Project 4 was my favorite project to do. Originally I thought it would be hard to create the project by myself and find a story. I did not feel comfortable filming by myself and I had no story idea; however, it actually ended up going much better than I expected. Once I found a story, the rest flowed pretty well.
It was cool to revisit my high school and learn about a student who uses a unique technology while she is battling a serious illness. A counselor at Meade told me about the story, and it immediately interested me. I have seen telepresence devices on fiction shows, and I think many people could say the same. Learning about a real robot that was so similar to the ones I have seen on TV was a lot of fun, and I think that this technology and this story is something that many people should hear. The technology has benefitted Destiny in a tremendous way, and I know that it can change the lives of many other people, not just those with an illness.
What made this project hard was that I filmed it at my high school in Maryland, so I did not have as much time to film as I would have liked. Also, filming minors was a huge challenge. If I used a recognizable clip of someone, I needed their parents’ permission. I definitely wish that I could have included interviews with some of Destiny’s friends and teachers, but the limited amount of time that I had at the school made that impossible. I could not film in the classroom, but I did receive a clip from the robot in the classroom, which was unfortunately blurry and staticky.
Overall, I think that I did well with getting different shots and interviews with the limited amount of time that I had. I also think that I did well with telling Destiny’s story from what happened to her and what she hopes will happen in her future. Her story is amazing, and I’m glad that she shared it with me and allowed me to share it with you.
Photo Credit: Jasmine Lomax Destiny controls her robot by using up, down, left and right arrows through an app on her iPhone.