Intro to Reflection Unit

The goal of this unit was to explore our identities and what makes us who we are. In both English and Digital Media classes we attempted to answer the question “Who am I?”. In English, we began by writing our personal statement essays, modeled after the main Common Application essay used in college applications. We used Ethan Sawyer’s book College Essay Essentials as a guide for the brainstorming and revision process. In Digital Media we drew a Mandala using adobe illustrator in which we included symbols and images that represents parts of our identity or sense of self. We also created a core values video, showing off what each of us value.

During this unit I learned about what were the things that really mattered to me and made my personality different from others’. In English, I was able to gain a lot more insight into myself from the brainstorming process since we focused on what we value. Through reflecting during this unit, I learned how much I actually like teaching and being a mentor, which I did not think too much of prior. In Digital Media I liked how we were able to explore anything relating to parts of us and I appreciated the freedom in that.

Core Values Video

Mandala

Intro

For this project we used Adobe Illustrator to make templates for 8, 10, 12, and 14 slice mandalas. We set it up so that we only had to draw in one of the slices and it would be repeated in all the others. I really liked this feature since I was able to easily experiment making different patterns. Our designs were then printed onto a material of our choice using a laser printer. My material of choice was bamboo wood. We also colored our mandala on Adobe Illustrator and photographed our laser printed mandala.

Adobe Illustrator Behind the Scenes

This is a screenshot of the Adobe Illustrator interface where I drew the black and white mandala. The layers panel on the right shows each element I drew which makes up the mandala.

Black and White Mandala Artist Statement

My inspiration for this project was nature and life. My mandala flows from the outside into the inside, following the cycle of nature’s elements. On the outer edges, the clouds and lightning signal the outermost edge of the Earth. The next layer features an eye with tears, struck by lightning, representing the start of the water cycle. The water then drips down the mountains and flows to nourish the life below, depicted by leaves. Closer to the center, smaller life forms like bugs and insects reside, feeding off everything the cycle above has produced. At the very center, fire represents the Earth’s molten core. As an overall message, my mandala symbolizes that hardships in life are essential for growth. Moments of tears enrich our inner selves and can be used to ignite further passion within us.

Colored Mandala Artist Statement

Coloring my mandala was a challenge since I didn’t have specific colors in mind when I first drew the black-and-white version. I began by coloring the images that represent real-life objects, using the colors they should be. For example, the tears, lightning, and the fire in the middle were easy to color blue, yellow, and red. However, I still had to consider the shades and whether to use combinations of colors. As someone with little experience in drawing or coloring, I practiced using different shades and learned which ones looked better. Once I finished the obvious coloring, I chose the rest of the colors based on their surroundings. For instance, I colored the circles near the middle similar to the fire to keep the mandala’s flow.

Build Reveal Video

Laser Engraving Video

Photo of Laser Engraved Mandala Artist Statement

For my photo of the engraved mandala, I included greenery to emphasize its nature theme. I experimented with different depths of field to create a background that frames the mandala. This project helped me practice using the camera’s manual focus. Additionally, selecting the right text font and its placement on the image helped develop my skills in framing and contributed to my growth as an artist.

Mandala Reflection

Something I appreciated about the entire mandala project was how we made so many different products within this one assignment. We made a black and white version as well as a colored version. I really liked how we were able to get our designs printed into a physical product and practice photography. I like how this project left us with a lot of things to show for it and present to others.

Personal Essay

Intro

The purpose of this essay was to explore out identities and to reflect upon our core values. This assignment was also modeled off the personal statement Common Application essay used in college applications. The process in writing this essay began by brainstorming values, using Ethan Sawyer’s book, College Essay Essentials, to help. The next step in my process was to write about how I learned each of my values which helped me brainstorm story ideas which would showcase many of my values. In the end, I believe I did a good job demonstrating numerous of my values through the use of one story in my life. Because of this, I think I did well answering the question “Who am I?”.

Personal Essay

Film Production

Reflections Video Essay

The objective of this project was to reflect upon a past event, however, the core focus was not the event itself, but to showcase our thought process about it. This project was meant to explore how our inner mind works.

3-Way Swap Videos

In this project we were split up into three groups of three where each group was responsible for one part of the production: writing the story, filming, and editing. Three different videos were made where each group rotating what part of the production they were responsible for.

I was involved in the filming of this video:

1 Period Videos

We were challenged to write, film, and edit an entire film in one class period, working in groups.

Surround Sound Video

In this project we learned how to mix audio that supports surround sound. Surround sound uses different speakers placed around the audience to simulate sounds coming from the correct location on screen. For example, if someone is talking off screen you can hear their voice behind you.

Reflection

In my Film Production class I valued the creative freedom we had to produce what we wanted. There were almost no limits as to the story/film ideas we could make. I also valued how I was able to get to know my classmates better by collaborating with them in different types of projects.