This blog is authored and updated by Brenda Manookin and John Waskey.  We are updating this blog while in Afghanistan to allow our friends and colleagues a glimpse into the making of our documentary, “Filling The Gap.”

Bio’s:

Brenda Manookin, Producer

Brenda Manookin is an award-winning freelance photography based in Southern California. Capturing images for over eight years, she is knowledgeable in multiple fields of photography. She is a graduate from Brooks Institute and has received awards from College Photographer of the Year and the Society of Professional Journalists. Her works has been seen in Ventana Monthly, VC Reporter and the Daily Herald. In 2007, she was a Barnstorm XX attendee at the prestigious Eddie Adams Workshop.

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts, Visual Journalism, Brooks Institute, Santa Barbara, CA 2008

• Eddie Adams Workshop, Barnstorm XX, Brown Team, Jeffersonville, NY 2007

Awards:

• Brooks Institute, Departmental Award 2008

• College Photographer of the Year, Bronze, Pictorial, 2006

• Society of Professional Journalists, Third Place, Feature 2006

• Brooks Institute, First Year Award 2005

Exhibitions:

• Suspend, Brooks Institute, Ventura Campus Gallery, Ventura, CA 2008

• Mad World, Brooks Institute, Ventura Campus Gallery, Ventura, CA 2008

• Mississippi Forgotten, Starz Channel Student Film Festival, Denver, CO 2005

• Mississippi Forgotten, Reel Hart Film Festival, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 2005

…

John Waskey, Cinematographer

John Waskey is a 3^rd year Visual Journalism student at Brooks Institute in Ventura, California. John’s goal is to spread cultural awareness and understanding through visual storytelling. He has worked on several documentary projects and his primary focus is in the production of international social documentaries.

Education:

• Portland State University. Portland, Oregon, Biochemistry     2004
• Brooks Institute. Ventura, California. B.A. Visual Journalism 2008

Experience

• Spent 3.5 weeks shooting a travel story in Istanbul.
• Photographed Machu Pichu’s induction into the 7 wonders of the world in Peru.
  • Images from event published by Reuters.
• Spent 5 weeks shooting for “Ireland,” a documentary in Ireland / Northern Ireland.
  • Photographed the Provisional IRA and interviewed the Deputy First Prime Minister Martin McGuinness for the documentary.
  • Producer / Team leader of DVD production.
  • Post Production Producer.
  • “Ireland” premiered at the Lobero theatre in Santa Barbara, California Friday, March 14, 2008
  • Images displayed in 2 galleries.
• Produced and shot “The Life and Death of Big Red” a 22 minute documentary on Scio, Oregon.

Accolades

· Brooks Institute First Year Award.

· Visual Journalism student representative x 2

· 4 images selected for publication by the Brooks Institute NPPA Week in Pictures.

· “The Life and Death of Big Red” placed 2^nd in the Brooks Institute Film festival.

· Selected to take part in the Adobe Lightroom workshop in Santa Barbara, California.

· Portfolio images selected for the Brooks Institute Ventura campus gallery.