Using Video to Tell A Story: A Look Through the Lens of the Humanities
October 8, 2025
by Michele Anstine and Kelly Murray
INT. DELAWARE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICE – DAY
Silence settles on the room as a CINEMATOGRAPHER and two STUDENT ASSISTANTS focus on dual camera displays.
The DIRECTOR and another STUDENT ASSISTANT observe the INTERVIEW SUBJECT, seated in a chair in front of windows that reveal shelves of old objects, lit in a warm glow from lights arranged at the front and side. One student assistant closely watches the cinematographer, awaiting the call.
Cinematographer: And mark it please.
The student assistant steps forward with a clapboard to mark the first take of the day. From the other side of the camera the director asks the subject their first question.
Director: How would you define the humanities?
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In a recent collaboration with the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA) and Delaware State University (DSU), Delaware Humanities sampled a new method of storytelling via film. The upcoming video, conceptually titled “Unearthing the Humanities”, will utilize interviews and visuals to explain what the humanities are and why they matter.
Shot on location at the HCA’s Center for Material Culture in Dover, the video includes commentary by local humanities professionals and offers a rare glimpse inside the HCA’s twenty-first century climate controlled historical and archaeological collections storage space. Only a fraction of any museum, historical society, or state entity’s collections is regularly displayed, but the HCA’s Center for Material Culture is planning more opportunities to open its doors to the public.
At a time when Delaware Humanities is carefully conserving its funds because of federal funding cuts, professional-level filming might seem an unexpected choice for telling our story. Like any effective nonprofit, however, Delaware Humanities leans into the talents of its small staff and the passion of volunteers. Communications Manager Kelly Murray is also a filmmaker with over 10 years of independent film and video production experience and a passion for visual storytelling. When Delaware Humanities greenlit the idea for a video, Kelly reached out to her colleague Hillary Hanak-Newman, a Philadelphia-based cinematographer with 20 years of experience in the film industry, to shoot the video. Throughout her two decades of production experience, Hillary has worked on a wide range of notable projects including the Foo Fighters’ HBO documentary Sound City and TV show Sonic Highways, Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries, and several music videos, independent films, and documentaries. We were thrilled to have her on board.
Hillary co-owns Philly Film Productions, a full-service video production company with her husband Jon, and was able to provide several professional cameras, lights, and other essential equipment, as well as volunteer her own time. Equally as valuable was Hillary’s natural talent for teaching, as three students from Delaware State University’s Mass Communications program, Zahir Hanson, Rosangel Lalondriz Perry, and Shad White, assisted in filming and production. The assistance of these three crew members was essential to making the day run smoothly and provided them with an opportunity to work with a professional on set demonstrating their knowledge and receiving tips to enhance their skills.
During the shoot, Kelly served as director while Hillary established the visual tone through camera, lighting, and audio setups. The crew conducted interviews with Delaware Humanities Board Chair Dr. Adenike Davidson, DSU’s Dean of the College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences, and Karli Palmer, Curator of Archeology at the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs. For the interviews, Zahir and Rosangel operated the cameras while Shad recorded audio. Next, the crew filmed b-roll footage throughout the HCA’s collections area and processing room.
As crew members stepped inside the storage area for the first time, jaws collectively dropped and an audible “wow” could be heard as they surveyed towering shelves neatly filled with furniture, victrolas, and boxes of archaeological artifacts documented and recovered from road and land development projects in culturally-sensitive areas around the state. Kelly and Hillary conducted shot sequences with Karli while Zahir, Rosangel, and Shad each shot b-roll in the collections storage areas.
After about six hours of filming in total, the crew wrapped up the shoot and began to pack up the equipment. The day proved to be a fulfilling experience for all involved; one that was filled with creative collaboration, mentorship, and new knowledge as both professionals and students came together to craft a story about the humanities in Delaware.
Humans process information and stories in a variety of ways. Some like to read books, news, and blogs. Others prefer to listen to podcasts, audiobooks, and music that tells a story. By far, our current culture gravitates toward visual media, absorbing stories through TV shows, movies, and on social media platforms and web-based channels like YouTube. Delaware Humanities wants to reach our public in a variety of ways because we understand that the human experience is varied. The humanities is practiced by everyone, every day – just through their own personal lens.
In addition to being added to Delaware Humanities YouTube channel later this fall, the video will be debut as an introduction to Delaware Humanities’ upcoming fall fundraiser on October 22, An Evening with John Vercher, to set the stage for a conversation about his work of fiction, Devil is Fine, and how it ties to Delaware’s history and its material culture buried below ground. We hope you will join us for this unique evening which celebrates storytelling through video, conversation, and reading.
Tickets are still available for purchase at https://dehumanities.org/event/2025-fall-fundraiser-an-evening-with-john-vercher/