MIDDLETOWN, USA

A DOCUMENTARY FILM PROJECT

OVERVIEW

• ABOUT ME• INSPIRATION• PROJECT SCOPE• HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED

ABOUT MENADINE OWENS BURTON

Nadine has been a teacher, a university administrator,a Head Start Director, a non-profit board member, and an entrepreneur. She has lived in Middletown, DE for 15 year. She is married and has a sonand bonus daughter.

INSPIRATIONTHE MIDDLETOWN STUDIES

SOCIOLOGY STUDENTLIFE-LONG DREAM

INSPIRATIONTHE MIDDLETOWN

STUDIESFROM RESEARCH THAT BEGAN IN 1924, IN 1929 THE TEAM OF ROBERT S. LYND AND HELEN MERRELL LYND PUBLISHED THE RESULTS OF THEIR MIDDLETOWN

STUDY IN A BOOK CALLED MIDDLETOWN: A STUDY IN MODERN

AMERICAN CULTURE. THIS WAS SEEN AS A TURNING POINT IN SOCIOLOGICAL

FIELD RESEARCH, AS IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST MAJOR COMMUNITY STUDIES TO

USE CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY METHODS IN A SOCIOLOGY PROJECT.

SOCIOLOGY STUDENT

DESPITE NOT BEING A PRACTICING SOCIOLOGIST, I STILL CONSIDER MYSELF ONE AND A STUDENT OF

HUMAN BEHAVIOR. AS AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT IN SOCIOLOGY, I LEARNED ABOUT

THE MIDDLETOWN STUDIES. FAST FORWARD 20 PLUS YEARS LATER I FIND MYSELF IN A TOWN CALLED

MIDDLETOWN. THE COINCIDENCE MAKES FOR A REASON TO DUST

OFF MY SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCHER SKILLS AND EMBARK

ON A STUDY.

LIFE-LONG DREAM

I’VE ALWAYS LOVED TELEVISION AND MOVIES. I ESPECIALLY LOVE DOCUMENTARIES. AND I’VE HAD THE DESIRE TO MAKE ONE SINCE I

WAS A TEENAGER. DOCUMENTARIES ARE A

BEAUTIFUL AND POWERFUL FORMAT. THEY ARE THE REAL

REALITY TV. DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKING ALLOWS ME TO COMBINE

TWO PASSIONS: MOVIES AND EXAMINING HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND CULTURAL PHENOMENON.

PROJECT SCOPETHE LYNDS’ FRAMEWORK

INTERVIEWS, FOCUS GROUPS, SURVEYS & EVENT SHOOTS

INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, BUSINESSES & ORGANIZATIONS

PROJECT SCOPETHE LYNDS’ 6

SECTIONS (1) GETTING A LIVING,

(2) MAKING A HOME,

(3) TRAINING THE YOUNG,

(4) USING LEISURE TIME,

(5) ENGAGING IN RELIGIOUS PRACTICES, AND

(6) ENGAGING IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES.

INTERVIEWS AND MORE…INTERVIEWS

FOCUS GROUPS

GROUP INTERVIEWS

“PERSON ON THE STREET”

SURVEYS

ARCHIVAL PHOTOS & FOOTAGE

INDIVIDUALS & GROUPS

BUSINESS PERSONS

LOCAL LEADERS

YOUTH

FAMILIES & RETIREES

LONG-TERM RESIDENTS & NEWCOMERS

EXPERTS

GET INVOLVEDSUBJECTS

VOLUNTEERSFILM CREWRESEARCH

SPONSORSHIP

GET INVOLVEDSUBJECTS & CONTENT

PEOPLE TO INTERVIEW

INVITE ME TO YOUR EVENTS

SHARE PHOTOS AND MOVIES

SUGGEST INTERVIEW SUBJECTS

PARTICIPATE IN SURVEYS

PARTICIPATE IN FOCUS GROUPS

STAFF & VOLUNTEERS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

VIDEOGRAPHERS

RESEARCHER ASSISTANTS

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS

SOUND

LIGHTING

SPONSORSVARIOUS LEVELS OF SUPPORT

DONATIONS & IN-KIND

VISIT THE WEBSITE

RECOGNITION ON THE WEBSITE & IN THE FINAL FILM CREDITS

WEBSITEWWW.MIDDLETOWNUSATHEMOVIE.COM