Documentary
These films were made as part of an introductory documentary filmmaking course. Using an observational approach—no interviews, no staged scenes—each project was an exercise in visual storytelling: learning to find and shape a story through footage, editing, and sound, and to develop a visual language that lets images speak for themselves.
friday afternoon chess
at Washington Square Park
This short documentary looks at the southwest corner of Washington Square Park on a Friday afternoon. Set within the broader energy of the park, the chess corner nonetheless operates on its own terms. Through observational footage, the film aims to capture what defines this gathering: not merely as a place, but as a community defined by its own rhythms and traditions.
Manahatta
Manhattan
LaGuardia Place houses Laguardia Corner—a community garden and Time Landscape—a sustainable installation of precolonial forest by Alan Sonfist. The objective of this project is to show how the existing urban fabric relates to these two sites.
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The documentary focuses on observing the interactions of surrounding elements and the use of spaces at both Laguardia Corner and Time Landscape. It illustrates how the community's engagement with these areas connects Time Landscape's ecological and historical memory with contemporary community practices and the evolving social landscapes seen in Laguardia Corner. In doing so, the documentary highlights how Time Landscape's tribute to precolonial Manhattan coexists with the modern community practices and changing social landscapes evident in Laguardia Corner. The former remains a closed installation preserving ecological memory, while the latter flourishes as an open, accessible community garden. This contrast underscores how colonial histories continue to influence questions of access, stewardship, and the ways communities relate to the land and to each other.
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Close-up shots of the botany in the Time Landscape
Establishing shot of the Time Landscape
Interaction of surrounding elements with Time Landscape (animals, humans, etc)
A medium shot of the closed gates
Close-up and medium shots of fence
Wide shot of the space between Time Landscape and Laguardia Corner
Establishing shots to show the spatial connection of two spaces (that could translate narrative connections about the relationship between two spaces)
Establishing shot of the Laguardia garden
Medium, close up, and wide shots of the community garden
Film interactions/engagement with the community garden
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My project culminates in a version that integrates the different narratives I initially planned for the documentary film. The first narrative opens with close-up shots of plants in Time Landscape and ends at Laguardia Corner, showcasing a transformation and utilization of land. The second narrative begins at Laguardia Corner and concludes at Time Landscape, highlighting Manhattan's precolonial history and focusing on the effects of colonialism. Although both narratives are nearly identical, they convey different emphases on the type of story being told. During my editing process, I found that what seemed visually straightforward to convey both narratives was challenged, leading to the final version of the film.
Although there are clear distinctions in how these spaces are utilized, such as Time Landscape being closed off while Laguardia Corner remains accessible to the public, it is quite straightforward to describe how the community interacts with these areas and derives meaning from them. Nonetheless, I struggled to overlook the fact that Time Landscape was designed as a tribute to the forests of Manahatta, thereby raising awareness of precolonial histories. Yet, in my observations, despite this effort and visibility, it seems to be an erasure due to the way the community engages with both spaces. I am also concerned that, as someone who just arrived in the community and decided to narrate its story, I might have overlooked the community's efforts to maintain the installation.
I primarily shot footage using a handheld approach, making "warp stabilizer" an essential tool for me in PremierePro. In hindsight, I should have used a tripod for some establishing shots, as the stabilization process alters the composition, and the original sometimes looks better. A tripod would have also been useful when I wanted to shift focus from a section of Laguardia Corner to the leaves and trees of the Time Landscape visible above it. Relying solely on my hands proved to be challenging and dangerous, resulting in a shaky and uneven focus transition.
Although I believed I had captured enough footage, I regret not reviewing my videos to ensure I truly had sufficient material. For instance, I wanted to include more close-up shots of varying botany in Time Landscape, from the grasses growing in the soil to the leaves of the trees reaching into the sky. During editing, I felt the absence of close-ups left a gap in telling the initial part of the story.
There were a few shots I wanted to capture but couldn't, as I wasn't fully aware of how to make the most of my crew's capabilities. They were incredibly supportive, yet if I could go back in time, I would push boundaries to achieve those shots. For instance, I wanted an aerial view from a corner of the community garden. I believe that with the crew's help in holding the tripod higher and at the right angle, I might have been able to get the shot. Or is this setup too risky?
I need to practice more with shooting at various depths of field, which involves working on adjusting the aperture and focus. Generally, I'm at ease with tweaking ISOs to achieve the desired lighting for the film, though I encounter occasional challenges, so there's room for improvement.
Áyla
The objective of this project is to observe an individual. My subject is Áyla, and like all dogs, she is not just a pet but an individual with her own distinct personality and characteristics. Through this documentary, I want to offer a glimpse of who she is.
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This documentary offers some insight into Áyla. While she always seems very excited and eager to approach and meet dogs and people we see on the streets, Áyla appears to behave differently at the dog park. My family and I find this both fascinating and funny because such behaviors and environmental adjustments give Áyla a personality. We often say she acts like a human, and of course, we believe the same is true for all dogs, each with their own quirks!
Áyla loves the dog park, but she has her own reasons, priorities, and boundaries about it. For this film, I want to show how these can be observed, especially how she is more of a person-dog than a dog-dog. While the subject is Áyla, her story unfolds through her encounters with other dogs and people at the park, as well as through the space and objects that shape her world.
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This list is specifically for the dog park.
In the beginning, close-up and medium shots of Áyla to introduce her as the subject.
Coverage and establishing shots of arriving at the dog park.
Most of the shots will follow Áyla wherever she goes; thus, it will be mostly handheld.
At least one POV shot or a close-up shot of Áyla’s face/head.
Coverage of Áyla's interactions and behavioral phases at the dog park.
Interaction coverage of other dogs and their parents at the park.
Áyla loves car rides, so a ‘looking out of the window’ shot is a must—coverage for either the ride to the dog park or the ride home.
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At first, I wanted a documentary that could show how Áyla behaves in various settings. So the setup would have been a series of different scenarios, separated by a few seconds of black, empty frames. However, while filming some of these scenes, such as grooming Áyla, the process was a bit unnatural. I feel like I am making a fictional film because I have to recreate and redirect Áyla so often for scenes that weren’t captured the first time. Without these re-dos, there would be gaps in the storytelling. Áyla also hates grooming sessions, and I feel guilty putting her through this for assignment purposes. She looked so over it, and I swear she knew she was being used for a project—probably thinking, “Why does this have to happen now?” I understand that some direction on what to do is included in documentary films, but what I filmed with Áyla just doesn’t feel right and appropriate for the narrative that I am going for. The trip to the dog park, however, felt very natural for me to film for a documentary about observing an individual. There are no retakes, and I was simply there to observe Áyla’s movements and behavior with her surroundings.
Already knowing how Áyla behaves at the dog park, I have taken mental notes on what to film when I observe her. But when I was at the park, I just let the camera roll without relying much on checking in with specific scenarios I had in mind. There was just this moment when my sister Lorraine and I knew that Áyla had been showing signs she was eager to leave the park—for example, when Áyla stayed near us on the bench for a while. Lorraine gave me a cue, indicating we would leave soon, and said it in Hiligaynon (Áyla knows a few words in this language, but Lorraine phrased it differently to substitute what Áyla associates with going home in Hiligaynon), so when she says “Let’s go” (in English), I can capture how Áyla reacts to it.
While following the movements of dogs and ensuring I don’t distract them from what they're doing, I need to stay at a distance. Most of the time, I am zooming in and out with the camera lens while adjusting the focus. I had struggled with that part, and it has been very evident in the videos I have taken. There were some blurry videos, especially when I initially focused on Áyla. To avoid the blurriness next time, I need to make sure I know which way to turn the focus ring when zooming in or out. I had my peaking on at one point, but totally forgot to turn it back on after removing it for a while. However, I should have kept it on the whole time, especially with constant adjustments.
It was only when I was editing my footage that I noticed some of it was too bright or overexposed. While looking through the LCD during filming, I thought the colors looked normal or similar to what my eyes saw directly in front of me off-screen. I was wondering if I could adjust this in Premiere Pro, but I don’t have much expertise in fine-tuning it there yet. Learning this skill is really important for me so that I can make better use of the software for more editing.