When your rough draft truly is shitty....

GAAAAAAHHH.

That is how I feel about my rough draft. I never write them, because I feel less of a writer when I do. I know it doesn't make any sense whatsoever, but I just want to be able to spit out what I want to say and be over with it. Just letting go of a thought that I'm stuck on and continuing to my next idea doesn't work well with me, and I am therefore dreading this experience of going over things I am not satisfied with over and over again. I have yet to figure out what readings we have done in the class that will adhere to my ideas, and I have yet to understand what I am really trying to say and how I am going to say it. Confused? Same here... I even went to a full on vegan cafe today in order to clean up my thoughts. And that only led to me eating a weird kale salad and drinking something they claimed to be coffee with almond milk in it...

What I need to know is if I am doing the analysis correctly. In my head I can sort of explain why I have chosen the route that I have, but since I do not feel as if I have any sense of what exactly I should be doing I might be completely off track. (Zack, if you're reading this, HELP).

I want to continue down the road I have started, but if it is because I have misunderstood the assignment, someone please stop me in my tracks right now so that I can re-evaluate and re-group my mental troops. Anyhow, anywho, anyway... My rough (ugh) draft is below. Please, whoever is reading this, be gentle on me in your head.

Writing is regarded by many as a tranquil activity, something that calm people do when they want to write poems, books, or papers for their education. What many seem to forget is that writing is the key element behind most of the major changes in modern society. Without writing the world wouldn’t have had Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches, it wouldn’t have had the Arab Spring, it wouldn’t have had the elected leaders around the world. Writing is a powerful weapon many overlook in today’s struggle for justice, even though it is right under their noses. Even though indirect, writing provide the tools needed to make a social impact and, as a result, begin to change the world.

Thea Mercouffer was born and raised in Romania but escaped to the United States with her family from the communist dictatorship in 1987 (Thea). Mercouffer moved to Los Angeles and there continued pursuing her great passion in life: Acting and Directing. Meanwhile, she was on the board of a big organization and when they asked her if she could write and direct a series of films about sexual assault she “fell into” documentary filmmaking (Interview). Mercouffer took on the challenge to direct the film, going straight from only having directed theater (Interview). She then continued on making a film about human trafficking, and Mercouffer found that she “really enjoyed making documentary films so [she] stuck with it”. That was 13 years ago. Today, Thea Mercouffer is a  renowned documentary filmmaker with a kind heart and a warm spirit.

Mercouffer is one of those who use writing to change the world she lives in. Her latest project clearly shows how using words to one’s advantage truly can make a difference. It all started when she realized that the Los Angeles River going through her home city was not deemed navigable, and therefore not under the protection of the Clean Water Act. Mercouffer’s husband George Wolfe decided to travel 51 miles and show the EPA that the river is, truly, navigable. Mercouffer decided to document the act of civil disobedience, and that created the foundation for her award-winning documentary Rock the Boat. The issue with documentaries however, is that in order to be able to create them one needs money. This is where the building blocks of writing used to support world-changing ideas come into play. Mercouffer had to convince sponsors that her documentary was worth their time and effort through a treatment, which she found extremely challenging since a treatment sets the tone and style for the whole film (interview). She also had to apply for sponsorships, and she tells the story of how one has to be endearing when needed, as well as strict and formal in other settings. In a the opening sentence in a sponsorship letter sent by Mercouffer’s producer, one can understand the fine line that needs to be balanced in order to successfully receive support.

“Dear Rob,

Our mutual friend, John McLaughlin, suggested I write to you directly about Rock the Boat – the documentary about the Los Angeles River, which I’m producing. We’re raising the final finishing funds, a bit less than $30,000. John and Susan have contributed and think that, given your interest in the river and environmental activism, you might like to participate, too.” (Sponsorship)

            What Randi Johnson, producer of Rock the Boat, shows here is that an application for funding does not need to be extremely formal, even though he does not know the person he is asking for support. Mercouffer does explain, however, that it is when one applies for grants it is extremely important to follow the guidelines given.

Interview with Thea Mercouffer

Sponsorship Proposal

Press Release

http://www.theamercouffer.com/