Individual Project: A Kindred Spirit

Mana Handel steers a drone for her first time with the assistance of her former high school TV Production teacher.

​We have made it to our final projects. For this assignment, I created a 3-4 minute audio story on a compelling character, plus a 750-1,000 word Q&A to complement it. The video includes an interview, cutaways, sequences, transitions, natural sound and original film footage that my subject created.

My video, Mana Handel: An Unstoppable Voice features Mana Handel, a 24-year-old resident of Brooklyn, New York who makes films and edits professionally for Mass Appeal, a media content company. I found out about her from my previous subject, Keely Lubin. She told me that Mana would be coming into town for a few days and would love to be a part of my project. I was intrigued by Mana because of how a medical mishap was her catalyst for discovering her passion for TV Production, and it provided a way for her voice to be heard. I also felt an immediate connection to Mana, as I have recently become enamored with video storytelling myself.

I was not as nervous going into the assignment as I was last week, as I went into this already having experience with video, audio and video editing. The biggest challenge was finding where we could shoot the interview with the best lighting and sound. The most ideal place would have been her childhood home, but her parents were renovating and did not want guest in their house. I respected their decision and and went with Mana’s suggestion – the park near her home. We struggled at first to find a shady spot with limited noise, and we ended up sitting on the ground on a balcony. The spot was a bit uncomfortable for both of us, but we made it work.

I had also been wondering how I could get shots of Mana working with video equipment, as that was an essential video element to the story. When she suggested that we go visit her old TV Production teacher at Gainesville High School, I jumped for joy! I also followed her to an Asian market, but I did not end up using those shots in the final film.

I truly enjoyed this assignment, and my love for visual storytelling continues to grow. I think Mana’s story is special because it’s so unique to her, and I felt like I did a good job at peering into her world with the video I made. I’m proud of what I created, as everything I have learned in this class so far to get me to this point.