Still Smoking

Hear the Final Product, I Bid You Adieu.

alielaine — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 04:59:35 +0000

Hello there followers,

I was able to finally put my work up online for your listening pleasure. The easiest way I found to do this was by slapping the audio into a video timeline and then uploading it to YouTube. So not perfect, but it will suffice. I have provided the links for Part One and Part Two (since my piece was over the 10-minute limit). I really appreciate your following of my project and hope you enjoy the work. It was a massive learning experience for me: dealing with sensitive interview topics, the procurement of shoddy audio equipment and making everything work in the end.

The final products:

followed by:

Thanks again!

Interviews are finally on tape!

alielaine — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:13:12 +0000

Since I last posted, I had finally found interviewees willing to speak to me, but was without a clue of how I was supposed to get equipment to compile my documentary.

Through some thinking, I realized that my two interviewees were residents of Minnesota, and by happenstance, I had a flight booked for the end of February. I was leaving a lot to chance, since the piece is due March 11th, less than two weeks after recording, but I am happy to share that all worked as plans and I couldn’t be happier with the depth of content I assembled.

My two interviewees (*names have been changed) Joe and Randy, spoke candidly about their histories smoking marijuana and why they have or haven’t chosen to continue with their habit.

Joe had a very moving story, weaving his pot usage with his addiction to alcohol in a struggle to save the structure of his family as well as his life. Coupled with his profession of therapy, Joe had some very interesting insight on the marijuana use and life with and without the drug.

I also was lucky enough to speak with Joe’s 22-year-old daughter to recount her feelings and experiences with her father’s usage of smoking pot.

Musician Randy’s interview was more conversational, he was rather lighthearted about sharing his experiences. In contrast to Joe, Randy is still smoking marijuana in his early 50s as a creative forum to produce his musical work. Randy’s input will be a good change from Joe’s interview, reinforcing that the baby-boomer pot smoker can be a variety of people with varying experiences.

This week I will be doing a rough cut of the interviews and determining where voice-overs are necessary, in order to be wrapped by next Wednesday!

Wish me luck!

The Smoke Clears?

alielaine — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 06:19:56 +0000

Hello all, and thank you for checking my progress.

This week (and the last, I suppose) was going to be exclusively about obtaining equipment and securing contacts to interview. Unfortunately, neither of those have been an easy task.

The biggest issue is interviewees. All the enthusiasm I received from pitching my ideas has dissipated, and now some are getting cold feet, I suppose. It is frustrating because I have assured every person that the interviews are audio-based, without mention of anyone’s names. I also am going to, in true journalistic form, keep the piece objective. My aim is simply to get a closer look into this sub-culture.

We will see how this all rolls out (some pun intended).

Progress Update

alielaine — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:23:15 +0000

Well I submitted by proposal for approval and fantastically, it was approved!

This week is one where I need to get contacts established and make sure that people are willing to speak to me about this interesting topic. So if you know someone who fits my criteria, I ask you to send me a message or email at alisonhickerson@gmail.com. This project will have a quick turnaround in terms of the amount of work I need to do and haven’t been able to start yet!

So, please, tell your friends!

Thanks guys!

Ali

Welcome

alielaine — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 19:46:06 +0000

This blog will be short-lived. I am following my radio documentary’s progress, “Still Smoking” here. My work will consist of a variety of interviewees of the baby-boomer age and older who primarily are still smoking marijuana. There are many questions to be asked as I delve into this sometimes taboo topic and I would appreciate any comments or questions that you as a reader may have.

If you know someone that is “still smoking,” (whether they may be casual or habitual), or someone of the baby-boomer age and over that has reasons that they have quit or never chosen to smoke and may be interested in my RADIO documentary (their identity will not be shared), please email me at: alisonhickerson@gmail.com.

That’s about all I have at the moment, stay tuned. This blog will be updated feverishly.

Thanks all,

Ali