Florida A&M University's School of Journalism & Graphic Communications hosts an annual Doc. Night, which is a night where the 5 best documentaries from the specialized reporting class are debuted for the public to see.
News, which is the foundation of the SJGC's journalism program, has been a great training ground all these years, but I often times felt restricted by the simplicity of it. After years of watching my predecessors present their documentaries at Doc. Night, my time has finally come. I am so excited because this is the moment i've been waiting for; the day I could finally release my creative wings in the SJGC, and show the world what has been balling up inside of me for so long.
Since the day I found out we had to do a documentary, my freshman year, I knew I wanted to do something about the entertainment industry; I have had aspirations of doing cartoon voiceovers, red carpet corresponding, acting and commercial modeling since my elementary days. The million dollar question was: where do I go from there? The entertainment industry is so broad and tons of documentaries have already been done on it.
During the Fall of 2009, I reminisced about my journey, how far I've come with my pursuits of in the entertainment industry. For the majority of my college career, my mindset was that college was just something to do because it has always been the expectation; thus I was a C, occasional B student. Schoolwork ranked last on my priority list; my radio show, photography and getting signed with a modeling agency was much more important.
In my mind, I was locked down in tallahassee for 19 week increments at a time. Therefore I had to make use of my christmas, spring and summer breaks by going to New York/L.A for modeling portfolio development or fashion shows; NYC is only four hours away from my home in Maryland.
During these trips, I would see things, experience things and learn things that I realized people would not know existed solely by dreaming from home; they had to see it for themselves. Chasing a dream of becoming a successful model, actor or anything in entertainment industry, "ain't no crystal stare," as Langston Hughes would say.
By my junior year of college, I began retract my thinking that college was holding me back from my dream; I was losing my youth behind these stupid books while all my friends that didn't go to college were already getting singing, acting and modeling deals. However, becoming a journalist opened my eyes to a different perspective of the world. After learning to research, organize my thoughts and how to tell a story, I came to the realization that my documentary idea was right before my eyes the entire time.
I took this documentary as an opportunity to speak to the people like the person I used to be. There are many people that long to be in an industry that is not for everyone.
If not careful, It can lure you in with its flashy lights and get you in sticky situations you never imagined. Backing out is not always an option.
After praying on what to name this documentary, It seemed as if God spoke to my spirit and led me to look up the definition of Quicksand. This is what I found:
Quicksand: A place or situation into which entry can be swift and sudden but from which extrication can be difficult or impossible.
That was all I needed to hear. Today, January 7th, 2010, Professor Kenneth Jones assigned us our days to pitch. Though we will only be producing one documentary, we have to pitch three story ideas and draft up treatments for all of them. I pitch next Thursday, January 14th, wish me luck! (I sure hope he chooses this one :-/)
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