Email to California etiquette school

I just wrote this email to Ms. Naomi Paulson...later realizing that her firm is in California...not Massachusetts...

Dear Etiquette School,
For a senior High School elective, I am creating a documentary based on manners in our society.
I was wondering whether it would be possible to perhaps interview someone from your company, enroll in a class at your school in order to maybe film some footage, or just get some general information about manners and your opinions of their deficiency in MA.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Josh Podrid

Manners Etiquette Agenda

Social Program
Module 1:
The Art of Making a Personal Introduction
Responding to Introductions and Introducing Others
Handshake, Greetings and Using Titles
How to Start and Maintain a Conversation
Dressing for All Occasions
The Etiquette of Public Places
Attending Social and Cultural Events
Telephone Skills
Theater and Cinema Etiquette
Giving and Receiving Gifts
Thank-you Notes
Interviewing Skills for College Entrance and Employment

Module 2:
How to Dress for the Interview
Greeting the Interviewer
How to Finesse Questions
Wardrobe and Personal Grooming
Non-verbal Communication
Your Voice and How You Speak
Sophisticated table manners become increasingly important as young adults prepare to enter the competitive social, collegiate, or business worlds. Like the unspoken signals of a secret society, the nuances of proper dining skills proclaim one's breeding, or lack of it -- a situation that can determine which doors will open or which will remain closed to future opportunities.

Module 3:
How to Navigate the Place Setting
American and Continental Styles of Eating
Proper Use of the Napkin, Glassware, and Tableware
When to Start Eating
Buffet Etiquette
When Silence is Golden
Avoiding the 10 Most Commonly Made Eating Errors
When You are a House Guest
Handling Difficult-to-eat Foods
Dining Dos and Don'ts

WISE Journal third entry

My initial project of creating a documentary film based on competitive food eating, its training, and all the information behind it. This became difficult becasue of the lack of footage that I would be able to film. Most of the largely scaled competitions have sponsors which are responsible for documenting the events. I changed my project to a documentary on body building and then considered profiling professionals and High School students…I faded away from this idea and decided to make a cynical and revealing film about manners; especially in Newton. I think I will stick with this as I already have an idea for at least four different scenes. A market and shoppers being rude to other shoppers and food vendors. A person not giving up his/her seat for an elder person on a train. The lack of “thank yous” when a door is held open voluntarily for people. And several interviews with store/shop owners and workers. I am aiming for about 20 minutes of footage and a final product of about 10 minutes…I think this will be feasible. I MAY need a more sufficient editing program…and/or an interview microphone for better sound quality…Lighting for the interviews would be really great too. Having any of these three things would seriously enhance my video.

WISE Journal second entry

My initial steps towards my WISE project have been slightly discouraging. After scheduling a meeting with Mr. Stembridge, I anxiously awaited whether he would authorize me staging a food eating competition at school. Mr Stembridge told me that having a competition at school would be just as unjust as “testing the effects of marijuana on the brain” at school. Hearing this was really not that surprising to me, it just limits my overall area of filming content. I have also contacted Mr. Richard and George Shea.

WISE Journal first entry

I got the idea to make a documentary film based on competitive food eating one day while I was watching TV. I was on the food channel and there was a commercial for a local hot dot eating competition. This immediately sparked my interest and after much deliberation, I decided that I wanted to do this for my WISE presentation. While I do not have any passion on food eating, I do have a film making passion and my idea to make a documentary was finally grounded after I decided my topic. I considered internships at Public Relations firms, or a documentary on today's health care. I chose my topic because I thought it was original and would be exciting to create. Out of this project I wish to obtain a well filmed and edited close to 10 minute documentary. I also really wish that I could host a mock food eating competition here at South. My goals are to learn the nutritional science behind a food over-consumer and I also hope to gain a better understanding of the film-making industry. I would like to know: "is over consuming food really worth everything in the end?"