The wait is over. The teaser for 16 Weeks is finally here!
16 Weeks is a story documenting the lives of the Missouri State University community amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Relying on volunteer-generated content in the form of vlog-style videos captured on smartphones, 16 Weeks offers a unique perspective on this new reality. Every day, people have the opportunity to showcase their story living through this historic time.
Please take a look, give it a like, and share it with your friends.
This is a Missouri State University student-led documentary film project with the help of Carbon Trace Productions.
16 Weeks is a social media documentary meant to guide the viewer through a semester at Missouri State University during the coronavirus pandemic. Students, faculty, and other members of the Missouri State community record ongoings on their smartphones to document what daily life looks like through a COVID lens.
The documentary begins at the beginning of the fall semester, where content contributors explain what the first day back was like for them. The film recaps the events of the previous semester through the use of news sources such as The Standard, walking the audience through events starting around January 2020 with the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, its travel internationally, and finally its arrival in Springfield, Missouri, which ultimately lead to classes being moved online at MSU in March 2020.
After a recap of the last several months, the film moves into vlog content, moving from character to character as they describe daily events in their lives. The general mood shifts from person to person since each content contributor has different experiences and stories to tell.
Formal interviews with content contributors and other prominent figures in the story, such as MSU President Clif Smart, further supplement vlog content.
Common themes and recurring ideas become evident as the semester progresses and cases fluctuate. By the end of the documentary, students either celebrate that they’ve made it through the full 16 weeks, or they lament the sacrifices they had to make to further their education.
Director: Greta Cross
Producer: Diana Dudenhoeffer
Support Nonprofit Documentary Filmmaking:
Carbon Trace can provide significant guidance in developing, funding, producing, and distributing a documentary film. For high school students wishing to learn more about documentary filmmaking, Missouri State University offers degrees in digital filmmaking, media production, journalism, and other associated areas.
To participate in the documentary education provided through the Carbon Trace Team, we encourage you to apply for a filmmaking internship, submit a documentary idea, or apply to become a volunteer using the forms below.
Join Carbon Trace as a student volunteer
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