Behind the Story
Remembering Indiana Avenue began as a student client project for my N420 Multimedia Project Development course at Indiana University - Indianapolis. In collaboration with Indiana Landmarks, Eunice Trotter and Steve Mannheimer asked me and my fellow classmate to capture video footage of historically significant locations along Indiana Avenue, to highlight the area’s cultural importance.
As I immersed myself in the project, I saw the opportunity to expand it into a full documentary for my senior capstone. I proposed capturing interviews with key community members to truly tell the rich history and narratives behind Indiana Avenue, deepening the story beyond visuals alone. I was motivated to shed light on this important history and educate people, like me, who maybe didn’t know it existed. I moved from Florida to Indianapolis in 2018 and had no idea about the deep cultural and historical significance this city holds — especially the legacy of Indiana Avenue. The film reflects not only the vibrancy of the past but also the enduring spirit of those determined to preserve its memory. It is a tribute to the soul of a place that helped shape Black identity in Indiana.
Behind the scenes, this documentary was a solo production — from pre-production through post. One of the initial challenges I faced was securing locations and participants for interviews. Through persistence, consistent outreach, and research, I was fortunate to speak with Eunice Trotter at Indiana Landmarks, A’Lelia Bundles at the historic Madam Walker Theatre, Thomas L. Brown at his home, Robert Dixon at the IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, and Joe Compton at Executive Billiards — a location that has since closed. For each interview, I handled every technical aspect using my Sony A7 III camera, professional lighting, and lavalier microphones. Locating and licensing archival footage was one of the most time-consuming parts of the process, requiring coordination with multiple contacts to ensure proper usage rights. Capturing b-roll, however, came more naturally — living near downtown Indianapolis allowed me to return multiple times to film visuals that matched the tone and story of the documentary.
I would like to give a special thanks to my Faculty Advisor, C. Thomas Lewis, who encouraged and suggested that this project had the potential to become a full senior capstone documentary. His guidance, feedback, and support throughout the creative process were invaluable. Also special thanks to the individuals who generously shared their time, knowledge, and personal stories in the documentary: Eunice Trotter, A’Lelia Bundles, Thomas L. Brown, Robert Dixon, and Joe Compton. Their voices brought the history of Indiana Avenue to life and provided essential context that made this film possible.