PSA Evaluation: Making Your Values Matter

    To see our PSA: Making Your Values Matter, click here

        Creating this PSA, gave me a chance to learn a different part of the media world. It gave me a chance to expand my knowledge into actually brainstorming and helping to write the script for a public service announcement. What was also very unique about this project, is that at the beginning, we all had different ideas for a PSA. But my teammates (Jessie, Stephanie) and I were able to combine them and create the theme, or main idea that our whole PSA is based on: Youth Empowerment: Making Your Values Matter. The San Francisco Film Society helpers, Kirthi, Ryan, and Masa were also a great help to all of our class. Even when we thought our film was done, they helped us point out many little things that needed to be corrected, before being able to finally export it.
 
        To me what most fun about creating this PSA was editing it. It gave all of us a chance to be creative and make this movie really ours, and enjoyable for others to watch.  However, what was most hard for me would have to be filming. Now that took a lot of focus and teamwork from all of us. I have to say that standing in front of a camera was not as easy as it seemed! For a minute I thought we would never be able to get all of our scenes filmed in time, since all of us just kept messing up! In the end, our PSA didn't quite follow our script. In fact, we had all decided to delete or change many scenes. Kirthi explained this happens very often in the media world, and these small alterations can actually help improve our film.

    Overall, I enjoyed being part of this project in creating a PSA. It was a wonderful, new experience working with Kirthi, Ryan, and Masa. I'm sure we wouldn't have been able to start or finish these PSAs without them. I hope all of our hard work is displayed during Friday's screening, and that they'll actually listen to all of our messages being promoted throughout all of our videos.

PSA Assignment

         For our PSA, Jessie, Stephanie, and I  will be doing a video about helping kids around the world by just donating a small amount of money. The message we're trying to send is that people don't need to make big, hard sacrifices in order to help starving children. Every time you want to buy something, or need something, think of those people, and spare them a dollar. The audience we are trying to reach are kids our age, ranging from 12-17 years old. Jessie is like the camera person. She will be taking the pictures, and helping to film the video. Stephanie will be working with the sound, so she'll be helping to choose our music. I will be editing the film in imovie. Lastly, Stephanie will be gathering all of the props, which most of them, we already have. 

M.C Esher Assignment

M.C Escher Assignment Description

       This week in the 8th Grade Media Arts Class, we were asked to try to imitate a drawing,"Relativity", by M.C Escher, an artist specializing in tessellations. When I first glanced at the picture, I was unsure if any of us would be even able to come close to such an amazing drawing. What's so extraordinary about this piece is that all of those different perspectives and dimensions make you want to inspect every single detail, in order to be able to capture the drawing.

        My kerpoof picture diplays 3 different perspectives. Each staircase has someone walking up or down from what would be his/her point of view. All of those perspectives are trying to connect with each other, in order to piece together a unique image. Creating this picture turned out to be just as difficult as I expected! It's not easy trying to imagine something from a different perspective you aren't really used to. Which is why I've come to admire M.C Escher's Work. However, it was a fun and interesting experience to work on an assignment that takes you out of the ordinary!

Homework 1/27/11

      This week, I am helping out with the yearbook pictures. Jessie, Stephanie, Aquarius and I went to the soccer game in order to take pictures. I will upload them to schooloop tonight, in order to have them ready for Friday. Nicky and I will also be trying to take pictures of Student Council and try to upload those as well.


                                           Star Wars Questionare Paragraph

   In the movie, Star Wars the Empire Strikes Back",  the Death Wars was a code name for a poweful weapon that had the efficiency to destroy entire planets. Of course this issued a sense of terror of anihilation to any planets that dare commit treason. The Death Star had been under a secret construction under the command of Emperial commander, Grand Moff Tarkin, before being discovered by Rebel Alliance spies. The Death Star was actually used to destroy Pincess Leia's peaceful world of Aldeeran, completely turning it into ash and debri.

    However, before this happened, Princess Leia had stored all of the technical schematics, or contruction plans of a  Death Star. She hid it inside R2-D2's memory card, in order to keep it safe. Because of this, Darth Vader along with all of his stormtroopers chased her around the galaxy with the goal of being able to obtain these schematics. ON the other hand, the Alliance Rebels along with Princess Leia had vital information of how to destroy the Death Star now that they had these plans on their side.

   Luke Skywalker plays a very important role in this movie because he is a very important member of the Rebel Alliance leading a war against the Galactic Empire. Luke is actually Princess Leia's frateral twin brother, without having any type of knowledge about it. He trained with the Jedi master Obi Wan Kanobi in order to become a Jedi himself. Turns out, Luke was also the one who triggered th final detruction of the Death Star itself.

Book Selection Hw

     We were assigned to choose a book relating to the topic we are currently learning, the development of LucasFilm or of George Lucas himself. To tell you the truth, we were all rushing, so therefore I didn't find enough time to actually pick a book. However this one in specific, captured my eye, with its titlle, Take Ten Years (1970's) by Clint Twist. I knew it would refer to a specifc point in time in general, so it spiked my interest. The book I decided on captivated my attention while I was reading, for it took me back to the beginnnings of the 1970's. The cool thing was, it not only talked about the movie, Star Wars or American Graffitti, but about the tragic or important happenings throughout the world. I think this helped me make a connection from the movies George Lucas created or directed, to the year they were made in. It made me realize their true impact on their audience.

Star Wars V: Plot Summary HW

   The film, Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back, begins with a setting of a frozen, remote ice planet called Hoth. Luke Skywalker along with others of the Rebel Alliance have been forced into hiding in this cold, terrible place. During his turn patrolling around the base camp, Luke find a curious meteor crash. At the exact moment, he gets attacked by Wampa (the snow monster), and taken as its prisoner. At the same time, Darth Vader, who is obsessed with trapping Luke Skywalker, have already landed in the planet Hoth along with his Storm Troopers.
    Trying to escape from the Wampa, Luke is able to use his lightsaber to cut out his arm. However, he isn't resistant to the freezing weather outside of the Wampa's cave. Just before he collapses, the spirit of his late mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi materializes, instructing him to had towards the planet Dagobah, in order to train the Jedi master, Yoda.
     Han Solo, Luke's friend, is able to rescue him, before he's warned that Darth Vader had ordered an attack on their base (on Hoth), after finally locating it. Han Solo, along with princess Leia escape on a ship called the Millennium Falcon towards hyperspace, with the help of their friends, C-3PO and Chewbacca. Luke is also able to escape from Hoth with R2-D2, and accidentally crash lands on Dagobah, where he meets Yoda. He is immediately put under intensive training, but not for long. Luke has a vision of his friends, Han and Lei in danger. So against his master's advice, he leaves to help them, under swearing an oath to return.
     I find this movie very captivating, for it's like a time warp, a window that lets me see how people from the 1980's were able to enjoy this film. It gives me a chance to be able to appreciate it more, under its circumstances. It's true that technology has evolved a lot since that movie was last made, but you have to admit that for a film created back then, it's pretty amazing. All that puppetry or special affects were still being introduced in the world of film making. I think they did a great job of putting it all together. The music also has a special quality of tying the whole movie together. In overall, I'm really enjoying this film, and can't wait to finish watching it!

George Lucas Biography Assignment

    Born to Dorothy Lucas and George Lucas (father), George Walton Lucas (son) was born in Modesto, California on May 14, 1944.  However, his passion for filmmaking did not start at an early age. In fact, George began with an interest on the race track, and dreamed of becoming a race car driver. Yet this only drove him to a near fatal accident on June 12, 1962. He decided to attend Modesto Junior College, in which he developed his love for cinematography. After displaying characteristics of a promising photographer, he transferred to the University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinematic Arts to pursue his passion.

     After graduating with a bachelor degree in fine arts in film in 1967, George Lucas re-enrolled himself in USC as a graduate student. He went on to direct films such as Electronic Labyrinth, which won first prize at the National Student Film Festival. He was later on awarded by the Warner Brothers, with a student scholarship and given opportunity to work on a film of his choosing. 

    George Lucas obtained his own production company in the year 1971, named Lucas Film. Around 1977, George Lucas went on to create one of the most successful movies of all time, Star Wars. He also took part as executive producer and story writer in the Indiana Jones movie as well. As the years went by, newly developed technology encouraged George Lucas to make use of to enhance the Star Wars movie series. Currently, he is still one of the best film producers, screenwriters, and directors of our time. George Lucas is also one of the most financially successful independent producers, holding an approximately wealth of $3 billion dollars.