Introduction

The Project

The reflections unit was a chance to develop a deeper connection with yourself and step outside of our comfort zone to share something that may be personal to us.  Throughout all of our classes, we really focused on ourselves and were able to speak what was on our mind.  We were taught to share these feelings through metaphors, poetry, and visuals.  As the unit is all about reflecting, it was also important to look back at how we have changed throughout all of high school and what we have developed.

Reflecting

Just before senior year started, I turned 18.  This was a big step up as I really felt like an adult, although not much actually changed.  I felt a whole new responsibility for what I was going to do with my life and brought a lot of thoughts to my head.  During this unit, I was able to explore these feelings and thoughts.  I learned that expressing some of these thoughts can really help you stay calm and concentrated.  Throughout this unit, I was able to develop those thoughts and get them out of my head by sharing them creatively and connecting with myself and others.

Personal Essay

Writing our personal essay was a way to focus on a certain event or subject and really develop it.  After reading College Essay Essentials and critiquing a lot of other peoples work, we went into the process of creating our own.  During a time where finding a good essay topic is important, especially for college, drafting and creating this essay was very helpful.

“Who Am I?” Essay

After my first two years of high school, I wanted something more.  Although I worked hard, my classes didn’t seem to relate to each other. I felt isolated because I struggled to see the connection between my academic subjects.  I listened to the presentation about Freestyle Academy, an arts, and technology program in my high school district, and realized I’d enjoy a program where all my classes were connected.  I wanted to know what it would be like to study in an interdisciplinary environment, where the curriculum was related. However, my friends didn’t understand my desire to move to Freestyle; to them, it was too much of a risk, both socially and academically, but I was willing to take that chance. What I came to realize was that I learned much more than just a new curriculum at Freestyle.  I grew into someone who embraced change and the risks that came along with that.

As a Freestyle film student, I knew my work was going to be critiqued by my peers and my teachers.  The first time I showed my work, I was nervous. My first film assignment was to explain something about myself and in doing so, I was sharing intimate details about my life.  We were going to have a public viewing of our films where anyone could provide feedback on something that I put enormous effort into. I didn’t know what to expect or how to prepare, so I just let it happen.  When I finally showed my work, I was surprised. My movie finished, the lights shot on, and I heard applause. A feeling of relief and happiness slowly took over my body as I realized I wasn’t harmed by revealing details so personal. I was lifted by encouraging comments that supported my vision.  At the same time, the criticism wasn’t focused on me, but rather on what I could do to strengthen my work. I grasped the concept of how collaboration works, and that understanding changed my mindset completely.

As my film was slowly picked apart with feedback and criticism, I found myself thoroughly engaged.  Lighting, composition, focus, perspective, the list of suggested revisions just kept on growing. I heard people speak who I had never interacted with before, yet they were discussing my film. I was appreciative of all of the support I was receiving, but I also had to learn to defend some of the ideas I strongly believed in.  The comments, while challenging, were essential for my growth as a filmmaker. When it was my turn to offer feedback on other students’ work, I contributed well-thought-out comments as I wanted to be as constructive as my peers had been.

Following the feedback I received, I went back to edit my film with a different perspective. I was confident in my ability to decide what advice to take and what to ignore. Without the help of my classmates, I wouldn’t have been able to create my best work.  I now understand that I value feedback, as it is a critical part of my creative process. Freestyle’s collaborative environment motivated me to hear critiques from different perspectives so that I could keep an open mindset and consider new ways to approach a problem.  Learning how not only to accept criticism but also how to stand up for my ideas has helped me grow as a student and a filmmaker.

I have discovered that I enjoy engaging and collaborating with my peers.  My decision to attend Freestyle was purely because I wanted the challenge of an interdisciplinary curriculum, but I learned so much more.  Having a strong social and academic bond helped me create the community I want. My experience as a Freestyle student has revealed that I want to be challenged, to work with people I respect, and to welcome the possibilities that come from having an open mind.

Essay Audio

My audio is different from my essay as my audio was recorded before I had my finalized draft, but this audio is a good example of how much a draft can change based off of feedback.

Perspective Piece

Perspective Video

For our perspective piece, we were given the freedom to create a rant about a subject of our choice.  This was another opportunity to get some thoughts out of my head and express them through a rant, emphasized through after effects.  You can see my video below.

Perspective Video Process

I used two programs to make this video.  The first was Pro Tools, where I recorded my audio, chopped it up, and then exported into another folder.  I then took that audio and put it into After Effects, where I spent most of my time.  I then added photos relating to my topics and editted them to fade in and out with my audio.

Production Piece

Video Essay

In our Film class, we were also discovering more about “Who Am I?”.  We were assigned to take a topic and turn it into a video essay by showing what we were telling.  As this was my first film, I made it pretty experimental.  I developed an idea and slight dilemna I had in my head that I was dealing with at the time and putting it into a script and then transforming that into a film really helped me clear my head.  The video essay is a great way to show a little bit about yourself as well as showing what you can do with a film.

Video Essay Process

While creating this video, I only used one program, which was Premiere Pro.  Shown in the screenshot below, you can see how I used the clips I took and implemented them into my film.  I then imported sound effects I thought were fititng and clipped them together as well.