Blog 24 - Last Presentation Reflection

"Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the whole world." - Jean-Luc Godard

1) Positive Statement: What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

A: I feel overall, I am most proud of my content explanation of my first answer (aka my best answer). The answer, although simple on the surface, has a lot of jargon in relative to psychological terms and concepts. I felt as though complex, I was able to bring it down to a level of explanation for the typical layman to understand, resulting in the overall comprehension of my answer. In addition, I feel like as an overall senior project, I am most proud of my independent components. With these projects, I was able to fully express myself as a filmmaker and explore techniques I had never previously thought to do.

(2) Questions to Consider

a. What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation?  Use the component contract to defend that assessment.

AE P AP CR NC

A: I think for my final presentation I deserve an AE. Overall, I believe that I was able to hit all of my major content points and was as clear as possible in order to gain audience comprehension of answers. In addition, I filled my presentation with different demonstrations and examples across many different forms of media to convey a certain point or back up certain points. I feel as though these different examples that I was able to get across and make sense to the audience members. In addition, I feel as though I had good enunciation and speaking tone to the students.

b. What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project? Use the component contract to defend that assessment.

AE P AP CR NC

A: I believe for my final assessment on my overall senior project that I deserve an AE as well. I feel as though I learned so much this year over the course of the project. I was able to gain so much from the project itself and learn new and interesting points about what it is about the psychological aspects of filmmaking. Over the project itself, my research has always been up to a high standard and to the utmost quality in relevance to usable sources for my final presentation and I-Search. My I-Search was completed with hard work and the maximized amount of effort I possibly could in order to release and produce such content. My interviews were some of the best resources I’ve ever received as well as some of the best advice I’d ever been given as a filmmaker.

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

A: I think as a collective project, the senior project was a very good experience for me overall. Throughout the entire process, I was able to grow in knowledge and had new opportunities that I would have never been able to experience had it not been the ability to participate in this project. I really thoroughly enjoyed the production of my independent components and the journey of researching content I am genuinely interested in.

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project?

A: Honestly, like I’ve already said, I enjoyed the project as a whole. There were a few moments where I did think certain things were tedious, but those were more in moments of procrastination and sleep deprivation. I wouldn’t do anything different for my project. I am proud of the way it turned out.

(5) Finding Value: How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors? Be specific and use examples.

A: The senior project itself has allowed for so many new opportunities for me. It has allowed for personal growth and exploration into the film industry and research on a balance-able level. Through my project, I have made so many relations and began building my network of people for relationships in the field. Because of the project, I have been able to meet some of my biggest inspirations into my drive to be a filmmaker. It was a dream come true to gain advice and knowledge from such professionals that have shaped my career choice and aspirations.

Blog 23 - Exit Interview

"There are no rules in filmmaking. Only sins. And the cardinal sin is dullness." 

- Frank Capra

1.) What is your essential question, and what are your answers?  What is your best answer and why?

A: My essential question is “How can a filmmaker maximize the affective domain of the audience’s viewing experience?” My three answers consist of the three main production aspects within filmmaking. They are:

• A filmmaker can maximize the affective domain of the audience’s viewing experience by utilizing screenwriting elements to depict an engaging plot and colorful assembly of characters.

• A filmmaker can maximize the affective domain of the audience’s viewing experience by utilizing screenwriting elements to depict an engaging plot and colorful assembly of characters.

• A filmmaker can maximize the affective domain of the audience's viewing experience by executing certain editing styles and applying appropriate music to heighten the emotions that are planned to be conveyed.

My best answer is my first answer which is that “A filmmaker can maximize the affective domain of the audience’s viewing experience by utilizing screenwriting elements to depict an engaging plot and colorful assembly of characters.” I believe this to be my best answer due to the general nature of what a film is. Film has always been a storyteller medium. Our natural human nature drives us to look for stories and things we can relate to as people. When utilizing different types of characters, stories, and problems, you can truly maximize the emotional response during the audience’s viewing experience. Different people with different perspectives on the world can provide their own emotional input and personal experiences into the subjects portrayed on the screen.

2.) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

A: I was truly able to come to this conclusion right before the second lesson presentation. Three out of the four film industry experienced I was able to interview really advocated and voiced the fact stories and characters are the most important thing in a film that can draw audiences everywhere. Films can be flashy and aesthetic, but at the end of the day, an impactful film has heart and emotion that people can relate to and truly gain a deeper understanding of life with. With this answer, I went into my first independent component in order to explore the avenues of this answer and get first-hand experience with it.

3.) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

A: Over the course of my senior project, I think finding research was sometimes very difficult. When it comes to film, there’s a very surface level understanding that most beginning filmmakers know (editing techniques, angle styles, etc.) When it came to the research I was trying to conduct, I had to look into the base information in hopes to find something I could dig deeper into with psychology or emotional study. In addition, interviews were a bit difficult to arrange. Not knowing many individuals in the filmmaking field, I had to reach out to many very busy filmmakers. In order to land an interview, persistence and respect was key in finally landing not one, but two very big interviews with two of my biggest filmmaker inspirations.

4.) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

A: The two most significant sources that that I used in order to answer my essential question has to be my mentorship with Marc Estrada as well as an interview I conducted with Jason Lee from the Jubilee Project. Mr. Estrada really provided me with a kindness and understanding for a drive in an aspiring filmmaker like myself. He really helped me improve not only with my research, but as a filmmaker in general. He was able to provide me with so much personal experience and great information as far as what an emotional film needs. In addition, Jason Lee gave me a new perspective on film as a whole coming from a storyteller perspective. In addition, he gave me a lot to digest through thoughts with the ideas of psychologically affecting films through characters and plot.