These past two years at Freestyle Academy have given me the ability to be more independent and express my creative side more freely. With the resources and guidance from my teachers and peers, I am proud to feature my two best Freestyle projects:
- Te Dua Film
- Life Uploaded Documentary: A Closer Look at the Analytics and Mechanics of YouTube
TE DUA
Te Dua is the first professional short film that I have ever created. Jordan and I decided to make a film about self-acceptance and racism because we felt that these important and serious topics are often not represented as much as other “more exciting” topics in film. The story is inspired by a fellow student and friend which is why we wanted to do a lot of research to fully understand the culture and lifestyles that we would be portraying. We looked up to directors such as Greta Gerwig as models in forming the style of Te Dua. This is a coming of age film that I am incredibly proud to have made!
LIFE UPLOADED DOCUMENTARY
Life Uploaded was a personal challenge for me because I had to get over my unfamiliarity with documentaries. Before making this film, I was never interested in watching documentaries and therefore had no idea how they are made. This documentary is one of my proudest projects from Freestyle because of how much it pushed me and taught me. Learning how to properly use all different kinds of mics, lights, and cameras allowed me to get shots that were astonishing. The style of this film that Lilia and I wanted to go for was simplicity and honesty. I think that it’s great that we chose the pretty new concept of YouTube to share the stories of people in our community who are on the platform.
REFLECTION
Freestyle has taught me many media skills which I will take with me in the future and has taught me how to effectively collaborate and think creatively. I now look at films, literature, and all other kinds of media in a new perspective.