Nadia Marti

B.A. Warren Wilson College 2016 | Freelance Filmmaker | Western Massachusetts

[nadiamarti]

The story of the South Asheville Cemetery's rich history and the ongoing effort to restore this valuable cultural landmark. Film produced by Nadia Marti (Warren Wilson College '16) and Gabrielle Holodnak (Warren Wilson College '17).

[nadiamarti]

Remembering

“From skinny-dipping in the chilly Swannanoa on Work Day, running across the soccer fields during rainstorms, to climbing—unsteadily, knees shaking—to the top of the Alpine Tower with my work crew, much of what I remember fondly about my time at Warren Wilson is connected to the outdoors, which is appropriate, I suppose, for a school in the mountains. I have been unsure of the right or most effective focus for this letter and I have come to the conclusion that an emphasis on the positive rather than the negative is probably the best way to approach this final reflection.

The Appalachian Semester, a program developed and directed by three remarkable individuals—Catherine Reid, Jeff Keith, and Dave Ellum—remains the most formative experience I can recount, both academically and personally.  The Appalachian Semester seamlessly wove together two facets of the Triad, service and academics, in a tapestry of road trips, hikes, conversations, and hard work I have yet to experience elsewhere.  This program was not without challenges, however, as the group dynamics of 13 college students and three professors working alongside one another for 16 weeks fluctuate rapidly.  Challenges aside, this static group structure was also the most rewarding part because it allowed me, a quiet transfer student, to be thrust into new places and situations surrounded by familiar faces.  

I credit the Appalachian Semester with allowing me an insight into a community, ecosystem, and culture I had never experienced and of which I may have otherwise been ignorant, had I remained confined in the very-real “Wilson Bubble.”  Having grown up in Western Massachusetts, just outside of the northern division of the Appalachian Mountains, I had seen varying levels of poverty and wealth, but driving through small communities of trailers and rickety front porches perched precariously on steep mountainsides deep in Kentucky, I saw new levels of need that opened my eyes a little wider.  I saw how coalmining and the outsourcing of local industry devastate the landscapes—both human and natural.  I saw mountaintops leveled from surface mining and helped plant 625 hybrid chestnut seedlings in the process of reclamation.  I saw the disparities between Black and White burial grounds, the concentration of bodies to acres 150:1 in the White cemetery and 1000:1 in the Black cemetery.  I saw, sitting in the shade of the floodwall in Matewan West Virginia, as we, students and teachers, read aloud to each other from Diane Gilliam Fisher’s Kettle Bottom, how conflict has shaped the town.  

Through the service component of the Appalachian Semester, my classmates and I were responsible for the continued restoration of the heavily-overgrown South Asheville Cemetery, the initial construction of a boundary fence, and a website for the South Asheville Cemetery Association to help encourage community education and awareness of the sacred place.  I remember watching a small child fall asleep to the sound of our voices at a community celebration at the cemetery, her head nodding off to dreamland in the lap of one of the elders whose own eyes slowly closed in the sunlight.  Several weeks ago I attended a funeral service for one of the community members, a gentleman with whom I had worked in the cemetery for the past three years.  To hear the voices rise around me in celebration as hands kept time I felt immensely honored to have been present for a small piece of this man’s long, well-lived life.

I developed a deep connection with the cemetery and the surrounding community and have returned numerous times for workdays with AmeriCorps teams and UNCA and WWC students.  The history of the cemetery left such an impression on me that I, along with a classmate from the Appalachian Semester, have made my PEG 3 service project a short documentary highlighting the stories of the community elders, people who can recall such incredible stories as digging graves alongside a former slave of the McDowell family.  On the subject of service and my documentary project, I would like to acknowledge my PEG 3 point person and techniques of filmmaking teacher, Heather Stewart Harvey, for re-enforcing my love of editing even when it’s the last thing I want to do, and for being generally awesome.

As I experienced in the Appalachian Semester, the intersection of service and academics is more easily attainable than the intersection of work and academics, or all three together.  To experience work intertwined with the remaining two aspects of the Triad is difficult at Wilson but could be more valuable than the usual pairing of an academic “service-learning” class, I believe.  I think a more conscious, focused effort to merge the three would prove invaluable to students, and would more effectively reinforce the goal of the College to provide a space in which one can experience the practice of the Triad as outlined in the school’s mission statement.

A quality I have found and appreciated in many of my academic instructors and work supervisors is the practice of mentoring rather than teaching; a gentle nudging in the right direction or a suggestion to pursue a new route to facilitate learning and expansion rather than simply a transference of facts.  In addition to the aforementioned professors, I would like to extend my thanks to the English Department faculty members I have had as teachers at one point or another over the past three years, David Bradshaw, Carol Howard, Michael Matin, and David Mycoff.  To any of my teachers, advisors, and supervisors not explicitly mentioned in this letter, please do not assume a lack of appreciation, I had to draw the line or else this letter would be unending.

As I write this reflection, the night before it’s due (that is one habit Wilson has not managed to break), the smells of wet hemlock boughs and water-logged Eastern redbud blossoms waft into my nose and I realize how grateful I am to be here, but also how excited I am to leave.

Each time I think about the imminence of graduation my eyes water and I am filled with premature nostalgia—already plans to return for Homecoming are forming.  A week at Wilson can fade as quickly as a dream and a single day last several lifetimes; somehow my undergraduate studies have nearly reached a conclusion, and I am ever so excited to begin whatever the next adventure may be: massage school, firefighting, writing, farming, filmmaking…or perhaps all of the above, because, if Wilson has instilled in me one skill, it is the ability to multitask.”

—Senior Letter, addressed to the Faculty and Staff of Warren Wilson College, March 28 2016

[nadiamarti]

Getting Naked For Art

Our society places shame and stigma around nudity and hypersexualizes female bodies. I think it is important for people to realize nudity is not inherently sexual, bodies are just bodies, and nudity is a natural state. The line between art and erotica can be clear and defined for some, nonexistent for others, or just simply difficult to establish.

Who knew standing naked in front of strangers could be healing. 

[nadiamarti]

To Eat Meat, Or Not To Eat Meat

"The soul-crushing part of being omnivores comes from a distancing of the two acts--ourselves from the death of the animal, and therefore the fact that we are taking a life." To eat meat, or not to eat meat. But why?

An article I wrote for Odyssey based on a TEDx speech I presented my first semester at Warren Wilson College and experiences I've had butchering my own animals for meat. 

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The Hort Hosts Fifth Annual Urban Agriculture Conference (UAC2015)

By Evelyn Mertens

The Hort (Horticultural Society of New York) recently hosted its fifth annual Urban Agricultural Conference (UAC 2015), highlighting the progress made as well as the urgent need for urban areas to expand ways to grow and harvest healthy, fresh and affordable food to combat a growing food desert crisis.

Image #1 – Participants in The Hort’s Urban Agriculture Conference learn to build a low tunnel to protect their plants from the cold weather at Randall’s Island Urban Farm. Photo by Marshall Bone.

Participants took part in hands-on demonstrations on such topics as urban chicken care and rice propagation at Randalls Island Urban Farm which houses the City’s (and most likely the State’s) only rice paddies. A picnic of locally-grown food followed on Thursday.

George Pisegna, deputy director and chief of horticulture for The Hort led off Friday’s all-day program in Riverbank State Park saying, “We live in a major city and we can’t get food to the people who need it the most. By going into the neighborhoods, we are watching the change start happening.” Pisegna introduced LA’s self-proclaimed renegade urban gardener Ron Finley who delivered a compelling keynote address that urged all to reconnect with our food, saying “We can fix these broken systems.” Finley stressed that “abundance is all around us” and we still possess “unlimited potential to change things.” All can be restored if we are “creative and resourceful” and “take pride in our neighborhoods – building community, building sustainability, building relationships.”

A panel of urban farmers nationwide shared ideas and information and explained opportunities. Tony Kasowski, owner and founder of Grow Kale and St. Vincent de Paul’s farm in Phoenix, produces 12,000 lbs. of food per year including fish harvested through aquaponics. He spoke of his work feeding the homeless and said, “by feeding people we’re feeding ourselves. We have to take care of our community, our neighbors.”

Keep reading

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My mother, my girlfriend, and I attended the Urban Agriculture Conference in NYC in May and I just came across this article about the event.  I like that they got a picture of me sawing conduit for the low tunnel in a pencil skirt!

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Yesterday I spent 11 hours at the Biltmore Estate as a PA on set for a book trailer being produced by Bonesteel Films.  The book, Serafina and the Black Cloak, is set at the Biltmore so we were filming both indoors and out.  

We started off the day on Diana Hill were I helped set up the equipment and direct traffic (so no errant guests would walk through the shots), we then moved down to the house itself and went into the Vanderbilt’s library where we filmed the Man in the Black Cloak in front of the grand fireplace.  From there we went to the balcony that overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the breakfast room, and then to a hallway by the Winter Garden.  

It was quite special to be able to experience the Biltmore house from a different perspective than one usually gets as a Biltmore guest.

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Presentation Reflection

Because I was only at my internship organization for a few hours a week, I wasn’t able to have the responsibilities that an intern would usually have there, so it wasn’t quite as rewarding as I’d hoped.  I was a production assistant for two shoots and I am going to be spending next Tuesday as a PA on set with Bonesteel Films at the Biltmore Estate shooting a book trailer for a local author.  An average day for me meant getting to the office at 9am, attending a staff meeting or just reviewing what needed to get done that day, and then either sitting in the editing suite with one of the editors or observing various other office tasks such as conference calls with clients, the storyboarding process, etc.

Through this internship I realized I work most efficiently under pressure; I learned this by being on set and being able to be productive while dealing with the stress and frantic nature of the event.  I also realized I need to continue being involved with videography and filmmaking in the future because I find it extremely exciting as well as fulfilling.

A student who is self-motivated, interested in filmmaking or marketing would be a good fit with this organization.  This internship may not work well for someone who needs constant guidance, doesn’t enjoy being in an office setting, or can’t withstand the pressure and stress of being on set.

One of the most important things I learned was, as I mentioned above, that I work well in stressful situations.  This is a valuable strength to posses and may also help me find direction in my future career.  I also learned that in whatever my future career path may hold, I will need some sort of a creative outlet.  Working with a commercial film production company gave me many insights into the industry, but it also showed me that there is not enough room for creativity. 

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Final Reflection

At the beginning of this semester, I set out to have a new experience in this internship and that is exactly what I have done. I’ve been on the set of film shoots with clients such as the Food Network and Travelocity, I’ve experienced the day-to-day workings of a film production company, I’ve learned more about editing than I ever expected, and I’ve made connections with local people in an industry in which I hope pursue employment. I feel very successful in this, and I am grateful for the opportunity.  

I learned a lot in this internship, but the most important things I learned were more about myself, my interests, and what kind of environments stimulate and engage me. The factual knowledge I gained through this experience is, no doubt, extremely helpful, but what I learned about myself has been most beneficial, I believe, as it gives me more direction in my future.

The following are my goals I set for myself at the beginning of this internship and the outcome of each:

Objective #1: Career Development Specific: Gain insight into marketing, profitability, and how funds are raised for projects. 

I feel I have accomplished this goal as I attended several budget meetings and went over, in depth, the form used to calculate each job’s individual expenses.

Objective #2: Connecting Knowledge Specific: I want to learn about the process of filmmaking from the inception of an idea to the final product, and see how it differs from the way it happened in class last semester.

During my time at Bonesteel I was able to see commercial concepts in all stages.  From conference calls with new clients, to the initial meetings where ideas were tossed around, to the several commercial shoots in which I was involved, to the editing process from rough cut to the final, mastered product.  I have a much more clear idea now of what this process involves.  

Objective #3: Personal Skills Specific: Expand my proficiency in the use of editing software.

I spent most of my time in one or the other of the two editing suites at Bonesteel watching, asking questions, and contributing my feedback when appropriate.  I learned many Adobe Premier tricks and shortcuts from one of the editors and am excited to use this software again in the future.

Objective #4: Effective Leadership Specific: I will take on an independent project—whether it be film or office management related.

I did not have an opportunity to accomplish this particular goal because there wasn’t space for me to have an independent project.

Through this internship, my interest in film has grown.  Previously, I had no experience in the commercial film industry and had only been exposed to filmmaking/videography through my documentary class last semester and volunteering for two community access television stations in Massachusetts.  Now that I have been involved—however superficially—with commercial filmmaking, I have realized my appreciation for this particular form of filmmaking is not as high as it is for documentary-making.  Though I could see myself working in this field (of commercial filmmaking), I think it would be due more to necessity than desire.

Prior to taking this internship seminar course, I thought a leader had to be very extroverted and have a rather dominant personality, but I have learned that a leader can be someone who is quiet, a good listener, and a motivator.  I am quiet, a good listener, and, I believe, motivational, if I need to be.  I can be a leader.

[nadiamarti]

Nadia Martí on Instagram: “On set this morning in Asheville for a Travelocity commercial. First time as a PA for Bonesteel Films. #Internship #Intern #PA…”

“On set this morning in Asheville for a Travelocity commercial. First time as a PA for Bonesteel Films. #Internship #Intern #PA #ProductionAssistant…”

Last month I was able to act as one of the production assistants on the set of a commercial Bonesteel was shooting at a location in Asheville. This was a much smaller scale shoot than the previous one I attended—it was only the director, the producer, two PAs, and the two actors—so I was given many more duties than before. 

I set up the Scrim Jim, which is a large, collapsible light-diffuser (or reflector, depending on the situation); kept the director and his camera shaded under another, smaller, handheld light diffuser during the filming; made certain the actors had what they needed; helped arrange the set; stood in as the actors as needed for setting up the shots; and did a variety of other tasks. 

As I was given more meaningful jobs this time the whole experience was much more positive: I knew I was actually needed, and helpful. 

When I returned to the office the following week, I was able to watch the editor (who was my fellow-PA on the shoot) piece together the rough-cut. I helped him decide on background music and gave my feedback on the various b-roll he had to choose from. Also, because it was a Travelocity commercial, I got to see the gnome and listen to the various sound-bytes he was given to pick from for the gnome’s lines.

[nadiamarti]

This I Believe

I believe in empathy.  Though empathy may be my most dominant strength, and is an important value to possess as a human being, it is, by far, one of my greatest weaknesses.  Empathy allows me to see others in myself and to see myself in others; it allows me to understand the ideas and points of view of those I may otherwise have had difficulty interacting with.  Empathy also allows me to communicate with animals and small children because we can share a silent connection with each other, we don’t always need words.  The downside to my empathetic tendencies, however, is that I feel too much.  

For some people, feeling too much from others may not be a hindrance, especially if they don’t feel enough of on their own.  For me, given the work that I do and the nature of my future goals, too much interconnection can be overwhelming.  As a volunteer emergency medical technician, I am around pain and discomfort, and occasionally death, more frequently than the average person.  As a woman who grew up on a farm and experienced butchering pigs and chickens, finding freshly hatched baby chicks, and dealing with the messy aftermath of wild animal attacks, I have felt what it is like to be surrounded by the cycle of life.  

I stepped over the fence and approached the laboring sow, Fannie.  Her belly was taut with pregnancy, the skin so stretched it looked like it could tear at any moment.  She grunted at me, letting me know she knew I was there, and continued carrying mouthfuls of hay into her shelter where she was building a nest.  After granting Fannie’s older daughter’s not so subtle request for a back scratch and belly rub, I went back to sit with her.  Placing my hand on Fannie’s stomach, I felt the quick slippery movements of the piglets inside.  Each time her body contracted, the babies became active, readying themselves for their journey outside of the safety of their mother.

I stayed with Fannie for several hours.  She lay on her side by my feet—her signal that she, too, wanted a belly rub—and I talked to her through each contraction, when her breathing sped up and deepened and tears ran from her uncannily human eyes.  My own eyes watered in response to her pig tears and I felt honored she was that comfortable with me being in her space while she was giving birth.  There was something primal about the experience of witnessing birth and labor, and being able to see how it translated from what I’ve observed of human birth was fascinating; there weren’t many differences.  

Later, after the eight babies had emerged into the snow-covered world and I had one pressed to my chest, keeping it warm, I noticed its tiny head, smaller than a kiwi—but of a similar fuzziness—smelled like that of a newborn human baby.  

I felt almost as proud as Fannie looked.

[nadiamarti]

Some pictures from the shoot I was on last week with my internship.

[nadiamarti]

Initial Reflection

My internship this semester is with Bonesteel Films, in downtown Asheville.  Bonesteel Films is a for-profit film production company “focused and committed to the art of video production.”  Though they primarily do commercial work, their past experience with documentary filmmaking “produces distinct commercial content rooted in real stories and real people.”

Each week I shadow a different individual to gain a deeper understanding of his or her job through observation.  I also attend staff and budget meetings.  I may have the chance to go on a shoot with them in a few weeks; I really hope this works out!  As this internship progresses I hope to become more involved with their day-to-day tasks.  I was motivated to take on this internship not because I was actively looking for an internship but because the possibility of this internship presented itself to me and—as I have a strong interest in learning more about the film industry—I was thrilled to have the opportunity to experience this industry through a local business.

I have a variety of future career goals but I believe any skills I gain through this internship will help me in whichever profession I choose.  One of my goals is to someday do freelance filmmaking and while this internship will show me the ropes of commercial film production, it will provide an overview of the financial side of the industry which will be especially valuable for any independent work I do.

I define leadership as a position of influence and guidance over a group of people.  A good leader is someone who is morally upstanding and working for the greater good; someone who leads for change not for promotion.  While I may not have the opportunity to take on a leadership role in this internship, I can use the tools I gain from observing leadership in action and apply these to future leadership positions.  I am driven and goal-oriented and enjoy working hard which are all qualities that will benefit any future career I may have.  I work well both with others and on my own, and again, these are valuable in any situation.  

My SMART goals for this internship are as follows:

Objective #1: Career Development Specific: Gain insight into marketing, profitability, and how funds are raised for projects. Measurable: I will be able to discuss the financial aspect of this field, which I do not have an awareness of right now. Attainable: This is attainable through my regular scheduled work hours. Relevant: This is relevant because it will give me a better understanding of the financial side of this field. Timely: This will be completed by the end of my internship. Objective #2: Connecting Knowledge Specific: I want to learn about the process of filmmaking from the inception of an idea to the final product, and see how it differs from the way it happened in class last semester. Measurable: I will be able to outline the steps included in the process of creating a film from start to finish. Attainable: My regularly scheduled work hours will give me a better understanding of this field. Relevant: This is one of my main goals for this internship so it is extremely relevant. Timely: This will be completed by the end of my internship. Objective #3: Personal Skills Specific: Expand my proficiency in the use of editing software.  Measurable: I will be more comfortable using editing software. Attainable: Even if I do not become proficient, I will have more exposure to industry software than I do presently. Relevant: This goal is relevant because any exposure to editing software expands my knowledge of what is available in this field. Timely: This will be completed by the end of my internship. Objective #4: Effective Leadership Specific: I will take on an independent project—whether it be film or office management related. Measurable: I will have a product to show at the end of the internship. Attainable: Depending on my responsibilities, I may or may not be able to head a project myself. Relevant: Yes, this is something I am going to Bonesteel to learn. Timely: This will be completed by the end of my internship.

[nadiamarti]

The short film created by my filmmaking partner and I last semester.

Musicologist, photographer, and filmmaker (also founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers) John Cohen said:"[Visual poetry] breathes life into films. The opening shot in the Sorghum film has these qualities...visual, full of anticipation, and entrance to a subject."  

[nadiamarti]

Every spring Warren Wilson students come together and create a circus which is performed on campus for two nights towards the end of the semester.  One student, usually a senior, is in charge of writing a script and coming up with a theme; last spring the circus was Dr Seuss themed.  

It was my first time bellydancing in that kind of show but I am looking forward to doing it again this year.  We started planning it last night, actually!

[nadiamarti]

Academic Internship Spring 2015

I have been interested in film production for many years and this semester have the exciting opportunity to experience the film industry from a different angle through an academic internship.  I am interning at Bonesteel Films, a commercial film production company in Asheville, North Carolina  In conjunction with this internship I am taking a seminar class where we are exploring leadership and what it means to be a good leader.  I have several assignments structured around integrating leadership and my internship which I will be uploading here when I complete them.

I was first introduced to videography and filmmaking through volunteering at two community access television stations back home in Massachusetts (between 2009 and 2012).  I was able to gain some basic knowledge of videography and editing software there, and went on to take a filmmaking class as part of my homeschool curriculum when I was 16.

Last semester I took a film class here at Warren Wilson as part of my minor (Appalachian Studies) requirements. The class was Filming Appalachia and, as you may expect, we focused on Appalachian (documentary) films. The co-requisite for this class was a documentary film technique lab where we learned about the mechanics of documentary filmmaking from cameras to sound and lighting equipment to editing (which is one of my favorite aspects of the entire process).  In the past I had edited using iMovie or Final Cut Pro, but in my film technique lab we got to edit with Adobe Premier Pro.  After using Premier Pro I'm not sure how I ever settled for iMovie!

Our project for this film class was to create a short (4-6 minute) documentary film on a regional theme.  My partner and I decided to make a film about the production of sorghum molasses on a homestead in rural Western North Carolina.  Watch our film, Sorghum: Not Your Average Molasses, here.  Our class's films were shown at a public rough-cut screening here on campus, and then once they were finished at a private screening in the Pew Ellison Library, and in Asheville at the Black Box Theatre's short film festival.