This American Life:
Three Miles
Styleframe

Concept Development
Story Boarding
Compositing
Role

This American Life is a weekly public radio program and podcast. In the episode “Three Miles“, kids are brought togther from two schools. One school is public and in the country’s poorest congressional district. The other is private and costs $43,000/year. They are three miles apart. The hope is that kids connect, but some of the public school kids just can’t get over the divide.

My concept is about chance. Sadly, whether you are born rich or poor is not a choice. I chose a coin toss as my framing device because it’s a strong symbol of uncertainty and chance. One side of the coin is rough and deteriorating while the other is shiny and pristine. Each side is meant to represent life of the Have’s & Have not’s. We follow the coin as it falls through the air, not knowing what side it will land. I want to show how the students who want the same shot in life that the wealthier kids have, but will never get. Dramatic lighting and texture are used to express the stress and roughness.

Moodboard

Credits

Instructor
Elaine Alderatte