Author: Erin Murphy

In early September, I took students from my course CI245: Documentary Production out to Allen Island for a chance to develop their shooting skills. I asked students to tell a visual narrative about the island in 2-3 minutes. Students researched the island ahead of time, watched videos about the island, and read several articles about how the Wyeth’s acquired and shaped the island.

Our ride out there was pretty bumpy and wet. The students refused to sit in the cabin and much preferred getting soaked on the back of the boat. Jim kept some of us mostly dry though. The first night on the island was a bit drizzly and cold, but students immediately started shooting. There wasn’t much of a sunset to speak of, but we did get some time to explore.

The next morning about half the class woke up early to catch the sunrise – it was a good one, but it also included a tiny rain shower. Students spent all of Saturday shooting and exploring the island. Watch some of the videos below and read some of the students’ comments to see the results of their trip.

“I loved our trip to Allen Island. It was a great opportunity for me to get to know my classmates in a more intimate setting (kind of like an abbreviated COOT). The island itself was beautiful, especially when the weather cooperated and the sun came out. I loved that our entire group was invested in taking in the beauty of the island (it helped that part of our assignment was to capture the island’s beauty). Having access to spaces like Allen Island really makes me feel like I’m getting a lot out of my college experience. My horizons are broadened to beyond just the classroom, and I’m excited for more opportunities like this in the future.” – Nick Ho

“I had a great experience on Allen Island. It was a beautiful location to practice my camera and filming skills for the first time. The island is a very unique place and having access this location allowed me to experience an aspect of Maine that I otherwise would not they access too. Although I do not think this was an authentic Maine experience, as the island was manicured, and access is limited, it was still an interesting look at the coast of Maine. The size of the island and the structure of our trip allowed for each individual to discover different aspects of the island.” – Caroline Wren

“Filming a documentary was an incredibly unique experience.  Firstly, it was wonderful to experience the island. I have never been on an island in Maine so I am grateful to have been able to spend the night in such a beautiful setting.  Also, the island provided a wonderful virtual canvass to film for my documentary. ” – Drew Williamson

 

On the weekend of September 23rd, I took my CI245: Documentary Production course out to Allen Island. I asked the students ahead of time to research the island and to map out an outline for a visual narrative. They had to tell a story about the island in three minutes or less and it had to have a coherent narrative structure without relying on dialogue. Students could use music or voiceover. The students filmed from the moment we arrived in Port Clyde up until we boarded the boat to return.

   “Coming in with the goal of producing a film about the relationship between humans and nature, the built environment and what is natural, I was able to explore Allen Island throughout the day making use of the golf carts and Colby camera equipment.” – Danya Smith.

“Having this field trip early on in the semester was a great way to bond with classmates and gain first-hand experience with the challenges of documentary filmmaking. By essentially “throwing us in the deep end,” I was able to quickly develop a good idea of the entire filmmaking process, and learn what adjustments I would make to overcome certain obstacles in the future.” – Annie Lee

“My favorite part of the trip was when my group stumbled upon a sheep, which was stuck in a hole filled with water, and we had the chance to save it. We found the island’s caretaker and brought him to the hole where he was able to safely dislodge the sheep” – Max Manos.

“In addition to being my first class trip, it was my first time on an island in Maine; as I am a senior and likely will be living outside of Maine in the future, I’m really glad I got to stay on a beautiful island here. Allen Island embodies the natural beauty of the Maine coast in a private, preserved setting that was perfect for shooting landscape shots of the island”- Stephan Chaikovsky

“Overall, I had a great time working together with my fellow classmates to have a calm and productive two days on Allen Island. I really hope I get the chance to go back and find that sheep herd. ” – Jenna DeFrancisco

 

“As students, we created our own structure, with simple chores to do chosen by each person split equally among everyone (sweeping, dishes, cooking, etc.) This freedom gave us opportunity to essentially roam the island freely and do what we needed to get our projects done, as long as we stuck with a buddy.” Dylan Shaw

“I found myself enjoying the serenity, lost in the texture of a single fern, mesmerized by the waves.” Abby Snyder

CI245: Documentary Production

“If an island setting allows one to leave concerns and worries behind on the mainland, it frees up time and space in the mind to be spent otherwise: pondering questions, reading, writing, or creating works of art.”   Zoë Dickerson ’19

In Documentary Production students learn how to shoot and edit documentary films. The visit to Allen Island was a chance for them to think visually, with a camera. The goal was to shoot a three minute visual story about the island over the course of a one-night visit. Students researched the island, looked at photos, and planned a short documentary the week before the trip.

They started shooting the moment they arrived in Port Clyde, while somehow managing to get all their gear on the boat in time.

The students spent the evening of the 23rd exploring the island and filming their narratives. Sunset was a bit cloudy, but the night sky was brilliant.

Many of the students woke up at dawn to capture the sunrise.

And not a bad spot for four students to sleep.

The students explored the entire length of the island, from its buildings, to its docks, to the cliffs next to the ocean – shooting whatever inspires them.

Some students chose to focus on the wide landscape for their visual narratives, while others focused the small details – like lobster traps, rocks, and washed up buoys. A few focused on the sheep.

We couldn’t have asked for a better spot to learn how to shoot a documentary film.

And a few of the final films:

This course is part of the Maine Food Project and Digital Maine.