Documentary: Beauty in the Dirt

Documentary Poster

5 Phrases

1. "Oh I had no idea....."
2. "Because sometimes we just all need to dance in our underwear."
3. "That's so gross."
4. "Hook me up."
5. "It's been fun while it lasted."

Documentary Subjects

Darrel Tidaback

 Darrel Tidaback has been a part of the IUSB music faculty since 2002 and has 20 years of experience teaching at universities, including Notre Dame.  He received his undergraduate degree in music from Saint Mary’s University and a Master of Music from the University of Texas, San Antonio.  With thirty years of experience as a professional bassist, Tidaback has performed with numerous jazz stars in concert and at music festivals around the country.  In addition to teaching and performing, Tidaback also has been involved in audio recording and engineering since 1974.  He first was introduced to audio engineering by simply hanging out at recording studios and gaining what knowledge he could and taking on more responsibilities, as there were no classes in audio engineering at that time. From there he worked for an ad agency where he would not only write music commercially, but would also oversee the engineering of the project.   With 40 years experience as a sound engineer, he has seen audio engineering transition from manual to more digitized and automated work processes making him a noteworthy authority in the transformation of sound engineering into the digital age.

Steve Miller

  A life-long resident of Elkhart, Steven Miller has had a passion for automobiles for over 60 years that has gone from hobby to career and back to hobby, that has proved more than profitable in retirement.  He first developed an interest in cars at age four when his father gave him an electric car that he could drive on the sidewalks throughout Elkhart.  He soon began drag racing his buddy, who would ride his tricycle while Miller drove his electric car.  By age 14, he had received his first car, a 1953 Oldsmobile with a V8 engine, which he would drive in an open field at his uncle’s house until he crashed it into a tree.  During his late teens, he and his friends began restoring classic cars and he began drag racing throughout the Midwest.  After spending much of his adult life in the automobile sales industry and owning three different auto parts stores, Miller has retired and now restores classic cars full time.  His restorations have received numerous awards at car shows throughout the Midwest and have been purchased at auctions for well over $100,000.  Currently Miller is restoring a 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS and a 1933 Ford five-window coupe that he has built from the ground up.  With his experience Miller would serve as an authority figure in classic car restoration.

Michael Lacopo

 

 Veterinarian turned genealogist Michael Lacopo has his work cut out for him as he traces his mother’s family history.  His mother was an only child of adoptive parents, so Lacopo did not grow up with cousins or even aunts and uncles, but rather great-aunts and great-great aunts.  Naturally curious, he wanted to know exactly how everyone was related.  After learning that his great-grandmother was tragically killed in 1923 after an outhouse blew over on her during a storm, he became fascinated with stories of the past, launching his passion for family history and genealogy.   Wanting to know more about his mother’s biological family line, he spent much of his teenage years at the library, at times begging his mother for just one more death certificate to aide in his research.   The only starting point he had was that he was in search of a Miller somewhere in Goshen!  Twenty years later, he has found his maternal grandmother, but was recently shocked to discover that his maternal grandfather was neither her first nor second husband!  Throughout his research he has uncovered more than one of these skeletons in the closet moments with various twists and shocking turns.  With much perseverance and passion, Lacopo is quickly becoming a highly demanded lecturer in methodology research and specialized topics such as using tax records, DNA testing, or German archives in research.  He currently travels nationwide to lecture and do client research and is scheduled to do client research in Germany later this year as well, all while researching and trying to lift the veil that mystifies his own family history.

Music Video Location Photos

Location 1: Andrea's House

 

Location 2: Education & Arts Computer Lab 1109/Hallway

Location 3: Northside Hall Upstage/Hallway

Emotion Video

Showtime from Bryen Miller on Vimeo.

Emotion Photos: Exhilaration

 

Yes this is the singer Tiffany...

Brainstorm Concept 5

This would be a mocumentary.  I've always loved the humor in mocumentaries and this would follow the marching season of two rival high school marching bands.  Over the course of the season, the bands eventually turn out to be the two best ranked bands in the state and the rivalry intensifies.   This could even be shot in a non-linear perspective, without giving away who the state championship ends up going to.  There would be interviews set up from the prospective of the band directors, drum majors from each band, new freshman in each band and of course the ever important band moms and dads that get very heated in the rivalries.  For fun I think it would be interesting to have a small clip maybe from a judge and even one of the bus drivers.  As a former marching band member I think this would be hysterical to see just how intense these rivalries and the competitions can get.

Brainstorm Concept 4

Music Video of Xander Smith's "Left Too Soon"

Ten years ago this summer, my former roommate and one of my best friends was killed suddenly in a tragic car accident at the age of 21 as he was driving from Nashville to Jonesboro.  Not a day goes by that I don't remember him and what an incredible life force he was.   He was a musician and songwriter who self-produced two CD's and had landed an internship with a music publishing company in England.  There honestly wasn't a song that he wrote that I have not loved, and to this day his music still moves me.  I always thought it would be a great tribute to him to make a music video or use his music in a film.  The song I would pick is called "Left Too Soon" - it's a heart breaking song and Xander's lyrics capture how one feels after a relationship has ended.   I think it would make a powerful music video and I'm sure his grandmother would grant me permission to use his music, as we have stayed in touch over the years.  The link to this song is here:  Left Too Soon

Brainstorm Concept 3

The Immunity Project is a non profit organization comprised of a team of scientists from the top institutions working together to bring a free HIV vaccine to the world.  They are ready to begin human clinical trials after they raise enough money.  They are Crowd funding this project and avoiding government grants and pharmaceutical companies so they can offer the vaccine to the world for free.  I would love to create a documentary around this wonderful project and go into depth of the co-founding scientists and how this project came to be.  With so much violence in the world I think a project of this nature is just incredible and inspiring.  Within the documentary I would also reach out to local organizations like AIDS Ministries AIDS Assist here in South Bend and get some local perspective on this project.  I'm actually surprised I have not heard of this project until just rather recently but I think it would make for a great documentary - starting with the formation for this type of project and leading all the way up to now where they are about ready to begin human clinical trials.  These scientists are actually doing something that could change the world forever - and they are not asking for anything in return.

Brainstorm Concept 2

This would be a sci-fi thriller type of non-linear narrative story.  This story actually came to me back in December when scientists announced that there was more evidence that our universe is actually a 2-dimensional hologram.  A very brief description of this theory as I understand it:  It's like how a 3D image is embedded on a 2D face plate and based on the viewing angle of the face plate, the 3D image changes.  Essentially everything in our universe is a three dimensional image encoded on a two dimensional surface.  Everything that we see is based on vibrating strings that produce the three dimensional image.

So in my sci-fi  thriller I take this a step further.  We are introduced to a scientist who is on the brink of making time travel possible by creating a device that manipulates these two-dimensional vibrating strings.  By manipulating the strings, the three-dimensional output of time and space are changed and thus make it possible to time travel.   Just as she has finished calculating the final equation to making this all possible, she gets a call informing her that a terrorist group has learned of yhis device and are holding her fiance hostage.  She must now make the decision to give in to the demands of the terrorists and turn over her work and save her fiance, or risk her true love's life in order to prevent this technology from landing in the hands of the wrong people.  What transpires is a thrilling chase through time and space as she works to out maneuver the terrorists.  The tag line: Is time on your side?

Obviously the storyline is very complicated, but I think I could probably work around that and film perhaps just one act or a scene that would work well as a stand-alone, given that some thought be given into how the exposition would be given.

Brainstorm Concept 1

For my first concept, I think it would be really great to do a review of the Indiana Comic Con convention in Indianapolis.   This would involve spending probably at least two days in Indianapolis in March at the convention and would give viewers a look at some of the exhibitor highlights and the overall experience from a spectator's perspective.  The overall mood would be light and comical and follow two outgoing hosts as they explore the convention and interact with the panels and exhibitors.  I've always enjoyed these types of shows, because it usually lets me know if this is something I would want to attend and spend my money on.  Most likely this would be formatted to be exhibited on the web.  They are still looking for volunteers for the event so perhaps this could even turn into some sort of promotional video to be used in the future.

Hey it's me!

So you really want to know more about me? Well OK then, but you've been warned!   My name is Bryen Miller and I transferred to IUSB in the fall of 2013 as a senior majoring in New Media with a concentration in Informatics after a considerable hiatus in my education.  Why the hiatus?  Let's just say life happened and someday I'll have an Oscar winning screenplay on my hands!   Previously I attended the University of Evansville majoring in Mass Communications with concentrations in public relations and journalism, but decided to switch to New Media to further develop skills that don't come naturally to me.

When it comes to movies, television and music, I have a very eclectic taste.  Some of my favorite movies include Cruel Intentions, American Hustle, Identity Thief and pretty much any superhero film.  As far as television goes, I'm a self-proclaimed news junkie.  However, when I'm not watching Anderson Cooper, I absolutely love Scandal, The Crazy Ones and American Horror Story.  Sadly, I have also watched Days of Our Lives since high school, so if I don't write an Oscar winning screenplay I probably have a future writing soap operas.  Music has always been a huge passion in my life and I tend to favor electronic dance music, but I also love everything from country to classical as well.  A few of my favorite artists right now include Avicci, Fall Out Boy and Hunter Hayes.

Making media is such a creative and powerful way to communicate an idea or story, and I love how it has the ability to illicit strong emotional responses that can truly change people's thoughts and perspectives.  While I love media for the pure entertainment of it, I am more interested in they way media can be used to create change in the world.  I am also finding myself drawn more and more to audio technology and intrigued by the emerging field of music informatics.  After graduation I would love to find work with a public relations firm or even a non-profit organization and work in their media department.  (Of course on the side I'll be working on that screenplay!)  In the meantime I am looking forward to this semester and developing my skills!