Capstone Update #5: From Urban Legends to a Revolution of Identity
It’s hard to believe how much has happened since the start of the semester. I find myself constantly looking back at where this started and being absolutely floored by the scale of the journey.
What’s been happening since the start of the semester?
I have to take a second to reflect on how surreal this feels. This whole project started as a simple, natural curiosity—I just wanted to find out where our local urban legends came from. I thought I was just looking for ghost stories, but it has turned into a profound lesson on identity and heritage.
It’s amazing to think that someone like me could start a "revolution" of sorts—a reclaiming of our narrative and a deeper understanding of who we are. What started as a search for shadows has turned into a discovery of light and self.
The biggest highlight of this adventure was my trip to the Lyman Museum. Diving into their physical archives was such a grounding moment; there is a specific weight to holding literal history in your hands that you just don't get from a digital PDF.
The most transformative part of this journey, however, has been my connection with Margaret Magat, the Filipino folklorist that Michael Dylan Foster recommended. After our interview, I felt a massive surge of inspiration. To my total shock and delight, she also expressed interest in interviewing me for her podcast! It’s such an honor to have someone of her caliber take interest in this project.
What’s coming up for the next 2 weeks?
Editing! Lots and lots of editing! Also need to work on finding a day to go out and shoot some b-roll footage, but for now I need to sift through all the interviews so far and create a cohesive storyline. Also need to come up with narration and figure out if I should do it or have someone with a cool deep voice to do voiceover work.
Hiccups / Hurdles / AHA moments
The AHA Moment: I spent the entire afternoon/evening post interview with Margaret in a flow state and created the trailer for the film. Something in me just “clicked".
Any deliverable drafts to share?
Yes! I’ve officially completed a Trailer for the project. Using a rather profound quote from Margaret, I feel that it sets a somber yet thoughtful tone for the film. 🎥
Visual documentation of the progress
I had a blast looking through the library and archival documents at the Lyman Museum. I spent about 3 hours in total there, getting lost in Hawaiian history!
Screenshot of my zoom interview with Margaret!
Prof. Farinella mentioned that Wikimedia Commons was a good place to obtain some archival photos, so I've been perusing the site to get some inspiration!
Where am I on the timeline?
While I'm still waiting for my friend Kelli to let me know about an interview with her father, I feel that I am right on schedule! With the trailer finished and the main interviews conducted, I’m moving into the post production phase feeling more inspired than ever.
