Senior Year

  Hi, blog, the senior year started today, but my first day went poorly. I woke up and had a panic attack which resulted in me getting sick. I did not end up going to school today, but will tomorrow. In other news, I applied and got in to work for my school's basketball team! I will be working with two other girls on the social media team to promote the sporting events. I am very excited to share any content I create with you here. I will be creating graphics, photographing/videoing games, editing content, etc. 

University of Falling

  Hi blog I will be brutally honest in that I did not learn how to use Adobe and it is my last night at the University of Florida's Summer Media Institute. Note that the blog title relates to the fact I probably stopped myself from tripping at least ten times on campus. There is lots of construction going on and a lot of uneven surfaces.

The Experience:

  What is the Summer Media Institute?

  UF SMI is a six-day program where students can learn from UF professionals and outside resources and make connections with other students who are passionate about the journalism and/or communication field. While being at SMI students experience average college-related things such as living in dorms, eating in dining halls, and walking the campus.

  Why did I do SMI?

  I signed up for SMI to step out of my comfort zone. Through AICE Media if you have seen any of my other blog posts you know I mainly worked behind the camera producing, directing, editing, etc. I chose one of eight specialties available, Anchoring and Hosting. Here is the full description of this specialty from the SMI website. "Improve your on-air performance skills. From anchoring newscasts and going live in the field, students will learn new techniques and get to practice and improve their presence and performance. They will also learn the finer points of shooting standups for TV news stories." This too me sounded very interesting!

  How was my SMI specialty experience?

  I really enjoyed the experience of being able to practice reading from a professional teleprompter while sitting at the anchor desk looking professional. For the first time, I do not think I did terribly. We did not go live in the field at all I would not say, but we did shoot an interview and for that got to set up a professional camera. 

  What stood out to me at SMI?

  I had limited expectations going into SMI. I would first say I did not expect to feel in shock at points. For example, I did a sports announcing hour-long class and whilst walking to the studio a band was being recorded in a nearby studio and we stopped in and watched as it was being recorded, This was crazy. Also crazy was the first time I walked into the INC/Innovation News Center. It was nice to see how so many different media specialties are under one roof from WUFT broadcasting to GHQ radio station. 

  Did anything unexpected occur?

  Yes, I knew I was going to enjoy the sports announcing the election, but not as much as I did. From the start of the elective, I knew it was my place to be as the lecturer began to discuss football, my favorite sport. We learned about the sheets with player information and scripts before speaking through one of the scripts. I would say I did a decent job as when asked who should sit in the mic chair for a group picture my peers pointed at me. I was supposed to get the announcement which was about UF sports inductees done in a minute and I did just that. Personally, I believe I was shaky and stuttering at points, but it is good to know this was not clear. This really confirmed my desire to work in sports. Throughout the week in anchoring my peers and I kept being told that we should not go into sports and should go into meteorology. This concerned me quite a bit, but I realize now I do not have to be a sports broadcast reporter if I want to make it in sports. 

  Did I like the campus?

  I do like the campus of Florida. I thought it was very pretty at night time when the Century Tower was lit up. The dining hall options were limited, but I believe this is due to the small amounts of staff and students currently at the school. The people I met on the campus were very kind from a random guy who told me where the dirty dishes drop off after I looked confused after my first meal to the director of the program who sang Party in the USA at the program's karaoke and the teacher assistants who gave me compliments on my anchoring and checking over of the teleprompter script.

My future with UF:

  I plan to apply to the University of Florida this fall. Common App opens in less than a month. My test scores are not exactly strong so that is where my fear comes in. I have an upcoming ACT and SAT. However, during one of the night lectures we spoke to current and recent University of Florida students and we (the SMI students) could ask the UF students whatever we wanted to. Someone asked if each person could say their SAT/ACT score and it was good to see that there was a variation in the scores people got. 

Moving Foward:

  I got to see Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. I hope by me gracing the area the team will have a fantastic season. I may or may not have told my brother that if FSU wins the national championship this year I would go to Florida State.

  During the sports elective on Thursday, I got an idea on how to change my college essays so that is something I need to get working on as Common App opens around August. Update, I did write a new collage essay that incoorporated my SMI experince! Along with this, maybe I can try to announce games at my high school. I know the guy who did it for basketball and baseball left, but there may be another person who already planned to do that. I did however apply to work in social media for my school's basketball team, but I have not heard back about this yet. Wish me luck!

More Photographs:

Disclaimer these are all uneditied and were shot using auto settings on my families camera which I have only used a few times. I would like to get more into photgraphy in the near future.

Update:

  It has been over a month since SMI and I miss the experience a lot, I have started my University of Florida application, wish me luck! I am posting this after asking for permission to speak on the program on this blog, but I did not hear anything back for the month so I do not speak for the program/school. Go Gators!

Closing the Chapter: Part 2

  Back in the media room, I was for year two. I was thrilled to find out that Brooke and Julie were in my class for year two! I knew the majority of the class from day one, but there were a few new faces whom I developed relationships with over the year.

  This year was a bit of a blur for me as I dealt with mental health challenges, however, the media gave me an outlet, a place where I could escape my own struggles and just enter a new world I created. Media gave me a purpose. 

   The projects that impacted me the most in media this year were the two final projects. This year, unlike last, I decided to create my short film "Unaware" alone, this mainly was due to the fear that I would drag my partner down. Working alone went well, I was able to create each component, the video, social media, and postcard. During critiques, most people praised my social media which was great as I thought that in college I could attempt to become an influencer/post my passions. 

  Speaking of passions, as you read in the second most recent blog I really am unsure of what I want to do in the future. I think my major will end up being something in journalism/digital media, but I will still try to take courses in the marketing/communications field. 

  I was one of six juniors in a class full of seniors. I had honestly not talked to all of the juniors well till today, the final day of class. I hope that I continue to keep up to date with these students as we are all going to be dealing with AICE Media withdrawal. I was so impacted by each student in the class as they each had their specialization which they were more into. Some of my peers had great scripting skills, others had great marketing skills, and others had great videography skills. I recently wrote a few Instagram messages to a few of the seniors that impacted me the most as seeing their skills challenged me to grow.

  The final project I ended up editing as you know if you read the last blog. I used Adobe Premire for the first time when previously I had only used iMovie. Editing this allowed me to see the wide arrange of areas in the media I could work in as some of my peers want to work for The New York Times and others want to become directors. This class has prepared me for a job in the field and I am extremely grateful to my teacher.

The way I started my AICE Media blog: 

    "Hi, my name is Grace, I am a 10th grader who is at the point of life where she must figure out what she wants to do in the working world. My "ideal job" changes weekly, if not daily, and the media is something I am interested in. College seems far away but I know time flies. Currently, I am enrolled in the AICE Media AS course. This blog will be the place I document my work as I go along learning and creating within media. I am so excited to be able to look back in the future and see some of the exciting things I got to create in my sophomore year."

The way I am ending my AICE Media blog:

  Hi, my name is Grace, I am a soon-to-be senior who is still figuring out what she wants to do in the working world. My "ideal job" remains to be something that is ever-changing, but I know for sure I want to work in the media. College does not seem far away anymore as time is flying. I am soon no longer rolled in AICE Media and this blog will now be used in any way I want, whether it is sharing creations, reviewing a movie, etc. I am so excited about my future.

Closing the Chapter: Part 1

  Hey blog, today was my final AICE Media class and I am feeling very sappy about it. I think I have grown as both a person and media artist throughout these past two years. Walking out of class was very odd, but I know I can go back to the AICE Media room whenever I need to.

Recap:

  Day one of sophomore year I remember as being a good day, my hair was looking good, I got to school on time, I had friends in my classes, an overall good experience! I had AICE Media AS the second period and I will admit the first time walking into that class I was nervous. I was one of just a few sophomores in the class that was typically taken by only seniors and juniors. I recognized many of the upperclassmen as being tv production students and this was a concern as I knew they had experiences I did not have.

  I soon realized that my lack of experience would just mean I had to push myself harder. I believe my first AICE Media project was a short video which I could choose to make on anything. Due to my school opening a new building my partner/friend Brooke and I decided to make a project titled "Lightning Bolt Where?" . Looking back at this vide
o allowed me to see the growth that has occurred these past two years. My shots were very unstable and there was a lack of continuity. Our second AICE Media project (I think?) was a project where we had to take pictures that would convey a message. Mine was called something like "Fear of the Agenda" and it was about an evil agenda. I guess we can see that from the beginning of AS my brain had been in the psychological thriller area. I had a great time with this project as we were allowed to capture images throughout the school. I really enjoyed this freedom.

  Also during that year, we had a sound project which was my first time exposed to foley sound art. I really enjoyed this project and to this day watch videos on foley, usually they are Disney videos. I would love to get the chance to work with this art more in the future. Another project, which as my favorite, was the media marketing project. For this project, my group was assigned a song, Blind by Korn. I had never heard this song prior as it was in the metal genre, a genre which I do not exactly listen to. This genre was new to me, but it made me do intense research on other groups as I created a full website with merchandise and tour dates for the band. https://graceaicemedia.blogspot.com/2022/02/music-marketing-blog-post-2.html in that blog you can see more specifics. We filmed at night in a Publix parking lot and it was such as funny experience. I also created a promotional video which looking back at the font I choose for it makes me laugh. This project really finalized my switch from wanting to be a psych major to wanting to be a media/communications major.

  Finally, it was time to create my AICE Media AS project component. I still am proud of this project, "Can You Help Me" which I created with my friend Julie, but looking back there are so many changes I wish I could have made specifically with having more shot variety (which I still had troubles with this year) and with having my title appear on screen longer as this was a film opener.

  Throughout the AICE Media AS course we also learned information for our end of year essays, one of which was a visual analysis. Analysing pieces in media has certainley impacted my viewing experience of other films. I find myself always thinking, "That's a nice shot." or "Oh why did they not film in that way." This class also brought me closer to my peers. I still miss the seniors from that class as they always shared such funny stories. 

Start of Something New

  Hey blog, I am back! This summer I will be doing a one-week journalism program and have decided I want to learn how to use Adobe Premire Pro prior as I have been only using iMovie throughout my AICE Media experience which is coming to an end.

  Speaking of the AICE Media end, I am editing an my final project which was to create a video based on a prompt. The prompt my group choose was "What does it mean to 'grow up'" Our documentary is laid back as we interviewed our peers so I decided now could be a good time to start learning premier pro by creating a blooper reel which I do not think will be graded, but I could likely receive feedback on. 

  From first impressions, editing on Adobe seems like a slower process than on iMovie, but this could also just be because I am experienced with iMovie and not Adobe. I started watching a video on the basics and then got bored so I just decided to download the program and play around with it.

  I did not get much further than figuring out how to edit audio and clips and also I figured out how to add graphics

  I checked out the coloration area and was happy to see that there are presets that I will likely use when editing in the future. These preset looked less harsh than the iMovie presets I have previously used. I also thought the different audio effects were very interesting.

  As the program I am going to approaches in late June, I will continue to figure out how to use Adobe.

  I ended up also editing the documentary itself on iMovie which has inspired me to create future documentaries.

  I have missed the blog as you can tell, so I will for sure blog if I have time at the program or after the program. I am specializing in anchoring whilst there to step out of my comfort zone as I am more experienced with producing films rather than being on camera.

  I have some hopes that throughout next school year, I will make a few productions possibly a documentary on how my school's new clear bag policy is altering how people pack their bags and I also want to try and get involved in filming the sports at my school possibly by creating a season-long documentary for one of the less represented sports.

  College applications are coming soon and that is scaring me, but this new adventure will be okay! Things will work out the way they are meant to.

Project Components

  Today is the day you all now can officially see Unaware in all of its glory,

  I have created a linktree to put in the film's Instagram bio!

  Here are all the links to each specific component.

Short Film

Instagram

Postcard

  It is possible I posted the film on both Instagram and Youtube at 11:11... superstitious much? 

  I hope you all enjoy this piece, thanks again.

  Till we meet again.

Critical Reflection

  My short film, Unaware, aimed to capture the pressure felt by teens preparing for the SAT. More specifically, I aimed to capture the idea that preparing for your future as you prepare for college can be a challenge that people often do not accept and deal with which leads to chaos.

  Unaware is a comedic coming-of-age film. When looking at the coming-of-age conventions I was reminded of how coming-of-age films often focus on an important period of time for the main character as change is occurring. Researching these conventions made me think of two of my favorite films Sixteen Wishes and The Half of It which both feature stories about change that incorporate a love story, another common coming-of-age convention. Unaware features Sofia who is studying for her important SAT. To an extent, my film challenges the coming-of-age conventions since there is no strong romance in this film, but there does seem to be a developing crush on someone unknown. Unaware aligns with the comedic conventions which ties to the specific comedic choice of dialogue used. For example: "Help me, Harry". This current age reference is meant to make the audiences laugh and feel that they can relate to Sofia. Often people love to associate with and feel a connection with their favorite celebrities. Also, specific shot choices such as the long shot where Sofia falls on the treadmill and the long shot where Sofia forgets her keys making her stop mid-shot come together to develop an overall comedic tone. This aligns with the comedic conventions since often in comedy films there are over-the-top actions taking place, which is exemplified by Sofia taking a long time and doing unnecessary tasks to prepare for school. Challenging the comedic conventions is the ending of Unaware since it does not end in a happy tone rather it ends in the frustration Sofia feels after realizing she woke up during the middle of the night.

Frustration Filled

  Unawares' target audience is mainly females between the ages of twelve and eighteen many of whom are a part of Generation Z which is a very technological generation. Due to this, when branding Unaware the focus was placed on developing a relatable brand. The film component includes aspects of recent pop culture such as the previously mentioned reference to Harry Styles and the inclusion of modern prop pieces such as a hydro flask and minion figurine. Also, I created and posted a blooper reel to develop the feeling that there is a sense of realness behind the film. To target younger audiences I posted short promotional TikToks since younger generations tend to have short attention spans. The brand was not only meant to target Gen Z but also older people who can relate to the film's storyline. On Instagram, I included an interview with my mother who is not a female between the age of twelve and eighteen. I did this to potray that older generations would enjoy this film and to promote parents watching the film with their children. Also, when creating the Spotify playlist that is inspired by the film I used both recently released and past released music. I then used this music and posted Instagram stories to promote the film and interact with the community. Also on Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, and in the film itself, I decided to only use lowercase letters which is a common trend amongst my target audience. On the YouTube page, however, I did use capital letters as YouTube typically has an older target audience.  This relates to the idea of Unaware establishing a relatable brand.

  A way I could improve the brand would be by using the same font on all promotional items such as posts and the postcard. Speaking of the postcard, I do not think it developed my brand well. I mentioned
the social media pages and film festival screenings on the back of the card, but the postcard itself may have made the film look like it was a horror film due to the darkness of the key art. I used pink text to try and balance this out. This choice of the colored text relates to my target audience being females. 

  My brand is not only able to interact with its female aged twelve to eighteen target audience but is also able to represent its target audience. The main character and only character featured on the screen in Unaware is Sofia. Sofia is dealing with the struggle of feeling like she is disappointing her parents as can be known by the music choice she listens to "When Do I Stop" by Ale Aldana. Sofia is a Latino teenage female. I decided to create the character Sofia since young Latino women are underrepresented in film. Paola Segnini, a Latino portrays the role of Sofia, and Ale Aldana a Latino created the music for the film. The age of Sofia can be seen through the story since the SAT is specific to students and also by the overall mise-en-scene. In Unaware it can be seen that Sofia is around the age of preparing to go to college since she has college shirts hanging in her closet. As mentioned prior, there is a romantic aspect of Unaware. After waking up Sofia sees a text from a contact labeled with a heart. The audience never learns the name or the gender of this person. There is often a lack of LGBTQ+ representation within the Latino community so it is possible that Sofia is not out to people so she hides the identity of this crush. She also has a mini pride flag on a shelf in her room. I choose these aspects to represent the LGBTQ+ community and to normalize their existence in films. Many films based on LGBTQ+ characters solely focus on the romance aspect. I think Unaware is successful in representing my desired target audience due to the modern aspects of the story, but I could have included more Latino culture such as Sofia using Spanish after she falls on the treadmill or her mother using Spanish to express her deepened frustration towards her daughter after she is informed of Sofia's actions.

Modern Materials

  After the creation of Unaware over the span of ten weeks, I have gained knowledge on the process of creating a short film alone. I also have deepened my passion for marketing. I know there are aspects of each of the three components that could've been better, specifically making sure that all three aspects are tied together both visually and meaning-wise. All things considered, I am proud of the short film Unaware, its social media pages, and its postcard.