Explorations

Introduction

The Explorations Project is basically a chance for Junior Freestyle students to go all-in on something they actually care about. Instead of just studying a topic, you research it, build a real skill around it, and connect it to your growth as a creator. The big question driving every project is: How can you find, explore, and expand your passion? Each project ties into 21st Century Skills — things like creativity, critical thinking, and communication — because Freestyle is all about learning that actually means something.

My Idea

I originally wanted to do my project on color theory in film, but it was way too broad to tackle in the time we had. At the same time, makeup is one of my biggest interests, I got really into it during quarantine and have really enjoyed doing it ever since. So I started thinking about how I could combine the two, and was inspired by a bunch of TikTok videos about how makeup worked differently on old film cameras. This was super interesting to me and I thought it would be a perfect way to incorporate my interests into my project while also learning/mastering a skill related to film.

Process

Before filming, I researched the history of color theory in black and white film, specifically how it was developed and applied to makeup. This helped me understand the different types of black and white film and how each one picked up or completely ignored certain colors. I also looked into the various factors lighting plays into choosing what colors to use, however for my project I decided to narrow it down to just the specific colors that the camera was able to pick up.

Final Product

Reflection

I think the most surprising part was that it actually worked, and that you really couldn’t see the crazy bright colors I was using over the black and white filter. This made seeing the final film coming together a lot more exciting and rewarding. The hardest part was definitely the makeup itself, specifically blending all the colors in a way that didn’t look dirty or messy when they were mixing together. If I did it again I would probably look more into lighting and how that affected the colors and how they showed up on camera. Overall, this project made me think way more intentionally about the visual choices I make as a filmmaker.

Poetry Section

For our poetry project, a Poet-in-Residence visited our class and guided us through workshops that helped us see poetry in different ways. She taught us the significance of imagery representing emotion rather than just directly saying what you feel. She also helped me learn about line breaks and how/why they matter, intentional repetition, and other structural skills to help craft our poems.

My poem, “four out of four” is about me and my three sisters growing up, going to college, and slowly drifting away from the toys and games we used to share as kids: swings, a toy car, dolls, and video games. I wanted the objects themselves to feel the longing instead of me just saying we missed those days. of childhood. Counting down from four to none felt like the most honest way to shape what it actually feels like, watching my oldest sister leave for college, knowing I’ll be next, and that my two younger sisters will be left watching us go one by one. I ended the poem with hope, however—”with the next four”—because those things won’t be forgotten forever. One day me and my sister’s kids will find them, and they’ll come alive again.

Writing this poem taught me that a poem can hold more than it seems to be about on the surface. It made me realize that I wasn’t just writing about toys and childhood games, but I was writing about my sisters and the fear of all of us eventually going our separate ways. Poetry is where I figured that out. I don’t think I could have said it better any other way.

Poetry Production

I think my production conveys the meaning and spirit of my poem very well as it includes specific images/videos that represent themes of childhood, nostalgia, and growing up, while also having intentional music and sound effects that fit the overall vibe.

The creative freedom I valued most and implemented in my poem production was definitely the freedom to just add whatever visuals I wanted. Since my poem is about me and my three sisters growing up, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to add in some real, old videos of us when we were younger because they perfectly convey my poem’s meaning while also looking super cute and fun.