Credit: Joshua Kun
The Town of Stanford’s new playground is beginning to take shape as community volunteers, tools in hand, swarm the Recreation Center. On the scene, with professional filming equipment in their own hands, are Nancy Kangas and Josh Kun of Brooklyn-based Oakhouse Films. Kangas and Kun are making a documentary about the SPARC Park project and have been gathering footage since January.
Kangas and Kun have collaborated for over a decade, after meeting at a poetry event in Columbus, Ohio. Kangas is a teacher-artist and a published poet, working with young children. Kun has been a cinematographer since graduating from film school at Chapman University, in Orange, Calif.; after a few years of commercial work, he is now immersed in his primary passion, documentaries. As co-founders of Oakhouse Films, they have produced an eclectic body of work, ranging from an animated presentation of children’s poems (Preschool Poets) to a contemplative study of people and nature (the award-winning Was That Boulder Always There).
Credit: J.R. Tracy
While working on short-form pieces, Kangas and Kun pondered something more ambitious in scope. They eventually hit upon playgrounds as a topic, particularly projects that are “community builds.” That’s when a specialized organization provides fundraising and management advice to a municipality, which in turn supplies volunteer labor and performs the actual construction. Kangas and Kun contacted Play By Design, a community build playground consultant, in search of a suitable subject. Play By Design suggested its partners in the Stanfordville Recreation Committee, and Kangas and Kun were soon on their way to Dutchess County.
The filmmakers see the playground as an expression of evolving attitudes toward safety and parenting. “Over the years playgrounds have been getting shorter, less risky and oriented toward more prescriptive play,” said Kun. “We thought we would see dinky plastic equipment, but SPARC Park reflects a new trend, away from ultra-safe environments — it will have a climbing wall and a 40-foot zipline!”
The community build aspect offers interesting themes as well. Kangas said, “We’re fascinated by the amount of volunteerism that existed in the ’90s, when the original Stanford playground was built. There isn’t as much of that today, but Stanford still embraces it.” Kun added, “The whole idea is to put it into the hands of the community. When people build their own playground, they use it more — it’s a shared experience.”
Since their arrival in Stanfordville, the pair have been a visible presence, filming Town Board meetings, the farewell celebration for the old park and the arrival of construction materials. They have felt welcomed, in keeping with the community spirit of the project. “I have been so struck by the warmth and generosity — people have invited us into their living rooms, into their kitchens, to share their stories,” said Kangas.
Credit: J.R. Tracy
In this age of iPhone-based productions, observers may be surprised to see Kun handling a substantial setup, centered on a Canon C500 Mk II camera complete with long lens and a hefty battery pack. An Easyrig camera harness allows Kun to maneuver with grace, but the bulkiness of the setup is a deliberate choice. “The weight eliminates the micro jitters you get from smaller cameras, with no need for digital smoothing or stabilization,” said Kun. “It feels more intentional, more grounded — appropriate for long-form storytelling.”
Kangas and Kun already had 146 hours of footage before construction began on Thursday, April 18. Work continued through Saturday, April 20, with three shifts a day and over forty volunteers toiling in each four-hour shift. After a week off, construction will resume on Tuesday, April 30, and run through project completion on Saturday, May 4. Kun expects the total to hit 450 hours, for over 100 terabytes of data, by the time they pack up in June.
After filming, the pair anticipate several months of editing, along with the arduous process of fundraising and searching for a distributor. “We’ll be sending this to festivals we think will be a good match for the content,” said Kangas.
“This story has a lot of weight,” Kangas added. “It may seem very ordinary, but in fact it’s very rich. It’s not just about Stanfordville. The film will show those outside the community what it’s like to be involved in this kind of project. Folks are coming together and really stepping up. It’s going to amaze a lot of people.”
The Stanfordville Recreation Committee is still looking for volunteers for 30 April through 5 May. If you’re interested you can sign up at https://www.stanfordvillerecreationcampaign.org.