Visual Literacy + Documentary

Visual Literacy 

Definition: the ability to interpret and understand visual info/images. To observe, interpret, contextualize, evaluate, and reflect to better understand most visual literacy. 

 Examples: pictures, documentaries, posters, ads, painting, etc. 

 Documentary 

(Picture from google)

Hyperlink to watch it on Youtube or Hulu (gotta pay though)

Title: 20 feet from stardom

Was there a specific scene that got to you? 

1:40:15-1:21:12    

That time stamp is the scene that got to me. It's the choices (weather or not to go to another singer or another company) the background singers have, the struggles to go big as a solo artist-- but going that route would be so difficult and you have to have self-confidence alongside the strong mentally to be a solo artist. Then there are doubts whether this is even right- and sometimes you'd wish you had the answers as to what you're supposed to do. Honestly, all the backup singer's personal stories also got me too. It's incredible to see their passion, strength, resilience, and determination to pursue their dreams.  

What surprised you? Why do you think it caught you off guard?

Live performance! The documentary showed the backup singer's talents, power, and skills within each individual. It caught me off guard because it was truly wonderful to hear them sing. I wish I was there in person to see it!

What feelings stayed with you after the film? Did they “pop up” in your life in unexpected ways? When? How? What was that like?

I felt captivated and admirable for hard work through the challenges and passion of singing. I also felt appreciated for their hard work in the music industry. It reminds me of when it "pop up" in my life in an unexpected way-- intro to teaching one and two, during high school of my senior year. I was a student teacher when I went to the elementary schools (Highlands and Steeple Run). The teachers had a ton of "behind the scenes" for the next day to teach-- similarity to this documentary (when the backup singers would do background singing to make the entire song sound like a masterpiece. Without background singers back then, music would have missed the background soundtracks we hear today). Teachers prep a ton for the next day, teach it the day of, and night they prep again for the next day, and that cycle repeats. They work tirelessly everyday to educate and make students learn and grow. That's why I considered being an elementary teacher back in Sophomore-Junior year.  

Ethos/pathos and/or logos:

Ethos: the backup singers (Darlene Love, Lisa Fischer, Merry Clayton, Claudia Lennear, and Judith Hill)

Pathos: joy, struggles, sacrifices, success,  sadness

Logos: interviews from the backup singers themselves or people they worked with, their performance, and film clips