to see, those flaws can magically disappear if that's what you wish. I also am one to follow this quote. From previous experiences I know that when a camera is placed on me I will intentionally be on my best behavior and try to say the right things and sound intelligent. That way if others were to see this video they would think the best of me. A.O. Scott is saying that everyone wants to be seen as their best, even in documentaries which are supposed to be natural and what reality is. I believe that the title of this article comes into play with this quote too, "How Real Does It Feel". Does it feel real when you are trying to be someone else? The answer would be no, and that is what Scott is trying to prove.
Along with agreeing on some points with Scott, there was one statement that I disagreed with. When he said "it is hardly news that documentaries manipulate reality with effects that can be morally toxic" I can up with a few examples that I would say go against this statement. To me this statement means that all documentaries only show half of their information, and "manipulate" the film by taking a side. From watching "Venus of Mars" in class I know that it is possible to make a documentary and not mess with any of the information or make is biased in some way. That documentary showed a personal story and didn't hold any of the information back. I believe that some documentaries do manipulate reality, but not all of them. It was unfair of Scott to make this bold of a statement.
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