Homeawayfromhomework Update

Soon to come on the blog:
- photos
- videos !?!?!
- categories for the blog entries, to make them more filed-away-ey

For now, an excerpt from my report to BYU Field Studies regarding my coursework:

I’ve finished my first class (Walking Through Paris’ History) and have got almost half of my French Culture Proofs completed. As for the French Cinéculture class Dr. Lee and I created, it’s going really well. I’ve mapped out all the independent cinemas in central Paris, read up on their histories, perused theri websites, visited about a third of them in person, and learned a lot about the official cultural institutions which certify them as independent cinemas.

I haven’t done much interviewing yet, as I’ve been getting the other classwork done, but I have had a couple of very rewarding interviews. Just today I popped in to take a look at the Studio des Ursulines, which is an 84 year-old moviehouse which for the last 5 years has operated as an independent theatre geared uniquely to children’s films. One of the projectionists (1 of the 4 total employees) asked me if I’d like him to show me around. He was also happy to have me get my camera out, so I recorded a tour of the main foyer, showroom, and the projection cabin, all while interviewing him about how the business works and where it fits in culturally. With very little encouragement on my part, he thoroughly covered most aspects of my primary research questions (whether cinemas like that rely on subsidies or other forms of support besides normal ticket sales, which government bodies they interact with most, etc.) and we struck up a nice friendship. One of the other team members, the one charged with directing pedagogical activities for schoolgroups who frequent the cinema, answered more questions for me and invited us back to watch and film some little film festivals they’ll be having for short movies the kids have created.

I could use today’s footage alone for the vlogumentary project Dr. Lee and I planned on coming away with, so that’s really reassuring. There are still a couple dozen more moviehouses I’d like to dig into similarly, though, and over a month to do it, so I’m hoping to get at least a handful of recorded interactions like that yet. Also, I had a similar encounter with the proprietor of an independent moviehouse in Lyon during a southern trip a couple of weeks ago, and not only would I like to film his moviehouse’s operation, but he put me in contact with a man who just finished a dissertation of the history of early cinema in Lyon specifically. That’s the city where the Lumière brothers invented cinematography, so there might be some great material there, too. First, I’ve got to read his thesis, but then I’m going to try and interview him, too.

~ by John and Margaret FORBYN on 24 June 2009.