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MP 3 Reflections 2021

Now that the class has finished presenting the work that they accomplished during the third marking period, I have taken the time to reflect on what my classmate's have produced. By analyzing their work I am able to see their growth, understand their struggles, and even learn somethings that I can incorporate into my own production work ethic. The following is my reflection on a few of my fellow classmates.

Zach's Work

Throughout the production cycle, I always ask Zach how his filming is going. Sometimes he says things are good and other times not as good. Despite this, every film of Zach's that I've seen has been amazing and this one is no different. "An Omnidirectional and Incomprehensible Meta-process" shows how even without actors or a crew to help him, Zach can make something that is truly though provoking and engaging. Zach's camera work shines here, with well framed dialogue shots and visually interesting shots such as the one with the reflection of the TV in his eye. The whole film being a meta commentary about itself was also expertly carried out and gave me a chuckle. Every time Zach releases a new film, I always wonder how he can surpass it next and yet, he always seems to do so. He wrote within his blogpost about how he had filmed shots at first, didn't have an idea for a story to use them in, and finally realized that any story idea that he decided on would work out in the end. This is a issue that I also during this marking period where I had started filming but didn't have an idea of what to do with the visuals. I can totally support his conclusion of needing to just pick an idea and roll with it as that's what got me to actually finish my own film. Overall, Zach did an excellent job with this film and makes me feel motivated to try and make a film with the same amount of thought and quality that Zach put into this one and all of his other films.

Sean's Work

Last marking period was the first time I saw some of Sean's work and I was impressed then. Now, after I've seen his new film, I can definitely say that Sean has raised the bar of what to expect out his films. His style of editing and how he presents his story are unlike what I see out of most people but succeeds in all the right ways. Similarly to both Zach's film and my own film, Sean chose to work by himself, which I feel has lead all of us to rethink the way the we make our films. The visual effects that were used in the film looked really good and not "cheesy" which is what I feel ends up happening with a lot of student short films. Sean wrote within his blogpost about how he used greenscreen effects to do this and wants to continue to use in the future. As someone who has used a greenscreen for a multitude of projects, I can totally agree that Sean should continue using one. Greenscreening has changed the way that I think of doing a variety of different effects and shots within the production process and knowing Sean, he would definitely make use of greenscreen in ways that we probably wouldn't think of. At this point, I can't wait to see what Sean's next film will end up like. Even though I acted in it, knowing Sean, I feel he'll still manage to completely flip what I expect the film to look like on it's head
 

Isaac's Work

A few days ago, Isaac messaged me asking for recommendations on what camera gear to buy. Now, it's been a constant saying in the film world for the past couple years that your gear isn't what matters, it's your story that matters. Isaac's film for this marking period is a perfect example of this saying being true. Using only his phone and a tripod, Isaac both told a great story and made it look visually interesting through his composition. His story of telling oneself to not fall in love or become overly attached is something I feel that a majority of people our age have experienced and he did an excellent job of portraying this. As for cinematography, my favorites would have to be the shot of the car wheel as it pulls away and his use of point of view. The P.O.V. shots I especially found interesting as they were both made to show a motif of leaving and putting these shots within the first person perspective made the audience feel for Isaac's character as he walked away from whatever he was currently going through. Within his blogpost, Isaac's only real gripe with his film seems to be the quality of his audio. Even with his audio issues, his film still remains a quality piece, and again knowing that he filmed this with limited equipment shows that even with the simplest of tools, Isaac can truly make a good film.

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