Introduction
Hi! My name is Mary Kate Outten, and I am a film student at Freestyle Academy. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to learn in Freestyle, where both my film and media skills have grown immensely. Thanks to the help of the Freestyle staff, my creativity has been able to flourish through different projects. At Freestyle we have a lot of creative choice, and I feel that I have really been able to showcase that.
Outside of Freestyle Academy, I am president of two clubs: Spartan Buddies (where I pair students with and without disabilities together) and Unhoused Awareness. One of my passions is working with individuals with disabilities, and on Saturdays I help run a taiko class for kids with Down syndrome. I also help volunteer at the special education summer school, and I work weekly at Hyperspace (a local arcade). When I am not busy with these activities, I love to go to the beach and hang out with family and friends!
For my showcase project, I wanted to feature a film that I feel represents my skills and the type of work I enjoyed at Freestyle. I created a documentary called “Happy Hearts” in my film class, where I interviewed elderly individuals in my community about their advice and journeys towards finding happiness. I am proud of the outcome, and I enjoyed hearing each person’s opinions and thoughts.
I am so appreciative you are taking the time to review my work, and I am looking forward to hearing your feedback!
My Documentary Film
Reel
My reel shows various different projects from both my junior and senior years at Freestyle. My reel is a focus on the films that I have created at Freestyle, including my Reflections, Documentary, Narrative, and Zenith films. I enjoyed the Reflections project a lot, and that sort of inspired my zenith film that can be seen in the Reel.
I also created a showcase video, explaining the process behind the creation of “Happy Hearts.” This video shows me talking about some of my interviewees, my insights on the project, and some behind-the-scenes information.
Reflection
Overall, the documentary project was one of my favorites at Freestyle. I am attending Vanderbilt University next year, where I will be majoring in special education and business. I hope to continue pursuing creative and innovative projects when I am in college, whether through digital media or film. Thank you so much again for reviewing my project!