Todd Road Documentary Online

We finally have our Todd Road documentary online!

We helped in the production and post-production being one of the principal editors and photographers!

In a post-Civil Rights era in Montgomery, Alabama, were two white police officers assaulted and held hostage by a black family in a poor neighborhood? Was this a result of police brutality? What really happened at Todd Road in 1983 and what happened as a result? One civic organization found its inception as a result of so many questions with so few answers. The Todd Road Incident: The Origin of Leadership Montgomery. *** A documentary project by the Civic Enhancement Group of Class XXVII of Leadership Montgomery. Produced via resources from WCOV and Woods Communication Corp. Editors and Photographers: Matt Wolfe & Drew Woods. *** Technical and Editor Notes: We shot everything on two Canon 7D's with a Canon XH-A1 as a backup, with the XH-A1 and Zoom h4n recording audio. Trying to match up and correct color between the XH-A1 and the 7D was very challenging, and in the end, we were unsuccessful but had to use the footage anyway. This is the first documentary we've worked on, and the longest project to date. We had over 9 hours of interviews and probably watched through the footage three times, and were, in fact, making additions or subtractions up until the day before the showing. The hardest aspect was not having access to a whole lot B-Roll material. WSFA's Bob Howell gave us access to some video archive material from the early 1980s, LM gave us access to some newspaper material, and the rest of the clips we got from the public library, as well as some material from Judge Jimmy Pool. A myriad of subtle changes were desired, but the deadline approached and we were satisfied to bring it to conclusion.

In a post-Civil Rights era in Montgomery, Alabama, were two white police officers assaulted and held hostage by a black family in a poor neighborhood? Or was that family just defending itself from two men with guns who never identified themselves as police officers? And did what happen that family next result in police brutality and excessive force? What really happened at Todd Road in 1983 and what happened as a result?

One civic organization found its inception as a result of so many questions with so few answers.

The Todd Road Incident: The Origin of Leadership Montgomery.

***

A documentary project by the Civic Enhancement Group of Class XXVII of Leadership Montgomery.

Produced via resources from WCOV and Woods Communication Corp.

Editors and Photographers: Matt Wolfe & Drew Woods.

***

Technical and Editor Notes:

We shot everything on two Canon 7D's with a Canon XH-A1 as a backup, with the XH-A1 and Zoom h4n recording audio. Trying to match up and correct color between the XH-A1 and the 7D was very challenging, and in the end, we were unsuccessful but had to use the footage anyway.

This is the first documentary I'd worked on, and the longest project to date. We had over 9 hours of interviews and probably watched through the footage three times, and were, in fact, making additions or subtractions up until the day before the showing.

The hardest aspect was not having access to a whole lot B-Roll material. WSFA's Bob Howell gave us access to some video archive material from the early 1980s, LM gave us access to some newspaper material, and the rest of the clips we got from the public library, as well as some material from Judge Jimmy Pool.

A myriad of subtle changes were desired, but the deadline approached and we were satisfied to bring it to conclusion.

And​ of course later, finding access to that archival footage we so desperately desired. Perhaps in another edit...