On the second episode of the Reeder Reel, Sarah and Drea speak to senior Jarel White '25 about his thesis project supported by the Reeder Media Center. Jarel explores the triumphs and challenges of filmmaking and thoughtfully retells his Reeder Media Center origin story.
- Episode Transcript
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Sarah Thompson:
Hello, welcome to the Reeder Reel. I'm Sarah Thompson. I'm the content and social media coordinator at William & Mary Libraries. I'm here with Drea George. She's the media specialist at Reeder Media Center.
Drea George:
Hey everyone.
Sarah Thompson:
So Drea and I are going to be talking to a few students and alum who are working on projects that have been supported by Reeder Media Center’s equipment and expertise.
Drea George:
Today we're talking to Jarel White, who is a senior. We’re going to be talking about his thesis project. Hi Jarel. Welcome.
Jarel White:
Hey, what's up?
Sarah Thompson:
So why don't you start by telling us what your project is about?
Jarel White:
So it's a really interesting project. So I sort of look at identity, how Italian-American identity is sort of transformed in the United States.
Drea George:
And what format is it in? Is it a film, it's a documentary, or how are people seeing this?
Jarel White:
Yeah so, I, t's going to intersperse or it's going to be a mix of archival footage and more contemporary sort of footage that I shot on the C 100, which is graciously the Reeder Media Center allowed me to use.
Sarah Thompson:
Yeah. And how long is this documentary planned to be? It doesn't seem like a quick 10 minute thing. It seems like you could pack a lot of information in there and still have some that you left out.
Jarel White:
Yeah, I think the hardest part is trying to whittle it down.
Drea George:Maybe two parts or something.
Jarel White:
Yeah, hopefully I get it to about an hour, 2 hours, which I think is a little bit more feasible. Yeah.
Sarah Thompson:
So did you have filmmaking experience before this, or did you just really feel like the format fit this story that you're trying to tell? Or was it kind of a mix of both?
Jarel White:
The first day I got here, I stormed into Reeder and I was like, I had no idea. It was the first place that I went to. And I came on campus and I was like, oh, I heard that there's a media center here and I want to learn, want to get a camera, and I want to learn. And thankfully, I met Troy, Steve and Drea who is here right now, and they were willing, I think they saw the passion that I had and wanting to learn, and I mean, they really guided me. They were mentors as I tried to learn how to make movies here and I learned so much from them and had it not been for them, I wouldn't be in the position that I am now.
Drea George:
Do you remember specific challenges that you had throughout that process that we helped you with? Did I train you in Premiere or did Steve help you find the perfect piece of equipment? What were the things that you think of when you think about that?
Jarel White:
I need a space to shoot this documentary because it's kind of a challenge to find a space that I think really consolidated. And so I remember I was like, oh you know, can I use the studio? And Drea sort of gave me the ins and outs of it. She taught me about lighting and everything and I mean, I think the project, had it not been for Drea, I wouldn't have been able to shoot these interviews in a way that I think does sort of the documentary justice. Also, Steve, I mean Steve, he's always like, oh, you see this movie and you can learn so much from this film. He's like, look at the cinematography is incredible or the music, and so he, I remember one time I was like, oh, I think I'll work on my project while I'm watching this movie. He's like, no, you have to fully be engaged in the film. And so it's just like um, and then Troy, he was telling me about particular lenses and everything, and he showed me footage of a documentary that he made in Cuba. And so it was just like those experiences, it's like all of those experiences had informed how I approached filmmaking and everything and had an up in for Reeder, again, I don't think I would have the tools or really just, not even just the physical tools, but also the sort of mental tools to be able to figure out how to sort of…you persist in it. One thing about filmmaking is that it's not easy and there are days where you kind just want to give up, but remembering sort of that it's possible. One thing that I think Reeder, you know Troy, Drea, and Steve have given me a belief or faith in my abilities to make movies. And I think that a lot of it's incredible to see the filmmakers that are coming into Reeder and using this invaluable resource. It's just, it's possible. That I think was probably the biggest thing I gained and the biggest thing that I carry when I continue working on this project.
Drea George:
That's so great to hear. Yeah, I mean, that's exactly what we're here for you know. And it's always amazing to me when we have someone who comes to us as a freshman and is able to have this incredible journey of lifelong learning throughout their whole time here, so that’s really amazing.
Jarel White:
I think Reeder really sort of fosters that growth. It's a very diverse space. There's various forms of media that you can learn in sort of Reeder. And so I think just having that sort of, I mean Reeder is truly my film school. So yeah, I mean.
Sarah Thompson:
Are there any skills that you're most proud of that you've seen develop since you first came into the Reeder Media Center versus now?
Jarel White:
Oh, man. I mean, filmmaking is a humbling experience because you look at the stuff that you made before and you're like, oh my God.
Sarah Thompson:
Cringe.
Jarel White:
You're like, yeah, it is just infinite cringe. It is really hard to look at. And so I think one of the things that I learned at Reeder primarily is that it takes time. You're not going to be the next Steven Spielberg in a week or something. You have to spend time. Like, sound is such an important facet of filmmaking, but I don't think it's something that we think about. There was a William & Mary alum who came here recently who was talking, he is a sound mixer. He was talking about how good sound you know, good sound. You don't really notice the good sound, but you can notice bad sound. You see the importance of sound, or you see the importance of cinematography, or you see the importance of all of these facets of filmmaking that I don't think, you know they're kind of invisible. If it's a good film, then it's invisible. If it's bad, then you notice it. It's very noticeable.
Sarah Thompson:
So I think filmmakers have the best attention to detail sometimes to their detriment. It seems like you do a lot of experimentation in your work, and especially with this film, you have to think creatively about how to visualize certain ideas. So how would you say experimentation plays a part in your filmmaking and storytelling process?
Jarel White:
I mean I think it’s all in service of the story. You experiment because you know that you can't tell this story in a way that's sort of conventional and so you have to push yourself. You have to push the boundaries of filmmaking in order to make the project that you think the story needs to be will be best told.
Sarah Thompson:
It's scary to do that. It takes a lot of bravery and willingness to open yourself up to trying those things.
Jarel White:
I think one thing ultimately I learned at Reeder is sort of empathy. I think empathy, it's about opening or giving a space to the subjects and giving a space to the story something that I really learned at Reeder just through talking to again, Troy, Drea and Steve. Don't mean to gas, don’t mean to gas.
Drea George:
I mean, yeah, I mean, that's definitely part of our job is to be sensitive to other people's needs and support their projects in a way that maybe they're not expecting. You know because we get a lot of people who come in and they have one idea about what they need or what they're looking for, and we're always there to suggest new possibilities, manage expectations, maybe about what is possible and what's not, and open you up to different things that you might need, different accessories, different tools to help you achieve the effects that you want for your projects.
Jarel White:
Yeah I mean, I think one thing that I will say is that you guys really invest in trying to actualize the visions of the students. There hasn't been a time where I've walked into a Reeder and there have been times, if I can't find the thing that I need, then I'll get the next best thing. And so like, it’s like Reeder has been such, I don't want to say it's a resource because it feels more than a resource. It feels more like a community you know. But again, I don't think I could have done this and I could have learned as much as I did about filmmaking had I not gone to a Reeder, so I really appreciate you guys.
Drea George:
We appreciate you sharing your work with us. It's really fascinating. Yeah. That's so exciting. Yeah. I mean, I think we're both really looking forward to seeing it. This has been really amazing. We won't take up much more of your time. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
Jarel White:
No, thank you
Drea George:
Yeah, thank you so much Jarel.
Sarah Thompson:
Thank you.
And that wraps up another episode.
Drea George:
Thanks for joining us. Stay tuned for future episodes, which will be posted on the library's website.
Sarah Thompson:
And be sure to check out the Reeder Media Center for yourself.
Sarah Thompson and Drea George:
Bye.
Sarah Thompson:
The harmonizing. laughs
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