Autobiographical Mode

At the risk of becoming self-indulgent, I decided to work within the autobiographical mode for this documentary mode activity. For this activity, I decided to talk about some difficult things that I have been grappling with lately. "Baring oneself to a public is at the heart of the autobiographical mode. The emotional and personal life experiences of the producer become the documented reality" (Fox, 41). For this project, I was especially inspired by the Center for Digital Storytelling, Story Corps, and the episode of This American Life that was filled with 20 short stories. I wanted to tell a story that was personal to me in a very short amount of time. From the examples that we viewed in class, I was especially inspired by the stories that shared things that were not incredibly expansive or intense, but that were just small, and personal stories.

I do not know if I was successful in this, but the goal was to have "the example of the self as a means of accessing political and historical questions of larger social relevance. At its best, the autobiographical mode not only closes the gap between the photographer and subject but also the space between the filmmaker and audience"(Fox, 41). I think that the thing that was the most touching about the examples that we saw in class was the way that the personal stories that people have experienced connected and spoke to the people who were viewing them. I did not want my story to come across as so idiosyncratic that no one would be able to relate to the things that I was saying. However, keeping this in mind, I wanted my story to still be personalized and mine. In addition to this, I wanted to focus on audio for this piece, with video merely acting as a supporter. I wanted this project to literally be in my own voice.

I think that the biggest thing that I have learned from the autobiographical mode is that everyone wants to have their story heard, or at least someone who cares about the story that is being told. The digital age has made it 100 times easier for people to have their stories heard. For hundreds of years, people have been keeping records and journals so that people in another time will know what their life was like, but now it is so much easier. Individuals can upload their video log, or blog in seconds, and their is no limitation to what is shared online. All of us just want to be heard. The desire to be understood, appreciated, and listened to is nearly universal.

The End.