Stephonika's Universe

ALLURE OF JAPAN
As part of a production class, Kaye pitched, produced, and directed this non-fictional mini-documentary about why non-natives are attracted to Japan's culture and language.

"This was the very first film project I'd ever pitched for and actually had picked by the class to do something with," Kaye says proudly.  "I'm horrible at pitching, so it was a surprise, a welcome one.  You have a very short window when you're pitching, usually a minute or two at the least and fifteen at the most.  So, it's important to my profession.  [In] this class everybody was doing like 30-second pitches."

Kaye was in a group of three people including herself for the project.  She interviewed several people including her past sensei (a Japanese teacher), a student, and the exchange students there at the time.  "Everyone was very helpful," Kaye says.  "Our only problems came up for one interview when my partner filmed it while I sat to do the interview.  The lighting and angle of that shot was the only real problem in the whole finished product.  I was very happy with that project."

Kaye also got a hold of footage from others for her film.  "I made some calls and wrote some emails, and while we shot B-roll [footage] at one event--[B-roll footage in a documentary is all footage other than the interviews]--I was able to get other footage from other people.  I got stuff from the sakura festival [a Japanese spring festival], and we were so lucky to be able to get that and use it.  I also called in some friends at last minute to get the last of what we needed.  So, it was all just absolutely great."

--A request is pending to get a copy of this video to post up to this site.

PANTHEON
Kaye has just signed on (preliminarily) as an editor and art director for a new show run by students at her college.