MAKING DOUGLASS: It was such a fitting moment to have a graduation ceremony end our production for the documentary about Douglass Highschool. We thank you for following our behind the scenes journey. But it doesn't end here. Stay tuned as we show you how this film will get put together in post-production.
MAKING DOUGLASS: Day 22
What happens when you bring six Douglass High School alumni together to talk about their lives in Leesburg? A panel discussion full of history, strong opinions and lots of laughter.
MAKING DOUGLASS: Day 21
We're back. More behind the scenes on our documentary film on Douglass High School in Leesburg, Virginia. Today we're with one of our historical experts Professor José Anderson from the University Of Baltimore. We also braved some frigid temperatures to get a moment with Douglass alum Sterling Cook.
“You like the victory because of the losses.” – Shermann “Dilla” Thomas.
If you’ve been through it, you know exactly what he means.
A couple of weeks ago, our team at @digife stood on stage holding a Chicago/Midwest Emmy for You Don’t Know Chi, a series we produced with @6figga_dilla , Chicago’s historian and storyteller, who’s made it his mission to uncover the narratives hidden beneath this city’s surface.
A small crew, doing it our way, with our own people, and that made all the difference.
We did it!!
Our team at Digifé just won its first @chi_natas Chicago/Midwest Emmy® Award for our series “You Don’t Know CHI.”
Outstanding Achievement for Magazine Program – Single Program/Series.
No grant.
No studio.
No network.
No outside funding.
Just belief.
Belief in the story, the mission, and the craft.
We poured our savings, time, and heart into this project because we knew it mattered, and now that belief has brought home our first Emmy.
This one’s for every independent storyteller proving you don’t need permission to create something meaningful.
#YouDontKnowCHI #EmmyAwards #Digife #Filmmaking #IndependentFilm #Storytelling #Chicago #ChicagoCreators #DocumentaryFilm
@6figga_dilla@_dseals@ericdseals@msblacknesseverdean@cath_hoffman@belle_papillon85@musbenyce@j_boulware@fropaux@zionaliofficial
Proud to share that our Emmy-nominated series You Don’t Know CHI is now airing on @fox32chicago
What started as a love letter to the city’s untold stories is now reaching even more homes across Chicago.
Tune in every Saturday and Sunday on your local station, and see the CHI like you’ve never seen it before.
MAKING DOUGLASS: Day 20
Hard to believe it has been 20 days of production for the Digife team. It was a day of firsts while in Leesburg! The first official sit-down interview with both Gertrude Evans and Larry Simms. We also spoke with Pastor Michelle Thomas about Douglass High School.
MAKING DOUGLASS: Day 17
The Second Street School is a one room schoolhouse we found out about during a shoot back in August. They were kind enough to allow us to conduct some of our expert interviews for this most recent trip.
MAKING DOUGLASS: Day 16
What began as an idea on paper culminated in this day. We interviewed former student bus drivers, Sterling Cook and Gerald Reid, right on the bus where they used to work.
MAKING DOUGLASS: Day 15
The Digifé team set their cameras and lights in a small home in downtown Leesburg to record a host of interviews with Douglass High School alumni.
