Entry #1

Feb 2nd

Today was mainly an introductory session. We learned that we are going to take on two main topics: Crime/Drama and Wong Kar Wai (Director). I'm very excited being that I'm a fan of those two topics, particularly Wong Kar Wai and his movies My Blueberry Nights and Days of Beings Wild. We would also be taking Film Analysis.

In a more specific note, we will be focusing on Cinematography, Sound Editing, and Video Editing in general, which includes continuity in a lineal and non-linear way. 

For today's class we were given a sheet of scenes and sounds to record. It was an interesting activity and helped us a lot because it helps us familiarize ourselves with the video cameras. It was difficult at first but once we got the basic manual functions like Manual Focus, White Balance, etc., we were able to film the scenes fairly well. I also knew some terms before hand like Rule of Thirds and the 180 degree rule, which I was able to tell my group mates. But I also learned the diffusion technique, in which a material, like a thin sheet of paper, is placed in front of the lens to create an effect, usually a dreamlike state. 

In terms of the visual aspects of the task, we had difficulty with the diffusion technique and lighting. The diffusion technique was difficult to do because we did not have a material thin enough so that the camera would be able to see the subject. In the end though we came up with the idea where we would use a screen from another camera so that it seems that Chris's arms are from another dimension while he is typing. 

The lighting was hard to do because we could not manipulate any lights. In the end we just chose bright spots of the school (hallways) and dark spots of the school (bathroom, corridor...). 

The sound effects were straightforward. For 'work' sounds, we used the keyboard typing, pencil writing, chatter, etc. For joy, we laughed. For danger, we used an alarm as well as Hannah's voice saying "Evacuate the Premises" in a monotone way. We haven't completed sound effects, which we will do next time. 

I was an IB learner because:

I inquired: developing natural curiosity on each task

I was a thinker: I thought about how to apply techniques for each task

I was a risk taker: Even though I had little knowledge, I initiated anyway I relied more on how the product looked like.

Reflective: Thoughtful consideration to own learning