Writing documentary film

Name:Senquetta Brittingham

Title: Mental illness and Race

Guiding Question: (Why is race present in determining whether or not you get arrested

Statement of Purpose: (To give a better understanding of why race is depicted in determining whether or not you get arrested or whether have a mental illness

Synopsis: (In this documentary you will see police officers operating in their day to day activity. You will see officers responding to, to different but similar situations. One situation is when one officer is responding to seeing an African American male who is in his early twenties attacking a women in her car. They immediately arrest him andthe male is taken to prison. Then there is a different scene where a Caucasian male is attacking an elderly women who is then evaluated an taken to a psychiatric center.

*The images of me driving in a cop car are entirely fictional , as well as any interaction that I displayed with any officer in this documentary . 

IMAGES

AUDIO

There is a row of men lined up waiting to get searched. Each of these men are all of different races.

Narrator: I watched a documentary film called “The new asylums. “This documentary focused on men who are imprisoned who suffer from a mental illness.

Music: none

Sound: clicking of the boot of the guard

A statistic of 61% of 3 or more criminal offenses struggle with a mental illness 56% does not struggle with this disorder.

Narrator: As I watched this film I noticed most of the depictions were of African Americans.

Music

SOUND: Snow fall and yelling

A prisoner crying in cop car

Narrator: This sparked my curiosity, why is that regardless of the situation or circumstances producers,film makers etc. Choose to depict African American’s in a negative light.

Inmates looking out of jail cell windows

Music: none

Sound: Ambient sound

Me talking to police officers

Narrator: In order to answer the question of why were African American males displayed so much throughout the documentary I formulated my own.

Statistics show that Black people were six times more likely than

white people to be stopped and searched under

section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. According to Black communities and the mental health and criminal justice systems.

A Caucasian man receiving treatment for being mentally ill

Music :ambient sound

Police officers stopping and searching African American.

Sound: none

Police officers and I sitting in a cop car

Narrator: I began this process by sitting with police officers and riding with them throughout their day to day activity.

Police officers talking.

Music: Ambient sound

Statistics show that African Americans now constitute nearly 1 million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated population

African Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites according to Criminal  justice fact sheet of the Naacp

Sound: jail cells closing

​

Police officers pulling up next to a man who appears to be trying to attack a women.

Narrator: As I filmed this documentary I noticed how differently police officers responded to similar but different situations.

Officers trying to restrain man

Music: none

Officers placing man into car

Sound: yelling and screaming by arrested man

Police officers using excessive force on man

Narrator: Police officers stop and searched a African American male. For attacking a women’s car while she’s already parked and sitting in her vehicle.

Man attempting to comply

Music: none

Police officers shove man into vehicle

Sound: police sirens

Arrested man yelling

Narrator: As I sit in the police vehicle. The arrested man is yelling obscene remarks.

Man looking out of cop car windom

Music: none

Rain drops hitting the streets

Sound: Rain drops

Arrested man getting out of cop car and being escorted into prison

Narrator: After dropping the man off at City of Philadelphia prison system. The police officers then proceed in their usually daily routine. We happened to pass a Caucasian man who appears to trying to hurt and steal and elderly women’s cane.

Police officers trying to get man off of elderly women

Sound: elderly women screaming

Caucasian Man being put into cop car.

Narrator: Police officers retrain man puts him into a cop car. They then take him to a police station. At this police station the arrested man is yelling screaming. After restraining this man he is then evaluated and sent to a psychiatric center for further evaluation.

Man being taken into building.

Sound: cop car door closing

Senquetta (me) talking into a camera

Narrator: During the recording process I learned how different police officers react to Black males committing a crime. Opposed to White males committing a crime.I learned how they approach these situations and how much more violent they tendto be when the male is Black. Including this peace I learned that racism is still very prominent and that is replicated in our prison system

Wring for the internet

Senquetta Brittingham

Writing workshop

Prof. George                                    Make a difference 

February 10, 2014

Today, 54 million people in the United States are living in the community with a disability. That’s one in every five people. According to the most recent census data, around 52 million of them reside in the community. According to (http://www.hhs.gov/od/about/fact_sheets/whatisdisability.html) . These disabilities may include sensory, physical, mental, self-care, difficulty going out, and employment disability. These things can be very expensive.

Supplies is something that is very crucial for people disabilities. They may need adaptive equipment such as wheel chairs hoya lifts, cairns. As well many other things. These things can become very expensive for families.

Visionary voices is a organization founded by Temple University. This website advocates equal rights and education for people with disabilities. It ensures safety for people with disabilities. This organization plans to bring awareness to audiences about people who suffer from disabilities. This site is also very useful for the public because personally I didn’t know much about people with disabilities. I knew that they may have difficult navigating around or learning depending on the disability that one may have. Personally I didn’t know how expensive these things may be. After research I discovered how costly things can get. Which then increased my curiosity on ways that can be helpful financial. That’s why I feel a benefits tab can be the most effective. This website should include a benefits tab because it could pose for a resource for people with disabilities to financially pay for medication or equipment that they may need. A benefits tab will allow viewers to contribute toward a way where they could truly help.

            When people are drawn to cause the usually want to help. With having a benefits tab any contribution will be appreciated. I also feel like the families will feel supported in this cause to see that every need is met. Making this tab on the visionary voices website will bring more awareness to the cause; which could ultimately earn more money for people.

            After all I learned using the internet I realized how big a message can spread through a website. Everyone has access to the internet so it’s easier to obtain more awareness from the public. With all of my knowledge from personally experience with the internet. I learned that people tend to retain information better when it isn’t forced upon them.

In researching technology, I learned that it makes things easier and more convenient to access information. The use of technology is especially good for individuals with disabilities because they may not be able to get to a library. With modern day technology people have constant contact with the internet. When I first went on the visionary voices website nothing initially grabbed my attention. I felt the website should include more videos or interviews of some of the children with disabilities. I also felt that there needed to be more resources. I know with financial adversities people with disabilities aren’t always supplied with the things that they need. The benefits tab could be a place where viewers could help by giving money to the program. Possibly getting some government assistance would help bring in more revenue. This could be life changing for a person with disabilities. Often times people tend to not always have support. People may come from families where they simply don’t have the resources that one would need in order to handle all of the extensive expenses. This benefits tab could change a life. I think that this is a bigger way to ensure that their financial troubles regarding their needs for supplies will be ensured. I strongly feel that could be a much larger impactful thing visionary voices should include on their website.

A benefits tab will be most useful for the visionary voices website. This tab will be the mostly be useful for the website. Because once people realize the financial struggles have they will want to help. As I reflect back to my prior knowledge about people with disabilities. I know my interpretations were invalid. With technology today it’s much easier to research a topic through the internet. So, people with disabilities have a lot of easier access to technology so I believe many will be educated about the benefits tab.

In conclusion Visionary voices should include a benefits tab to help people with disabilities to pay for their supplies

http://www.hhs.gov/od/about/fact_sheets/whatisdisability.html

voices freewrite

 History is something that usually effects a vast amount of people. History is something in the past that is usually significant.   It captures a important factual based series of events that has already transpired . Then again know one really knows what happened in  history. As people we are all basing our thoughts of what happened in history off of what someone told us. know one really knows what happened because none of us were there.

A memory is a recollection of a  personal past experience. A memory is something that one could look back and reflect on. A memory usually holds some sort of significance to the individual otherwise we wouldn't have memorized it. Why do we remember the things that we do ? Why do we believe everything that someone has told us that happened ? I think we believe what people tell us because that is our only option. We simply have know other choice. A persons take on memory can differ from someone else's. Memories are interpreted differently. My memories mean a lot to me. They hold importance in my life. Sometimes I wonder why I remember the things that I do. I think whether we realize it or not all of our memories are significant to us. A persons take on memory can differ from someone else's. Memories are interpreted differently.

media memoir essay

Senquetta Brittingham

Writing workshop

Prof. George

Janurary 29, 2014

                       How computers effected my life

As a child I hated computers, I never understood why teachers enforced the use of them, As a child I was terrible at operating computers, Over the years I have now become very knowledgeable on how to use computers effectively . In todays society computers are a necessity rather than a option.

The year 2003 was when I began to get exposed to computers. I just remember sitting in the class room with students that were able to keep up with whatever lesson my computer teachers was demonstrating. I remember getting so frustrated I didn’t even want to be in the class. I felt the usage of computers was pointless. I remember thinking I’m not going to ever use this again. I thought the same thing about math. At that period in life there was nothing that I couldn’t stand more.

Eventually I became sufficient at using computers. I was taught , since that experience that I had with computers, that I will need them throughout my life and adult career. My high school teachers informed me that I will be using computers a lot through college. This then, gave me a stronger inclination to want to improve my skills at using them.

When I did become good at using computers; how is it that we can from hating something to loving it , is it because we were forced to use it and the object grew on us ? Is it possible that the more you use something the more you will grow to love? Well these are the questions that seemed to spark my interest. Eventually I did come to the realization of how useful computers can be and all the things that they can be utilized for. Maybe that’s why I grew to love them.

Technology is getting more technology advanced ever year. For instance in 2003 computers wasn’t nearly at such a high demand as they are today in 2014. In that short time period our entire society has gotten to the point where one could not function in day to day activities without technology. It is becoming more of a necessity to society; the older I got the more I used them. Since I used them more, I became very good at operating one. In today’s day and age almost everything that we use is through some sort of technology. I find it interesting because now as an adult I see children as young as the age of 3 using iPhones. It reminds me of the time my niece who is only 3 years who can operate an iPhone like an adult. She know how to take photos and get on my instagram page. This only makes me wonder where is technology going? Are we going to come to a point where we solely do everything with computers?

In conclusion I learned that just because something doesn’t come natural to you doesn’t mean you can’t eventually get good at it. The usage of computers will continue to evolve. If I never learned how to use computers then I would be really behind and wouldn’t be to operate things in todays society.