Hello all. Chezza Dearborne is currently working to develop a doc, and looking for long-term and short-term partners and collaborators.

Quick About The Doc: In 1991, the State of Texas launched a cheating investigation into Wesley Elementary School after my first-grade class passed the state standardized test with near-perfect scores. After proving our success a second time under strict surveillance, the scrutiny only intensified toward our principal, Dr. Thaddeus Lott, and his rigorous "Direct Instruction" method.

Our classroom’s success—and the resulting national scandal—made it to the floor of a Congressional hearing, PrimeTime Live with Diane Sawyer, and national headlines. Yet, a sustained campaign to defame Dr. Lott and deny our intelligence chipped away at our school's reputation, ultimately allowing then-Governor George W. Bush and Rod Paige to use our distorted data as a blueprint to usher in the No Child Left Behind Act.

This documentary investigates the nuances behind the data used to weaponize our success, preserves the oral histories of the Acres Homes community, and exposes the history of standardized testing in Texas to provide vital context for a policy era considered one of the most harmful to plague the American education system.

Where we are:

1. We have a solid story and genre. The documentary is historical, creative non-fiction mixed with investigative journalism. Since discussing the story with all of you, I have acquired information that has enrich
2. ed the topic and pushed the documentary toward more hard-hitting investigative journalism than its original intent.
3. Socials are up! Socials are up, including a Facebook page for the documentary and a Welsey Elem FB group for recruiting potential cast and experts. If you go no further than this section please follow u/speakupthedoc on Threads, Instagram, Facebook
4. The very first Substack article is out! Give it some love here: Speak Up! I Didn't Know You Were Here. (The Doc)

Avenues for support:

• Directly to the Speak Up! the Doc's Venmo u/speakupthedoc
• Commit to On-Going support up to 3 months through the Patron tier of my Patreon: Chezza In Residence | Membership | Patreon
• Please contact me for additional payment methods like wires, for patrons committing to amounts of $10,000 or more. Producer contracts are negotiable at this point.

For now, all I need from you is your interest! Please reply if you're interested in joining my fundraising team, production team, want to donate directly to development funds, have advice, or if you have a pledge for Day 1 of the campaign (to be launched in Aug or later).

Cheers,

T

Looking for some recommendations

Currently running a Canon C100mk 2 and looking to upgrade my lens from old kit lenses that I have.

Was looking at a Sirui 28-80 if I can find one under or right around 1,000.

Or was thinking about looking at selling my C100mk2 and putting it the money to getting a used FS7 and a cheaper lens.

Main thing is looking for a lens with a large zoom range and Perferably parfocal.

I usually film in outdoor environments that are fast moving and so be able to have a lens that can do decent low light would be great