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TEXAS PARANORMALISTS
David!Goodman,!B.F.A,!M.A.!
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Thesis!Prepared!for!the!Degree!of!
MASTER!OF!FINE!ARTS!
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UNIVERSITY!OF!NORTH!TEXAS!
December!2015!
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APPROVED:!!
Tania!Khalaf,!Major!Professor!!!!! ! Eugene!Martin,!Committee!Member!&!!!! ! Chair!for!the!Department!of!Media!Arts ! Marina!Levina,!Committee!Member!!!! ! Goodman, David. “Texas Paranormalists.” Master of Fine Arts (Documentary
Production and Studies), December 2015, 52 pp., references, 12 titles.
Texas Pararnormalists mixes participatory and observational styles in an effort to portray a small community of paranormal practitioners who live and work in and around
North Texas. These practitioners include psychics, ghost investigators, and other enthusiasts and seekers of the spirit world. Through the documentation of their combined perspectives,
Texas Paranormalists renders a portrait of a community of outsiders with a shared belief system and an unshakeable passion for reaching out into the unknown.
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Copyright!2015! By! David!Goodman! !
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! ii! ! Table!of!Contents!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Page! PROSPECTUS………………………………………………………………………………………………………!1! Introduction!and!Description……………………………………………………………………..1! ! Purpose…………………………………………………………………………………………….………3!
! Intended!Audience…………………………………………………………………………………….4! ! Preproduction!Research……...... …………………………………………...…………..6! ! ! Feasibility……...……………...…………….………………………………………………6!
! ! Research!Summary…….…...…..……….………………………………………………7! Books………...………………………………………………………………………………..8! Visual!Media……………………….……………………………………………………….9! Podcasts……………………………………………………………………………………10!
Interviewees……………………………………………………………………………..11! !Conferences!and!Festivals…….……………………………………………………12! ! ! Characters………..……………….…………….…………………………….…………..12!
! ! Style!and!Approach…..…………………….………………..….…………………….13! ! ! Treatment…………………………………………….…………………….……....…….14! ! ! Financing………………………………………………………………………………….18! ! ! Distribution!Possibilities…………………………………………………..……….18!
! ! Social!Media!Timeline………………..………………………………………………20! ! ! Schedule!for!Pre^Production,!Production,!Post^Production….………20! RE^CONCEPTUALIZATION!BEFORE!PRODUCTION……………………………………………....22!
INTEGRATION!OF!THEORY!AND!PRACTICE…….…………………………………………………..24! ! ! Ethnographic!Cinema..…………………………………………………………….…24! ! ! Cinema^vérité!and!Direct!Cinema………………………………….……………26! ! ! Editorial!Connectivity!and!Structure………………………………..…………28!
! iii! ! ! Ethics………………………………………………………………………………..………31! ! ! Subject^Filmmaker!Relationship……………………………………..………….33!
PRODUCTION……………….……………………………………………………………………………………35! ! ! Overview………….…………………………………………………….………………….35! ! ! Shooting!Schedule………….…………………………………………………..………35! ! ! Crew…………………….……………………………………………………………………38!
! ! Equipment…………………………………………………………………………………38! ! ! Experience..………………………………………………………………………………..39! ! ! Budget……………………………………………………………………………………….40!
POST^PRODUCTION…………...………………………………………………………………………………41! ! ! Equipment……………………………………...…………………………………….….…41! ! ! Schedule………………………………………………………….……………………….…41! RECONCEPTUALIZATION!DURING!POST^PRODUCTION………………………...……….……43!
EVALUATION!OF!COMPLETED!WORK…………………………………..…………………………….45! ! ! Pre^Production…….………………………………………………………………………45! ! ! Production…………………………………………………………………………………..45!
! ! Post^Production……...…………………………………………………………………...46! APPENDIX……………….…………………………………………………………………………………………47! ! ! Budget……….…………………….………..………………………………………………....48! ! ! Interview!Questions…………………………………………………………………..….49!
! ! Appearance!Release……………………………………………………………………...51! ! ! References…………….…………………………………………..………………………….52! !
! iv! !
PROSPECTUS! This%is%the%proposal%submitted%and%approved%by%the%thesis%committee%in%April%2015.%
TITLE:!Medium,!Texas! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!! LENGTH:!20!minutes! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!! MEDIUM:!HD!Video! Introduction!and!Description! The! wideGspanning! field! of! paranormal! enthusiasm,! research,! and! practice! encompasses! ghosts,! psychics,! extraterrestrials,! and! cryptids,! to! name! just! a! few! broad!focal!points!of!interest.!Each!of!these!classifications!then!expands!further!into! a! dizzying! list! of! specialized! research! and! experience.! Whether! this! farGreaching! belief! system! inspires! excitement! or! skepticism,! an! intense! fascination! with! paranormal! work! has! remained! present! and! continues! to! grow! within! modern! culture.!While!paranormal!devotees!can!be!found!all!over!the!world,!the!region!of!
North! Texas! has! a! community! of! paranormal! enthusiasts! and! practitioners! who! warrant! a! thorough! investigation.! Among! the! many! paranormallyGinclined! individuals!located!in!the!area!of!North!Texas!are!a!trance!medium!named!Dwanna!
Paul,!a!ghostGhunting!equipment!manufacturer!named!Jeromy!Jones,!and!a!married! couple! named! Linda! and! Del! Hill,! who! rent! out! a! haunted! house! for! ghost! investigations.!!
Dwanna! Paul! has! been! practicing! trance! mediumship! for! over! thirtyGfive! years.!Mediums!have!the!ability!to!communicate!with!the!dead.!This!is!done!when! the!medium!“channels”!interactions!directly!from!the!deceased!and!conveys!them!to! a! living! individual! referred! to! as! a! “sitter.”! Dwanna’s! private! sessions! result! in! communications!with!lost!loved!ones,!spiritual!guidance,!and!emotional!healing.!In!
! 1!! ! addition!to!lectures,!Dwanna!also!conducts!“circles!of!light,”!séance!style!gatherings! that! take! place! in! total! darkness.! The! resulting! energy! field! from! these! circles! creates!an!experience!that!can!be!aural,!tactile,!aromatic,!and!even!involve!floating! visions!of!light.!By!way!of!this!circle,!participants!experience!a!meditative!state!akin! to!prayer!and!can!enter!into!a!communication!with!the!spirit!world.!
Jeromy!Jones,!a!father!of!five,!is!an!electrical!engineer!based!in!Denton,!Texas.!
After!working!in!the!corporate!world,!Jeromy!took!it!upon!himself!to!forge!a!path! into! his! true! field! of! interest,! the! paranormal.! ! He! now! fabricates! specialized,! paranormal! detection! equipment! fullGtime! for! his! company,! Paranologies.! He! also! works!twice!a!month!as!an!investigator!with!the!Texas!Ghost!Hunters.!During!his! investigations,! Jeromy! has! recorded! many! strange! and! unexplainable! phenomena.!
Two!of!Jeromy’s!children!share!an!interest!in!ghosts!and!are!already!learning!their! father’s!craft.!!
Linda! and! Del! Hill! married! five! years! ago! and! promptly! began! a! business! together!in!Gainesville,!Texas.!They!purchased!a!house!and!called!it!the!Hill!House!
Manor.!Their!plan!was!to!renovate!it!and!rent!it!out!to!visitors.!However,!when!they! found!out!the!house!seemed!to!be!haunted!by!ghostly!presences,!their!plan!changed.!
Now,!Linda!and!Del!rent!out!the!tumble!down!house!for!visitors!interested!in!the! paranormal,! who! spend! the! night! in! a! no! frills! environment! in! an! effort! to! experience! something! unusual.! Teams! of! paranormal! experts! and! weekend! thrillG seekers! keep! the! house! fully! booked! and! provide! a! valuable! source! of! income! for!
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Linda!and!Del.!In!addition!to!the!haunted!house,!Linda!gives!lectures!and!provides! healing!therapy!sessions!while!Del!plays!music!in!several!bands.!!
The! documentary! Medium,% Texas!will!consider!the!practices!and!beliefs!of!
Dwanna,!Jeromy,!Linda!and!Del!in!an!effort!to!shed!light!on!the!growing!fascination! with! the! paranormal,! while! also! seeking! to! understand! the! communities! and! individuals! who! function! within! this! subculture.! Dwanna! Paul! will! serve! as! the! central! character! who,! while! nearing! her! twilight! years,! continues! to! dedicate! herself!to!a!fully!active!trance!medium!practice.!Dwanna’s!history!and!mystical!roots! will!be!unearthed!while!her!style!and!approach!will!be!observed.!The!perspective!of! the!documentary!will!then!spread!outward!to!include!the!other!viewpoints!found!in! the!area!of!North!Texas!as!represented!by!Jeromy,!Linda,!and!Del,!all!of!whom!each! have!unique!viewpoints!on!the!experience!of!tapping!into!the!paranormal!realm.!!
The!shared!fascination!with!ghosts!and!spirits!will!be!the!focus!of!Medium,%
Texas.! The! communal! interest! in! the! paranormal! will! serve! to! unify! the! multiple! perspectives! that! will! arise! over! the! course! of! this! documentary! motion! picture.!
With!these!various!perspectives!and!stories!taken!into!account,!Medium,%Texas!will! document!a!group!of!very!interesting!North!Texans!who!continually!reach!toward! the!borderlands!of!human!experience.!!
Purpose!
Medium,% Texas!will!depict!a!variety!of!North!Texas!perspectives!that! surround! the! mysteries! found! in! the! field! of! paranormal! practice! and! experience.!
Within! the! broad! field! of! paranormal! topics,! the! specific! focus! will! be! on!
! 3!! ! practitioners!who!are!dedicated!to!relationships!with!the!spirit!world.!This!film!will! avoid! the! common! depiction! of! mediumship! and! spirit! phenomena! found! in! widespread! media! and! instead! focus! on! the! passionate! people! and! belief! systems! that!surround!and!support!this!subculture.!Grounding!the!paranormal!documentary! in! and! around! North! Texas! will! serve! to! focus! the! perspective! within! a! specific! region! of! the! United! States! in! an! effort! to! avoid! generalizations! that! might! arise! should!the!project!attempt!to!encompass!a!larger!area.!!!
By! exploring! the! people! behind! this! mysterious! topic! in! a! respectful! and! ethically! considerate! way,! the! paranormal! experience! will! be! analyzed! not! as! a! subject!of!ridicule!or!sensationalism!but!rather!as!an!inevitable!negotiation!between! humankind! and! the! unknown.! This! grappling! with! the! unexplainable! aspects! of! everyday! life! provides! a! dramatic! quest! for! each! of! the! characters! in! this! documentary.!!Through!the!experiences!of!these!characters,!the!thin!lines!between!a! seemingly!very!unusual!belief!system!and!an!everyday!understanding!of!life!will!be! drawn.!In!establishing!this!parallel!between!the!“normal”!world!and!the!spirit!realm,! a! true! appreciation! for! the! alternative! belief! systems! and! esoteric! cultures! associated!with!the!paranormal!will!be!encouraged.!Through!a!specific!exploration! of!this!topic!as!found!in!North!Texas,!the!experience!and!understanding!of!the!spirit! world!will!be!drawn!forth!from!what!at!first!glance!may!appear!to!be!a!convoluted! web!of!practices!and!beliefs.!!
Intended!Audience!
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The! specific! audience! will! be! American! males! and! females! interested! in! alternate/science! fiction/fantasy/horror/paranormal! phenomenon,! between! the! ages!of!25G45,!a!bracket!that!assumes!a!certain!commonality!in!a!sustained!barrage! of!media!exposure!during!the!last!two!decades.!This!specific!target!bracket!expands! to!include!international!individuals!fascinated!by!the!paranormal!who!are!between! the! ages! of! 25G45.! It! is! the! hope! of! the! filmmaker! that! this! documentary! will! transcend!this!specific!age!range!to!include!individuals!of!all!ages!with!an!interest!in! the! paranormal.! Even! those! individuals! not! openly! interested! in! the! paranormal,! will!likely!also!have!a!fascination!with!the!mysterious!and!unknown!aspects!of!the! world.!Though!older!generations!may!experience!a!higher!rate!of!resistance!to!this! type! of! subject! matter,! it! is! the! intention! of! the! filmmaker! to! strive! to! produce! a! documentary!that!will!also!appeal!to!elderly!Americans!who!are!interested!in!the! people!who!work!in!the!paranormal!field.!Since!this!documentary!is!about!people! who! extend! themselves! past! the! seemingly! restrictive! boundaries! of! human! existence,!the!overall!hope!is!that!the!appeal!of!this!project!will!transcend!a!narrow! target!audience!bracket!and!appeal!to!as!many!people!as!possible.!!
Paranormal! conferences! present! an! important! crossGsection! of! the! prime! target! audience! for! this! documentary.! During! a! recent! trip! to! a! paranormal! conference!in!Glen!Rose,!Texas,!I!was!able!to!converse!with!conference!attendees,! who! rank! high! on! the! list! of! target! audience! members.! By! engaging! with! and! considering!the!various!mindsets!of!conference!attendees,!I!feel!that!the!resulting! documentary!can!remain!focused!and!on!point.!It!was!also!helpful!to!consider!the! products!that!various!vendors!successfully!sell!at!this!type!of!conference.!All!told,!
! 5!! ! this!trip!and!and!future!conference!trips!are!useful!in!pondering!the!mindset!of!a! subculture! as! an! audience! while! also! considering! how! I! might! eventually! sell! my! own!documentary!to!this!same!audience.!!
Preproduction!Research!
Feasibility% The! production! area! of! Medium,% Texas!is!in!North!Texas!and!surrounding! regions.! Since! the! home! base! of! production! will! be! Denton,! Texas,! this! presents! a! very!workable!situation!for!me!as!the!director/producer/camera!operator!as!well!as! for! the! small! pool! of! potential! assistants! and! crew! I! will! enlist! to! help! me.! These! crewmembers!will!also!be!from!the!area!of!Denton,!Texas.!Access!and!permissions! from! the! various! documentary! subjects! have! been! secured! and! relationships! continue! to! be! cemented! further! during! the! time! leading! up! to! the! start! of! production.!I!have!been!speaking!with!Dwanna!Paul!on!the!phone!regularly.!She!is! keeping!me!updated!with!the!schedule!of!events!she!plans!to!participate!in!during! late!May.!I!have!also!spoken!with!Jeromy!Jones!and!Linda!Hill,!both!of!whom!assure! me!that!the!production!may!proceed!in!late!May.!I!am!continuing!to!collect!potential! interview!candidates,!but!expect!to!continue!to!remain!in!the!immediate!vicinity!of!
North! Texas,! which! makes! this! documentary! very! feasible! from! a! standpoint! of! financing!as!well!as!accessing!the!proposed!subjects!of!the!film.!
The! only! thing! to! consider! in! terms! of! cost! and! logistics! is! the! process! of! getting! from! one! place! to! another! over! the! course! of! the! shoot.! Dwanna! will! be! located! in! Richardson,! Texas.! Linda! and! Del! Hill! are! located! in! Gainesville,! Texas.!
Jeromy!Jones!is!located!just!outside!of!Denton,!Texas.!In!the!end,!this!type!of!travel!
! 6!! ! requires!a!vehicle!and!I!intend!to!rent!one!for!the!travel!purposes!of!this!production.!
Since!there!will!be!no!overnight!visits!expected!during!the!shooting!of!the!film,!the! necessity!to!sleep!overnight!in!distant!locations!has!been!removed.!With!all!of!the! subjects! in! close! proximity! to! Denton,! the! film! crew! will! drive! to! and! from! each! location!easily!within!a!day.!There!will!be!one!longer!trip!with!Dwanna!that!will!take! the!crew!to!either!Jefferson!or!some!other!nearby!Texas!town!in!an!effort!to!explore! ghostly! presences! in! various! establishments! around! the! town.! However,! this! and! any!additional!longer!dayGtrip!will!not!result!in!any!sort!of!overnight!stays.!
Research%Summary% Many! documentaries,! television! programs,! and! video! clips! on! psychics,! mediums!and!paranormal!investigators!are!part!of!the!research!process!for!this!type! of!moving!picture.!It!is!important!to!know!the!work!that!has!already!been!created!on! this!subject!matter!in!an!effort!to!glean!the!stylistic!and!narrative!choices!at!play.!
Sensationalism! and! false! tension! remain! the! stylistic! hallmarks! of! television! programming!that!depicts!paranormal!phenomena.!This!type!of!overly!dramatized! media!works!on!certain!levels!but!serves!as!a!warning!for!the!production!of!Medium,%
Texas.!Additionally,!I!have!been!reading!multiple!books!on!psychic!and!paranormal! phenomena.!While!there!is!a!tendency!to!fall!into!the!same!sensationalism!found!on! television,!this!type!of!writing!is!very!illuminating!for!the!most!part!because!it!gives! a! good! sense! of! the! first! hand! accounts! and! perspectives! of! enthusiasts! and! professionals!in!the!field!of!paranormal!research.!In!addition!to!the!swath!of!video! clips! and! productions! available! on! this! subject,! there! are! many! radio! shows! and! podcasts!that!pertain!to!paranormal!subjects.!!
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Conferences!are!also!an!important!part!of!this!community!since!they!afford! an! opportunity! for! the! group! to! gather! and! exchange! stories! and! research.! In! addition!to!the!possibility!of!attending!local!Texas!conferences,!of!which!there!are! many,! conference! videos! of! lectures! are! available! online.! The! most! recent! conference,!PhilosoPhenomena!Conference,!was!held!in!Glen!Rose,!TX.!It!was!there! that!I!met!a!number!of!psychics!and!investigators!who!have!enriched!my!research! process! while! providing! me! with! the! option! for! additional! characters! in! this! documentary.!I!met!Jeromy!as!well!as!Linda!and!Del!Hill!at!the!PhilosoPhenomena! conference.!As!mentioned!above,!while!at!this!recent!conference,!I!was!also!able!to! assess!target!audience!members!and!the!types!of!products!on!sale!to!them.!
Books% Bader,! Christopher! and! F.! Mencken.! Paranormal% America:% Ghost% Encounters,% UFO% Sightings,%Bigfoot%Hunts,%and%Other%Curiosities%in%Religion%and%Culture.!NY:!New!York! University!Press,!2010.!! Barbash, Ilisa and Lucien Taylor. Cross Cultural Filmmaking: A Handbook for Documentary and Ethnographic Films and Videos. Berkley: UC Press, 1997.
Barber,! Christina! and! Cindy! Berqquist.! A% Field% Guide% to% Scientific% Paranormal% Research%Methods.%Amazon!Digital:!Berqquist,!2014.!! Beischel,! Julie.! Among% Mediums:% A% Scientist’s% Quest% for% Answers.! ! Tucson,! AZ:! The! Windbridge!Institute,!2013.!! Benson,!Thomas!W.,!and!Carolyn!Anderson.!Reality%Fictions:%The%Films%of%Frederick% Wiseman.!Carbondale:!Southern!University!Press,!2002.!! Devillier,!Jennifer.!Dark%Night%Haunting.%San!Antonio,!TX:!Devillier,!2012.!! Halifax,! Joan.! Shamanic% Voices:% A% Survey% of% Visionary% Narratives.!New!York:!EP! Dutton,!1979.!! Heider, Karl G. Ethnographic Film. Austin: UT Press, 2006. Jenssen, Toril. Behind the Eye: Reflexive Methods in Culture Studies, Ethnographic Film, and Visual Media. Trans & Ed. Peter I. Crawford. Denmark: Intervention Press, 2009.
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MacDonald, Scott. American Ethnographic Film and Personal Documentary: The Cambridge Turn. Berkley: UC Press, 2013. Nichols, Bill. Introduction to Documentary. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2010. Reisz, Karel, and Gavin Millar. The Technique of Film Editing 2nd Edition. Oxford: Focal Press, 1999.
Roberts,!Jane.!Seth%Speaks:%The%Eternal%Validity%of%the%Soul.!San!Rafael,!CA:!AmberG Allen!Publishing,!1972.!! Rouch, Jean. Cine-Ethnography. Minneapolis: University of Minneapolis Press, 2003. Ruby, Jay. Picturing Culture: Explorations of Film and Anthropology. Chicago: UC Press, 2000.
Schoch,! Robert! and! Logan! Yonavjak.! The% Parapsychology% Revolution:% A% Concise% Anthology%of%Paranormal%and%Psychical%Research.!NY:!Penguin,!2008.!! Spence,! Louise,! and! Vinicius! Navarro.! Crafting% Truth:% Documentary% Form% and% Meaning.%New!Brunswick:!Rutgers!UP,!2012.!! Terrozas,! Jeff.! Ultimate% Ghost% Hunting% GuideTA% Comprehensive% Manual% for% the% Paranormal%Researcher.!Amazon!Digital:!SaberShark!Press,!2011.!! Treat,! Wesley,! Heather! Shades,! and! Rob! Riggs.! Weird% Texas:% Your% Travel% Guide% to% Texas’s%Local%Legends%and%Best%Kept%Secrets.!TX:!Sterling,!2009.!! Wiseman,!Frederick.!Five%Films%by%Frederick%Wiseman:%Titicut%Follies,%High%School,% Welfare,%High%School%II,%Public%Housing.!Ed.!Grant,!Barry!Keith.!Los!Angeles:!UC! California,!2006.!! !
Visual%Media% Chronicle%of%a%Summer.!Jean!Rouch!and!Edgar!Morin.!Criterion!Collection.!1961.!
First%Sleepover.!Linda!Hill.!2012,!YouTube.!Documentary!remembrance!of!the!first! sleepover!at!Hill!House!Manor.!! GHoT%investigates%Hill%House%Manor%in%Gainesville,%TX.%Lahvista.!2007,!YouTube.!Ghost! Hunters!of!Texas!present!a!collection!of!video!evidence!during!an!investigation!of! Hill!House.!!
Intro%to%Hill%House%Manor.!Linda!Hill.!2012,!YouTube.!Documentary!introduction!to! the!history!behind!Hill!House!Manor.!!
The%Latest%Breakthrough%in%Ghost%Hunting%EquipmentTJeromy%Jones:%Shopping%for%the% Paranormal.!Just!Energy!Radio.!2013,!YouTube.!Jeromy!talks!about!his!business!and! the!type!of!equipment!necessary!for!paranormal!investigation.!!
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The% Maps% of% Hill% House% Manor.! Linda! Hill.! 2014.! Youtube.! An! overview! of! the! hill! house!manor!through!pictures!and!blueprints.!! Gates%of%Heaven.!Errol!Morris.!IFC!Film.!1978.!! Messages% from% the% Spirit% with% Dwanna% Paul.! Tony! Cecala.! 2012.! Youtube.! Dwanna! speaks!to!a!crowd!about!mediumship!and!demonstrates!her!techniques.!! Nanook%of%the%North.!Robert!Flaherty.!Reel!Enterprises.!1922.! Trance%Report%with%Dwanna%Paul:%Apports%and%Hauntings.!Trance!Report!TV.!2012.! Youtube.! A! short! podcast! with! video! accompaniment! that! details! highlights! from! Dwanna’s!investiations.!! Trance%Report%with%Dwanna%Paul:%Beings%of%Light.!Trance!Report!TV.!2012.!Youtube.! A!short!podcast!with!video!accompaniment!that!details!the!beings!of!light.! Trance%Report%with%Dwanna%Paul:%Haunted%Hotel%El%Capitan.!Trance!Report!TV.!2012.! YouTube.! A! short! podcast! with! video! accompaniment! that! details! highlights! from! Dwanna’s!investigation!of!a!haunted!hotel.!! Trance%Report%with%Dwanna%Paul:%Haunted%Jefferson%Texas.!Trance!Report!TV.!2012.! Youtube.! A! short! podcast! with! video! accompaniment! that! details! highlights! from! Dwanna’s!investigation!in!Jefferson,!Texas.!!! Trance% Report% with% Dwanna% Paul:% Paranormal% Photos.!Trance!Report!TV.!2012,! YouTube.! A! short! podcast! with! video! accompaniment! that! details! highlights! from! Dwanna’s!investiations.!! The%Store.!Frederick!Wiseman.!Zipporah!Films.!1983.!
Vernon,%Florida.!Errol!Morris.!IFC!Film.!1981.!! ! Podcasts%
Expanded!Perspectives! ! ! !!! http://www.expandedperspectives.com/! Bob!Bain’s!Farside! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! http://thefarside.tv/! The!Gralien!Report!with!Micah!hanks! ! !!!!!! http://www.gralienreport.com/!
The!Higherside!Chats!with!Greg!Carlwood!! !!!!!! http://thehighersidechats.com/! !
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Into!the!Dark!Radio! ! ! ! ! ! http://www.intothedarkradio.net/! The!Paranormal!Podcast!with!Jim!Harold! !!!!!!!!!!! http://jimharold.com/category/theGparanormalGpodcast/! Night!of!the!Living!Podcast! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!! http://notlp.com/!
Anything!Ghost! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://player.fm/series/anythingGghostGshow!
Welcome!to!Night!Vale%! ! ! !!!!!!!!!! http://podbay.fm/show/536258179!
! Interviewees% Carson!Mencken! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!! Professor!of!Sociology!at!Baylor! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!! Waco,!TX.!! ! ! !! http://www.baylor.edu/sociology/index.php?id=67932! Cheryl!Andrea! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!! Clairvoyant,!Medium,!and!Visionary! ! ! ! ! ! !! Irving,!TX.! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!! http://www.cherylandrea.com/! Daniel!Spears!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!! Ghost!Host!Tour!Guide! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!! Greenville,!TX! Dwanna!Paul!(telephone!communication)!! ! ! ! ! !! Trance!medium,!healer,!and!lecturer.Richardson,!TX.! ! !!!!!!!! Dwannapaul.com!
Jeromy!Jones!(Pam!Jones!and!5!kids)! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!! Electrical!engineer!and!paranormal!detection!device!designer.!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!! Denton,!TX.!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!! paranologies.com!
Linda!Hill!(and!Del!Hill)! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!! Haunted!house!operators!and!paranormal!enthusiasts.!! ! ! !!!!!! Gainesville,!TX.!! ! ! ! !!!!! www.hillhouse.manor.com/history.htm!
Mitchel!Whitington! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!! Book!Author!and!Owner!of!23!House!Publishing! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!
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Jefferson,!TX.!!! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.whitington.com/! ! Conferences%and%Festivals% Dallas!Psychic!Fair,%Gathering!of!Psychics!and!Spiritualists% % %%%%%%%%%% Saturday,!June!6th,!2015.!Dallas,!TX% Paranormal!Expo,!Special!Event!at!Hill!House!Manor! ! ! ! !!! Friday!August!28th!–!Saturday!August!29th.!Gainesville,!TX.! PhilosoPhenomena,%Texas!Paranormal!Unity!Fest.!\% % % %%%%%%%%% Saturday,!March!21,!2015.!Glen!Rose,!TX.!% Supernatural!Expo,!24!Hour!Paranormal!Event! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!! Saturday,!July!18th,!2015.!Lewisville,!TX.! ! Characters%
Dwanna! Paul! has! been! practicing! trance! mediumship! for! over! thirtyGfive! years!and!now!conducts!various!private!and!group!sessions!in!both!Texas!and!South!
Carolina.!Dwanna’s!private!sessions!result!in!communications!with!lost!loved!ones,! spiritual! guidance,! and! emotional! healing.! In! addition! to! frequent! lectures! on! the! subject! of! mediumship,! Dwanna! also! conducts! what! she! calls,! “circles! of! light,”! a! practice!that!involves!people!sitting!together!in!a!circle!with!the!lights!turned!off.!
The!resulting!energy!field!creates!an!experience!that!can!be!aural,!tactile,!aromatic,! or!even!involve!floating!visions!of!light.!!
Jeromy!Jones!is!an!electrical!engineer!and!father!of!five.!After!working!in!the! corporate!world,!Jeromy!took!it!upon!himself!to!forge!a!path!into!the!paranormal.!!
He! now! fabricates! specialized! paranormal! detection! equipment! full! time! for! his! company,! Paranologies.! He! also! works! twice! a! month! as! an! investigator! with! the!
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Texas!Ghost!Hunters.!During!his!investigations,!Jeromy!has!captured!many!strange! and! unexplainable! phenomena.! Jeromy’s! children,! two! of! whom! are! learning! to! solder,!share!Jeromy’s!interest!in!the!unknown!and!are!already!helping!their!father! in!the!workshop.!!
Linda! and! Del! Hill,! married! five! years! ago! and! promptly! began! a! business! together!in!Gainesville,!Texas.!They!purchased!a!house!and!called!it!the!Hill!House!
Manor.!Their!plan!was!to!renovate!it!and!rent!it!out!to!visitors.!However,!when!they! found!out!the!house!may!be!haunted!by!ghostly!presences,!their!plan!changed.!Now,!
Linda! and! Del! rent! out! the! tumble! down! house! for! visitors! interested! in! the! paranormal,! who! spend! the! night! using! only! the! barest! of! necessities.! Teams! of! paranormal! experts! and! weekend! thrillGseekers! book! the! house! frequently! and! provide!a!valuable!source!of!income!for!Linda!and!Del.!Linda!supplements!the!house! income! with! lectures! and! healing! conversations,! while! Del! plays! music! in! several! bands.!!
Style%and%Approach% Medium,%Texas!will!involve!interviews!and!observational!footage!of!a!psychic,! a!paranormal!equipment!designer,!and!haunted!house!owners.!The!interviews!will! take!up!very!little!screen!time!and!instead!contribute!to!the!audio!track!narration,!as! a! way! to! inform! and! enrich! the! mostly! observational! footage! of! each! character! engaging! in! their! specific! roles! as! paranormally! invested! individuals.! The! general! approach! of! Medium,% Texas! will! divert! away! from! the! expected! reality! television! models! that! tend! to! exploit! mediums,! psychics,! and! ghost! hunters! by! way! of!
! 13! ! ! sensationalized!narratives!that!build!up!an!overly!constructed!tension!for!purposes! of!audience!excitement.!Medium,%Texas!will!instead!present!an!ethical!depiction!of! paranormal! phenomena! as! seen! through! the! passionate! motivation! of! several! interesting!people!with!whom!an!audience!can!empathize.!!
Since!some!of!the!fieldwork!will!be!accomplished!in!the!dark,!the!visual!style! will!need!to!take!this!into!account.!The!remedy!in!the!reality!television!model!is!to! use! night! vision! cameras! of! some! kind.! While! night! vision! camera! footage! will! be! used!at!some!points!during!Medium,%Texas,!this!film!will!seek!alternate!methods!to! represent! these! happenings.! Sound! acquisition! will! be! paramount! in! the! achievement!of!an!accurate!mood!and!experience!during!these!events.!Additionally,! both! Dwanna! and! Jeromy,! the! two! investigators! of! the! group,! have! offered! to! provide!me!with!archival!footage!that!includes!previous!sightings!and!experiences.!
If!night!vision!camera!work!is!to!be!included,!this!archival!material!will!be!the!first! consideration,!followed!by!the!newly!acquired!night!vision!footage.!!
Treatment% ! Dwanna!Paul,!a!freeGfloating!trance!medium,!arrives!at!her!friend!Andrea’s,! house!in!late!May,!2015,!to!attend!a!weekend!Shamanic!course!in!Dallas,!Texas,!held! by!the!27th!generation!Nepalese!shaman!Bhola!Banstola.!After!Dwanna!and!Andrea! immerse! themselves! in! two! days! of! the! ancient! healing! practices,! storytelling,! dancing,! and! drumming! lead! by! Bhola,! the! two! women! consider! their! experience.!
Dwanna!is!a!professional!trance!medium!and!no!stranger!to!Bhola’s!metaphysical! variant!upon!her!craft.!Andrea,!a!former!student!of!Dwanna’s,!is!a!little!harder!to!
! 14! ! ! convince,! but! shares! Dwanna’s! enthusiasm.! Their! debate! compels! Dwanna! and!
Andrea!to!initiate!a!trance!session!together,!wherein!Dwanna!channels!the!spirit!of!a! deceased!individual!who!will!communicate!with!Andrea.!!
! Jeromy! Jones! works! in! his! fabrication! shop!alongside!his!11GyearGold! son,!
Ethan.!Together!they!solder!a!newly!designed!paranormal!detection!and!recording! device.!Jeromy!anticipates!trying!the!device!in!the!field!with!his!team!of!Texas!Ghost!
Hunters!the!following!weekend.!Ethan!asks!his!father!about!the!spirits!encountered! during!ghost!hunts!and!mentions!how!he!is!looking!forward!to!tagging!along!for!the! upcoming! hunt.! Jeromy! nods! at! his! son! and! smiles! at! the! thought! of! the! family! business! being! carried! into! the! next! generation.! Jeromy! takes! the! opportunity! to! teach!his!son!another!lesson!about!the!techniques!and!purpose!of!what!they!do!at!
Paranologies.!
! Dwanna!and!Andrea!prepare!Andrea’s!home!in!Richardson,!Texas!for!a!circle! of!lights!session!that!they!hope!will!result!in!a!communication!with!the!spirit!world.!
As!the!other!guests!and!participants!arrive,!Dwanna!privately!prepares!herself!for! the! upcoming! communication.! Once! everyone! is! settled! in! a! circle,! the! lights! are! extinguished!and!Dwanna!leads!the!group!in!the!session.!In!the!darkness,!it!seems! that!only!silence!will!be!the!end!result,!but!after!some!passage!of!time,!a!sound!can! be! heard,! followed! by! several! rapidly! moving! lights! through! the! room.! Everyone! exclaims!in!shock!as!the!phenomenon!subsides!as!quickly!as!it!appeared.!Before!the! conclusion! of! the! night,! Dwanna! leads! the! group! in! a! session! of! “tableGtipping,”! a! process!whereby!a!table!is!made!to!levitate!through!the!joined!energies!of!the!group.!
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After! the! participants! successfully! levitate! a! table! in! the! dark,! the! group! has! had! their!fill.!They!converse!excitedly!as!they!exit!Andrea’s!house.!!
! Linda!and!Del!Hill!prepare!their!famous!Hill!House!Manor!for!an!incoming! paranormal!team,!due!in!Gainesville!the!next!day.!Dotty,!Linda’s!87GyearGold!mother,! is!staying!with!Linda!and!Del!for!the!month!and!follows!the!pair!as!they!complete! the!necessary!tasks!around!the!property.!Dotty!doesn’t!really!understand!the!whole!
“paranormal! thing,”! as! she! calls! it.! She! frequently! questions! her! daughter! while! critiquing!her!son!in!law.!Del!escapes!to!the!back!porch!for!a!necessary!break!and! strums!a!few!notes!on!his!acoustic!guitar,!which!he!has!strategically!left!nearby!for! some! muchGneeded! stress! relief.! Meanwhile,! Linda! tries! to! explain! to! her! mother! that! the! world! Dotty! thinks! she! understands! is! actually! full! of! almost! endless! mystery.!!
! Dwanna!Paul!and!her!friend!Andrea!take!a!day!trip!to!the!wellGknown!town! of!Jefferson,!TX.!As!the!two!friends!stroll!the!streets!of!the!city,!Dwanna!is!flooded!by! communications!from!the!spirit!world.!She!dictates!her!experiences!to!her!friend,! almost! collapsing! from! the! weight! of! communication! once! the! two! women! reach!
Mount!Sinai!Cemetery.!As!Dwanna!catches!her!breath,!her!friend!suggests!they!visit! the!wellGknown!Big!Cypress!Internet!Café.!Once!at!the!Café,!the!two!women!meet!up! with! noted,! local! warlock! Duane! Landziak! to! discuss! some! of! the! paranormal! experiences! that! have! been! reported! to! occurred! in! Jefferson.! Duane! suggests! the! two!women!chat!with!Jodi!Breckenridge,!a!local!tour!guide!and!noted!authority!on!
! 16! ! !
Jefferson!ghost!history.!Dwanna!and!Andrea!find!Jodi,!and!engage!in!a!compelling! conversation!about!the!supernatural!world!and!Texas.!!
! Linda! and! Del! Hill! welcome! the! Texas! Ghost! Hunter! team! to! Hill! House!
Manor.! Jeromy! and! his! son! Ethan!lead!up!the!investigation,!while!several!other! ghost!hunters!deal!with!the!equipment!that!must!be!loaded!into!the!location.!Linda! gives!the!grand!tour!while!Jeromy!and!Ethan!take!notes.!Shortly!thereafter,!Jeromy! and!his!team!of!ghost!hunters!are!left!alone!on!the!premises.!Their!devices!pulse!and! beep!in!the!dark,!musty!house.!Suddenly,!a!light!tremor!gets!their!attention!and!all! eyes! are! on! the! “murder! room,”! one! of! the! most! feared! areas! of! the! house.! Ethan! carries! the!new!device!he!and!his!father!have!recently!fabricated!for!just!such!a! purpose.!A!light!pulse!appears!on!the!LCD!screen!attached!to!the!device!Ethan!holds.!
After!a!few!moments!of!suspense,!the!entire!LCD!lights!up!with!a!digital!fire!of!noise! and!static.!Jeromy!joins!his!son!and!smiles!as!they!record!the!unusual!happening.!!
! Dwanna!and!Andrea!drive!up!to!the!Hill!House!Manor.!It’s!early!morning!and! the!Texas!Ghost!Hunters!are!packing!up!their!equipment!and!calling!it!a!successful! expedition.!Linda!and!Del!are!there!to!wish!their!guests!a!safe!trip!back!to!Denton! while!also!greeting!their!new!visitors,!Dwanna!and!Andrea.!Jeromy!nods!to!Dwanna,! as!if!sensing!the!common!ground!they!share.!Linda!shows!Dwanna!and!Andrea!into! the!house.!Dwanna!immediately!senses!the!same!presence!Jeromy!detected!with!his! equipment.! It! seems! Dwanna! is! a! human! version! of! Jeromy’s! device.! Dwanna,! however,! can! express! the! feelings! and! the! communication! from! the! spirit.! She! describes!the!spirit!for!a!time!and!then!leans!on!her!friend,!exhausted.!!
! 17! ! !
! On!their!way!back!to!Richardson,!Dwanna!and!Andrea!stop!off!near!Denton,!
Texas!at!the!wellGknown!Goat!Man’s!Bridge.!They!park!their!car!and!walk!out!onto! the!bridge.!Dwanna!clears!her!mind!and!Andrea!clutches!Dwanna’s!hand!in!an!effort! to! strengthen! their! ability! to! channel! the! spirits! of! a! local! legend.! But! they! sense! nothing.! They! look! around! at! the! old! bridge! and! the! slow! moving! water! running! beneath.!After!a!moment!longer,!Dwanna!feels!the!presence!of!a!ghost!who!begins!to! speak!to!her!and!tell!his!sad!tale!of!living!on!the!other!side!of!the!bridge.!It!is!the! famed!Goat!Man.!As!it!turns!out,!the!Goat!Man!died!in!a!very!different!way!than!the! legend! remembers.! Dwanna! listens! while! Andrea! looks! on! with! a! knowing! smile.!
After!a!time,!Dwanna!looks!at!Andrea!and!the!two!women!walk!back!to!their!car!and! drive!back!to!Richardson,!Texas.!!
Financing%
Since!this!project!will!be!produced!in!and!around!the!crew’s!home!base!of!
Denton,!Texas,!Medium,%Texas!remains!highly!feasible,!a!factor!which!has!kept!the! projected! costs! of! production! down.! However,! there! remains! a! need! for! outside! financing!in!order!to!provide!for!the!continued!research,!travel!costs,!gasoline,!food,! and! perhaps! most! importantly,! the! eventual! outreach! and! impact! that! will! assure! that!this!film!reaches!an!audience!upon!completion.!For!this!reason,!Medium,%Texas! will!seek!financing!from!a!grant!through!The!Austin!Film!Society!and!also!through! an!IndieGoGo!campaign!that!will!be!launched!during!the!postGproduction!phase.!!
Distribution%Possibilities%
Medium,%Texas!is!expected!to!screen!in!many!film!festivals!including:!!
AFI!Docs!
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Afterlife!Paranormal!Conference!and!Film!Festival!
Atlanta!Horror!Film!Festival!
Big!Sky!Film!Festival!
British!Horror!Film!Festival!
Chicago!Horror!Film!Festival!
Chicago!Paranormal!Film!Festival!
Eerie!Horror!Film!Festival!
Fantasia!Film!Festival!
Fear!Fete!Horror!Film!Festival!and!Convention!
Full!Frame!Documentary!Film!Festival!
Hot!Docs!
Hot!Springs!Documentary!Film!Festival!
Hot!Springs!International!Horror!Film!Festival!
Idaho!Horror!Film!Festival!
Indie!Memphis!Film!Festival!!
Little!Rock!Film!Festival!
Mile!High!Horror!Film!Festival!
Nola!Horror!Film!Festival!
PhilosoPhenomena!Gathering!
Sacramento!Horror!Film!Festival!
The!Scottish!Paranormal!Festival!
! 19! ! !
Sheffield!DocFest!
Shriekfest,!the!Lost!Angeles!Horror/SciFi!Film!Festival!
South!by!Southwest!
Terror!Film!Festival!
Thin!Line!Film!Festival.!!
True/Fase!Film!Festival!
Tucson!Terror!Fest!
Medium,%Texas!will!be!sold!at!the!various!paranormal!conferences!and!educational! venues!once!it!has!had!a!successful!film!festival!run.!
Social%Media%Timeline%
Site% % % %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%Rationale% % % % Availability%
Facebook! ! Communicate!with!fans/supporters! !! 9/15/2015!
Twitter! ! Communicate!with!fans/supporter!! ! 9/15/2015!
Vimeo!! ! Trailers/teasers!for!fans/supporters! ! 9/15/2015!
Youtube! ! Trailers/teasers!for!fans/supporters! ! 9/15/2015!
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Schedule%for%PreTProduction,%Production,%PostTProduction% PreGProduction!
JanuaryGMay! ! Research,!Contacts,!Proposal! ! Denton,!TX!
Production!
May!21st! ! Linda!and!Del!Hill! ! ! ! Gainesville,!TX!
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May!23rd! ! Carson!Mencken! ! ! ! Waco,!TX!
May.!24th!G28th! Dwanna!Paul!and!Friends! ! ! Dallas,!TX!
May!29th!G30th! Jeromy!Jones!!! ! ! ! Denton,!TX!
May!31st!! ! Daniel!Spears!! ! ! ! Greenville,!TX!
PostGProduction!
JuneGSeptember! Editing,!Sound!Mixing,!Finalizing! ! Denton,!TX!
February!2016!! Premiere!at!True/False!Film!Fest! ! Columbia,!MO!
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RECONCEPTUALIZATION!BEFORE!PRODUCTION! As!the!thesis!documentary!neared!production,!Dwanna!Paul!communicated! to!me!that!she!would!not!be!visiting!North!Texas!during!the!summer!of!2015!as!she! had!originally!planned.!Because!of!this!unexpected!change,!I!needed!to!find!another! character! to! replace! her! unique! perspective.! This! character! would! ideally! be! someone!who!worked!as!a!psychic.!As!it!turned!out,!this!setback!turned!out!to!be!a! blessing!in!disguise,!since!it!led!to!the!meeting!and!casting!of!Cheryl!Andrea.!
Cheryl!Andrea!is!a!clairvoyant,!clairaudient,!and!claircognizant.!She!is!a!coG owner! of! the! Dallas! Psychic! Fair! and! gives! private! and! public! readings! for! many! individuals! inside! and! outside! of! the! spiritual! community.! Cheryl!has!also!been! working! hard! to! establish! her! new! space,! Now! Center,! as! a! spiritualist! hub! for! community!events!and!private!services!offered!by!and!for!various!members!of!the! paranormal!community.!Cheryl!began!her!spiritualist!journey!as!a!young!child!and! has!communicated!with!her!spirit!guides,!or!“angels,”!ever!since.!!
With! Cheryl! onboard,! not! only! did! the! film! benefit! from! her! unique! perspective! but! also! from! the! inclusion! of! the! Dallas! Psychic! Fair! event,! which! permitted! a! viewpoint! upon! the! community! and! a! variety! of! practitioners! not! yet! considered! as! part! of! this! project.! Meeting! Cheryl! also! led! to! meeting! Morrighan!
Lynn!and!her!paranormal!adventure!team,!Lux!Bellator,!whom!we!followed!down!to!
Yorktown,!Texas!for!a!paranormal!investigation!in!an!abandoned!hospital.!!
The!title,!Medium,%Texas,%was!chosen!when!Dwanna!Paul!was!believed!to!be! the!main!character!of!the!documentary,!but!once!additional!TexasGbased!characters!
! 22! ! ! were!added!to!the!production,!the!title!was!changed!to!Texas%Paranormalists,!a!more! inclusive!title!that!captures!the!ever!broadening!scope,!as!well!as!the!location,!of!the! documentary.!Additionally,!under!the!guidance!of!my!thesis!committee,!I!made!the! decision! to! change! the! planned! production! camera! from! the! Sony! FS100! to! the!
Canon!5D!Mark!III.!This!decision!allowed!for!an!increase!in!mobility!for!myself!as! the!camera!operator!since!the!5D!is!more!compact!than!the!FS100.!Even!though!the! original!plan!was!to!include!a!sound!operator,!the!change!from!the!FS100!to!the!5D! made! this! a! definite! necessity! since! it! became! more! difficult! to! shoot! picture! and! sound!on!my!own.!!
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INTEGRATION!OF!THEORY!AND!PRACTICE! Ethnographic!Cinema!!
While! rooted! within! the! documentary! tradition,! ethnographic! cinema,! like! any!classification,!is!difficult!to!pin!down!within!a!modern!context.!Early!in!his!book,!
CineTEthnography,!Jean!Rouch!writes!that,!“The!more!these!films!are!attacked!from! the! exterior! and! interior,! the! more! they! seem! to! develop! and! affirm! themselves”!
(29).!These!attacks!are!inevitable!and!go!all!the!way!back!to!Nanook%of%the%North!
(1922),! considered! by! many! to! be! the! first! example! of! ethnographic! filmmaking,! albeit!one!that!used!many!staged!situations!to!achieve!its!goal!of!portraying!the!Inuit! lifestyle!that!was!set!against!the!backdrop!of!a!harsh,!natural!world.!Over!the!almost! one!hundred!years!since!Nanook%of%the%North,!various!documentary!traditions!and! approaches! have! continued! to! arise! and! the! documentary,! Texas% Paranormalists,! draws!from!several!of!these!formal!traditions,!but!it!is!first!and!foremost!indebted!to! the!ethnographic!cinema!tradition.!!
With! its! direct! link! to! anthropology,! Karl! Heider! found! it! difficult! to! disconnect!ethnographic!cinema!from!the!social!sciences.!He!believed!that!a!“long! term”!study!was!necessary!in!order!to!do!justice!to!the!subject!matter!(Heider,!4G5).!
What!constitutes!as!“long!term”!is!up!for!debate,!but!it!should!be!dissociated!from! the!journalistic!approach!of!rapidly!descending!upon!a!location!and!group!of!people! in!an!effort!to!harvest!a!bare!necessity!of!story!coverage.!With!Texas%Paranormalists,!
I! made! every! effort! to! connect! on! a! personal! level! with! the! subjects! of! the! documentary! and! spend! as! much! time! with! them! as! possible! before! and! during! shooting.! Certainly,! the! question! of! inconvenience! becomes! an! issue! when!
! 24! ! ! attempting! to! integrate! a! film! crew! into! a! space! and! spend! prolonged! periods! of! time!with!the!subjects.!For!this!reason,!the!crew!size!was!kept!to!a!bare!minimum!of! two,!except!for!one!occasion!when!a!third!person!was!added!to!assist!with!lighting!a! dark! space.! Jean! Rouch,! who! seemed! to! be!opposed!to!crews,!would!likely! recommend! the! training! of! a! paranormalists! subject! in! the! operation! of! sound! or! lights,!but!this!type!of!interaction!was!simply!infeasible!for!this!type!of!production.!
The!length!of!the!production!window!for!Texas%Paranormalists%lasted!fifteen!days.!
This!number!is!not!as!long!as!some!periods!of!entrenchment!with!a!group!of!people! but!was!most!practical!given!the!time!constraints!of!the!thesis!schedule!as!well!as! subject!availability.!!
!Heider! also! believed! that! ethnographic! cinema! should! seek! to! connect! the! norms!found!within!the!subculture!back!to!itself!as!a!specific!group!as!well!as!to!the! surrounding!cultural!and!social!context!from!which!it!springs!forth!(5).!In!the!case! of! Texas% Paranormalists,! the! subculture! of! paranormal! practitioners! in! the! North!
Texas! area! is! effectively! depicted! and! shown! to! connect! to! itself! as! a! distinctive! social! group.! This! group! stands! at! a!certain! remove! from! the! more! widespread! culture!of!the!Texas!area!in!which!it!remains!rooted.!It!is!important!to!note!that!the! world! of! nonGbelievers,! skeptics! who! hold! paranormalists! in! contempt,! is! not! depicted! in! the! documentary.! As! the! filmmaker,! my! reasoning! for! leaving! this! perspective!out!of!the!documentary!is!that,!in!a!way,!it!is!already!understood!and! internalized! by! the! majority! of! viewers.! The! chosen! subGculture! is! increasingly! visible! on! national! and! global! television! as! well! as! in! mainstream! movies.! In! this! way,! Texas% Paranormalists! treads! familiar! ground! while! steering! clear! of! the!
! 25! ! ! sensationalist,! exploitation! that! can! so! easily! be! leveled! at!people!with!unusual! beliefs.!My!refusal!to!show!both!sides!does!perhaps!weaken!the!balance!of!the!piece.!
However,! I! think! it! strengthens! the! perspectives! and! the! community! of! the! paranormalists!that!I!have!chosen!to!depict.!!!!
While! Texas% Paranormalists!draws!from! the! historical! approaches! of! ethnographic! cinema,! the! documentary! aspires! to! a! certain! commerciality! that! is! often! absent,! and! unnecessary! if! proper! funding! is! in! place,! in! traditional! ethnographic! productions.! ! The! Sensory! Ethnography! Lab! out! of! Harvard! is!an! exception! to! this! trend!in!commerciality,!as!it!seems! to! strive! toward! a! more! marketable,! or! at! least! wellGdistributed,! blend! of! ethnography! and! documentary.!
The!mix!of!interviews!and!observational!footage!found!in!Texas%Paranormalists%is!a! departure!from!the!more!scientific,!unbiased!study!of!a!subculture!often!found!in!an! ethnographic!agenda.!So,!even!though!Texas%Paranormalists!is!very!much!indebted! to! the! ethnographic! tradition,! the! formal! approach! departs! rapidly! from! an! ethnographic!base!and!connects!to!the!documentary!traditions!of!CinemaGvérité!and!
Direct!Cinema,!both!of!which!are!inextricably!linked!to!ethnographic!cinema!in!their! own!ways!but!are!decidedly!more!cinematic.!
CinemaGvérité!and!Direct!Cinema!
Jean!Rouch!provided!an!important!connection!between!ethnographic!cinema! and!the!new!method!he!called!cinema!vérité,!when!he!made!his!film,!Chronicle%of%a%
Summer!in!1961.!However,!Rouch!credits!both!Robert!Flaherty!and!Dziga!Vertov! with!foreseeing!cinemaGvérité!when!they!“Invented!the!notions!of!the!participating!
! 26! ! ! camera!and!of!kinopravda![or,!film!truth]”(Rouch,!98).!The!willingness!to!combine! the! techniques! of! observation! and! participation! demonstrates! the! conception! of! cinemaGvérité! for! Rouch,! which! allowed! him! to! “filmGthink”! as! Vertov! suggested!
(Rouch,!98).!The!American!variation!on!cinemaGvérité,!known!as!direct!cinema,!is! more!restrictive!and!relies!on!an!observational!mode!that!remains!unobtrusive!and! nonGparticipatory! (Nichols,! 31).! Both! of! these! documentary! traditions! are! of! vital! importance! to! a! theoretical! consideration! of!Texas% Paranormalists,! a! documentary! that!integrates!both!a!participatory!interview!style!alongside!lengthy!sections!where! a!strictly!observational!approach!is!used.!!!
The! search! for! truth! in! documentary! moviemaking!is!always! illusory! and! defined!by!an!attempt!at!its!capture!instead!of!its!actual!attainment.!The!sociological! aims! of! Rouch! are! not! completely! separate! from! the! aims! of! a! filmmaker! such! as!
Errol!Morris,!who!works!in!a!highly!modern,!characterGdriven,!cinemaGvérité!mode! that!has!shifted!over!the!decades.!The!early!work!of!Morris,!Gates%of%Heaven!(1978)! and!Vernon,%Florida!(1981),!were!of!particular!interest!to!me!in!the!way!both!films! construct! a! sense! of! place! and! a! wellGdefined! subculture.! The! studio! feel! of! the! interviews!in!the!later!work!of!Morris!can!seem!a!little!cold!and!removed!compared! to!his!on!the!spot!interviews!in! Gates%of%Heaven!and!Vernon,%Florida.!While!I!took! time! to! carefully! light! each! interview! subject! in! Texas% Paranormalists,! they! were! always! shot! within! their! own! space.! In! a! way,! this! is! a! blending! of! the! older! and! newer! interview! style! of! Errol! Morris.! However,! the! narrative! flow! of! the! documentary! is! more! in! line! with! the! American! direct! cinema! of! the! 1970s! and!
1980s.!!
! 27! ! !
Among! the! many! documentary! luminaries! of! direct! cinema,! including! the!
Maysles! brothers,! Pennebaker,! and! Barbara! Kopple,! the! documentary! work! of!
Frederick! Wiseman! has! been! the! most! critical! in! my! own! understanding! of! how! observational! documentaries! can! be! structured! without! employing! the! commercialized!threeGact!structure!best!suited!for!fictional!films.!In!writing!about!
Wiseman’s,!The%Store!(1983),!Thomas!W.!Benson!and!Carolyn!Anderson!outline!this! narrative!approach!perfectly:!!
As! in! most! Wiseman! films,! we! are! put! into! a! very! peculiar! position! as! spectators.! The! absence! of! a! clearly! narrative! structure! encourages! us! to! watch!each!scene!with!a!special!focus!on!its!presence,!its!existential!reality.! In! addition,! we! look! beyond! the! particular! scene! for! ways! to! knit! our! experience!of!the!film!into!a!coherent!whole!and!discover!that!we!can!do!so,! in!the!absence!of!narrative,!only!by!moving!to!a!speculative!plane,!where!we! notice!the!formal!and!thematic!relations!among!the!scenes!(296).!! The!narrative!that!Wiseman!constructs!in!each!of!his!films!is!in!many!ways!fluid!and! left!open!to!conjecture,!and!yet!highly!structured!by!his!editing!choices.!However,! the!inherent!manipulation!within!the!filmmaking!craft!should!not!be!overlooked.!It! is!through!the!craftGbased!elements!of!the!production!that!a!filmmaker’s!intention! becomes!revealed.!Editing!is!of!principle!importance!in!the!documentary!experience! and!just!as!Wiseman’s!directorial!perspective!creeps!into!and!informs!the!narrative,! so!does!my!own!approach!to!editing!and!structure.!!
Editorial!Connectivity!and!Structure! !Texas%Paranormalists!hops!between!a!variety!of!characters!and!structurally! unites!them!without!ever!revealing!a!visible!oppositional!force.!This!is!a!departure! from!the!way!that!commercial!documentaries!are!typically!structured,!and!while!it! may! hurt! the! marketability! of! the! completed! work,! it! feels! correct! for! the! subject!
! 28! ! ! matter! and! style.! Despite! this! lack! of! visible! opposition,! there! is! an! implied! opposition! from! the! outside! culture! of! skeptics! and! nonGbelievers,! along! with! the! attempts! of! the! paranormalists! in! the! film! to! communicate! with! the! spirit! world.!
Because! neither! of! these! obstacles! is! ever! seen,! the! viewer! is! left! to! decode! this! internalized!opposition!and!turn!it!into!a!personal!experience!of!being!an!outsider.!
The!result!of!this!subdued!opposition!from!mainstream!culture!and!the!spirit!world! results!in!the!creation!of!a!moving!mosaic!of!interesting!characters,!which!turns!the! documentary! into! a! vignetted! character! study! rather! than! a! plot! driven! spectacle! with! a! satisfying! payoff.! The! ghosts! and! spirits! are! never! found.! Instead,! what! is! experienced! is! a! world! spread! across! a! Texas! landscape,! where! characters! often! share! space! with! one! another,! and! if! they! do! not,! then! they! certainly! share! commonalities!in!a!belief!system!dedicated!to!the!paranormal.!!
In!editing!the!mosaic!structure!of!Texas%Paranormalists,!continuity!dictated! the!cutting!of!observational!scenes.!For!example!there!is!a!scene!between!Jeromy!
Jones!and!his!stepson,!Ethan,!where!they!are!building!something!in!the!garage.!This! is! a! clear! example! of! continuity! driven! scene! where! actions! dictate! the! shot! progression!and!as!a!result,!the!scene!has!a!clear!beginning,!middle!and!end.!It!is! perhaps!important!to!note!that!the!editing!and!information!delivery!does!not!make! it!clear!that!Ethan!is!Jeromy’s!stepson.!This!information!is!effectively!edited!out!of! the! narrative! for! the! sake! of! a! more! continuous! and! lessGdistracting! experience.!
After! all,! editing! is! about! cutting! out! the! unnecessary,! or! extraneous! bits! of! information!in!favor!of!that!which!will!cause!the!story!to!move!forward!in!a!way!that! is!as!unburdened!as!possible!while!remaining!meaningful.!!
! 29! ! !
Continuity! editing! is! also! used! in! the! transference! between! the! various! vignettes!and!characters!in!the!overall!structure!of!the!documentary.!If!possible,!the! key!characters!are!shown!to!share!space!together!in!an!effort!to!pass!the!narrative! torch!between!one!storyline!and!the!next.!This!is!done!most!effectively!when!Jeromy! and! Linda! are! shown! to! be! associates! at!a!Paranormal!Expo! before! the! narrative! transfers! from! Jeromy’s! storyline! to! Linda’s.! The! transfer! between! Jeromy! and!
Cheryl!is!less!tangible!and!based!more!on!shared!ideas!and!beliefs!rather!than!their! own!association,!which!is!never!shown,!and!to!my!knowledge!does!not!exist.!This! type!of!editorial!leap!is!more!in!line!with!the!classic!concept!of!intellectual!montage,! as!pioneered!by!Eisenstein!in!which,!“The!conclusions!and!abstractions!which!can! be!drawn!from!the!actual!events…are!of!first!interest”(Reisz!&!Millar,!33).!!
This! ideological! continuity! is! less! sequential! and! more! rhythmic! in! its! attempt! to! associate! the! personal! beliefs! and! practices! of! many! people! under! the! common! banner! of! “paranormal.”! This! editing! style! is! in! full! effect! at! both! The!
Paranormal!Expo!and!The!Dallas!Psychic!Fair,!both!of!which!allow!many!different! perspectives! to! gather! together! in! a! common! space.! The! editing! style! takes! on! a! montage! quality,! considered! by! Spence! and! Navarro! as,! “supremely! cinematic”!
(184)! in! its! overall! affect.! The! interviews! create! an! informational! and! structural! base!from!which!these!more!cinematic!montage!elements!can!be!permitted!to!arise! and!make!a!lasting!impression!of!space!and!commonly!held!believe.!Through!this! approach,! the! documentary! Texas% Paranormalists!strives!to!create!an!overarching! communal! filmic! space! where! the! various! perspectives! can! be! gathered! together! and!considered!as!a!unified!subculture.!!
! 30! ! !
Ethics!! A! documentary! motion! picture! should! not! be! undertaken! or! completed! without! a! full! consideration! of! the! many! ethical! pitfalls! that! will! be! encountered! during! the! many! phases! of! creation.! This! eventual! personal! inquisition! must! first! emerge! during! preGproduction! and! continue! through!production,!postGproduction! and! finally! carry! through! until! the! screening! of! the! documentary! for! a! viewing! audience.!Spence!and!Navarro,!inspired!by!Foucault,!aptly!state!that,!“It!is!useful!to! think!of!documentaries!as!exercises!of!power!and!examine!the!political!and!social! consequences!of!this!power”(86).!As!a!documentarian,!I!have!no!desire!to!exploit!or! misrepresent!the!members!of!the!paranormal!subculture.!It!is!naïve!to!believe!that!I! do!not!hold!a!significant!amount!of!power!to!potentially!discredit!or!betray!the!trust! of! the! subjects! who! have! graciously! agreed! to! participate! in! the! documentary.!
Finally,! it! is! important! to! be! fully! aware! of! and! establish! the! line! between! documenting! difference! in! the! paranormal! community! and! creating! a! divisive!
“otherness”! that! increases! the! rift,! imagined! or! real,! between! the! paranormal! community!and!“normal”!society.!!
Because! the! subject! matter! of! Texas% Paranormalists% deals! directly! with! an! unusual!belief!system,!my!initial!approach!toward!the!subjects!was!one!of!absolute! delicacy.!I!had!the!benefit!of!working!on!a!documentary!about!Bigfoot!enthusiasts,!
Community%Cryptid,!before!undertaking!the!production!of!Texas%Paranormalists,!so! my!understanding!of!outsider!communities!had!been!sharpened!and!sensitized!to! the!ways!in!which!community!members!might!be!offended!or!feel!misrepresented.!I! was! also! able! to! use! this! previous! experience! to! build! trust! and! an! open,! honest!
! 31! ! ! communication!about!my!own!perspective!as!a!filmmaker!standing!on!the!outside!of! a!phenomenon.!While!I!never!openly!stated!my!own!skeptical!stance!on!humanity’s! ability!to!communicate!with!the!spirit!world,!I!did!make!it!clear!that!I!am!ready!and! willing! to! accept! evidence! that! proves! otherwise.! The! truth! is! that! I! am! more! classifiably!an!agnostic!when!it!comes!to!paranormal!communication,!which!in!my! case!means!that!I!believe!in!the!possibility!of!spiritual!communication!and!am!very! fascinated!by!the!attempt!to!do!so.!This!form!of!belief!has!kept!my!vision!and!ethical! approach! toward! the! subjects! of! the! documentary! fair! and! nonGjudgmental! from! preGproduction!through!postGproduction.!I!made!every!effort!to!make!it!clear!to!the! participants! of! the! documentary! that! my! main! concern! was! in! observing! and! capturing! the! practice! and! ritual! of! a! belief! system! and! the! way! that! community! forms!as!a!result!of!this!commonly!held!faith.!!
During!the!production!process!itself,!I!continued!my!honest!communication! with!the!many!participants!of!the!documentary.!My!questions!reflected!my!interest! in! understanding! why! individuals! are! drawn! to! this! particular! practice! and! what! exactly!they!are!seeking!through!the!various!paranormal!rituals.!I!captured!as!much! as! possible! and! tried! to! remain! aware! of! the! universal! display! of! humanity! that! accompanies!the! niche! practice! of! the! paranormal! in! each! subject.! All! the! while,! I! worked!very!hard!to!push!against!a!mode!of!capture!that!might!result!in!“othering”! the! subjects! of! the! documentary.! However! I! did! have! to! accept!the!fact!that!this! particular! documentary! is! very! much! about! a! way! of! approaching! life! that! is! a! departure! from! what! is! perceived! as! “normal.”! On! this! note,! there! are! inevitable! moments!in!which!subjects!stated!beliefs!or!practices!that!could!be!misunderstood!
! 32! ! ! in! the! wrong! context.! I! remained! very! aware! of! these! personal! insights! or! beliefs! that!might!be!misinterpreted!out!of!context!and!avoided!using!them!in!the!final!cut.!
My! enthusiasm! was! completely! genuine! and! the! connections! that! were! fostered! between!myself!and!the!subjects!of!the!documentary!were!very!real!and!helped!to! guide!me!as!I!undertook!the!most!delicate!process!of!all,!postGproduction.!
During! postGproduction,! all! of! the! careful,! ethically! sound! efforts! of! a! documentarian!can!fall!apart!for!the!sake!of!entertainment!and!commerciality.!The! documentary!editor’s!job!is!to!render!actuality!in!a!way!that!represents!the!identity! and!beliefs!of!each!subject!while!remaining!aware!of!a!more!general!audience.!The! consideration!of!what!constitutes!an!interesting!and!nonGexploitative!product!in!the! eyes!of!the!subjects!that!remains!both!engaging!and!entertaining!for!the!viewers!is!a! very!difficult!balance!to!achieve,!but!it!can!done.!I!have!worked!very!hard!to!avoid! using! moments! that! will! misrepresent! the! subjects! when! viewed! out! of! context! while!still!holding!firm!to!the!overall!purpose!of!the!documentary!itself,!which!is!to! depict! an! outsider! group,! a! general! belief! system,! and! a! ritualized! practice! that! results!in!the!creation!of!community.!I!believe!that!I!have!achieved!this!goal!and!it!is! my! honest! hope! that! both! the! subjects! of! the! documentary! as! well! as! a! general! audience!will!share!my!feeling.!!
SubjectGFilmmaker!Relationship! Politeness! and! straightforward! communication! were! of! utmost! importance! for!the!production!of!Texas!Paranormalists!for!the!reasons!outlined!above.!There!is! a!mutual!trust!that!must!be!established!in!the!relationships!that!occur!as!a!result!of!
! 33! ! ! any!documentary.!The!subjects!trust!the!filmmaker!with!their!images,!actions,!and! representation! as! digitally! rendered! artifacts.! Likewise,! the! filmmaker! trusts! that! the!subjects!will!allow!a!certain!entrance!into!their!personal!lives!and!spaces.!!This! is! a! particularly! large! leap! for! the! subjects! of! the! documentary,! since! they! must! ultimately! relinquish! a! measure! of! their! power! to! the! filmmaker.! Nevertheless,! it! remains!a!ritual!of!focus!and!dedicated!vision!for!both!parties.!And!there!are!always! hazards.!It!is!the!job!of!the!filmmaker!to!attempt!to!spot!this!hazardous!terrain!and! act!as!both!protector!and!extractor!of!the!ephemeral!story.!The!above!relationship! of! mutual! trust! was! sought! after! and,! to! my! knowledge,! accomplished! on! every! account.!!
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PRODUCTION! Overview!
The! production! of! Texas! Paranormalists! consists! of! interview! and! observational!footage!acquired!in!and!around!the!North!Texas!area.!The!majority!of! production!occurred!in!late!May!and!June!of!2015.!Additional!shooting!days!were! added!in!June,!July,!and!August!of!2015.!!!
Shooting!Schedule! 5/20/2015! Waco,!Texas!
Interview!with!Professor!Carson!Mencken!at!Baylor!University.!Supporting!footage! acquired! around! the! immediate! campus! including! a! haunted! library.! TwoGperson! crew.!!
5/21/2015! Gainesville,!Texas! Interviews! with! Linda! and! Del! Hill! in! the! haunted! property! they! own.! Supporting! footage!of!haunted!property,!including!a!tour!given!by!Linda!Hill.!Del!Hill!performs!a! song!he!wrote!about!the!house.!TwoGperson!crew.!!
5/22/2015! Corinth,!Texas! Interviews! with! Jeromy! and! Pam! Jones! in! their! home/workplace.! Observational! footage! of,! Ethan,! one! of! five! children,! who! builds! his! own! devices! in! the! garage.!
Supporting!footage!of!the!home!and!workshop!also!captured.!TwoGperson!crew.!!
5/26/2015! Corinth,!Texas!
Observational!footage!of!Jeromy!and!Pam!at!work!in!the!garage!as!they!complete! many!orders!for!shipment.!OneGperson!crew.!!
! 35! ! !
5/29/2015! Prosper,!Texas! Interview! with! Cheryl! Andrea! in! her! home.! Observational! footage! with! all! of! her! animals.!TwoGperson!crew.!!
5/30/2015! Corinth,!Texas!
Observational! and! interview! footage! of! Pam! and! Jeromy’s! five! children! as! they! conduct!their!own!paranormal!investigation!and!talk!about!why!they!are!interested! in!the!paranormal.!Travel!with!the!family!to!Goat!Man’s!Bridge!in!Denton,!Texas!for! additional!footage.!OneGperson!crew.!!
5/31/2015! Greenville,!Texas!
Interview!with!Daniel!Spears!in!the!center!of!town.!Observational!footage!captured! in!a!variety!of!locations!around!Greenville!including!a!graveyard,!a!torture!house,! and!a!haunted!movie!theater!while!Daniel!explains!the!historical!importance!of!each! location.!OneGperson!crew.!!
6/2/2015! Jefferson,!Texas!
Interview!with!book!author!Mitchel!Whitington!in!his!haunted!home.!Observational! footage! around! the! house,! around! the! town,! and! in! the! local! graveyard.! Mitchel! arranged! an! interview! with! two! owners! of! another! haunted! home! in! Jefferson.!
However,!they!had!second!thoughts!about!being!included!in!the!documentary.!OneG person!crew.!!
6/3/2015! Dallas,!Texas!
Observational! footage! of! a! Deep! Ellum! radio! show! hosted! by! Cheryl! Andrea! and!
Morrighan!Lynn.!OneGperson!crew.!!
! 36! ! !
6/5/2015! Corinth,!Texas! Observational!footage!of!Jeromy!sharing!his!paranormal!investigation!vidoes.!OneG person!crew.!!
6/5/2015! Irving,!Texas!
Observational!footage!of!Mitchel!Whitington!giving!a!talk!at!the!Irving!Public!Library! on!the!topic!of!“Haunted!Texas.”!OneGperson!crew.!!
6/6/2015! Dallas,!Texas! Observational!and!interview!footage!of!the!monthly!Dallas!Psychic!Fair!held!in!the!
Doubletree!Hotel!(the!final!fair!to!be!held!at!this!location).!TwoGperson!crew.!!
6/27/2015! Dallas,!Texas!
Observational! and! interview! footage! of! the! Now! Center! Grand! Opening.! This! location!will!also!be!used!for!future!Dallas!Psychic!Fairs.!TwoGperson!crew.!!
7/18/2015! Lewisville,!Texas! Observational!and!interview!footage!of!the!24!Hour!Paranormal!Supernatural!Expo.!
Jeromy! and! Pam! Jones! were! in! attendance! along! with! Linda! and! Del! Hill! from!
Gainesville,!Texas.!OneGperson!crew.!!
7/25/2015! Yorktown,!Texas!
Observational! footage! of! a! ghost! investigation/adventure! conducted! by! a! new! paranormal!team!of!psychics.!Morrighan!Lynn,!who!has!been!in!previous!shooting! days,!is!in!one!of!the!key!roles.!The!team!is!called!Lux!Bellator.!ThreeGperson!crew.!!
8/28/2015! Gainesville,!Texas!
! 37! ! !
Observational! footage! of! a! paranormal! event! held! at! the! Hill! House! Manor! and! hosted! by! Linda! and! Del! Hill.! They! both! give! tours! to! the! attendees! and! various! enthusiasts!and!investigators!conduct!experiments!in!the!rooms.!TwoGperson!crew.!!
Crew! David!Goodman!–!Director/Producer/Cinematographer/Editor!
David! is! a! southern! filmmaker! currently! based! in! Denton,! Texas! where! he! is! pursuing! his! MFA! degree! in! documentary! production!at!The!University!of!North!
Texas.!His!narrative!and!documentary!work!has!screened!at!various!film!festivals! across! the! United! States.! As! a! cinematographer,! David! has! contributed! to! many! films,! most! recently! to! the! wellGreceived! feature! film,! Last% Summer,! which! is! currently!available!on!Netflix!Instant.!!!
Garret!Graham!–!Production!Sound/CoGproducer!
Garrett! is! a! documentary! filmmaker! and! philosopher! based! in! Denton,! Texas.! His! work!is!focused!on!environmental!and!activist!issues.!His!most!recent!documentary,!
Don’t% Frack% with% Denton,! concerns! the! attempts! of! a! local! community! to! ban! hydraulic! fracturing! within! the! city! limits! of! Denton,! Texas.! In! addition! to! his! directorial!talents,!Garrett!is!a!highly!skilled!production!sound!operator.!!
Equipment!
The!equipment!consisted!of!a!Canon!5D!Mark!III!DSLR!camera!mounted!on!either!a!
Manfrotto!tripod,!for!interviews,!or!on!a!selfGpurchased! Revo! SRG1000! Shoulder!
Support! Rig,! which! was! used! for! the! observational! footage! in! the! documentary.!
Location!sound!was!captured!using!the!702!Sound!Devices!recorder!paired!with!a!
! 38! ! ! shotgun!microphone!and!usually!a!wireless!lavalier!microphone.!This!double!system! recording! technique! was! ideal! for! the! effective! capturing! of! the! documentary! content!while!also!insuring!the!professional!monitoring!of!the!equipment.!!
Experience!
The! shooting! experience! went! incredibly!smoothly! due! in! large! part! to! the! flexibility! and! willingness! of! my! wellGchosen! crewmember,! Garrett! Graham,! an! eager!and!insightful!partner!during!the!process!of!producing!this!documentary.!!The! actual! subjects! of! the! documentary! were! also! very! accommodating.! Their! willingness!to!invite!us!into!their!homes!and!allow!us!to!capture!moments!of!their! lives!showed!great!generosity!and!trust.!It!was!my!constant!goal!as!a!documentarian! to!never!betray!that!trust.!!
Except! for! two! instances,! Daniel! and! Mitchel,! all! of! the! interviews! were! conducted!making!use!of!a!twoGperson!crew.!As!the!director!and!cinematographer,!I! would!set!up!the!camera!and!the!lights!while!Garrett!handled!the!placement!of!the! microphones.! Once! everything! was! set! up,! I! would! focus! on! the! questions! and! conduct!a!conversation!with!the!various!subjects!while!Garrett!monitored!the!sound! setup!and!also!kept!an!eye!on!the!camera!framing!and!focus.!!
A!majority!of!the!observational!footage!was!acquired!making!use!of!a!twoG person!crew.!!In!these!instances,!I!operated!the!camera,!which!was!mounted!on!the! shoulder!rig,!while!Garrett!stayed!in!close!proximity!and!operated!the!702!Sound!
Recorder!and!microphone.!When!Garrett!was!unavailable,!I!operated!the!camera!on! the! shoulder! mount! and! gaffGtaped! the! shotgun! microphone! to! the! handle! of! the!
! 39! ! ! shoulder!mount.!I!then!hung!the!702!from!my!shoulder!and!followed!the!important! action!at!the!various!locations.!The!solo!shooting!experiences!are!noted!in!the!above! section.!!
Except! for! a! sound! error! inside! the! haunted! Yorktown! Hospital,! the! observational! collaboration! between! Garrett! and! myself! worked! very! nicely! and! produced! some! highly! effective! results! that! will! create! a! moody! and! engrossing! documentary!experience.!!
Budget! A!full!budget!is!included!in!the!appendix!on!page!48.!!
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POSTGPRODUCTION! Equipment!
The! double! system! picture! and! audio! captured! in! production! were! synced! using! PluralGEyes! software! and! then! imported! into! Adobe! Premiere!as!an!XML.!
Picture!and!sound!editing!were!done!on!Adobe!Premiere!in!the!University!of!North!
Texas!graduate!editing!lab.!Minimal!color!grading!was!applied!using!Premiere!Pro.!!!
Schedule! 5/21/2015!–!7/15/2015!–!Viewing,!Transcribing,!and!Logging!the!Footage!
7/16/2015!–!8/3/2015!–!Organization!and!First!Assembly!Cut!arranged!
8/11/2015!–!8/17/2015!–!Editing!
8/17/2015!–!1st!Rough!Cut!
8/18/2015!–!8/24/2015!–!Editing!
8/24/2015!–!2nd!Rough!Cut!
8/25/2015!–!8/31/2015!–!Editing!
8/31/2015!–!3rd!Rough!Cut!
9/1/2015!–!9/4/2015!–!Editing!
9/4/2015!–!4th!Rough!Cut!
9/8/2015!–!9/10/2015!–!Editing!
9/10/2015!–!5th!Rough!Cut!Screened!at!Colloquium!!
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9/11/2015G9/16/2015!–!Editing!
9/16/2015!–!6th!Rough!Cut!
9/21/2015G9/25/2015!–!Editing!
9/26/2015!–!Final!Cut!
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RECONCEPTUALIZATION!DURING!POSTGPRODUCTION! During! the! initial! phases! of! editing,! I! realized! that! I! had! acquired! an! over! abundance!of!footage.!This!resulted!in!too!many!characters!and!the!feeling!that!the! focus!was!shifting!away!from!my!three!initial!main!subjects.!Nevertheless,!I!moved! forward!and!attempted!to!make!everything!fit!into!a!thirtyGminute!movie,!a!rather! long!short!film!by!most!perspectives.!The!first!cut!of!the!documentary!reflected!this! impulse!to!keep!all!of!the!characters!and!most!of!the!situations!that!were!captured! over!the!course!of!the!documentary.!After!screening!the!first!cut!to!Tania!Khalaf,!I! was!wisely!advised!to!begin!cutting!characters.!!
The!first!character!to!be!cut!was!Carson!Mencken,!the!professor!of!sociology! from!Baylor,!who!served!as!a!structural!support!character!to!break!up!the!action!of! the! documentary,! introduce! the! various! beliefs! of! the! documentary,!and!keep!the! momentum!up!between!the!various!locations!and!subjects.!He!also!offered!the!one! skeptical! voice! found! in! the! documentary,! something! that! would! have! been! mandatory! in! a! longer! work.! Carson’s! perspective,! while! very! well! spoken! and! highly!interesting,!presented!an!oppositional!viewpoint,!and!because!the!majority!of! the! characters! were! believers,! there! was! too! much! of! an! imbalance! with! Carson! included!in!the!shorter!work.!By!removing!Carson!from!the!documentary,!I!was!able! to! keep! the! perspective! focused! strictly! on! the! believers! and! the! finished! documentary!felt!more!cohesive!and!hit!a!more!ideal!running!time.!!!!!
The!next!two!rough!cuts!positioned!Mitchel!Whitington!and!Daniel!Spears!in! the! position! of! structural! support! characters! who! were! used! to! keep! up! the!
! 43! ! ! momentum! and! divide! the! various! locations! and! subject! matters! found! in! the! documentary.! By! the! time! of! screening! the! third! rough! cut,! I! was! wisely! advised! once! again! by! Tania! Khalaf! to! consider! removing! both! Mitchel! and! Daniel! for! the! sake!of!focusing!the!documentary!even!further!on!the!stories!of!the!main!characters.!
While!both!Mitchel!and!Daniel!have!interesting!insights!to!share!on!the!subject!of! the! paranormal,! they! ended! up!creating! a! distraction! from! the! narrative! flow! and! focus!of!the!piece.!!
! The! fourth! cut! of! the! documentary! presented! the! most! streamlined! and! engaging! use! of! the! footage! thus! far.! The! main! characters! carry! the! weight! of! the! story!and!the!observational!footage!is!used!in!a!way!that!immerses!the!viewer!into! the!world!and!space!of!belief!shared!by!the!community!of!paranormal!practitioners! and!enthusiasts.!After!a!test!screening,!I!realized!how!fixated!I!had!become!on!fitting! the! documentary! into! certain! time! constraints.! Once! I! went! back! to! editing,! my! resulting! approach! let! the! piece! breath! and! I! reshuffled! some! of! the! narrative! information.!I!was!able!to!turn!everything!around!and!produce!a!finished!film!that! both!speaks!to!the!community!represented!in!the!documentary!as!well!as!to!a!larger! and! more! general! public! who! have!an!interest!in!the!culture!that!surround!the! paranormal!subject!matter.!!
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EVALUATION!OF!COMPLETED!WORK! PreGproduction!
The! project,! Texas% Paranormalists,! went!through!a!few!phases!during!preG production.! Dwanna! was! the! starting! point! of! the! project! and! at! one! time! was! planned!to!be!the!only!character!in!the!documentary.!After!contacting!Dwanna!and! following!up!with!some!of!the!subjects!from!my!previous!documentary,!Community%
Cryptid,! I! was! compelled! to!expand!the!characters!in!the!proposed!thesis! documentary! to! include! Jeromy! Jones! and! Linda! Hill.! Because! of! this! expansion,! when!Dwanna!dropped!out!of!the!planned!project,!I!was!able!to!quickly!bounce!back! and!continue!forward!with!the!motion!picture.!!
Planning!and!scheduling!the!rest!of!the!project!was!simplified!because!of!the! easyGgoing! nature! and! willing! collaboration! of! every! character! involved! in! the! production.!Because!of!this,!I!lined!up!everything!that!needed!to!be!accomplished! and!I!proceeded!through!production!with!no!further!roadblocks!or!issues.!
Production! The! production! flowed! smoothly! from! the! organized! approach! to! preG production.! All! of! locations! were! within! relatively! easy! driving! distance! from!
Denton,!Texas,!where!I!am!based.!Garrett!Graham,!my!production!sound!recordist,! was!very!accommodating!with!his!schedule!and!was!therefore!able!to!accompany! me! on!almost! all! of! the!fifteen!production!days.!Because! of! the! great! flexibility! of!
Garrett! Graham! and! the! many! subjects! who! were! to! appear! in! the! documentary,! production!was!really!a!matter!of!securing!the!equipment,!making!sure!the!batteries! were!charged,!organizing!the!shoot!days!and!getting!to!the!locations!on!time.!Once!
! 45! ! ! we!met!up!with!the!subjects!of!the!documentary,!the!job!turned!into!an!amicable! communication! either! in! the! interview! mode! or! in! an! observational! sense.! Once! again,!there!were!no!major!issues!encountered!during!the!process.!!
PostGProduction!
! After! the! smooth! flowing! phases! of! preGproduction! and! production,! postG production!seemed!destined!to!follow!the!same!pattern.!The!process!of!transcribing,! organizing,!and!finally!editing!was!merely!a!matter!of!showing!up!and!putting!in!the! necessary!hours.!The!resulting!documentary!lives!up!to!my!personal!expectations! and! will! undoubtedly! prove! to! be! an! enjoyable! experience! to! a! wider! audience.! I! look!forward!to!sharing!Texas!Paranormalists!with!the!masses.!!
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Interview!Question!List!for!Texas%Paranormalists! General%Paranormal:%%
What!is!paranormal?! What!is!a!ghost/spirit?! Why!do!people!get!into!this?! What!got!you!interested!in!the!paranormal?!
Describe!your!approach!to!paranormal!research,!communication.! ! Individual’s%Business%
What!is!generally!involved!in!your!line!of!work?! Tell!us!what!you!specifically!you!do!in!your!line!of!work.! Tell!us!about!your!experiences!during!your!line!of!work.!Stories?! How!did!you!get!interested/involved!in!your!current!line!of!work?!!
Have!you!ever!been!genuinely!scared?!Will!you!tell!us!about!it?! What!keeps!you!going!in!this!field?!Why!continue?! Do!you!feel!that!there!is!a!great!deal!of!paranormal!work!out!there?!!
! Community:%% Is!there!a!community!that!gathers!in!shared!interest!around!paranormal!activity?!! Talk!about!the!community.!What!brings!them!together?!What!does!community!add?!
How!would!you!describe!the!people!who!get!into!paranormal?!! ! Misconceptions:%
Do!you!think!people!who!share!an!interest!in!the!paranormal!misrepresented?!! How!would!you!describe!the!misrepresentation!that!occurs?! Will!you!talk!about!the!embarrassment!associated!with!sightings/experiences?!! !
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Spirit%World% How!would!you!describe!the!spirit!world?!!
What!do!spirits!look!like?!! What!do!spirits!sound!like?! Do!spirits!take!up!space?!Are!they!ever!present?!Dimensional?!! How!do!you!know!the!spirit!world!exists?!
! Philosophy:% How!does!your!interest!in!the!spirit!world!affect!your!views/beliefs?!
What!are!your!views!beliefs?!! Does!your!interest!in!the!spirit!world!change!your!perception!of!religion?!! Do!you!believe!that!Christianity!and!the!paranormal!work!together?! How!have!you!changed!as!a!person!since!you!interest!in!the!paranormal?!
What!do!you!believe!happens!when!we!die?!! Will!you!talk!about!spirituality!in!relation!to!the!paranormal?! !
Texas% How!do!you!view!this!type!of!experience!and!interest!from!within!Texas?! Is!this!common!everywhere!or!are!there!quirks!specific!to!this!state?! Do!you!feel!welcomed!by!the!community!here!or!do!you!feel!embarrassed?!
Do!many!people!realize!your!particular!line!of!work?!! How!would!you!describe!a!really!successful!paranormal!experience?!! How!do!you!feel!that!you!are!contributing!to!an!ongoing!dialogue?!!
! Circle!back!around!to!opening!questions!and!relate!them!to!Texas!if!need!be.!! ! Inquire!about!future!contacts/locations/filming!opportunities!!
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PERSONAL APPEARANCE RELEASE FORM
For a Documentary “Program” Tentatively Titled: “Medium, Texas”
I hereby authorize David Goodman, graduate student in The Media Arts program at The University of North Texas, and the producer of the documentary tentatively titled “Medium, Texas,” to record and edit into the Program and related materials my name, likeness, image, voice and participation in and performance on film, tape or otherwise for use in the above Program or parts thereof (the “Recordings”). I agree that the Program may be edited and otherwise altered at the sole discretion of the Producer and used in whole or in part for any and all broadcasting, non-broadcasting, audio/visual, and/or exhibition purposes in any manner or media, in perpetuity, throughout the world.
Producer, David Goodman, may use and authorize others to use all or parts of the Recordings. Producer, David Goodman, its successors and assigns shall own all right, title and interest, including copyright, in and to the Program, including the Recordings, to be used and disposed of without limitation as Producer shall in its sole discretion determine.
Printed Name of Person Appearing: ______
Signature of Person Appearing:
Address: City, State, Zip:
Email: ______
Date: Phone: ____ !
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References! Chronicle%of%a%Summer.!Jean!Rouch!and!Edgar!Morin.!Criterion!Collection.!1961.!Film.!
Benson,!Thomas!W.,!and!Carolyn!Anderson.!Reality%Fictions:%The%Films%of%Frederick% Wiseman.!Carbondale:!Southern!University!Press,!2002.!Print.!! Gates%of%Heaven.!Errol!Morris.!IFC!Film.!1978.!Film.!!
Heider,!Karl!G.!Ethnographic%Film.!Austin:!UT!Press,!2006.!Print.!! Nanook%of%the%North.!Robert!Flaherty.!Reel!Enterprises.!1922.!Film.!! Nichols,! Bill.! Introduction% to% Documentary.! Indianapolis:! Indiana! University! Press,! 2010.!Print.!!
Reisz,! Karel,! and! Gavin! Millar.! The% Technique% of% Film% Editing% 2nd% Edition.% Oxford:! Focal!Press,!1999.!Print.!! Rouch,!Jean.!CineTEthnography.!Minneapolis:!University!of!Minneapolis!Press,!2003.! Print.!! Spence,! Louise,! and! Vinicius! Navarro.! Crafting% Truth:% Documentary% Form% and% Meaning.!New!Brunswick:!Rutgers!UP,!2012.!Print.!! The%Store.!Frederick!Wiseman.!Zipporah!Films.!1983.!Film.!! Vernon,%Florida.!Errol!Morris.!IFC!Film.!1981.!Film.!!
Wiseman,!Frederick.!Five%Films%by%Frederick%Wiseman:%Titicut%Follies,%High%School,% Welfare,%High%School%II,%Public%Housing.!Ed.!Grant,!Barry!Keith.!Los!Angeles:!UC! California,!2006.!Print.!! !
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