Gullah Gone

Meet the Fall Gullah Project Volunteers

This fall, five students join the Gullah Project’s volunteer team. During this time, they will perform a wide range of tasks relating to their own professional areas of interest. These tasks include transcribing footage, creating posts for social media, writing blogs, editing, assisting the director and doing research for production. This will give the volunteers hands on experience for their future, introduce and teach them more about Gullah/Geechee culture. The volunteers will also work closely with the film’s director, Denise McGill, and producer, Sherard Duvall, through their work with The Gullah Project.

Through this opportunity, our volunteers will learn more about the Gullah culture and the importance of the land preservation on St. Helena Island. As the volunteers continue their work throughout the semester, we hope they will gain valuable experience and see the impact they are able to make.

How did you learn about The Gullah Project?

Jai: I learned about the Gullah project through Mr. Duvall’s film production class at Columbia College.

Valencia: I heard about The Gullah Project while looking for an internship two summers ago. I’ve volunteered since then and took an official internship position this fall.

Brianna: I was interested in learning more about the Gullah culture and wanted to learn more about documentaries and the work put into creating them.

Samantha: I heard about it from a school email. After reading about it, I thought it would be interesting to learn more about the process of making a documentary and the Gullah culture.

Kimmie: I learned about The Gullah Project through a teacher who sent out an email blast. I’m from Charleston, about an hour from St. Helena, which is one of the reasons I find this project so interesting, because I was that close and didn’t know this was going on.

What are you most excited about volunteering for The Gullah Project?

Jai: The most exciting thing about The Gullah Project experience is learning about the culture, the dialect, art and getting to interact with the people and learn about their lifestyle. Also, learning about Gullah/Geechee history with other students and engaging in discussion about what’s currently happening to the low country.

Valencia: I’m most excited about getting a more behind the scenes look into The Gullah Project. Since I’ve been working with The Gullah Project for a while, I can’t wait to see how everything comes together

Brianna: I’m excited about seeing this documentary come together and bring attention to the culture of Gullah people.

Samantha: I’m excited about learning more about the Gullah culture, specifically the people living on St. Helena Island. It will also be cool to see what goes into making a documentary like The Gullah Project.

Kimmie: I think the project is cool because it’s talking about something important, and there’s so many talented people working on it. It’s a good learning experience because it is already established and actively working towards completion.

Our Volunteers

Jai Anna Carter is a senior at Columbia College where she studies Studio Arts, Communications and Public Relations. She assists with social media and monitors Gullah/Geechee upcoming events and news.

Valencia Abraham is senior Visual Communications major at the University of South Carolina. Her responsibilities include transcription, assisting with grants/paperwork and assisting the director, Professor McGill.

Brianna Morales (not pictured) is a senior at University of South Carolina and studies Visual Communications. She is responsible for tagging and transcribing film footage.

Samantha Hayes is a senior at University of South Carolina and is a Public Relations major. She is responsible for transcribing footage as well as writing for The Gullah Project blog. (Yep. This one!)

Kimberly Hilton is a senior at the University of South Carolina. She is a Media Arts major. She tags, organizes and transcribes film footage.

Summer volunteers bond while learning about Gullah culture

When you make a difference in the life of one, it creates a ripple effect. As we continue to put our creative minds to work and discuss the need for land preservation on St. Helena Island, seven students from USC and Columbia College collaborate with us each week and assist with creating a change.

180514_001_dam — The Gullah Project’s summer volunteers are, from left, Rose Steptoe, Jai-Anna Carter, Xavier Parker, Demetri Kotsinis; seated, Melvonia Taylor, Brianna Morales; and not pictured, Steven Tapia-Macias. photo by Denise McGill

These students make up The Gullah Project’s summer volunteer team. They do a wide range of tasks that are essential behind the scenes of the film. As they transcribe footage, create posts for social media, assist our director, write blog posts, and do production research, our volunteers gain valuable, first-hand experience to help them in their careers and learn more about the importance of the project.

They also acquire knowledge from the film’s director Denise McGill and producer Sherard Duvall, when they attend Film School on Tuesdays. Here they learn more about visual communication, public relations, media arts, and Gullah/Geechee culture. We sat down with the interns and asked them a few questions about the internship.

Why were you interested in becoming a volunteer for The Gullah Project?

Jai: I am interested in the art of film and how it impacts the viewer.
Brianna: I love documentaries and appreciate the work put into creating them. I was also interested in learning more about Gullah culture.
Steven: I am interested in The Gullah Project because I believe documentaries have the power to educate the public and be a catalyst for meaningful change and participation. I am looking forward to learning technical aspects of production as well as post-production. Getting to learn more about the Gullah people is also a major reason for joining the project.
Demetri: I wanted to learn more about the Gullah culture as well as the process of making a documentary.

As a volunteer, what are your responsibilities?

Brianna: I am responsible for viewing and logging footage.
Jai: I am responsible for assisting with social media platforms, gathering visuals, and writing blog posts. I also monitor Gullah/Geechee upcoming events and happenings.
Steven: My responsibilities are to log and tag footage in order to make the editing process easier.
Xavier: My responsibilities are to be an assistant to the director and producer and log clips.
Rose: My responsibilities are to help with production research and logging footage.
Mel: I’m responsible for logging footage, writing blog posts, creating character keys, and assisting Jai with social media.
Demetri: My responsibilities are logging, tagging, and editing footage.

What have you valued most from this experience so far?

Rose: So far, being on a team with multiple backgrounds, goals, and responsibilities has been valuable and insightful to me. I usually don’t have the chance to interact with other majors in a setting like this during the semester. It’s helped me see how important interdisciplinary work and working with a team can be.
Xavier: I’ve valued learning from others and being around like-minded individuals who want to work in or are working in media-related fields. Creative people feed off of one another, and that’s how we grow.
Mel: I have valued the opportunity to learn from a photojournalist, since I would like to be one in the near future. Also, I’ve enjoyed attending Film School each Tuesday and hearing what each of the interns and volunteers have learned from the footage they’ve logged or transcribed. Knowing the film may impact many lives, including mine, is empowering because, as a person who’s interested in social justice journalism, I feel the message behind the film, preserving land in St. Helena Island, is a relevant topic and the film could create conversations that can lead to change.

Critically acclaimed film organization selects Gullah Documentary for sponsorship

In August of 2017, Gullah Gone: Preserving The Land, Water And Culture Of The Sea Islands made another giant leap forward. The film was one of the select few to be accepted by The Southern Documentary Fund (SDF) for fiscal sponsorship. We are incredibly excited about this opportunity and wanted to share with our followers what this means for our film.

SDF is a nonprofit arts organization that cultivates documentary projects made in or about the American South. They serve as a leading advocate for powerful southern storytelling, providing filmmakers and artists with professional support, filmmaking grants, and fiscal sponsorship.

As a fiscally sponsored project of SDF, Gullah Gone: Preserving The Land, Water And Culture Of The Sea Islands is entitled to receive tax-exempt contributions from individuals and granting sources which require non-profit status. We recently sat down with SDF’s Executive Director Naomi Walker to talk about our film and the organization’s awesome work.

1. Could you tell us about the history of The Southern Documentary Fund and its founding?

SDF was founded in 2002 by two independent filmmakers, Steve Channing and Cynthia Hill. They were producing and directing feature-length documentaries, and found themselves reaching out to organizations in New York or on the West Coast to sponsor their films. Eventually Cynthia and Steve felt compelled to create a home for southern storytellers closer to home. Based in Durham, North Carolina, SDF became the first and only arts nonprofit dedicated to supporting documentary artists in the American South, filling a substantial gap in services locally and within the region.

Over the past decade, SDF has become a trusted partner for veteran, emerging, and first-time documentary producers across our region, helping them direct their lenses and microphones at powerful southern stories and critical issues. The work of SDF artists covers a diverse spectrum of topics — civil rights, the environment, history, and the arts — and their films are being used as effective tools for social change, education, and community development. SDF is passionate about providing our artists with opportunities for professional growth, offering support and programming that connects them to the resources necessary to hone their skills, complete their projects, and exhibit them widely.

As a leading advocate for documentary culture in the Southeast, SDF forges relationships between our regional makers and industry professionals around the country. Since our founding, SDF has sponsored over 150 independent documentaries. Currently we have approximately 77 active documentaries on the roster, a record number for our small organization.

2. What is your role at The Southern Documentary Fund?

As Executive Director of SDF, I live for building an ecosystem of documentary storytelling in the South. We want makers to be able to live and thrive in our region, telling authentic stories from the inside. So every day, I’m talking to makers, documentary industry colleagues, funders, thought leaders and more to grow our field. We have programs that help makers directly: Fiscal Sponsorship, Fresh Docs, Grants, Mentorship and our annual Artists Convening. All that we do is made possible through partnerships and collaboration with other organizations, foundations, and the guidance of makers.

3. What does the film Gullah Gone: Preserving The Land, Water And Culture Of The Sea Islands mean to you?

The film itself raises important issues, and could spur crucial dialogue on many threads in the story, including preservation vs. gentrification, Black land loss, the struggle of farmers, the role of tourism, and looking at who benefits from development.

4. The Southern Documentary Fund has been a great advocate of Southern films and filmmakers since 2002, why do you think Gullah Gone is joining the selection of film projects this year?

Gullah Gone is the very kind of inside storytelling SDF is excited to support. The film team’s connection to the story, to the region and to the history impressed us.

5. Why do you think Southern African-American stories like Gullah Gone are so important?

It depends on who is doing the storytelling, doesn’t it? This documentary and the team behind it bring important nuance and complexity to Southern storytelling. If Gullah Gone was strictly told from the traditional White colonialist and anthropological lens, audiences could perceive the story as a black and white, change vs. tradition tale. Instead this team is bringing insiders to join them, so we can witness the living, breathing Gullah culture that is very much alive, and empowered to control their own narrative.

Meet The Gullah Project’s Volunteers

Five student volunteers from the University of South Carolina help make up Team Gullah this semester. While Gullah Gone: Preserving the Land, Water and Culture of the Sea Islands is completing production, volunteers assist with the various film operations and gain hands on experience in their aspiring career fields. Through tagging and logging film footage, helping manage social media, working with publicity outreach, and blogging, volunteers are gaining new skills in visual communications, public relations, and media arts. Volunteers work closely with the film’s producer, Sherard Duvall, and the director, Denise McGill.

What drew you to The Gullah Project?

Demetri: I always wanted to get into documentaries and see how the creation process works. What kept me, however, was the subject matter. I had no idea that the Gullah culture existed (let alone how important it was). I came to the revelation that it would be really cool to share that discovery with other people and wanted to help. I got on because a colleague of mine, Alex Cone, was working on it and she helped me get involved.

Sarah: I first became interested in The Gullah Project because I wanted to gain experience in documentary work. I also grew up vacationing on the South Carolina coast, so I had a lot of interest in learning more about the Gullah community. I was put into contact with The Gullah Project through someone I know at SCETV, who told me they were looking for students to assist them with the documentary.

Teleshia: I was drawn to The Gullah Project after my roommate sent me an email
about them needing summer volunteers. I thought it would be a cool to spend my
summer while learning something new.

Frazier: I was interested in learning more about Gullah culture and the process of making a documentary. When I first saw McGill’s presentation of The Gullah Project at a photography and film conference, I was immediately drawn to the project. When I learned there were opportunities to work behind the scenes I wanted to help in any way possible.

Valencia: I got involved with TGP last summer. I was looking for local internships and I
came across it online. I got in contact with Professor McGill and before you know it, I was a volunteer. I think what really drew me in was how welcoming everyone was and
how passionate Professor McGill and Sherard were about sharing this story in hopes of
bringing awareness to a culture that many don’t know much about.

What are your responsibilities as a volunteer?

Sarah: I assist with logging, but I also create small video vignettes for social media.

Demetri: I am responsible for logging and tagging the footage. This equates to labeling
the footage so that if an editor needs something specific, that person can find what
he/she is looking for.

Teleshia: My responsibilities as a volunteer are to help out with the social media platforms. I work with Sherard to find the right images to post on the project’s social media. I am also working on finding the right information in order to license music for our trailers and documentary film. And lastly, I continue to log transcripts of the different video clips.

Frazier: I am the blog assistant for The Gullah Project. I work with Sherard to create
blog content to connect our audience to the work we’re doing for the film. I help craft
interview questions and ideas for features. I have also worked on tagging and logging
footage for the film.

Valencia: As a volunteer, I often transcribe footage, update contact information, and assist Prof. McGill or Sherard with various other tasks.

What have you learned since joining The Gullah Project?

Demetri: I’m learning a ton! Everything from stories of the past to how to best fish for
crab on the coast. I’m learning about the Gullah people and their fascinating history. I
am also learning the technical side of recording and producing footage.

Sarah: The most lasting lesson I have learned so far is all of the planning that is
required to make a quality documentary. From promotions to the logging, funding and
research. I have always wanted to produce my own documentary some day, and now I
have such a new level of respect for all of the work that goes into doing that.

Teleshia: So far, I learned how important it is to preserve a culture. I knew of the Gullah community, but working on this project I learned their different cultural traditions and how they’re trying to work together to protect their land and culture.

Frazier: I’ve learned the importance of having a support system during a creative
process. After seeing all of the technical work that goes into making a film and planning for its success I believe having a solid team is great. I applaud McGill and her team for all the work they do. I’ve learned a lot about Gullah culture too and the importance of historic preservation. This film has been such an educational experience and has further helped me in my own creative pursuits.

Valencia: Since joining TGP, I’ve learned that there is a lot of preparation you have to
do before and during the documentary process. It’s not as easy as shooting and
sending, editing, and sending it to someone. There are contracts, model releases, and
so much more.

Our Spring 2018 Volunteers

Demetri Kotsinis is a Visual Communications senior and tags and logs footage for The Gullah Project. He joined in spring 2018.

Sarah Stone is a Broadcast Journalism senior and assists with logging for The Gullah Project as well as creating video vignettes on social media. She joined in spring 2018.

Teleshia Toney is a Media Arts senior and joined The Gullah Project in the summer of 2017. Teleshia is an aspiring screenwriter and assists with social media.

Frazier Bostic is a Public Relations junior. She contributes with logging and assisting as the blog assistant for Team Gullah. She joined The Gullah Project in fall 2017 and aspires to be a filmmaker and public relations practitioner.

Valencia Abraham likes to watch documentaries on Sundays, which contributed to her interest in The Gullah Project. Valencia is a Visual Communications senior and joined The Gullah Project in summer 2017.

Los Angeles funding and distribution company partners with Gullah film

The Gullah Project continues to expand its team as we advance production on our one-hour documentary film Gullah Gone: Preserving the Land, Water and Culture of the Sea Islands. In summer of 2017 we welcomed Los Angeles based funding and distribution company Brandon/Kane productions to our family.

Currently living in Vietnam, husband and wife team Victor and Edwina brought their years of marketing, business, fundraising and distribution experience together to form this unique company. Their team consists of a group of strategy, social media, marketing and communications professionals that meet the distinctive needs of documentary filmmakers.

We sat down with Victor and Edwina to ask them about their work, partnering with the Gullah Project and their unique ties to Gullah culture.

1. How did you first become aware of The Gullah Project? When did you become
involved?

VIC: We were at the American Documentary Film Festival in April 2017 and Edwina was
serving on the pitch panel. Denise and Sherard were at that festival, primarily to pitch
Gullah Gone. Edwina was so impressed with the idea of the project, she made sure to
introduce me to Denise and Sherard before they left Palm Springs. After staying in touch
throughout that spring and early summer, Brandon/Kane Productions became formally
involved with the project during the Summer of 2017.

2. What drew you to the project? What does it mean to you?

VIC: There were several things that attracted us to the project. St. Helena Island and the
Gullah culture is near and dear to Edwina’s heart. Her maternal family is rooted in
Beaufort and stems from the Gullah people. There was a desire to become involved in a
project that brought her closer to her roots and gave her an opportunity to learn more.

EDWINA: For Vic, getting to know more about this part of my culture was exciting.
He had never had an opportunity to explore this part of the country. As someone who
loves to travel and experience new cultures, The Gullah Project put the low country at
the top of his list for places to visit. He can’t wait to get there!

Sherard Edwina OnSet — Producer Sherard Duvall & Edwina on set on St. Helena Island.

3. Why do you think Gullah Gone should be made?

BRANDON/KANE: The Gullah represent such a critical part of American history. The
majority of Americans don’t know this culture exists and that’s sad. Even fewer know
this community is on the verge of extinction. It’s a travesty to think the Gullah people
and their land may simply disappear. We believe Gullah Gone can make a difference by
educating mainstream populations about the Gullah culture, the need for preserving the land, and sustainable agriculture. Resolving these issues will help the Gullah community
thrive.

4. How did you come to start BKP?

BRANDON/KANE: Brandon/Kane Productions was started because we love documentary
film and we saw an opportunity to contribute our skills in a way that was really needed.
Documentarians are constantly faced with finding funds to work on the next phase of
their project while simultaneously holding down another job to help pay the bills. When
the projects are finished, the next hurdle is distribution . . . where to turn, when and
how. This doesn’t seem just to us. The process should be easier and sustainable for
filmmakers. We believe Brandon/Kane Productions is a solution for documentary
filmmakers. We help find funding and distribution for films. What’s the end result?
Filmmakers can stay focused on the creative elements of their projects and be more
efficient in the process.

Amy Sherard Denise Edwina Alex — Executive Producer Amy Shumaker, Sherard, Denise, Edwina and Alex Cone.

5. Tell me about your day to day with BKP. How will those experiences influence your work with TGP?

BRANDON/KANE: Our day to day experiences at Brandon/Kane Productions are as
varied as the projects we manage. We could be writing grants, networking with
prospective individual donors, researching funding and distribution sources, building
relationships with business partners, or a myriad of other things. Most important, we
encounter such a diverse array of people every day (whether it be in person, via skype,
or through email communication), our daily activities reflect one of our guiding
principles . . . to support stories that make this world a better place. To be more specific,
we both embrace diversity in our lives and enjoy interacting with as many cultures as
possible. As such, we will consistently bring partners to the table who embrace similar
values. We believe that perspective is essential for a project like Gullah Gone.

6. Do you have a favorite experience working with the project so far?

VIC: Edwina’s favorite experience was absolutely her trip to St. Helena Island. To be
even more specific, this presented the opportunity to meet Ed “Lee Man” Atkins. Denise
and Edwina stopped by his home for a minute to drop off a care package (Hurricane
Irma had just hit the Carolinas the previous week). Two hours later, we left having
feasted on fresh crab and beer, cooked at a moment’s notice by Lee Man’s wife. It epitomized the Gullah spirit and Edwina knew she was working on this project for all the
right reasons.

EDWINA: Vic hasn’t had the opportunity to interact directly with the cast nor most of
the crew. He holds down the fort at the home office most of the time. Nonetheless, he
loves his experiences. His favorite to date is reading the treatment of the film and
watching the short 7-minute version which introduces such interesting characters and
life stories that inspire him to meet them and hear their stories firsthand.

Edwina at The Atkins House — Edwina at crab dinner with the Atkins’ and the Gullah project team on St. Helena Island

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For more information about Brandon/Kane Productions, visit their website or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

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