5x5 Independent Film Project: Getting Ready for School

1. Waking Up to the Alarm
2. Taking a Shower
3. Eating Breakfast
4. Putting Shoes On
5. Leaving the House

I used a Canon T3 to film and I used WeVideo to edit my clips. I found the process fairly easy, but the edits I could make were basic. I have been using Final Cut Pro as a video editor since middle school, so I felt limited as I was using this editor. I couldn't, for example, cut out parts within a clip. I was only able to trim an entire clip.

I believe my 5x5 is okay, but it could have been a lot better if I had thoroughly planned it through. I could have also done a lot more advanced editing if I had the patience to play around with WeVideo.

I don't really have a specific idea about what our next project should be, but it should be something that allows us to express ourselves through the film.

Dystopian Trailer Critique: Minority Report

Minority Report . Steven Spielberg . PG-13 . 2002

In the near future, the government is able to stop crimes before they happen and arrest those who are suspected of almost committing those crimes. John Anderton (Tom Cruise) believes in the system until the government predicts that he will murder someone in 36 hours, but he doesn't even know the victim's name. The movie follows Anderton as he attempts to prove his innocence.

Minority Report Trailer

This trailer incorporates both text and dialogue in order to give the audience information about the premise. From the trailer, the audience can learn that the government is constantly monitoring citizens and society is an illusion of a perfect utopian world. The music is dramatic, which keeps the watchers on edge and filled with suspense. The catalyst is clearly identified in the trailer and so is the protagonist. The supporting characters can be inferred, but one cannot be completely sure. Overall, the audience is able to get the gist of the plot and the dystopian characteristics featured in the trailer.

I can use several of these techniques in my trailer. I can use the text to explain parts of the premise that I may not be able to portray through dialogue and acting. I can also use music to ultimately control the way the audience feels about the trailer.

Preparing Students to Learn Without Us

I read the article, "Preparing Students to Learn Without Us." The writer discusses how it would be beneficial for students to chart their own course based on the school curriculum. To do this, they have to find their passion in order to participate in personal, not personalized, learning, Personal learning is "self-directed and self-selected according to the learner's own needs, preferences, and learning arrangements." Technology plays an important role in personal learning, as students are able to use blogs and social bookmarks such as Diigo. 

In the beginning of the article, the author describes how her son has a passion for basketball, and she learns that she can connect basketball with a listless amount of concepts such as slope, variables, bivarate data, and much more. This was surprising to me because most students, including myself, always wonder how we are ever going to use what we learn in our classes such as math and science in real life. 

I like the idea of personal learning, but it could either be a hit or miss. Some students might not put their hearts into it and take the full advantage out of it, while others could subscribe to endless blogs containing information about their interests and our class, learning everything they can. 

I am interested in journalism, so I could subscribe to blogs that feature articles, editorials, and information about journalism in order to learn more about it and become a better writer. \

Annotated Diigo Link: http://diigo.com/0syan

Diigo Movie Review Annotation

For this assignment, I read the movie review titled, "The Dark Night (Surp)rises," by Aanchal Johri, which was posted on Silver Chips Online. The review begins with an introductory statement setting the tone of the review and implying that the writer enjoyed the movie. The reviewer focuses on the plot throughout most of the review, then goes on to critique the character development. Johri then goes on to talk about the cinematographic aspects of the movie for a paragraph, discussing topics such as the soundtrack and car chase scenes. The opinions are focused on in the end of the review, but a few opinionated statements are thrown in throughout the entire movie review. Dramatic aspects of the movie were never discussed. The tone of the movie review is critical at times, but mostly takes a casual tone.

Regarding the quarterly movie review, I believe that we should have as much freedom as possible in order to make the assignment enjoyable. The only requirement should be that the three aspects of film should be included, critiqued, and portrayed in some way. Other than that, there should be freedom as to the way we would like to write it. Also, instead of always having a typed movie review, we could tie it the assignment in to what we are learning in class. We could make videos to persuade others to watch the video we watched, for instance, when we learn about persuasion in class.

Annotated Link: http://diigo.com/0suf3

First Blog Post

Hi, my name is Leila, pronounced Lay-luh. I'm Ethiopian and Muslim. I hate chocolate, but I love cake. I enjoy taking pictures, listening to music and writing. I love the Redskins. I play volleyball and I run track.

I like all aspects of film making, but mostly the actual filming of the project. I was in the Humanities program in middle school, so I've had a lot of experience with film. One of my favorite film projects was Personal Profiles from seventh grade. For this project, we had to find someone to interview about their profession, and make it into an interview show, including commercials. I enjoyed this project because everyone got a chance to perform each job from behind the scenes, such as technical director, cameras, and director. Another fun film project I have done is a NYC documentary about a person we interviewed. It was interesting to see everyone's different interpretations and methods of portraying the information the interviewee revealed.

There are several ways we can use this blog. One way is to keep group members and teachers updated on the progress of the group when doing group work. Also, we could post our projects online on our blog so that it's easier to grade and find. The blog can also be used to share helpful sources with others.

Image source: Washington Redskins Helmet