How to Play the Game
Hello, world. Want to know what this all about?
Thank you for checking out what we’re doing here with Project Tumbleweed, a real-time documentary about life in America during a pandemic.
20 states. 4 weeks. Many, many miles.
I hit the road this Saturday (June 20, 2020) and hope you’ll join me for the journey. Regardless of when you find this, you might be wondering what you stumbled across.
Here’s a brief introduction to get you started:
What’s a “Real-Time Documentary”? You get to see behind-the-scenes as this story unfolds — you can even help shape the story arc. We’ll post snippets from interesting moments via social media and our daily email digest. You can track Scott’s progress and learn about the states he’s traveling through by visiting the Data Dive page.
What do I seek to accomplish? I’m interested in learning how others are navigating the disruptions that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused in our daily lives. I believe this is a great opportunity to understand how people in different parts of the country are overcoming these challenges and what lessons we could draw from these stories to apply going forward.
How can you be part of the show? You can recommend people with great stories, submit/post your photo for the “Wish You Were Here” challenge, and kick in for coffee and gas to get a shout-out from me. More details on the Contribute page.
Who’s behind this? My name is Scott Henderson. You can read my bio and learn more context about everything on the About page.
How am I going to pull this off? Learn as I go. I have a strong network of supporters who not only helped fund the launch but are contributing many helpful insights and suggestions as I go along. It takes a trusted network and a willingness to learn/stumble along the way. I appreciate your grace if things go off the rails, especially since I’m a self-taught videographer, photographer, or documentarian. .
Special Thanks to:
VidLoft for partnering with me and providing the technical assets to turn my footage around in time so we can have the premiere episode launch while I’m still on the road
Ronlewhorn Industries for creating an amazing design package from digital to print
Shawn Taylor for coding the real-time dashboard and route/journey mapping solutions featured on the website
Ted Smith, PhD, from the University of Louisville, for our research collaboration looking at the mental models people are using to navigate the pandemic
Leo’s Wellness Bakery for serving as the official road snack
Mike Rendel for entrusting me with his Mavic Pro and recommending I buy roof rack storage