introduction
This unit prompted us to express our thoughts and emotions in a metaphorical and experimental way. In order to achieve this goal, we learned how to use various equipment and software such as DSLR cameras, Tascam audio recorders, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Avid Pro Tools, and WordPress.
In all of our Freestyle classes, we were encouraged to explore the depths of our creativity and push the boundaries of not only our own perceptions of the world but of the perceptions of those who would view and analyze our projects. While learning useful skills and software in Digital Media, we gained a fuller understanding of art by studying different artists, techniques, history, and concepts in English. By taking these classes simultaneously, we were able to synthesize what we learned in each class in order to make even better final products.
haiku
After studying the history and many examples of haiku poetry in English class, we sought to write our own haikus employing the traditional structure and kigo (seasonal reference). In Digital Media, we took a photo to enhance the meaning of our poem and assemble it in a visual form.
The photo haiku was one of the first projects of this year, and creating the poem, visual, and video taught me how much work goes even into a small production. I learned a lot of valuable writing and software skills from this project that helped me improve more as the semester progressed.
free verse poetry
After learning the more structured style of haiku poetry in English, we moved on to free verse which prompted us to employ the visual storytelling techniques of haiku but gave us more freedom of expression. We explored various examples of free verse and were encouraged to expose ourselves to works of many different poets in order to produce our own, unique poem. In Digital Media, we produced an image in Photoshop to display our poem in a more interesting way, and we recorded our poem with sound effects to cultivate a specific mood.
“growing up” is a free verse poem about our shifts in values as we journey through life, beginning and ending with an appreciation of the little things. Importance is subjective, and our perception of what is important is often distorted by our ambitions, expectations, experiences, and external pressures from society. The purest times in life, in this case childhood and late adulthood, allow us to get a glimpse at what is truly valuable. In the first stanza, I used commas liberally to indicate the soft, reflective nature of my thought-process as I recalled childhood memories. I employed imagery in this stanza and lingered on the memory of the stickers, taking ample time to reflect on small, seemingly unimportant details. This imagery and attention to detail is contrasted by the more cynical and urgent tone in the stanzas to come. Anaphora is a rhetorical device that I used multiple times in this poem to place emphasis on certain words and phrases, as well as developing a familiarity and rhythm for the reader/listener. Both of the first lines of the first two stanzas begin with “i used to collect things”, a line which feels nostalgic and foreshadows the change in values described later in the poem which caused me to stop collecting things. The repetition of the word “every” in the second stanza and the repetition of the phrase “ready to” in the seventh stanza both serve to emphasize the weight that those words hold, and prompt the reader/listener to contemplate the coming ideas. From stanza three to stanza five, I chose to leave all of my lines enjambed in order to emphasize the urgency felt by the narrator as they struggle to keep up in a world that praises efficiency and youth while placing too little emphasis on living in the moment. The lines are short and choppy, highlighting the narrator’s inability to devote their focus to one thing as they rush forward in a haze of panic and haste. The seventh stanza begins with enjambed lines as well but transitions to lines that are end stopped with commas. This shift represents that the narrator is beginning to slow down and reflect. The final line acts as its own stanza, as it is a departure from the tone of the poem. With only two words, I conclude the poem on a colloquial, frank, and slightly critical note in order to prompt the reader/listener to consider the application of this poem to their own lives. During peer review, the poem was well-received, and I got some very kind positive feedback from my peers. As I was editing, I made sure to consider what went over well with my audience and kept those parts of the poem in, such as the repetition, sensory details, and conclusion of the poem. When writing this poem, I was particularly inspired by “The Day After Labor Day” by Joan Graham. I love the simplicity of the language of the poem, yet the profound emotions it evokes. I tried to do the same in this poem. I wanted to write something accessible yet impactful to impart the message of taking your time, one which I believe is very important.
Creating audio and an image to go along with my free verse poem made me realize the way in which combining different media can highlight specific aspects of a piece of writing, especially the emotions which it evokes. I really enjoyed exploring this concept through producing the various parts of this project.
elements and principles of art
In order to gain a well-rounded understanding of the elements of art and the principles of design, we assembled a slideshow in Digital Media demonstrating each of these aspects of a successful work of art. On each slide is an example of traditional art, photography, and modern art that employs the specified concept. Click below to flip through the slides.
experimental film
For this project, we were prompted to create an experimental film based off a concept statement which we were randomly assigned. In class, we watched examples of different experimental films, pitched our ideas, revised according to peer feedback, wrote a synopsis, filmed, and edited in order to create an abstract, visual representation of the emotion and topic we were given. Experimental films are meant to be an interaction between the filmmaker and viewer in order to reach a unique interpretation the visuals portrayed in the film. Often, they are rooted in emotion and do not conform to the traditional three act story structure.
Before taking Film class this semester, I had hardly picked up a camera, I had never opened Premiere Pro, and I had only a vague understanding of the process of filmmaking. Throughout the course of this semester, I learned all of those things and more, and I am incredibly thankful to have been able to collaborate with and learn alongside so many amazing people. The process of making this experimental film was difficult, time consuming, and extremely rewarding. As well as ending up with a completed film, I developed more skills and experience which have helped me view the world in a new, different way. When looking for ways to portray emotion in my experimental film, I was forced to think creatively and work with what I had. Often it was difficult to achieve the image I envisioned (especially with the strange circumstances of this year), but I strived to do whatever was necessary to get the shot (as Mr. Taylor has enthusiastically encouraged us to do :)).
my experimental film synopsis:
I AM EXPLORING THE FEELING OF FRUSTRATION THROUGH LEARNING HISTORY.
The film opens with a young woman sprinting through an open field, happy, vibrant, and free. She slows to a stop and the camera begins to spin around her until it settles once again, only now the young woman is standing in front of a pool. It is night, and the pool is glowing with turquoise light. She is looking at herself in a hand held mirror, and her hair and dress are mussed. She turns to the right, and finds another version of herself staring with confusion. She slowly shakes her head and turns back to the mirror where she finds a balloon floating behind her. She drops the mirror in the pool, and jumps in after it. As soon as her foot touches the water, the pool turns dark. The girl is standing in front of a projector screen showing water and is crying. She emerges from the water wearing a white dress and holding the balloon which has emerged along with her. She is now back in the field, wearing the same (now dry) white dress and is holding the balloon. She sees herself from before, leaving a white rose on the grass before her. Before she can speak, the past version of herself runs away. She picks up the rose in her hand which is not holding the balloon and smiles. She walks to a tree where there are two chairs, a small table, a blanket, a mirror, and a vase. She places the flower in the vase and ties the balloon to the chair. She then proceeds to cover the balloon with the blanket. She lays in the grass to rest, but keeps seeing the balloon above her; it won’t leave. She looks over to find it still under the blanket where she left it. She sits in the other chair and looks in the mirror. In the reflection, she sees her past self, running, frolicking in the field. However, as soon as she closes her eyes and opens them again, the balloon is there instead. She throws the mirror to the ground, revealing the rose and vase which were sitting behind it. The rose is dead.
In this film, the experiences of this young woman are meant to portray the trapped, helpless lives of young women who lived earlier in history. Her life begins with freedom and only worsens from there, as she is forced to marry and sacrifice her independence in order to survive. The balloon represents a man, who is able to lift her from drowning as a single woman who cannot afford to live on her own, but who simultaneously haunts her. She sees visions of a life of freedom, one of the future where she could live without relying on another, but they do not last long. The rose represents her youth, liberty, and happiness, all of which are damaged beyond repair by the end of the film.
making the film:
When I first pitched this film, I was unsure of how to transform my idea into a reality. Step by step, I was able to piece it together with help from many others. My friend, Hannia, who stars in the film, helped me lug furniture into Rancho San Antonio Park, redid take after take even as confused hikers strolled by, jumped into a pool in two different dresses at night, and went with me to buy 4 red balloons on different shooting days. In addition to all of her amazing help, I received very helpful feedback from my peers, teacher, family, and friends on both the idea and rough cut of the film. This support combined with lots of brainstorming, contemplating, planning, and revising enabled me to reach my final product.
