Student Perspective on Yesterday's Shoot

Yesterday, we traveled to the small town of Chalatenango, and did a shoot at a rural school and sewing cooperative nearby. In the evening, I gave students, as a writing prompt*, the chance to describe the day as if they were writing for the BECA website. Here is a sampling of what they wrote:

Jean-Pierre Bitchoka (undergrad):

Today’s shoot was actually the most interesting shoot we have been to so far. Today’s shoot was very enriching. The interaction I had with the children was memorable. We visited a school in the middle of the forest. I was amazed at the optimism and dedication of the school staff and children. They don’t let the fact that they have very limited financial means stop them from educating their children, and giving them a brighter future. During our visit, we distributed notebooks and pencils to children and parents. Even though my Spanish is very limited and I couldn’t understand their words, I could see the gratitude on their faces. The people of Chalatenango were grateful to have visitors share the task of educating their future generation. I was even more impressed when we were offered flat bread [tortillas], cheese and soft drinks for refreshments. In spite of the fact that the people of Chalatenango have very little to take care of themselves and their families, they went all the way to show us how happy they were to have us among them for a few hours. In addition to the school, we also visited a group of eleven hard-working women running a tailoring shop. The tenacity and resilience of those women was another key feature that caught my attention.

Fiona Mcdougall (undergrad):

We trekked along a rocky dirt road with lush, green foliage and a little hut on either side. Awaiting our arrival at a very tiny K-5 school, were warm, beautiful little faces. In two classrooms, children were seated in groups according to their age. They patiently waited while lights were set up, tripods erected, and foreigners with funny accents conferred as to where we would position ourselves. This little school in Chalatenango zone (northern El Salvador) was receiving much-needed notebooks and pencils from the non-profit Manos de Esperanza. And we are lucky enough to be making a video about the work they do and their hopes and dreams for a better El Salvador.

This is so far removed from our self-absorbed and hectic lives back in California – and seeing the people cope with so little – but having big dreams for better schools – is a humbling experience. The sweat dripped on my face, and tiny ants bit my ankles, and I became so lost in what was happening in front of me that I just felt that l that I had to capture it on video.

Dan Olsen (B.A. in May 2010):

Today’s shoot was the most intense field production I have ever experienced. We had to set our tripod up in the middle of a jungle with thorny tree branches scraping me from all sides. Of course, these branches acted like bridges from the tree to my body for ants, spiders, and even caterpillars. After a few minutes, I was able to ignore the relentless bug attack and focus on the shoot. This, of course, is a separate issue when considering the daily abuse we are taking from the unyielding rays of hot sunlight and thick moisture in the air. I’ve now gotten to the point where I don’t even complain about the weather conditions, and just deal with them in order to get my job done. As a result of this, I am extremely exhausted after shoots, and today was no different. I’ve also given up on caring about my appearance as I will inevitably become a hot, sweaty mess. It is exhilarating to really get my hands dirty in the field, as the finished product will feel that much more rewarding knowing that I went through what I did to make the shoot successful.

Samantha Alvarez (undergrad):

Today’s shoot was about four hours of shooting in two parts. Our first shoot was at a primary school in a rural area outside of Chalatenango. When we arrived, we found a two-classroom schoolhouse with limited space and electricity. The children were very excited to see our equipment and us and were wonderful to shoot as a group, but shy on their own. The teachers and students were very accommodating to our set-up time, and fared very well under the Rifa light we set up, which heated the classroom on top of the probably 80-plus-degree weather.

The biggest challenge we faced at the school was the electricity. The school probably could not handle the power needed for the Rifa light so it kept turning on and off during shooting.

The second location was the house of a woman named Maria, who ran a workshop where women made the uniforms for local schools. This location had numerous challenges. Because of time constraints, only half of the group and equipment moved on to the second location, so the lights did not make it to the house. As a result, we had to rely heavily on a reflector, which worked OK until it got cloudy. Our second biggest problem was the location. The house was on a hill surrounded by farm animals and trees from which bugs would land on the equipment and us.

Christina Robnett (undergrad):

If I had to write a blog about today’s shoot, I would write about how wonderful it was to see in person the amazing things we have been told about how Manos gives to the community. We were able to put faces to the children who are being helped by Manos, and it only reminded me of the purpose of Manos. I am really happy to be a part of spreading awareness for the organization. The drive up there was beautiful, the scenery was definitely like what we see in movies. It didn’t surprise me when David [Mendoza, head of Manos de Esperanza] mentioned that guerillas would hide in that area [during the civil war]. The children we were able to meet, interview, and later play fútbol [soccer] with were so sweet, polite, and generally seemed happy children. I truly appreciated today’s experience on so many levels.

Alex Hernández (undergrad):

Our entire class needed to get up at six in the morning to be ready by seven AM for a shoot in Chalatenango. Ready at seven, we headed out for a three-hour drive northeast in the rural town of Chalatenango; we went to a school where Manos de Esperanza donates binders and pencils to children in first through eighth grades. This school has healthy-looking kids who enjoy learning and appreciate the donation of books and pencils for their learning needs. Once we set up the cameras, we filmed the young children interacting in class with the teacher. Later on, David Mendoza, along with his daughters, stood in front of the class and started talking to the children, encouraging them to do well in school and grow up to take charge of their country.

Once the books and pencils were handed out, we had a piñata for the little kids and some cake. We did a few interviews, and the children were so happy to see us there. Next, we went up the road to interview the sewing ladies. These ladies run an independent sewing business to support their families and the community school around them. They were thankful for our presence and what we did.

Jordan Brown (undergrad):

Great production day!
Kids were $ shots all day.
Felt good helping grateful people.
Laughed at piñata scene. Reminded me of how simple life can be as a kid, even with harsh living conditions.
Rode a bike with locals and played soccer.
Ate a satisfying snack of tortillas & queso [cheese].
That made the heat less harsh.
Talked to Pancho [nickname for Manos volunteer, Alfonso Avelar] about the history of the people from the countryside & how the new president provides work for small companies to help small communities (i.e. school clothes), but a lot of work still needs to be done.

Sadé Warner (undergrad):

BECA 580 is a great class if you want to consider field production as a serious career. You will get a chance to travel to a remote countryside and see cultures up close. This summer, the class took us to a rural school where we met and spoke with local children. It was an opportunity I never before had. Our production team got hands-on experience working in and around the elements . . . mainly sun and heat. Sometimes we had to set up on the fly, grabbing an interview whenever we could. This was a great lesson because not everything goes like you want it to. No matter how late you may stay up to prepare interview questions and shot sheets, something is very likely to change.

Diana Fleming (B.A. – May 2010):

The shoot went well today. We went to an El Salvadoran public school and we had Manos de Esperanza hand out notebooks and pencils to the children. There were two classes in session and we also had both classes hit a piñata and gave them cake. We took B-roll [shots used between and around key pieces of information] of all of this, and also interviewed some children. Afterwards, we went to the women’s co-op where there were women seamstresses that we took B-roll of, and also interviewed a few of the women. We had the whole group, along with David, Violeta and Evelyn [all part of Manos de Esperanza] talk about the non-profits. It was an extremely good shoot. Not only did we get a lot of footage, but we also saw a really interesting area of El Salvador. We were told that the guerilla army was very strong in that area during the war. We also got homemade tortillas with cheese at the women’s co-op. It was very nice of them to feed us.

Sasha Doppelt (grad student):

We woke up this morning bright and early for an (almost) on time departure of 7:00 AM. Breakfast this morning was a nice surprise – fruit (papaya, watermelon, pineapple), cereal & millet, coffee as always, plus cheese & bean pupusas [a corn-based staple of the Salvadoran diet, often filled with cheese, beans or meat]. The bus ride was long – about 3 hours – with a stop in town for cake and a piñata for the kids! The road down to the school was rough. We had to get out and walk the last quarter mile or so. The kids were immensely cute! Were we that cute when we were that age, or are these kids especially adorable? Were they happy to get the notebooks and pencils we dropped off? Did they understand the significance? Who knows? But they were definitely happy about the cake & piñata part. We met Emilie, a Peace Corps volunteer from Nevada. I don’t think I would want to live in such a remote area for that amount of time. Kudos to her! I can rough it for a while, but when it comes down to it, I like my creature comforts.

Doing the work here is great. El Salvador could really use the help, and I truly hope that this will propel them forward. I am also really enjoying getting to know my classmates in the way you only can when you live with, and spend a lot of time with, people.

Sarah Mendoza (B.A. – May 2010):

Today has marked our sixth day here in El Salvador. We have 2 teams – one, Team Paco, and the other, Team Pupusa. Team Paco was named after Paco, the parrot here at the hotel. Team Pupusa was name for one of the typical foods here in El Salvador.

Today we had a shoot in a small school for which Manos de Esperanza provides pencils and notebooks. Chalatenango was the city we were at, a small town in one of the tropical parts of El Salvador. It was really beautiful – the view of the mountains and volcanoes, so many tropical trees, and a great big sun that was out and about.

When we got to the school, we set up the cameras and started shooting video of the children in these classrooms. The first room had kids from 1st to 4th grades, and the other room had students from 4th to 6th grade. The children were really sweet and so humble of their surroundings. It really puts in perspective the reason why we came here.

This is a small community that can build with one another. Not only is higher education needed, but also a well-provided school is needed in these areas, not only in El Salvador but all around the world.

The temperature was difficult because it was hot & humid, the Rifa [light] kept going off & on during our shoot, and it made it hard to keep the same lighting. Overall, the shoot went well. We got interviews with students, B-roll, as well as an interview with the teacher of this little school.

Marco Gutiérrez (B.A. – May 2010):

Today was a very productive day; compared with other days where at some point we had time to spend to work on our shots, on this particular day, we had to figure it out as we went. Our first shoot inside the classrooms did not work as planned, but thankfully, we had the second classroom where we took what went wrong and fixed it. The second shoot gave us the opportunity to get better shots of Manos’ involvement in this community. Chalatenango seems to be a beautiful and peaceful place. We got divided into two groups for the second interview because one of the groups got the opportunity to interview one of the teachers – good sound bites were captured. The teacher helped a lot by answering the questions with so much detail. At the same time, the group was able to capture some good footage of the kids in the school and walking away from it. The second group concentrated its attention on a group of women who have a small sewing shop. They did some interviews there. The ones who were not shooting got to play around with the kids.

Jason Koczanowicz (B.A. – May 2010)

Today was a very long and hot day. We drove for three hours to do field production in the rain forest of El Salvador. We arrived at a small elementary school where we interacted with students and teachers. The sun was blazing down and we were all covered in sweat, yet we were all there for a purpose. Despite the heat and bugs, we were surrounded by an unbelievably beautiful environment where we shot Manos de Esperanza passing out notebooks and pencils to the children. We also brought cake and a piñata, and despite the occasional tears from students, we made this Wednesday special for the kids. Every day here is a new learning experience because we are producing a video in an entirely new environment. No matter how much pre-production or planning we do for the day, we never know exactly what the day has in store for us. It has taught us patience and to make do with what we have to work with.

Nadia De Ala (B.A. – May 2010):

Today we drove two hours away from San Salvador to the mountains. This was the first non-city area of the country we were going to and I couldn’t wait. The town was full of people, the roads of the mountains were slow, and everything was green – just so much plant life. We did our first shoot at an escuelita, a little school for probably about forty students. It was in a very remote area of the mountains where a lot of the guerillas of the Civil War were active and stationed. The stores on the edges of the street along the mountain were no bigger than the closets of our hotel. You could see people drying clothes on the roofs of their homes, so many carrying tons of bananas and clothes on their heads (with perfect balance), and children walking 20-30 minutes to and from school.

This was a shoot we all were excited for, especially the girls who love little kids. The interviews, of course, proved to be a bit difficult because the children often got shy, but we did the best we could. I’m very happy, regardless. Seeing the excitement of so many people visiting was great. Manos supplied free notebooks and pencils, which made me feel right where I’m meant to be – doing community service, helping people through the media, capturing the moment is how we do our part.

Molly O’Neil – grad student and Production Director:

There are few people in the world who would love the day that we had today. It was uncomfortably hot and lugging equipment around certainly didn’t help. Yet every BECA student who was sweating their way through today’s shoot at a little school in a remote area of El Salvador looked like there was nowhere in all the world they’d rather be, and more importantly, nothing they’d rather be doing. Production is certainly in their blood and the training they have received in the BECA program is now being put to the test. They’re doing a great job!

*As a means of reflecting on their experience, we begin daily production meetings with a ten-minute writing prompt. I provide a question related to the experience of being in El Salvador, and they write to that question. These writing prompts contribute to the students’ grades for the class.