Overview:
This website is primarily for the Winter CMU Osher class #5663. The class will meet virtually via Zoom for five Thursday sessions from 11:00 – 12:30 starting 9/11/25 and ending 10/16/25. There will be no class on Thursday, October 2. This site will have the most updated information about the class assignments and resources.
Everyone has a story to tell. In this class you’ll have a chance to hear from four professionals and Norton Gusky, your study guide, who work with a variety of media. Each week you’ll discover a different way each professional uses text, film, video, and or photos to tell a personal story. For the final week you’ll have a chance to share your own story or your ideas for how you can use any of the ideas or concepts you discovered in Weeks 1-4.
Week 1: Setting the Stage with Charlee Brodsky
In this opening class Charlee Brodsky will share her approach to telling stories using photos and words. First, she will show examples of this approach in works by the poet Allen Ginsburg, and acclaimed photographers Duane Michals and Wendy Ewald—all of whom used photos and words to create narratives of real and/or imagined stories. Charlee will then share examples of her recent work that will soon be part of exhibits at the Phipps Conservatory and the Erie Museum of Art.
Charlee Brodsky is an American fine art documentary photographer and emeritus professor of photography at Carnegie Mellon University. Her work often explores themes of social issues and beauty. Recognition of her work includes a Regional Emmy, Pennsylvania State Individual Artist Awards, numerous exhibitions, and books. In 2012 she was Pittsburgh’s Artist of the Year in 2012, an award given by the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and Media.
Additional Resources:
- Charlee Brodsky website
- Charlee’s presentation
- Sample of Charlee’s work
Attracted to Nature’s Lines But Not its Blooms
Week 2: The Power of a Film with Paul Sloop
Paul Sloop is a Film Specialist. He currently is the Head of Festival Programming for the Cleveland International Film Festival, Artistic Director for Programming for Film Pittsburgh, and Director of Programming for the Cordillera International Film Festival.
In this class Paul will use a series of short films that have been part of Pittsburgh Shorts. The films will be used to engage the class in a conversation about the power of storytelling through film. The short doc was an award winner for Film Pittsburgh and the short narrative demonstrates the power of narrative storytelling to make an impact when telling someone’s story.
Additional Resources:
- Film Pittsburgh website
- Film Pittsburgh Spotlight
- Short Doc – LALITO 10
- Short Narrative – REMOVED
- Backyard Docs Film Festival – September 25-28
Week 3: Producing “Nat” Sound Pieces with Iris Samson
Join Iris Samson, an award-winning writer and filmmaker. Iris has won
eight Mid-Atlantic Emmys, and has been nominated over a dozen times; she has 10 Golden Quill Awards, including one for “Stories of the Holocaust” and one for “Violins of Hope”, five PAB (Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters) awards, including four best documentary awards; a Gabriel Award and she was part of an Edward R. Murrow Award winning team.
In this class Iris will share tips at getting the most out of your interviewee/subject; putting even the most reluctant subject at ease; and hints to produce quality “nat” sound pieces (natural sound — without a narrator). The class will do a few exercises to demonstrate some techniques that are easy to pick up and essential to making an engaging video or movie.
Additional Resources:
- Interview with Iris Samson
- Resources – National Archives
- Resources – Internet Archives (free movies, text, websites, music)
- Films from Iris Samson – Squirrel Hill in a Nutshell
- Films from Iris Samson – Vietnam through Freddie’s Eyes
Week 4: Reinventing the Picture Book with Rick Smolan
Rick Smolan is a former Time, Life, and National Geographic photographer best known as the co-creator of the Day in the Life book series. He is currently CEO of Against All Odds Productions, a cross-media organization. Rick is also an innovative filmmaker. Rick was the central figure in the movie TRACKS, a feature film based on his National Geographic project. Adam Driver portrayed Rick in this movie.
In this class Rick will share a variety of his personal projects that have used photos, film, video, and other forms of media. Rick will discuss his major projects and how he has become an innovator in the world of digital story-telling.
Additional Resources:
- Wikipedia page for Rick Smolan
- www.NatashaStory.com – TED talk watched by over 1.4 million people to date about an 11 year old Amerasian child left to Rick in a dying woman’s will in Kora when he was 28
- www.RobynStory.com – link to the talk Rick gave at National Geographic Live about the experience of documenting Robyn’s 1700 mile 9 month trek across the Australian outback
Week 5: Putting the Pieces Together
Norton Gusky will provide a closing activity so everyone in the class has a way to remember the lessons in Weeks 1-4 and will share some of his work.
Class Projects
- Rhonda Findling – La Vie En Rhonda
- J.J. Hawyrlak – The Time I Shot the Lights Out
Additional Resources: