This is the End

Welcome to my final blog post for WISE 2015!

If you've been following my posts, mazel tov, you made it!

I'm so glad I've been able to have such a unique experience going around my hometown, talking to people, and experiencing a new hobby for my senior English class. It's amazing how an inspiration and idea can quickly become a real, physical accomplishment. I'm so close to being done and I'm pretty proud of all the work I've put in, and I can't wait to show others my progress.

Over the course of the next week, I will finish editing my documentary and I will be graduating high school very soon. I've learned a lot about testing my comfort zone and pushing it over my second semester. I have also learned the true importance of planning, goalkeeping, and  not procrastinating. Although I've had trouble in being effective in these areas all the time, I'm really proud at the strides I've taken.

Lastly, here's a picture of Ithaca falls I took after school a few days ago. It's honestly so beautiful and I love it! 

Getting Ready

I'm almost done with high school!
These past few weeks have been so stressful and full of projects and final papers. Most of my friends are done at this point, but my last big push is my Wise project and presentation.

I'm honestly very excited to present next week. I used to get very nervous and flustered when speaking in front of people, but I think the practice I've gotten over the past year from various events has taught me to calm down and roll with everything. In other words, I think my biggest issue will be facing the 30 minutes I need to fill in a clear, concise, and interesting way for my audience. I could simply do a powerpoint, but I guess I'll have to experiment over the next week to see how it will work out.

Other than that, I'm finishing up my written materials to submit tomorrow. The documentary still isn't finished, but I'm hoping to finish up the editing over the weekend and get the school laptop back to Mr. Cass during regents week. The written assignments have allowed a lot of reflection of what I've done over the past few months. Mostly on this blog, I've been looking more short term on the most recent things I've done and still need to do. I need to use a broader perspective to think over the whole project. The second semester of my senior year has passed by so fast! And to top it off, I turn 18 next week, which is even crazier!!!

Anyways, the sunset was beautiful tonight, but I was driving and couldn't find a place to pull over and take a picture. Instead, here's a picture I took of one of the parking garages downtown. I love the eclectic pieces of art around the area.

Model Wise Presentation Continued

When I made a post before, I talked about how April's presentation was and some of my own opinions on what I'll do. Now, I want to think more about the role of evaluators and the other side of the presentations. I think I'll be working with a time crunch to get materials in by Thursday, but I also think I'll be able to handle it. I can't wait to have that weight taken off of my shoulders and just have the presentation itself to prepare for, for the coming week after that. 

I'm excited to read through other peoples' materials and papers and see their presentations. I sometimes find it hard to critique people, so I think I might feel a bit uncomfortable giving feedback in front of the group. However, I also know how I want to deliver this information. I think I will take notes on each piece of the project and all written work, to keep track of specific feedback and compliments during the period we get to talk. 

I think these pictures offer the best look at how unique the IHS prom is. Where else would you find high school seniors having their prom at a farmer's market with a local band? It wasn't the typical cliche banquet space and DJ that I had thought it would be. But now, I love the farmer's market even more and I had a lovely time. 

Editing, Editing, Editing

Just with a quick note, this post is from June 5 but it never posted! If I can figure out how to make it schedule back then, I will, but otherwise, I'll just leave this note here.... 

I've been editing a lot! But I still have a lot more to do. Mr. Cass lent out the digital media laptop, so I can work using my own time to use Adobe Premiere Pro. I have had a lot of relearning to do with how to use the program over the past month, but I think I can handle using the technology without needing to call for Mr. Cass or one of his students to show me how something works. Additionally, I talked to Mr. Cass about music, and as of right now, we've agreed that it's okay to use the music I want to put in.

The end of the year is a very busy time for me. I'm hoping to somehow fit all of my projects in around working on my Wise documentary project itself, along with all of the other pieces of the project that include written work. It's also prom this weekend, so it looks like I'll be very busy. Hopefully everything will work out and I will be mostly stress free. I'm happy my presentation won't be happening for another two weeks, because I can practice without the pressure of all my other work.

I'm really happy with the work I've done so far. Although the final documentary won't be as long as i was first planning on it, I have definitely grown through this project. The approach i have toward the people here is much more appreciative. I'm proud this is my hometown and that I've had the opportunity to talk with people whom I wouldn't have otherwise talked to.

Here are some of my friends hanging out at Stewart Park by the Lake:

Model Wise Presentation

April gave the first Wise presentation on Monday night. I am so proud of her. I've personally seen her working so hard on the project and I know how many other commitments she's had this year. Her presentation was fabulous. She was so confident and organized. It felt as though she had so much to say, she had trouble fitting all of the information into a concise presentation. Her way of showing her work was through a prezi that had pros and cons about each step in the process.

April also talked to the local movie theater, Cinemopolis, about having students who did video projects present their projects during an evening in June. I'm not sure if it's happening or how it will work. Nevertheless, it's a cool opportunity and I think that I might be interested in doing it, if my classmates do as well. Right now, I have to focus on my hours and hours of editing to do.

Here's a picture of me, April, and another Wise student, Katie, at our senior casino night:

Mentor Monday

I had my mentor meeting with Mr. Cass today. I updated him on everything that went on down at Ithaca fest and we talked about how my project has changed view and course over time. This should be something I discuss during my presentation. I think as far as the presentation goes, I am going to find snippets throughout the finished project and mark off the points that demonstrate interesting points.

We also talked about how I'm going to get all of my editing done. I am not available on the day of the last editing party in the digital media studio, but he's offering for me to take home a school laptop over the next week. I think this should be super helpful. I can work with the Adobe Premiere Pro software whenever I want using my external hard drive, instead of being limited to just when I have access to the digital media studio during my free periods.

In class today, we are starting to wrap things up. Everything is ending so soon (and I have so many papers and projects to get together at the same time I have my wise project, but I think if I chip away at everything, it should be under control). Ms. Lord suggested that we not feel the need to necessarily use a powerpoint to present. She also said that we should keep enough notes to stay on task, but not so many that we are directly reading off. I should know and practice my information ahead of time to keep everything clear and concise.

Here's a picture of a mural I never noticed before by Cinemopolis downtown: 

More on Ithaca Festival

This past week, I wasn't able to have a mentor meeting. I was out on the senior trip on Tuesday and Mr. Cass was away for the rest of the week. I think I've kept him updated on what I need to accomplish and any roadblocks I've faced recently. I'll see him this coming week.

As for the Ithaca festival, despite the few items that occurred in my last post, overall, I think it went very well. The festival really reminded me why I chose to do this project and why I changed the view of it. After all, it's a project with two separate aims I've incorporated. There's the physical documentary making, including capturing footage, editing, etc. But the whole other aspect plays in a lot with what goes on in asking the questions, gathering responses and everything that goes on behind the camera and when I'm not filming. There have been many people who I've talked to without interviewing, including those who didn't feel comfortable being on camera or just simple interactions around town that have encouraged me that Why Ithaca is so much more than just the physical film itself.

There was one man who I interviewed at the festival who is the ideal Ithacan. He moved here in the 70s, went to see the Grateful Dead in Ithaca in the 80s, was wearing an Ithaca is Gorges shirt that said  something other than the typical saying, and had even informed me that he was trying to coin his own term about this area (based on the saying "ten square miles surrounded by reality") called "Ithacality." It's people like him that give Ithaca such a sense of unique culture. As I was filming his responses I couldn't stop smiling, because it was so stereotypically Ithacan and was just what I was looking for. There were some cars going by at the time, so I really hope that they don't affect the sound, but we'll see!

Here's a picture of some of my friends at a tent for a local radio station: