Livin' on Love (JRN 521 Final Project)

So over the last month and a half I've been working on a piece for my JRN 521 class, taught by Ryan Wood. The goal of the class was, among other things, to create a longer-term story based off an issue that we drew out of a hat at the beginning of the semester. I got consumption/consumerism, but it ended up turning more into focusing on budget issues and family dynamics. I found my story thanks to Nathan Morgan. He was pretty pumped about the prospect, and told me to run with it, so I did. Below is the final project I turned in for class.

Livin' On Love from Sean Proctor on Vimeo.

Here are some photos I kinda like.
















I think I'm going to pick up the story after I get back from Alaska in August. John Tully, who originally shot the Parsons for an MDN assignment a year and a half back, suggested extending the project to the surrounding areas of Midland County, and it's definitely something I'm interesting and will be considering when I get back.

Anyway. Enjoy, and thanks for looking. And a huge thanks goes to Nathan Morgan, who helped me edit several times through the project, and also gave me the idea for how to shoot the interview and what other situations to look for. Also, to Ryan Wood for pushing me this semester.

Portraits of Poverty: Joe Janetski

Joe Janetski, a mechanic at D J's Automotive Center at 713 S. Mission Road, was born in Midland and has lived in Rosebush for the last 19 years. Since the economic recession, Janetski said that business has slowed down. "People don't have money to fix cars, and there are more unsaved cars on the side of the road than I've ever seen. More cars are coming in with parts falling off. No one's doing preventative maintenance." Just as people don't have extra money for car parts, Janetski doesn't have extra money to spend on what he calls toys. "Get your priorities straight," Janetski said about how to keep up cars on a limited budget. "Don't put garbage [in your car.] People are putting $1000 sound systems and than a ball joint falls out. No one cares about tinted windows if the wipers don't work. You're not only endangering yourself, but others. Honest to God, steering and stopping are the most important. It doesn't matter how well it runs when you fly through the Mission/Pickard stop light."