Pitches for Documentary project

Pitch one: I've had a lot of different hair lengths in my life for a lot of reasons. From ages 4-7 I grew out my hair so I could donate it to locs of love, an idea I got from my preschool teacher. A few months after I turned 8 I lost my few remaining inches to my moms kitchen scissors after an outbreak of lice. I had a pixie cut for a few years and a bald spot for a few weeks. I buzzed the side of my head in 11th grade and then dyed it purple. A few months later I cut it all off after coming out. Now I'm growing it out again. I've often told people that my hair is unnameable when really, its very easy to tame, one stroke of the brush makes it smooth and silky, but I wish it was wilder. I think I can tell an interesting story of my identity and changes in it through my hair as the two have fallen together it seems. I think I can find some interesting nuggets of truth in interviews as well as hair and appearance are often tied to identity and hairstyles are one of the biggest outward ways we express ourselves besides clothing.

Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 9, 2018 at 7:42 PM

    Sam,

    This is a really interesting idea for this piece and I totally relate, I used to tell people I changed my hair the way most people change clothes. I think its a great aspect to look at since hair is something that some people think about a lot and others don't seem to notice at all, but it is this big aspect of outward representation. The fact that you seem interested in linking it back to identity also feels strong. Do you have particular groups or demographics in mind for interviews or do you think you'd hit a large variety of people?

    -Lilly

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  2. BballengerMarch 10, 2018 at 7:13 AM

    Hi Sam,

    Hair and identity are so marvelously intertwined. Sounds like a great idea. To echo Lillian, I would like to know more about who you might interview, and why. I could easily see this as a narrative piece, but how would you involve other people? Could you also clarify what you view as the "trouble?" What's the problem or question you're interested in exploring?

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  3. UnknownMarch 11, 2018 at 7:43 PM

    I love this idea! There is so much to be said surrounding hair and identity: Mulan, Tangled, The Princess Diaries, etc. It's such an interesting concept about the relationship of appearance and identity. If you are looking for subjects to interview, I just chopped off all my hair! And before that it was pink :) Good luck!!

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  4. Ben SargisMarch 14, 2018 at 9:28 PM

    As a former owner of long luscious locks I can definitely feel this piece! There is a lot of identity tied up in how people wear their hair. I wonder what the focus of the story would be. Do you want to talk about the events that lead people to a drastic hair change? Just what hair changes have meant to individuals? I'm excited to see how this turns out if you go with it. Maybe it will inspire me to grow my locks back out. I hear that the longer you hair is the more psychic your energies are... ahhh!

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