Since I didn’t end up focusing on Harry Potter for Leap 1, a story about my love of the Wizarding World was at the top of my list of ideas for this project. When I started to think about the visual artifacts I might have to illustrate this kind of story, I got excited about the idea of using clips from my dad’s toast from my wedding this fall (his toast was very Harry Potter-themed). Still, I wasn’t sure exactly what story I wanted to tell. Was my story about my relationship with my dad? About my journey as a reader? About the experience of rereading Harry Potter as an adult?
I turned to the Digital Storytelling Cookbook, finding the guidance around change especially helpful. To identify the heart of my story, I needed to think about moments when “change came to you or you went towards change.” I also went back and listened to my dad’s speech, identifying the Harry Potter-related moments that were most meaningful to me. If my dad’s speech was where I wanted my story to end up, what was the journey that brought me/us there? Was there a time that this ending was uncertain or would have been unexpected?
Through this reflection, I realized that the moments of change and uncertainty for me revolved around my changing relationship with the Harry Potter series - from a kid and young teen totally immersed in the magic, to a young adult feeling a sense of loss at the end of the series, to an adult finding new ways to re-engage with a story I’ve loved for so long. My dad’s speech was a chance to both look back and make a new memory along that journey.
When I started drafting my script I had to fact-check myself quite a bit. The discrepancies in my memory were frustrating, but they actually became some key pieces of the story. For example, I was really surprised when I realized that I only had two summers at the beach reading a new Harry Potter book. It felt like a lot more than that, but publication dates don’t lie and my dad reminded me that he was running a summer camp during some of the other book releases.
Working on the visual elements of the story was one of the more challenging parts of this project. I decided early on that I didn’t want to use any footage from Harry Potter films because I wanted to focus on the books and my experiences as a reader. But I also didn’t have any photos or videos of myself enjoying Harry Potter as a kid. I ended up weaving together personal photos (especially to tie my story to my family growing up over the years), shots of the books (to illustrate my reading experience), and shots of myself addressing the camera. I tried to bring in some of my learning from Leap 1 here with direct address and jump cuts.
This project has been one of the few things I’ve really felt excited and motivated to work on in the last few weeks. Harry is helping me out yet again in this time of uncertainty and anxiety. I’ve enjoyed having this opportunity to reflect and have felt grateful to be able to immerse myself in the creation process.