Visual Storytelling – Autoethnography/Experimental
Students use personal stories, experiences, and memories in visual autoethnography films. They approach the project as a process of discovery of a story in their life or the life of those close to them. The most important aspect of the project is to situate the story within the bigger frame of culture. The focus is on “personal as cultural”, or “personal as something bigger than your own story”. Using digital and emerging technologies students hold self and culture together and explore the ways by which one can tell a personal yet collective story. The goal is to help the audience to connect with the story emotionally even if they haven’t experienced or don’t identify with a certain topic/issue/story.
This is a story told in an auto-ethnography style about a large family who moved from Silicon Valley to the countryside in Texas during The Great California Exodus right at the beginning of the dot com explosion. It centers around the house they all lived in for 17 years that they all ended up abandoning.
My autoethnography is about losing my Dad to a smoking-related cause. It has a serious and powerful tone. When making changes from my rough cut to my final, I slowed everything down, from the speed of the clips, to the speed of my voice-over. At first, I was going to include the interview with my mom, but later decided to keep the story in my own voice and from my perspective, while also referencing various things my mom mentioned. The story remains mostly about how I dealt with his habit, from the time that I was a child, to losing him a year ago. My hopes is that it will speak to anyone who has dealt with the struggles of quitting smoking, themselves, or with a close family member or friend, because it truly is a habit that affects everyone around you.
Autoethnographic Short Film that explores the American Dream
This video is about how the decisions of my family has affected who I am today.