Explorations Project
In the explorations project, we had the opportunity to get school credit for learning a skill of our choice. During this summer I’m going to take an internship with a film company that involves script reading and reviewing. So in the explorations unit, I learned the entire process of film scripts in hollywood. That way I was able to become a useful employee for this company.
In my explorations process I first started with learning about the different types of screenplays that exist in hollywood. Which are original, adapted IP, and adapted story. By doing research and speaking with professionals in the industry I learned how each of them are pitched and drafted in hollywood.
In my presentation I also used a demonstration with people from the audience in order to show the audience how the drafting and revising process works in hollywood. It was a fun demonstration that got the audience engaged.
I then wrote my idea for a horror short film that would work both as a small film with 1 character on youtube. Then I would move to writing a large scale feature film script of a similar genre. That way I can show how I would operate as a small director in the industry.
I also wrote about my concept for a feature original film on a large budget, which is a mix of extraction and minority report. There is this extraction team that uses time travel to go into the future to gather information about their attack, and then use that information from the future in order to make predictions about the extraction they’re about to make.
What I valued from the explorations project is I learned a bit about each type of screenplay. This will be useful because when I start writing and looking at scripts I’ll know what to look out for and what’s important. The explorations project allowed me to use my class time in freestyle to do that.
In IP adaptation I wanted to create a film about plants vs zombies. I first gathered the core aspects of plants vs zombies as an IP. And then took those values to inject into my story. That way I was able to make an adaptation idea that might be successful.
Music Recording
The music we created in explorations was a cover of Lava Chicken from the Minecraft Movie. Our group just wanted a fun song to work with that we could all play a part in. And during this we learned the importance of preparation as a band when you’re recording music.
First, we found musical arrangements of the three pieces we would be performing; guitar, keys, and vocals. After a week of practice, we gathered in Freestyle’s massive recording studio to record. With the help of our Digital Media teacher, Mr. Flo, we were taught how to setup and perform our instruments. Once we were ready, we recorded about five takes.
Post production was pretty fun. Since a lot of the tracks were not mastered and the guitar didn’t have any distortion on it, it made the track sound a little naked. But once everything was mixed in it sounded pretty nice.
Overall, this project was very fun and taught us several new skills that will be extremely useful in the future should we pursue a career in music production or recording in general.
Poem
During our poetry unit, we learned how to make a poem and the process of creating one from a real poet. She worked with us in workshops to show how the poetry process works. And we also learned the value of a poem and what it it’s purpose is. We then did research on a mentor poem where we analyzed their style and choices so that we could get inspiration for our poem.
Above is my mentor poem analysis. Where I copied down the poem that I read called Hyperion by John Keats. This is an epic poem which means that it depicts mythology in a heroic and war like manor. So when I wrote my poem I wanted to reflect this.
Shriveled Land
An aching thirst
in a bleak blackened terrain.
Though under a common twilight,
these saplings know no soil,
these leaves know no light.
A lone bizarre breeze
may crumble the barren bark.
So, patiently
the mold waits.
Quietly
Then, white?
No.
Yellow! A blinding yellow
that charges fourth each horizon.
An amber flood that soaks
the once desolate decay.
And the crimson combustion calls,
“
Awake!
Awake O shriveled land!
“
A sapling is bathed.
A leaf Is baked.
A regular gust.
Now rocks a rich green
under a too common sun,
that makes marigold fade to blue.
So at once, the darkness is outshined
and the lone desert is made noon.
This poem was half story building and half poem writing. When I wrote this I wanted to get that mythology aspect that is shown in epics. So I made up a story about how the sun arrived at earth for the first time. So the shriveled land that has nothing was given life when the sun arrived. And then I used epic wording and shakespearian diction in order to make the poem sound heroic and epic. And I’m really happy with how it turned out.