February 8th, 2012 – Making Progress

Since I came back from San Francisco I have identified ten cities that are potential stops on the March tour:

New Orleans (9th Ward), Louisisana; Seminole, Florida; Missoula, Montana; San Francisco, California; District of Columbia, Washington; New York City, New York; Peoria, Illinois; Ennis, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Utah, Salt Lake City; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston, Massachusetts.

Tomorrow I go into POP in Santa Monica to finish up the FAQ’s. I am deeply indebted to Dektor Film, Company 3, Beast LA, and POP Sound; without whom these PSAs could not exist.

Once voiceover re-recording and sound mixing are complete (I worked on color correction with Shawn at Company 3 yesterday), the videos should be final. That means that Joel can post the video FAQ’s and theoretically make the site live. I still have to go over the site page by page and vet the text and video before giving the password out but we are finally getting close (!)

I spent this evening going over the VoiceOver lines that need to be re-recorded in the morning (due to my horribly nasal voice when I recorded them at home). Have to leave at 8am to go pick up the drive before going to POP. We will also need to mix the sound with the great score that Jason Chang created for us (we had been working with a temp track by Florence and the Machine and Spencer found us the wonderful Jason) so we may be there until noon. Then I will speak with Paul and let him know that I need a camera and sound on Feb 21st for the first class at Santa Monica College, the women’s studies Practicum taught by the fantastic Melanie Klein. We will have between 30 and 44 students working for us for the next semester researching, collecting video, developing curriculum and working on social media campaigning.

As I think about the shape of the film, I’d like to address a host of issues that, at first glance may seem unconnected, yet ultimately all adversely and unfairly affect women. It would be excellent to expose the systemic and pervasive lack of parity and fairness in a variety of industries, geographical areas and socio-economic environments in America today — as well as highlighting unlikely heroines throughout the nation.

The film should make the argument that the inherent cross cultural bias against women has real, measurable, tangible effects on their lives and is a direct violation of her civil and human rights. From domestic violence to the gender pay gap. From a lack of maternal leave and childcare provisions to paying 47% more for healthcare. From an inexplicable and inexorable 30% disparity between the assessed economic value of the male and the female in American society to the media images and sexualization of women and the pervasive problem of widespread rape. Across the board and from a multitude of angles, the American woman is under attack. The film should prove the need for full federal equality under the law and the necessity of the ERA as the inarguable first step towards justice for women.

The film will make very clear that the American woman is presently oppressed but the beauty is that it will also demonstrate how she doesn’t have to remain that way. The film will highlight individuals, groups, organizations and communities that are working to fight this situation and seek to connect them; exposing the divisions as arbitrary. The collective power of the American woman, should it be harnessed, organized and deployed in the service of simple and commonsense fairness will prevail. Young women and men will be galvanized by their new knowledge and unwilling to accept the status quo. It really is simply a matter of educating the public on the matter. Hopefully the film will start the ball rolling in that direction.