Reflections

Introduction

“Who am I?”

During the Reflections unit, I dove deep into my own character traits, core values, and essence objects through multiple projects. I experimented with different mediums- including video, words, and even wood- in order to express my values of empathy, open-mindedness, and community, to name a few. Our teachers gave us valuable time to brainstorm and discuss with others the objects and values which form our identities. Instead of focusing on my resume or academic accomplishments, I discovered what truly makes me unique.

I produced this video using Adobe After Effects. During this assignment, I learned how to animate text with minimal keyframes, which is an extremely useful skill for any video. I chose to use both a calming color palette and calming music because I believe that many of my core values are grounded and realistic.

Mandala

In Digital Media, I learned how to create a mandala with reflecting and repeating slices in Adobe Illustrator by using concentric circles and clipping masks. I used a small brush in Illustrator to add fine details and fill the space with meaningful designs. I became adept at organizing all of the layers in my Illustrator workspace. As part of the project, I produced a black and white, a colored, and a laser-engraved mandala.

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My inspiration for this project was all of the vegetables that I have fond memories eating. I included onions, artichokes, cilantro, bell peppers, sugar snap peas, and avocados. I even drew an avocado plant because I used to salvage avocado pits and submerge them in water until they sprouted a stem and leaves. I wanted to portray how the ingredients in the food we eat shapes our identity and reminds us of home.

My greatest challenge was deciding what to do with the empty space I had. I eventually decided not to add many filler doodles between the vegetables because I didn’t want the mandala to be overcrowded. If I could change one thing about my product, I would probably spend more time creating a meaningful design in the center. However, I am very proud of the theme I came up with because I think all vegetables have beautiful designs and shapes that we tend to mimic in art. For future projects, I learned to be mindful of creating variety within repetition. I now more greatly value the meaning behind everyone’s art, and how very personal it can be for them.

I chose to use a green and purple color scheme to color my mandala because I wanted to emphasize vibrant colors that exist naturally in nature. Many of the vegetables I drew– for instance, the onion, cilantro, artichoke, and avocado all consist of various greens and purples. I found it challenging to balance the green and purple so that one color didn’t overpower the other, but varying the value of the hues solved my problem. I’m proud of the color scheme I used because although green and purple usually symbolize toxicity, I was able to incorporate them into a piece of art about the beauty of the living world.

I chose to laser engrave my mandala on a wooden pizza board because I believe it fits my theme of finding a sense of place with food.

Personal Essay

In English class, we focused on writing our personal statements for looming college applications. This related to the theme of “reflections” because we completed many writing exercises to discover our core values and essence objects. I chose to write about the death of my father right before 10th grade, and I’m proud of the vulnerability that I exhibited. In Digital Media, I mixed an audio recording of my Personal Essay and utilized the production skills we learned in Adobe Audition.

Motion Graphics

During this unit, I learned how to produce motion graphics in Adobe After Effects. I specifically learned how to use rotoscoping, create text animations, and how to sync animation with audio.

First, we learned how to apply track mattes and rotoscoping to our video productions. We used masks and the Roto Brush & Refine Edge tool to track and apply effects to a subject across many frames.

Next, we practiced syncing motion graphics with audio with the Audio Spectrum effect in After Effects. We explored the different ways to visually represent waveforms which reacted to our chosen audio. I decided to depict the opening theme song from Bob’s Burgers, one of my favorite TV shows.

Finally, we learned how to create motion graphics like repeating animated lines, varying shapes star bursts with tapered lines, custom zip lines, and bubbles with SFXs. Specifically, we practiced implementing a simple Wave Warp effect, modifying Repeater and Taper options, and using Hold Keyframes and Motion Blur. I chose to create a galactic scene with shooting stars to demonstrate the skills I learned.

Film

In Film, my classmates and I first took advantage of our brand-new campus and photography studio by creating a short greenscreen exercise. We also practiced our, screenwriting, production, and time management skills by creating two collaborative short films.

Our main assignment this unit was to produce a video essay that showcased the way our minds work. This was a challenge because it made me evaluate what makes me unique beyond my achievements and activities. I chose to focus on my desire for symmetry and balance- and the importance of adapting to adversity.