Chabot Spectator

Issue date: 5/3/07 Section: In Focus

Media Credit: Jack Barnwell Chabot students, Esther Patterson (left) and Megan Justus, run a camera over a book to use as footage on Tuesday, April 13 following a visiting author's appearance for a Carnegie Foundation-funded project on writing.

From the creators of the film Making Visible; Student Reading comes a new documentary, which focuses on the importance of writing in the community. English teacher Sean McFarland and a group of Chabot students have come together once again to shed some light on the issue.

Through funding from the Carnegie Grant, McFarland and his students have revived their passion for better understanding of the art of the literary sciences. While their last movie was only 60 hours of filming in all, the creators have said they already have 70 hours of footage for this film and are not sure if they are done yet.

This film has been in the works for quite a while with the idea evolving.

In asking McFarland about the inspiration for this film, he said, "The idea is a celebration of writing, focusing on what it can give to a person on an individual level and to the community as a whole."

Making Visible; Student Reading had between 400 and 500 copies distributed making it a great success. With the new film, the makers are looking to appeal to a broader audience, and not just simply being viewed by students and staff but by the community as a whole.

Instead of filming the video in the same interview style as they did the last piece, this film is more focused on taping the actual process of writing.

It brings to light the difference between academic writing and that done on a more personal level. People write for many different reasons whether it is trauma, justice or fancy but many of the best creative writing geniuses find it overwhelming to write academically.

The writing film will be asking questions concerning where academics meets personal writing and if there is any room for such a connection in higher educational institutions.

We can look forward to the film being finished in the not too distant future, though no set date has been established.

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