{"id":14554,"date":"2022-01-27T13:16:27","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T18:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/?p=14554"},"modified":"2022-01-28T11:37:24","modified_gmt":"2022-01-28T16:37:24","slug":"on-the-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/on-the-bay\/","title":{"rendered":"On The Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On a mild, clear day last April, Jared Garcia ’21 found himself slowly ascending a 12-foot ladder in the middle of the Barnegat Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a part of the crew working on Drift<\/em>, a feature-length documentary about the Barnegat Bay and its watershed produced by Monmouth University Production Services, Garcia had traveled to the outskirts of Long Beach Island that day to film volunteers from Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey building and installing an osprey nest in the marshland. Once the nest was assembled and in place, Garcia had carefully climbed the ladder, one hand clasping each rung as the other balanced a camera rigged to a Ronin-S, an expensive and unwieldy gimbal, in hopes of filming a bird\u2019s-eye view of the bay from the nest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was shaking in my boots the whole way up. I was mostly nervous for the equipment if I fell with the Ronin-S, but in my head, it\u2019s always about getting the shot,\u201d says Garcia. \u201cI remember thinking [that] having ospreys fight for the nest at this particular moment would be a \u2018Nat-Geo\u2019 sort of amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jared Garcia \u201921 ascends a ladder to film a bird\u2019s-eye view of Barnegat Bay. Photo courtesy of Erin Fleming.<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Garcia was nimble enough to capture the shots needed and, sure enough, just a few minutes after he was back on solid ground two ospreys arrived and began fighting for the nest. The fact that he was now ringside for an osprey fight in the middle of a marsh was perhaps fitting given his experience working on Drift<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a very cool thing and something you don\u2019t get to see on a day-to-day basis,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s also how I\u2019d summarize my time working with Production Services: It was a lot of being in very interesting places. But the whole way through it was very much a learning experience that I\u2019m thankful I had the opportunity of being part of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monmouth University Production Services, the creative team behind Drift<\/em>, is a full-service production company housed in the Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The department produces high-quality video and digital content\u2014everything from short videos, to TV shows, to mini and feature-length documentaries\u2014for regional and campus clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its approach is unique in that Monmouth students work side by side with award-winning industry professionals during each phase of production: bidding for new projects, scouting locations, developing shooting schedules, working with state-of-the-art equipment, interacting with subjects during production, and editing video and audio material in post-production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cProduction Services is not a student organization; it\u2019s a quasi-professional organization,\u201d says Erin Fleming, director of the department and a seasoned producer who, before joining Monmouth in 2012, was an international storyteller creating narratives for underserved communities and nonprofits throughout Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. \u201cThe students are not trailing a cameraman or trailing an editor. They work in conjunction with professionals. They\u2019re stepping up to perform real industry skill sets, but they\u2019re learning too, so it\u2019s taking what they\u2019ve learned in class and puts it on another level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students must apply and be selected for the few coveted production positions that open each year. Those who make the cut are offered paid positions in which they can explore their passions while gaining hands-on experience in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always look for students who are going to buy into what it means to be a production person while still being a student\u2014maybe we have to shoot the sunrise at 5 a.m.; maybe it\u2019s going to be a long day carrying heavy equipment, or you\u2019re going to be in a swamp or underwater,\u201d says Fleming. \u201cSo, I do look for passion. If you\u2019ve got the passion, drive, and professionalism, I can teach you the technical skills.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nicole Amatucci \u201921 waits for the perfect sunset at David Beaton & Sons Boatyard in Brick Township, New Jersey.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"\"

Amatucci, Garcia, and Dan Rosario \u201921 film sailing and boating on the northern bay.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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Monmouth University Production Services crew members film Jason Kelsey, a teacher at the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science, and Save Barnegat Bay student-grant recipients as they study the biology of the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>

<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Jim Masi, a national Emmy award-winning director of photography and camera operator, has partnered with Production Services on several projects, including Drift<\/em>. In addition to fulfilling his production responsibilities, he assists in running boot camps designed to teach students cinematography techniques using the department\u2019s specialized equipment. It\u2019s \u201crewarding,\u201d he says, \u201ckind of like working in a teaching hospital, where you\u2019re still doing what the job entails but you\u2019re also providing some instruction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe gear that Erin has accumulated for the department, it\u2019s equipment that I use out in the working world … it\u2019s gear that people use to shoot really high-end productions,\u201d says Masi. \u201cFor the students to have that available to them is a really nice luxury, and the experience, I think, gives them confidence and a leg up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the gear is only half of the story, says Masi, who has worked in the industry for 40 years. Equally important is that Fleming treats the students as professionals, with all of the expectations that come with that distinction. \u201cThat\u2019s where Erin has really done these students a huge service,\u201d says Masi. The industry is changing, he says, with jobs becoming \u201cmore beginning-to-end involvement.\u201d Because Monmouth\u2019s students are hands on in every phase of production, they \u201care involved even more than a lot of the professionals they\u2019re working with,\u201d which is what they\u2019ll eventually experience once they begin working full time in the industry, says Masi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s one of the reasons he feels confident every time he refers Monmouth students to professional production companies that are hiring. The industry is still \u201c90% word of mouth\u201d in terms of who gets jobs, he says, and he\u2019s seen firsthand how Monmouth students are \u201cgetting more and better experience than students in other environments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drift was commissioned by Save Barnegat Bay a nonprofit dedicated to restoring and protecting the 42-mile-long arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is home to an eclectic ecosystem of barrier islands, maritime forests, and wildlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organization celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021 and charged Production Services with creating a film that would \u201chelp people understand, in one viewing, where we are in the storyline of the effort to protect the bay,\u201d says Britta Forsberg, Save Barnegat Bay\u2019s executive director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Azalia Whitlock \u201921 and Amatucci clean and scan nature slides from a collection that once belonged to the late environmentalist Pete McLain.<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Production commenced in June 2020, and, over the next year, Fleming and her team worked countless hours developing story lines, conducting intensive research and interviews, filming at dozens of locations across the bay area, and editing more than 300 hours of 4K footage into a 1 hour and 20 minute cohesive story. The five Monmouth students who were part of Production Services\u2014Garcia, Nicole Amatucci \u201921, Azalia Whitlock \u201921, Dan Rosario \u201921, and Leah Frain \u201921\u2014were involved every step of the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film opens with a brief history of the bay, then segues into five vignettes highlighting individuals whose lives, careers, and passions intertwine with the waterway, and includes a roundtable discussion between five activists, including Forsberg. The mission of Save Barnegat Bay is embedded throughout the documentary, giving viewers a deeper understanding of the nuanced history and issues facing the bay and the communities that make up its watershed as well as what changes the area might see over the next 50 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fleming says she and her team conceived this format \u201cas a way to encompass many of the complex issues that are at play in New Jersey\u2019s largest body of water\u201d and thus better illustrate the interconnectivity of humans, wildlife, and the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite graduating last May, prior to the film\u2019s completion, several students stayed on to work on Drift <\/em>last summer. One of them was Garcia, who as a four-year member of Production Services had already worked on several of the department\u2019s other projects, including the production of the Emmy Award\u2013winning show Jersey Matters<\/em>, which was shot in the Monty Television Studio in the Plangere Center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He is now working in the industry and says his experiences as part of Production Services helped him hone his skills as a camera operator and editor. \u201cThe hands-on experience working with these various pieces of equipment helped me tenfold,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amatucci, who started working with Production Services after transferring to Monmouth as a junior, served as associate producer, camera operator, and editor on Drift<\/em>. She has worked on a handful of professional freelance gigs since graduating and credits her time with Production Services as the key reason for her success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"

Erin Fleming and Amatucci put the finishing touches on Drift <\/em>in the studio.<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorking in Production Services was a big boost to my confidence, and it really helped me to develop a lot of skills in different areas, from working with clients to shooting. I felt like I was able to get my feet wet in so many different areas of production,\u201d she says. \u201cNow when I go into jobs or different projects, I feel a sense of confidence like I\u2019ve done this before and I can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to her core student production team, Fleming tapped others from the University community to work on the film. Sophia Parola \u201918 and Specialist Professor of Communication Nick Messina \u201918M handled the voiceover work; David Gould \u201916 pitched in with studio-audio needs; Austin Staulcup \u201923 and Jenna Capitelli \u201921 handled graphic design of the movie posters; and Alyssa Dowd \u201922 and Assistant Professor of Geography Geoffrey Fouad, Ph.D., provided geographic information system mapping services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have so much talent on campus, both the professors and students, so there\u2019s no reason if we get a great project like this that everybody can\u2019t put their mark on it in some way,\u201d says Fleming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last July, Save Barnegat Bay held a fundraising event and private screening of Drift <\/em>at the Bay Head Yacht Club. Forsberg, who served as the film\u2019s executive producer, says that despite the fact that the documentary was shown while the party portion of the event was taking place in an adjacent room, viewers were glued to their seats. \u201cThey watched the whole thing and they were blown away; they absolutely loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fleming is now putting post-production finishing touches on the documentary and plans to enter it in the 2022 film festival circuit, where it will have its public premiere. (Dates and times for screenings will be posted at Driftthedocumentary.com.<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Already though, Fleming and a new team of students are at work on a short film for the Department of History and Anthropology about the Great Migration and the Black community\u2019s historic role in Asbury Park. And there are plans for a second feature-length documentary follow-up to Drift <\/em>that will focus on the conflicting interests of the people and groups that call the Barnegat Bay home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for former students such as Garcia, being able to see Drift <\/em>through to the finish line provided a fitting end right before starting his professional career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember the first screening; it\u2019s always a shock to see the work that you\u2019ve put so much blood, sweat, and tears into for the duration of a year embraced by people,\u201d he says. \u201cDrift <\/em>came at a very fitting point for my entire tenure with Production Services, and it was a great way to end my time at Monmouth.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A team of student filmmakers partnered with industry professionals to create a feature-length documentary that tells the story of New Jersey\u2019s largest body of water, the Barnegat Bay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":14557,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"image_focus":"","hide_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features"],"thumbnail":"\"\"","catString":"Features","issue":"Fall\/Winter 2021","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14554","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14554"}],"version-history":[{"count":41,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14554\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14689,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14554\/revisions\/14689"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}