Jenn Mikitka Project and Philosophy

*all of the footage that I took for this came out extremely blurry, so I only have one original clip in here. I recorded more, but until I can figure out how to get them to be clear, I found no purpose in adding them in.


We tell stories to learn important lessons. I think that’s why so many children’s stories are didactic. Because we’d remember the boy who cried wolf longer than we’d remember our parents telling us not to lie about things. When we read books by Dr. Seuss, we remember that a person is a person no matter how small and it sticks with us forever. Stories originated as an easier way to relay news and information and while it has evolved significantly, a lot can be said about its roots and continuing purpose. People write about things that are important to them, and if something is important to you, you’ll want people to remember it. Even in the Harry Potter series, the quotes that stick out to us are ones that have a lesson behind them or make us think a little more. For example:  “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Or “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.” These books contain so many words and phrases that people could choose to quote, but the ones that appear over and over again are the ones that remind us what is important in life and I think that speaks volumes as to what we value in stories and storytelling. Of course, we want to read a good story that keeps us interested and involved, but we also want to gain something morally from it. We love to hate the characters who make bad choices and hurt others and celebrate when something stops them. That’s why the stories that sell have a protagonist who represents the good in the world and the antagonist who represents the evil. We like to empathize with the protagonist because we all like to assume that we are like them- that we are good people who would make the right decisions. When we read books like Speak, we empathize with the protagonist, even though we would likely be just like everyone else who held what happened against her and isolate her. I think we also tell stories to raise awareness. If people didn’t write muckraking stories about things like the meat industry or mental institutions, we would have never known about the mistreatments going on. By telling these stories and releasing this information, people were able to empathize and do something about these situations. If storytelling never existed, there would be a lot more injustices in the world. People like Holocaust survivors and sexual assault survivors tell their stories in hopes of raising awareness and hoping that by telling their stories, the things that happened to them will never happen to anyone ever again

Revised Philosophy/Premiere draft

Philosophy of Storytelling 

Story telling is an art form. A story, generally assumed to be composed of text, can be so much more than words, and may even contain not a single word. A story can be told vocally by a parent, with a children's story book in hand before bed time, just as it can be told completely silently by a complete stranger, with a very particular kind of pained expression in her eyes the instant just before she averts them.  

I believe a true story is never accurate.  In fact, I don't think accuracy can be a condition of a story whatsoever.  No two people will ever perceive the same story in the same manner, as one's perception is shaded by one's unique memories, thoughts, and feelings. One cannot listen to a story without forming associations, whether consciously or not, with his/her own experiences, just as one cannot listen to a story without forming opinions based on personal beliefs. Furthermore, what a person may glean from a story also depends on what is going on in his/her life at the time. One's mood at the time of hearing or viewing a story will highly influence the meaning he/she finds in it.  A story of a romantic connection might be alluring and hopeful to a person in love, while it is frustrating and depressing to one who recently lost it.

 The meaning one finds in a story is just as dependent on the story teller as it is on the listener. The "same story" can be told by two different people with different intentions and beliefs, which greatly affect the way it is passed along. Tone of voice, facial expressions, hand gestures, and even breathing patterns can be just as telling, if not more so, than the words being spoken. The story being told depends on the memories, thoughts, feelings, and associations of the teller just as it does on those of the listener. Similarly to the way a story's perception is affected by the personality of the listener, a true story cannot be told without containing some part of the person who tells it.

Furthermore, a story is told not only through explanation, but through representation; and there are various ways in which this expression can be achieved. The feelings or thoughts evoked by the imagery of an entrancing cloud of smoke swirling through a dark room can be just as telling as the verbal description of a general sense of serenity.  “A picture is worth a thousand words” is one of those cliched truths I can’t seem to detach myself from, particularly in terms of photography.  Capturing the tones of grey in an abandoned school building very well may be the only way to really capture a moment, a feeling, or even the thought of whatever lies behind those decrepit cement walls.  

Story telling is an ancient art, used for creating or supporting religious beliefs, impressing others (perhaps with a stretch of the truth), conveying a warning, or simply as a means of entertainment.  I believe storytelling is a lot of what connects humans, or at least makes us feel a sense of connectedness through mutual understanding.  It draws strongly upon the significance of memories, which are essentially the stories of our minds, based upon experiences.  

Home Video Footage Included:

“a stormy woods scene”

“candle being lit”

“watch close-up”

“eyes”

Revised Philosophy of Storytelling-Andrew Moul

A story is a picture; although instead of using pixels or paints, we use words to convey a message, meaning, or happening. From the moment we learn to talk, until the day we take our final breath, we all tell stories. But let’s not forget the listener. They are just as important, if not more than the teller of the story itself. For the story has already had a chance to leave an impression on the teller, but with every listener, the story has a new opportunity to leave an impression, good or bad, on someone else.

In kindergarten, we are given paper, three primary color paints, and a brush, to create a fridge worthy masterpiece. We may be asked to paint our favorite thing or place, or we may be asked to show our family members and pets. In this simple case, we can now share a piece of ourselves with our classmates. Through this, by using our limited range of skills, we can find similarities or differences, and build friendships and connections by illustrating a story. Our story.

In high school, we enter the art room with a set of new experiences and lessons that a few years ago, we never would have dreamt of. In our first assignment, we are given boxes of prisma colored pencils to express a thought, or a feeling towards something about which we are most passionate. Once completed, these drawings may be hung around the school so the others may share in our passions. Through shading, color choices, and patterns, we can more deeply and with greater complexity, communicate our ideas. Our story.

Once we have graduated, we get jobs and go about our business as contributing adults to society. On weekends, we have spare time which we occupy with visits to movies, restaurants, and the occasional museum. At the museum of art, we have a chance to see marvelous works that portray events, common everyday objects, and people. These pieces on display afford us a glimpse into someone else’s story. We get a chance to listen and learn from their experiences. Their story.

After a life of work, we have the opportunity to retire, and live our remaining years in peace and relaxation. By this point in our lives, we have seen many pictures. Some of which are ours, and some of which belong to others. And it is this time at which we are given a choice of as to whether we share these pictures with others, or if we keep them to ourselves. Do we allow them to impact the life of someone else? Do we open our albums, our picture frames, and our wallets to share our pictures? For remember, a picture is worth a thousand words. Our story.

In my project, I try to illustrate my thoughts as I play the piano. In an effort to help facilitate this, I am going to use pictures and images of my favorite things (to go along with the song I’m playing). These pictures and images will help me to tell my story. My original footage and pictures are those of my piano at home. 

Revised Philosophy of Storytelling - Cat Pagano

Everyone loves a good story. Bundled up by the fire listening to spooky tales of haunted barns and of ghosts. Curled up across from grandparents as they share memories from their younger years, how they fell in love, where they were when the war broke out. Even just a casual catch up with your best friend at a coffee shop to discuss the events of last weekend. Stories are for telling. Stories are for listening. Stories can serve many purposes: to entertain, to learn, to express. While picture books encapsulate the eyes of children with caricatures of lions and vibrant forestry, Star Wars novels amuse the world-wide science fiction enthusiasts.  People may laugh, people may cry but regardless, they are brought together by the power of a story. A narrative from Albert Einstein’s biography is referenced in a college-level mathematics lecture in order to further explain the complex course material. From the experiences – past or present – of others, our own lives can be influenced. Through storytelling as well, we are given the opportunity to express ourselves. Whether it be the expression of ideas, feelings, or political standpoints, we are allowed to be free and open with each other.

Personally, I believe that while powerful told alone, stories are even more significant when weaved together. Our parents have told us for years that we should not believe everything that we hear. Why? One side of a story standing on its own cannot necessarily be perceived as true and is often times manipulated. That is why scientists do not make conclusions after proceeding with only one experiment. The more tests, the better the results. By conglomerating the tales of many people – or in the case of this project, video clips from many sources – the message and morals of the overall story become dynamic. Often times, the context is what ties stories together. On other occasions, though, they are brought together in order to make a statement, to address an idea or a concept. An idea that is supported from multiple angles is arguably more powerful than an idea that is supported from only one perspective. As Martin Luther King once said, “there is power in unity and there is power in numbers.”

By communicating our thoughts, we improve the wide-spread knowledge and progress towards the future. In a very ordinary and simple way, stories have the ability to connect people: they entertain us, they teach us, and they allow us to express ourselves and our opinions. When joined together, stories become collaborative and truthful. I guess you could say that storytelling has been and still is a pretty significant part of humanity. Though officially unknown, it is almost certain that storytelling, due to its largely impactful nature, will hold significance for many years to come.

The context of my project contains archival footage along with personally-captured footage (including all non-archival clips at the beach as well as the Christmas singing and dining scenes). 

Brooklyn Accent- Becky Torres

My fingers are powerful tools. My fingers, partnered with my brain, know how to work together. They make things happen, they create art, they tell stories. My seventh grade teacher taught me that no matter what, keep writing words. If I draw a blank, continue to type and continue to move my fingers because ideas will continue to flow, as long as my fingers flow. Sometimes I start with one word and that will lead me to writing, to storytelling. I started here talking about my fingers and it led me to think about that time that I sliced my finger open with a potato peeler, and that time that my brother slammed the door on my fingers, and that time I watched the angry man in the big red truck stick up his middle finger. It’s fascinating how our minds race to so many thoughts, ideas, and stories with one simple word to start. These words, partnered with images and videos, create a tangible story. They paint the image, allowing the audience to visualize the story, to lay back and enjoy. Videos and images may sometimes limit the story’s ability for open interpretation, but they also develop the story to reach new levels of development. Without images, the audience must picture the story themselves. This is beneficial at times, but as an author, I often have distinct images set in my mind. I often have images of my stories that I want to project to my audience; videos and images help my audience visualize the story from my perspective. My perspective may be through my eyes, a bird’s eye view, or sometimes from an anonymous source. My perspective may show the audience what is going on inside my head or from a third person viewer. Regardless, videos and images help the story grow and become alive. Writing and creating live stories is an amazing thing. It’s amazing how we have created this language, these tools, and techniques, and this way to project our thoughts and ideas, yet somehow we don’t appreciate it nearly enough. Not everyone uses their stories and their tools. Imagine if everyone wrote to release his or her creativity, to become an artist, a writer, a storyteller. Let it out on the page and don’t think about writing for someone else, think about writing for yourself, think about telling your stories. If we each don't tell our stories, then no one will. Writing is an honor, a gift; we must appreciate the magic of words, of language, of storytelling. My video consists of both archival and unique footage. The archival footage videos are the two opening clips of my video project. The remaining videos and images in my project are from my own first hand capturing.

Cassidy Davis Object/Color

The object I have chose is a miniature television booth from London. It is a common staple of London culture, and I purchased it when I was in London last summer for a few weeks doing research for Pitt. I absolutely loved my time there. Although it wasn’t my first time going abroad, it was one of the first times I had been in a new city in Europe completely on my own. I brought this trinket home to remind me to travel, to have courage, to go out of my comfort zone, and to enjoy every moment because that’s exactly what I did in London. The color of this trinket is a bright red that reminds me so much of London because so many things in London are a bright red, which really sticks out and makes the city that much more beautiful. The piece of text is an inspirational quote that hangs in my room. (I’m a sucker for inspirational quotes.) The quote is, “If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough.” This relates a lot to my life right now because I am about to graduate college and move across the country, on my own, to chase my dreams in Los Angeles. It scares me a lot to think about but I know deep down it’s what I want to do. I think this relates to my object because I was a little scared to go to London on my own at first, but then pushed through that fear and ended up having a truly amazing time. These both relate to my story because of the element of fear. I think at times some fear you have to push through because you know you’re just nervous for no reason, you know your gut is still telling you it’s a good idea. But other fear, that gut-wrenching fear that I felt on the night that I got held up, is completely different. That’s the kind of fear you listen to because you know it’s coming from your gut. It’s interesting to think about the different kinds of fear. Honestly, I think a part of why I am afraid to go back to Los Angeles is because of that night, but I know that that is the kind of fear I have to push through because I still need to live my life despite one bad night in Hollywood.

Kati Davis Color

“There were days when she was very happy without knowing why. She was happy to be alive and breathing, when her whole being seemed to be one with the sunlight, the color, the odors, the luxuriant warmth of some perfect Southern day. She liked then to wander alone into strange and unfamiliar places. She discovered many a sunny, sleepy corner, fashioned to dream in. And she found it good to dream and to be alone and unmolested.

There were days when she was unhappy, she did not know why – when it did not seem worth while to be glad or sorry, to be alive or dead; when life appeared to her like a grotesque pandemonium and humanity like worms struggling blindly toward inevitable annihilation." - Kate Chopin, The Awakening

This passage makes me long for spring, for long walks through trees bursting with green and long naps among budding dandelions and long talks on sun-warmed shingles, for a time when I’ll know what job I’ll leave for in the morning and what apartment I’ll be coming home to at night. This passage also makes me dread more winter days to come, fat gray clouds hiding the sun and spitting down on me as I hurry through the streets to the class I’m late to that will probably bring down my GPA and then I won’t be eligible for that scholarship and then I’ll graduate broke and jobless, clutching a piece of paper that claims I can write children’s books and maybe make pretty things with computers. This passage brings to mind the color yellow: the color of sunshine and sunflowers and eggs sunny side up; the color they say no true artist likes because artists should be dark and melancholy and winterlike, full of blues and grays and blacks and maybe reds but never ever yellow. Well I say screw them because yellow is the color of light peeping through my bedroom blinds after a winter night wrapped in melancholy like blankets, and I would choose those bright lemony petals over suffocating grayness any day.