By Patrick Burke The final 8-minute news documentary is compressing and deinterlacing right now. But it looks like you're going to have to wait a few more weeks to see it, until after Daniel Weintraub posts it as part of his special series on unincorporated areas in California. I'll update again as that day approaches, and I'll certainly embed the final piece here.
To everyone who helped fund this project, and to everyone who helped elucidate all the topic's many nuances, thank you very much. I look forward to being able to show you the finished product, because I think it effectively combines the news and documentary genres for an enjoyable and informative exploration of the East Los Angeles cityhood effort.
Posted by Patrick Burke on 08/10/10
This ephemeral promo is intended as evidence that the forthcoming piece is not only a serious journalistic effort with heavyweight supervision (Daniel Weintraub), but that it's also a creative documentary that you will enjoy.
Here you'll see Diana Tarango of the East Los Angeles Residents Association, Eddie Torres of the East LA Chamber of Commerce, and then Ana Mascareñas and Benjamin Cardenas of ELARA. Like everyone else I've interviewed, they had a lot to say.
One of the many people I have interviewed for this story is economist Beverly Burr, who co-authored the Initial Fiscal Analysis on East LA cityhood feasibility. The East Los Angeles Residents Association hired her firm to perform the study, to make sure that the long and expensive process of incorporation was worth trying again.
This sequence is representative of how I'm building the final 7-minute piece. I'm finding that a documentary montage style is bringing out the story without much need for narration.
Clearly, Burr and Supervisor Gloria Molina disagree on how to calculate law enforcement costs. The Comprehensive Fiscal Analysis will give the official answer, probably toward the end of this year.
I just finished digitizing another two tapes of footage, way more than I'll be able to use in the final piece. Here's a small sample from Ana Mascareñas, one of the East Los Angeles Residents Association directors. She spoke to me after the last board meeting on July 19. The location was the Our Lady of Lourdes Church on 3rd Street.
Posted by Patrick Burke on 07/21/10
Gloria Molina represents the 1st District on the County Board of Supervisors and sits on LAFCO – the board that oversees the formation of local government agencies. We spoke on 7/14, in her office, after the latest LAFCO meeting. The footage at the end comes from a meeting of ELARA volunteers.
This is just a small sample of what I've shot already. The finished piece will include more from Molina, as well as much more from the residents of East Los Angeles, and an impartial economic analysis. Please support this project if you can. Thank you.
Posted by Patrick Burke on 07/19/10
