Reflection

Reflection:

Thinking about the process and product of your Capstone, reflect upon what you are most proud of and what you might do differently if you were to complete a similar project in the future.

I’m really proud of my cinematography throughout this project and how I was able to work with so many people who helped me get it done. Nate Hunt helped me with the idea and also being able to compose the introduction and script. I used a DSLR, which is a camera I hardly use. But, I really enjoyed the quality and style that came from using the camera. I really like the look I got for this project. It really expressed the style and ideas I was going for. I was also able to mix my editing experience with my After Effect knowledge to make titles and transitions.

If I were to do this again, I would try to write a better script and follow it more closely. It was hard to edit everything together when I was all over the place in terms of timeline. I had a lot of footage that I was left with.

Explain how your life experiences are reflected through your project.

The point of my project was to reflect on my life. I wanted to emphasize how events in my life shaped me to be who I am. I was born in Gilbert, Arizona in a very tight-knit neighborhood. We knew practically everyone who lived there and are still close with most of them. I wanted to highlight just how much having a community like that shaped me to be a sociable and kind person.

My next spot to visit was downtown Phoenix. My dad traveled a lot growing up, but he wanted to give us a good childhood like he had. He’d often take us to the Arizona Science Center, so that’s where I went next. The Science Center holds some fond memories of me with my parents; being able to explore all these exhibits with them was something that I think was extremely influential on me. I also touched on my experiences with HOSA, which involved the Phoenix Convention Center.

Lastly I mentioned film class and all that it has done for me. Overall, I think that all these experiences have given me life lessons that I never thought about until this project. The Science Center taught me to love learning, and to not be afraid when things get tough. Growing up with such a good community gave me a good foundation for life and taught me that life should be enjoyable, and you should keep good people close. I think all of this is summed up in the project, and with the completion in itself.

Thinking about the Extra-curricular hours you completed, reflect upon what you learned through the experiences and/or how you have been impacted as an artist?

Most of my hours were completed under Arizona Prep-Spotlight, where I learnt to run a camera and direct sports broadcasts. It definitely expanded my abilities in communication and in my directing skill. Film and TV mainly teaches you editing and how to do lighting and directing in a studio setting, which is much different than live sports.

Live sports requires multiple cameras, which can be hard to juggle. You should also be up in the air with a wide view instead of ground level, and you need to know how to work with other companies. For QCHS football, I was able to sit in the press box with coaches, the announcer, and scorekeep. I was able to learn how to work with these people and be fair in terms of sharing space.

Artistically, working with live sports has helped in terms of directing. Sports are almost always fast paced, and you have to be able to follow where the ball is going in order to give a good broadcast. I now know what it takes, and I’m able to translate that skill to the arts. For example, I recorded Newsies my junior year for our theater program, and used what I learned to give them a good recording.

How is your life positively impacted by the arts?

The arts have impacted my life drastically. I have played an instrument since I was 10, first playing a year of piano, then 4 years of flute followed by almost 5 years of harp. Music gave me an outlet. I didn’t think anything else would give me the same feeling as that until I found film.

Music gave me something to do, and a way to express myself. But I couldn’t imagine making that a career or doing it forever. It was a school project for me; something that was a grade and similar to a chore at times. I love playing harp, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t have the same passion for it.

When I was introduced by a friend my freshman year to the film class, I fell in love with it. My dad is a technical director, but I never thought his industry was something I would fit in with. But instead I have been able to help my community and myself with it. I have filmed for the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce, the Queen Creek Unified School District, and more. It gave me a purpose. Editing is almost never something I dread, and I love to create and express my ideas through films, shorts, and photos.

I love to draw as well and learn new things, so photography gives me something to do. I love creating photo series’ and weird and unusual photos to express my creativity. With film and photography, it feels like I have endless possibilities. I finally have an idea of what I want to do for a career and feel like I have a purpose.

How do you plan to include artistic experiences in your future after high school?

After high school, I plan on taking my experience in making this capstone and my Prep-Spotlight experience with me. This capstone taught me that I can do more than I think. I never imagined actually committing and creating a short film, yet here I am. I had to push myself on time, as well as creativity. I have a lot of ideas for films, it’s just hard for me to express them. But I finally did it.

Working with Prep-Spotlight taught me how to communicate and also how to deal with certain situations. There was one broadcaster I worked with in particular that seemed to look down on me and tried to do my work for me. But, I kept my cool and worked with him just fine despite what I thought about the situation. I’ll definitely take that experience with me. Sometimes you have to just suck it up and deal with what you’re dealt with.

What advice would you give incoming freshmen about studying the arts to help them make the most of their experiences while in high school?

I would tell any incoming freshman to not be afraid to learn something new. I thought I had to stick with one art, or one path. But, that is simply not the case. You can do whatever you put your mind to. Whether it’s theater, band, orchestra, guitar, it doesn’t matter. You can absolutely do whatever you want.

Junior year I learned how to play guitar, and I joined film on a whim my sophomore year. Both are now major passions for me. It doesn’t hurt to put yourself out there and try something new. Worst case, you don’t like it, and you move on with your life. I found a new passion, and have since decided to make a career out of it.