I am Julie Wyman: a documentary filmmaker, an artist, a performer, and an assistant professor in the Technocultural Studies Program at UC Davis.
Technocultural Studies is a program that teaches students to think about the way that technology and science shape our everyday lives and our culture. We also study media technology as a tool that allows us to engage in, and actively shape culture: a perfect example is the way that "Up from the Understory" participants are making short video pieces about their community!
My own filmmaking and performance work have to do with gender and the body: I make films about the people whose bodies make us rethink our assumptions about power, strength, beauty, health, and the way that we, as a culture, define and stereotype people based on their body size and gender. I'm also interested in the way that location and landscape effect our sense of identity. Right now, I'm working on a film about Savannah, Georgia-based super-heavyweight Cheryl Haworth, America's top Olympic weightlifter since she was age 14.
I live in Berkeley, and spend a lot of my spare time wandering the trails and dog-parks of the Bay Area with my dachshund-basset hound, Seymour. I also kayak in the bay, make elaborate meals, and watch a lot of TV on DVD.
My graduate students and I are currently working on a short video that will serve as an introduction to the nine student storyteller profile videos. Our video uses community members' expertise to tell the history of the region and to introduce viewers to the look, feel, and sound of the area.
It's a great challenge to translate someone else's story to the screen, especially when you're talking about an "Understory:" a story that hasn't been told so often. My students and I are honored and thrilled at the opportunity to work with you on this challenge and hope to continue learning about your community, the geography of your area, and the task of video storytelling as we proceed. 
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Meet Julie Wyman
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3 comments:
Julia
You pretty much know my story. I want to thank you for your patience and the enthusiasm of your crew. I had a fine time and hope you all did as well. It was good reading a little of your story. When I saw the word Technocultural I couldn't help but think of a recent SF book I read. I can't see an I pod, I phone, blue tooth or hear about nano-tech and artificial inelegance with out Lobsters
by Charles Stross popping into my head. That Guy seems to have a finger on the pulse of what may be to come.
Alan
ooops, misspelled your name Julie. By the way, our youth specialist Terra has been working with the young girls who come to the center on the issue of beauty and how it is defined in our culture. I'm sure you two could have interesting conversation.
Alan
Hi Julie I am a UC Davis student and I took a women studies class that dealt with gender and race, especially within the US. We watched an interesting documentary that discussed identity issues with young African American girls. An experiment was done and about ten young girls were shown two dolls, one black and one white. Shown in the video nine out of ten girls picked up the white doll when asked which doll was good, and picked up the black doll when asked which doll was bad. It was interesting to see that even though there are dolls are made in different complexions that it doesn't get rid of stereotypes that each ethnic group faces both internally and externally.
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