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End of Summer Updates

I'm seeing yellow and orange on the trees and the sun is setting earlier here in Michigan, signs that fall is coming any day now. And this draft of a blog post has been waiting to be sent into the world so you could read all about how our summer here is going at Wondergold.


If I could sum it up, it's full of celebrating others and finding ways to share their stories in unique ways.


Above you can watch bit of the conversation from the six founding board members of MCAN 15 years later.

15 years at Michigan College Access network meant hosting a thoughtful conversation with the founding members, reminiscing, planning for a solid future, and offering words of solidarity to those doing the work day-to-day.


Facilitating conversations takes a form of listening I find easy as I approach ten years in this work; seeing patterns and finding and noting connections for those in front of a camera. We are weaving ideas and building upon concepts together. There are threads, and in the editing, we find them again, shortening two hours into minutes, summed up and cohesive for you to see.


This video played at their 15th birthday event, an audience of nearly 200 guests, the second time I watched a room as they became the audience of our work. That brings me to earlier this year with Friendship Village.



Friendship Village Kalamazoo


Another organization celebrating a monumental milestone this year is our new pals at FVK- Friendship Village Kalamazoo. A retirement community we were introduced to as they approached an event of scale to commemorate 50 years. To do so, we created a video, spending two days slowing down and listening.


When we do our work of filmmaking for clients like this, I create a plan to work from. Then, when we're on site with a crew, we can move from scene to scene, interview to interview, and gather imagery and sound. In pre-production, conversations lead me to assumptions of scenes that would shape the story of Friendship Village. With the help of the leadership team there, we pinpoint the people who could tell them. Here are some behind-the-scenes images. The last six are film stills from our AP/friend Alex Ruff.


Play the short film and get a look into this retirement community and how we weave together their stories

Field Producing + Directing in Colorado


I'm excited about sharing this one, because it's something I hope to do more of in various industries if there's a good fit.


The first text I got from my previous boss said something like "I need a producer for a race in Colorado, it's on a mountain, one of the stories is about women in motorsports." First of all, I love women. Second of all, I love mountains.


Driving up Pike's Peak took a year off of my life. See in reference: the film shot of me clutching the steering wheel. The wildest thing is, this gig I found myself on is one of Grand Turismo fame, Pike's Peak International Hill Climb. The cars racing up this iconic fourteener are going 90-140mph. I'm at 35mpg, pals, some spots don't have guardrails. I want to live.


So, I'll sum this one up: in less than two weeks, I pulled pre-production together for a week in Colorado Springs with a crew of 4 (including myself and one shooter who had to leave early.) We had 6 days to film and edit 5 roll-in stories (2ish mins) a show teaser (30 secs,) and a bunch of advertising bumpers.


Not to mention, to beat tourists, all on-track footage had to be captured at sunrise, and the media team has to arrive at 3am to find their spot on the mountain side track safely before cars roll. Phew. I haven't pulled an all-nighter since... well, maybe the last time I did a motorsports gig in 2018 with Apex Broadcast.


Every single person I met at Pike's wanted to tell me their story of the mountain... what they do, how they make their corner of the event come together, what they love and don't love about it, and what I will love about it. They were gracious to share how to navigate the tricky schedules, the tough altitude, the grueling terrain.


I loved it all and I felt so welcome at my first year at this 100+ year old race.


What's included when I'm field producing like this? The stories are set from the folks that bring me in, and they connect me with key people to either interview or book interviews with. It's on me to get that scheduled. So, I create a schedule. Well, I create a complex production binder with contact info, calendar events, key story points, research, interview questions, and timelines.


I meet with my team, a group of three shooters/editors. We get the list gear together, I communicate those story points, they help shape them because they know the industry, and get their schedules locked in. I have one million phone calls that allow me to build cohesive stories on video. I'm years out of motorsports so I felt rusty on the language. Then, they shoot. B-roll. Scenics. Track footage. Suit-ups. They have to know the stories to do this well. Sometimes they get shot lists, sometimes, just concepts to capture.


I interview, ask questions, piece a story together through conversation on-camera.


We start editing. Finding the music. Finding a cohesive story in a short duration. Polishing. I get reviews, we make changes, prep files, and deliver them at a hotel at 1am before call time on a mountain. What a gig.


Here are my film photos from the week in Colorado.





One of the video stories I produced for PPIHC for the race day livestream: https://youtu.be/IUft3jjLfQs?t=953


And more if you watch through the hours of stream.



Closer to home with Allen Neighborhood Center


It's nice to travel, see new terrains, and get swept up into new worlds. And to set it next to the time spent in Michigan with familiar faces, foods, and community-based organizing with Allen Neighborhood Center... well, that's just a nice summer.


The work that ANC does on the eastside is multi-faceted. I told Kat, their exec director, make me a dream wish list. And she did.


We shot for 12+ hours over 4 days, gathering photos they will be able to use across their website, newsletters, and print media. Non-profits like this serve their very real community, feeding them, educating, providing resources, a hand to hold through hard paperwork, and a sense of comradery in a disconnected world. I felt immediately at home in the presence of their small and mighty team, and came away with new friends.





Sponsorship content!



We sponsored this year at Capital City Film Festival this year and it was a blast! Check out their recap video ft. footage from our team.


Lansing Pride 2025 Highlight (look at that crowd!)

Our 2025 highlight video as media sponsors of the event

Jenny's Personal Corner


This world is heavy and thick with despair and all the while, I have armfuls of hope for a future we are building and dreaming. I'm in a season

of momentum, being careful to not overextend or misplace limited energy. You can find me riding my little motorcycle to appointments and dinners and parks for walks, looking for likeminded souls to talk about what is heavy on my mind, and doing kitchen-based tasks with a book in my ear.


I recently got certified in CPR and first aid so I can save your life if you start choking on set (please don't.) I bought my first pair of binoculars to look at the birds. I am proud of friends doing the work in our community, wanting to find the way I can get involved outside of my visuals work here. I've taught photo/video skills twice this summer, once to the apple growers, and recently, to new hospitality businesses.


What I'm up to in the form of a list and in turn, some recommendations:


Listening To:


Book recommendations based on my recent reads:

ree
"The Fire Season books gather a diverse community using visual art, poetry, writing, and essays to look at wildfires as a container for more complex and experiential topics like grief, climate change, loss, new growth, renewal, changing ideas of landscape, resilience, economy, and resource extraction. For those trying to grapple with the reality of a longer, more severe wildfire season, wherever it may be, we are here with you."

Playing:

  • The Long Dark on Nintendo Switch

  • Printing my film photos and gluing them into my journal

  • Writing (pen to paper) in a more zine-like format

  • Learning and practicing preservation methods (drying, freezing, and soon I will can for the first time!) with our garden bounty and weekly CSA veggie box.

  • A new short film by an inspiring filmmaker Campfire Stories overseas called "Imprint"


Planning for:

  • An easier winter to focus on re-defining the way the Wondergold communicates what we do (and in turn, shifting closer towards our ideals.)

  • A trip to Minnesota for fall colors and lake Superior breeze


Tending to:

  • The transition to fall with first garden (call me if you need a zuchinni)

  • My love for ecology and the outdoors through conversation, curiousity, and exploration

  • My health and well-being with Rachel Redmond



Thanks for reading,


Jenny


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