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Team

Aylie Baker

B.A. History, Middlebury College

Thomas J. Watson Fellow - Travelled to islands exploring the use of storytelling as a community-bulding tool

Vermont Folklife Center Fellow - Helped coordinate statewide Irene Storytelling Project

Aron Meinhardt is a filmmaker, media activist, and video artist. He has logged over 23,000 miles traveling by bus, van, and sedan on independent media projects, but still graduated from with a BFA in Cinema Studies and Film Production. He knows how important it is to keep your camera package light, how to edit on the road, and upload content where ever you can get a wifi signal. He tries to synthesize the technical and creative, using technology to weave stories, and create connections. He maintains his interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to media whether working on a commercial, documentary, music video, or feature film.

Michelle Lotker

B.S. Biology, Duke University

Certificate in Documentary Studies, The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University

Michelle loves nature, people, science, growing food and especially discovering, weaving and sharing stories around those topics. She's always looking forward to the next adventure, whether it's in her own back yard or on the Open Road!

Mallory Falk

BA English & Creative Writing, Middlebury College

Certificate in Radio Storytelling and Production, Transom Story Workshop

Currently working with Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools - using mixed media as a tool for empowering youth voice.

FAQ

How extensive is the collaboration? Are we all working on 1 film? Are we all sharing the filming responsibilities, but creating individual shorts?

Collaboration can be understood foremost as a tone and culture of our group process. If you’re joining us on this experience, then we trust in your maturity, integrity and honesty. We want and expect you to express your ideas, interests and needs - this includes everything from making logistical choices on the road (i.e. where and when we stop to eat), to the sharp attention that is necessary from each person as we craft our short film together. We will discuss and decide things as a group. We will only wield an authoritative and definitive decision if it seems necessary to carry the momentum, or if our experience has taught us something that would eliminate a potentially laborious and/or dangerous situation.

Thus, whether our film is one 10-minute flowing narrative, that we all craft together, or a series of fairly independent 2-minute shorts juxtaposed together, we will allow this to unfold, as the chemistry of our group evolves.

How do the leaders prepare for these trips?

We read and watch anything and everything about the issues. Our primary goal is to just learn and understand the issue, we are not looking to support a certain agenda or viewpoint. We expect nothing less from each of the participants on the trip. We find people and organizations working on and passionate about the issue, and then visit the area at least twice, prior to bringing our CFTOR crew, in order to identify and solidify our contacts for the trip. We will send all that we have read, and the few pieces we strongly encourage you to read, in your introductory package.

How will you help us prepare, before leaving on the trip?

Once you have signed up for the trip, we will send you a introductory package.

This will include:

(1.) the logistical concerns - packing list, map of areas, rough itinerary, health and safety info

(2.) a few articles and/or chapters to read about the issue, and also a few inspiring u-tube and/ documentaries for you to watch about the issue

(3.) a few questions for you to ponder and answer (in a trip notebook)in order to fuel our initial meeting together

(4.) our guiding principles for how/why we conduct ourselves in an interview, and the philosophical intention of our inquiry and mixed-media shorts.

We will meet as a group before the trip. This will include a crash course in interviewing, filming and editing techniques, and also a conversation about the content and creative ideas for our study.

How can I earn credit?

Most schools allow students to earn credit for extra-curricular projects, as an Independent Study or Community Service. The student must learn the specific requirements and discuss this option at least a month prior to embarking on the trip. We have catalogued the Vermont Standards that you can expect to exercise, and show mastery in. We are quite familiar with this process, and will gladly support the steps to earn the credit.

Is there any free time?

YES. We firmly believe that the creative process hinges on time alone, and is essential for a successful group experience. Also, we will encourage times when we all minimize the chatter, i.e. on a hike, to allow things to settle in and marinate, to quietly unwind, and to be together in a different way.

We trust that we are all eager to challenge ourselves and push beyond our comfort-zones (that’s why we travel!) Just as important, we also trust that each person is aware of their own boundaries and knows when she/he needs to retreat from the group.

What skills can I be expected to learn on this trip?

Aside from the intangible skills that inevitably strengthen while traveling, while being part of a group, and during the creative process, you will undoubtedly strengthen your communication and critical thinking capacities. You will learn how to conduct an engaging interview, how to efficiently and effectively research a topic, and how to prioritize and manage the various steps involved in creating content. You can also be certain that you will become quite familiar with the basic components of creating, shooting and editing a short piece - whether audio and/or video.

How much spending money should I bring on the trip?

We will provide meals, however we will be around many markets if you are inclined to broaden your diet.

We travel through many summer tourist destinations, and will have time exploring various towns and cities, so there will be opportunities to shop. We won't have much room to store larger items, but you might want to purchase something from your trip. Use wise discretion as to how much you should travel with, we are camping after all.

Conversations from the Open Road

In Brief:

Our Philosophy:

About Us:

Contact Info

MIXED-MEDIA SHORTS:

The Face of Community

Detroit Water Protest - by CFTOR crew

Understanding Racism - By Miles Scanlon

Connections - By Amy Plambeck

The Eyes of the Future - Eva Kamman

Detroit: What's Next for the Abandoned Space? - Aidan Powell

This Is Home - Aidan Powell

Port Clyde Fresh Catch - Ned McEleney

What's Next for Appalachia - Miranda Selinger

Men and Women of Fishing, on Coastal Maine - Miles Scanlon

Pages

Aylie Baker

Aron Meinhardt

Michelle Lotker

Mallory Falk