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:

I-fest and complications

I had a great time downtown for five hours on Saturday. Of course some of it was spent doing some personal shopping and sightseeing, but I had my camera at the ready the whole time. I got caught in a massive downpour at one point right before I was going to interview some college aged girls, but after the downpour, they weren't as focused. The forecast for Sunday is even rainier than Saturday's, so it's not looking good for filming.

I also faced a few problems while filming. I took a different, lighter weight tripod and one of the legs is stuck, so the camera work I did is a bit shaky. I think it won't really take away from the film, because I want the first person feel. I'm okay with imperfections as long as I can get my storytelling in. Another problem I faced was all of the noise and other people that might interfere with some of my interviews and other footage.

The other major problem I faced was the microphone falling apart. I think a screw fell out somewhere in the first half hour I was there and it took a lot of creative thinking to make the best of the situation. I took a hair tie from my wrist and pulled it around the two pieces to keep them together and used it like that for the rest of the day. Honestly, I'm pretty impressed and I hope the sound comes out ok. This whole project has required me to think on my feet, but I'm happy I've been able to.

Most of what I got at the festival itself was video, so here's a picture of a dog from the parade. The dog is named kale. If that doesn't say something about the people from here, I don't know what does:

Filling In

Earlier this week, I asked Mr. Cass about having an editing party for myself. I'm very excited to get what I presume will be the last pieces of footage for my documentary. The Ithaca Festival will be the culminating event I'm filming, which really, truly shows Ithacan culture. 

I went around yesterday and continued to film. I got some shots of local places that people have talked about in their documentaries. I also interviewed a few more people. These were people I didn't know and the interviews ended up being a bit awkward, but I'm still happy I went out and got them. There was a couple walking their dog and I don't know if I can really use much of what they said, but I feel like I've grown more comfortable with interjecting into people's lives for a few minutes to ask them to reflect on this town. 

Here's a mural that has a bit of an alternative feel near Cinemopolis:

A Sense of Place

I got some more interview material yesterday. It was hot but beautiful outside and I captured some more footage. It's the first of the interviews I'm doing of people from in the high school. It was pretty exciting. I almost didn't realize my microphone was dead right before I started shooting, but luckily went through the checklist I've been very cautious about since the unfortunate interview I had a few weeks back (check out my post titled Debbie Downer for more on this). 

I've also scheduled another interview for later this week with my government class teacher. I think she'll offer some perspectives on topics that other people I've interviewed haven't discussed. Right now, we're learning about the development of the city of Ithaca and what gives it a sense of place (including zoning, development, and layout). I'm very excited about this, because our discussions relate to what I'm trying to get at through my film. We read an article, which I will link below. It touches on a lot of points of the quirks of the people who live here.

Here's the article from the Ithaca Times and the photo from the article: http://bit.ly/1EYd1uR 

How to Present

My presentation is a month from today!  I feel that I'll be fairly comfortable during my presentation, because this is a topic I know a lot about and I am pretty excited for the culmination.

In Wise class today, we discussed ways that we're presenting. We are supposed to separate the journal, presentation, and narrative differently. The holes in the narrative and the journal should be addressed in the presentation. I feel that the hands on work and research should be something I stress, because I know how easy it is for me to reflect.

Ms. Lord suggested splitting our presentations into shorter segments. This could involved five segments of six minutes on different topics, three segments on ten minutes per topic, etc. I hope to incorporate a preview clip of my project while explaining how my project has changed and why I chose to discover Ithaca the way that I did. Instead, I may choose to use little clips throughout the presentation of different aspects of filming I got. I might choose to show the impact of b-roll and show how I learned, but I'll have to see how smoothly I can do this.

It's been pretty muggy this past week and it shows in the weather:

Saturday School

I came in to school today for a few hours. I actually forgot my external hard drive, so I'm very lucky I have two versions saved (one on the hard drive and one saved on the desktop I've been working on in the digital media lab). I edited for a while but eventually got inspired to do some voiceover work. 

Mr. Class had to teach me how to use the program. It's called Adobe Audition. I got to use really nice headphones and a big standing microphone. The sound quality is very good and I think I caught on pretty fast to how the program works.

The only problem I'm seeing is how to mesh what I say with the video and audio clips of other people. I also need some more b-roll of different areas I'm talking about. It's so hard to get all around Ithaca when the lighting and weather are right, not during school, when I have all my equipment with me. I know everything will be all right and I just need to keep pushing through. 

 

Mentor Meeting

I met with Mr. Cass and we went over the mid-marking period checkin. I think I'm exactly on track right now. I scheduled my presentation date and I'm pretty happy with it. I hope I'll have enough time between Ithaca Festival and the date materials are due, to finish editing. Maybe I can use a school laptop with Adobe Premiere Pro to bring home and edit during non-school hours.

During my mentor meeting, I also found out that other students are having an editing party at the school this weekend. Mr. Cass said I could join and I think it would be a great opportunity to work on my own project and get come insight on what some of the other Wise students have been doing with their projects. I don't typically enjoy waking up early on the weekend, but I actually am interested in stopping in to do some work.

I also plan on trying to get some interviews of students out in the quad sometime during my free periods Thursday or Friday (although I do have more studying and another AP test). Earlier this week, AP exams and the weather limited my ability to film during school. I can also hopefully use the time at the school with other students on the weekend to accomplish this. I would also like to interview some teachers at the high school to get their take on Why Ithaca? This includes my English teacher from last year who told me he's been reading my blog. MR. MILLER IF YOU'RE READING THIS, HERE'S A SHOUTOUT.

Check out the Ithaca is Gorges sign at the bottom of the photo:

Sunny Outside But I'm Inside Editing

In regard to the title, at least I'm not getting a sunburn.

First off, I have changed the way my editing process is working. I originally had just started cutting and putting together all of my clips. After a lot of work in this process, I realized how much this is going to hinder my overall project. Because of the limited time, I'm editing while still in the process of filming and coming up with with my voiceover. Because of this, it'll be easier if I keep the music, the b-roll footage, and the interviews all separate. I can still work on cutting them in to the pieces I want, but I want to wait until after I get my filming completely done to put everything together. Overall, I think it'll be more cohesive and be easier to find the right place for everything. I talked to Mr. Cass about my decision and he agrees that it should provide some ease.

Additionally, I have talked to April who is also filming for her project, but hers is a brief TV series that is a spoof on Disney Channel shows. When I first heard that she's aiming for approximately two hours worth of episodes for her finished project, I felt a bit inadequate. Mine is looking to be about 20-30 minutes right now. But I've come to some realizations about the differences in our Wise projects (and everyone's for that matter). The nature of her project is different from mine. She has a scripted project with a cast of characters. I have the unreliability of the willingness and content of what my interviewees say. She has a whole film crew and will have an editing team as she directs. For mine, it's just me doing the filming, questions, and editing for my film. There's nothing wrong with either way and I'm sure she's run into problems while relying on other people.

The way I'm approaching this whole experience has changed from thinking about this. I have to rely on myself and can't blame anyone else for the inadequacies of the sound or footage or anything else. I am interviewing people and working with technology that started out in a zone that's way out of my comfort level. I'm starting to realize that however this project comes out, I'm proud of the work I've done and the new light that I've seen my hometown through. I have a month left and I can't wait to see where it takes me.

Here's a picture of April editing on a computer: 

Improving the Journal

I think that my eight hours of work per week is pretty transparent throughout my journal. I make sure to very explicitly state what happens and my ideas about each weekly mentor meeting. I spend a lot of time journaling and I also have been continuing to research and find new pieces to inspire my work. This has been exemplified by my continued communication of videos I've been watching and information about how the technology I'm working with works.

Additionally, I usually post about the times I go out and film. I could probably be a bit more explicit with what happens when I edit, because the labeling and cutting and editing and sound work I'm doing takes a lot of time. Sometimes I'll spend two or three class periods in one day if I'm feeling particularly motivated. I can try to be more specific in future posts of what I'm doing while I'm editing, but it's pretty mundane and time consuming process. I'd rather blog about other things, but I also want my readers to know all the work I've been putting in.

Here are some spring blossoms on a tree in my backyard:

Another Example Documentary

I was informed today that Cornell University put out an 18 minute documentary in honor of the 150th anniversary of the charter founding the school. I was so excited to watch it and I definitely was not disappointed by it. Not only does it make me so incredibly excited to be a student there next year, but it was a great resource to see while I'm in the mix of filming and editing. Obviously, it's a professional film, so it is going to be very well done, but I consider the work completely outstanding. The shots and lighting are breathtaking and gorgeous. I love the mix of the town and nature around the campus and throughout the Ithaca landscape. I urge everyone to go watch it.

http://150.cornell.edu/glorioustoview/

In addition I like the way they did their interviews. Of course, these are much more formal and professional than mine, but I think I can use bits of the film as a potential inspiration for the format of my editing. It's interesting how they put the interviewees in black and white. It gives a mature look to the documentary and creates contrast.

Lastly, in honor of Mother's Day and with the Cornell post, I'm putting a picture of a cute mug I found in the Cornell store and almost bought for my mom (I got her one with the mascot instead):

Out of the Rut and Partner Read

I was pretty busy last week and still am this week with AP exams and in class finals, so I haven't had much of a chance to post. Luckily after this coming week, my schedule should quiet down and I will be able to focus more of my time on my project.

Four ways my project plans have changed thus far:

1. The amount of time that my documentary is going to run for--I have so much footage, but to keep it interesting and to use the best and most usable pieces, I've cut down so much. 

2. The view of the project--I've narrowed down the lens of the film to be more personal.
3. In going with a more personal perspective, I've decided to do more narration and voiceover than I originally had planned about my own experience and perspectives. 

4. The way I'm interviewing people--I was originally going to have formal, sit down interviews with "important" people around Ithaca, but now I've decided I'd rather get Ithacans in their natural habitat. 

Partner Read
For the partner read, I looked through Dylan's blog. She has a great blogging style and is very focused on her project in all her posts. It's mainly in paragraph form with a few lists mixed in. She writes very objectively about all the portions of her project that she is in the process of accomplishing, but there's less of a bigger picture view of how everything is coming together/relates to each other. Her project about starting a small business looks like it's coming together really well, but I would suggest to her to take a step back and write a post about the broader view of how everything is working out. I also enjoyed seeing the picture of her menu. I wonder if she's interested in pursuing a career or hobby of working her own restaurant.

Here's a picture I took at Stewart Park last week:

Mentor Meeting

I met with Mr. Cass today, because I had an AP Psychology exam yesterday during the time we normally meet. We talked about using the equipment and how I've been more careful about making sure that everything is working (like the microphone) while I'm filming. I got the chance to try out filming with a fancier camera that can go into a rest on the shoulder. I think I still like using the dslr better. It's easier when it's just me filming and interviewing to have the camera on a tripod. However, it was interesting to try out other options for technology to use.

Also, I have been continuing to work on editing during my free periods. In addition, I went to Streets Alive this weekend. It was great to see people around and I got some great interviews as well as great b-roll footage. The weather has been so perfect and the people I interviewed said some things that will fit in so well. 

My one worry continues to be getting college students to interview. I have to make up for the interviews I messed up before but I know students are leaving soon. I will try to go on campus and talk to students, or else I might have to get creative.

Here's a picture of a ladybug that landed on me (maybe it's good luck):

Debbie Downer

I'm a little worried about timing for my project. I have so much left to do and summer events and scenes I really want to get in parks, by the lakes and gorges, and during Ithaca Festival. Finding time to film and edit this cuts close to the deadline for my project to be completed. However, time crunches can work to my advantage. I tend to get more done and be more efficient when I'm feeling a bit rushed.

As for music, at the moment, I've been using free, legal downloads from a website called audioblocks, but I hope somehow I can still use some of the songs I had picked out before, if I'm not publically publishing or profiting from it.

And lastly, I'm actually quite upset about the time I took to interview all of the Ithaca college students. I feel like I took two steps forward and three steps back, because somehow something didn't work right with the microphone and there is no audio to anything that they said. It's very possible that this was 100% an error made on my part. I'm hugely disappointed in myself because not only am I missing work that I took the effort to do, but I also loved what they said. It's possible I can still incorporate some of what they said by paraphrasing it in my voiceover. Anyways, what I've learned from this experience is to ALWAYS TRIPLE CHECK THAT EVERYTHING IS WORKING. 

Now I'm just going to move forward and continue to film. I'm hoping to get to Streets Alive this weekend.

Here's a picture from Cornell campus:

Red Gold

This is a bit of a side ramble, but today in school I donated blood for the second time ever. It was really rewarding although I got a pretty nasty and very sore bruise! I think it's kind of fun to call blood red gold, because donating it is so vital to helping others.

I went to Ithaca College and I had the pleasure of meeting with 5 students to interview. I spent a bit of time getting to know and searching for a space that we could use to film. I wanted to be outside but there were lawn crews with loud machines and the smell of mulch was very strong. The next best option was a nicely lit room called the fishbowl in Campus Center but it was occupied. We ended up using another room and I didn't love the fluorescent lighting, but at least it was quiet.

I had two of the girls go together first and then the last three wanted to get to a 6:30 class, so I had all three of them sit in the frame and answer my questions. It was different than the way I originally had wanted but I'm very happy with their responses. I think I will be able to use a lot of what they say. The whole process did take a while and there is a lot of "junk" time that I will have to go through and cut from ~25 minutes of interview. In addition, I felt kind of weird interviewing and filming them, because some of them go to the Park school at IC and are much more skilled at interviews and filming than I am. It was still very fun.

I got some shots of Ithaca and Cayuga Lake from afar on top of South Hill on the IC campus. On my way back home, I stopped at Mulholland Wildflower Preserve which was absolutely stunning in the pre-dusk sparkle of the sun. I've never been there before but I definitely will return. For lazy days, there are benches or simply an open space to spread a blanket and the Six Mile Creek trail runs through the area. The wildlife of geese and so much greenery was perfect. The water is also very gorges and I think I captured it pretty well, because I'm happy with the results.

Overall, I've been having a great time working on my project lately. I even got to use the skills I've been working on with focusing and zooming.

Here's one of the pictures I got:

Mentor Meeting and Skill Improvement

At my mentor meeting with Mr. Cass, we worked on camera skills. I have been trying to use auto focus in my filming but sometimes it messes up the shot as it refocuses due to movement or zooming. I learned that a good way to go about shooting is to start zoomed in, then fix the shot with manual focus. Then, the shot will stay focused, and create a better product. Also, we discussed the importance of slow, steading zooming and panning. I need to work on using the tripod for a steady shot and keeping the pivoting movement of the camera itself more uniform (and less jumpy). I hope to work with these methods while I'm filming later this week. I have an interview with some Ithaca College students planned.

As far as the preview piece goes, I took a one minute section from what I've been working on so far to bring in for class to show to document my progress. I have it on my external hard drive which I'm counting as my "artifact" for Wise class. I really enjoy using the external hard drive but I also appreciate having a backup folder on the digital media computer, because I can't imagine what I would do if my work was lost or didn't save correctly.

Speaking of technology, I quickly want to state the importance of keeping all of the footage together. The Adobe Premiere Pro program that I load each time I go in to edit will only work with my saved project if all of the footage clips are available to use. This is why my external hard drive is so important. Although I've been primarily been using the same computer to back up and save my work to, I have to ability to use any computer in the school with the program on it.

Here's a shot I took in a local park near South Hill (it was so nice out today!!):

Wise Class

Today we read the introduction to an article entitled "Happiness Revisited." It's an interesting take on the universal ideas that happiness encompasses. People from all over the world and from a wide span of ages, no matter the wealth find being content involves mastery and participation. I would agree with this statement. In addition, I enjoy the quote "Happiness, in fact, is a condition that must be prepared for, cultivated, and defended privately by each person. People who learn to control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives, which is as close as any of us can come to bring happy." It speaks to me in the way of taking initiative and responsibility for one's own self. The part I'm not super content with is how it talks about getting close to happiness. I believe it's not as difficult as this article suggests to be happy. Maybe it's me being idealistic but I hope for blissfulness to come often.

There is a flow chart that I will attach down below that goes along with the article. I'll draw a star where I think I belong on the chart. I think this place displays that I try to challenge myself and I hope to have a lot of skills in life but also face anxiety a bit. This is why I put myself higher in the box and on the edge of anxiety. 

The article also discussed flow- the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it. This seems kind of hard to do, because I find it hard to focus on one thing only. There's usually something that gnaws at the back of my mind or that brings my focus away from whatever is bringing me happiness. I hope to achieve flow by acknowledging these things but also being able to put them away.

Lastly, I feel most happy when I'm surrounded by people I like. This sounds weird, so I'll rephrase it. I enjoy being around good feelings and being able to take in the experience. It's less of a where I am or what exactly I'm doing and more the state of mind I'm in. Of course, the situation should be either neutral or positive and should be engaging. However, even though the place doesn't really matter to me, I wouldn't mind it to be out on the lake during a sunny summer day, or sitting with a blanket watching netflix and hearing rain pour against the roof outside.

Waste

I spent several hours last week sorting through my footage and putting it into Adobe Premiere Pro in the school's digital media studio. Here's a big shoutout to Mr. Cass for giving me some great footage to go through of aerial views and shots taken with a go pro. I now have some wide, sweeping shots of falls and the lake, which will add nicely into my documentary. Also, I have been freshening up my skills with the editing program. I hadn't realized I was putting my work in an odd area, like the secondary area for videos, and was informed it's typical to keep them in a slightly different spot. Overall, I feel pretty successful with the knowledge I've been able to use and apply.

The title of this post refers to the learning experience I've had figuring out that a lot of what I do, wont make it into my final product. There are many shots I've gotten that I don't think I can use the majority of, or even for some, not at all. This is a bit unfortunate. Some don't fit in/don't work, and others are not the type of quality I want to include, and others are too similar and don't create variety. Mr. Cass has said I should bring in my DSLR on Monday to work on my shooting skills a bit more, to get better footage. Additionally, with the editing I've done, the film is a bit slow paced and I need more interviews to incorporate along with the scenes.

Lastly, I have scheduled more interviews for the coming week, after previous ones haven't worked out. I'm a bit worried about getting the college student perspective before the students leave for the summer. I feel like my schedule doesn't line up well with theirs.

Here's a picture taken at a local restaurant, Gorgers, in town. I love seeing local art:

Task Force Response

First of all, I want to thank the community member who read through all my blog posts and gave me some fantastic and prompt feedback and encouragement! I appreciate it so much.

My reviewer says that "there is ample goal-setting, possibly more than can be realistically be done." I have started to realize this and come to terms with it. I am going to continue to stay positive and keep my goals high but set my base expectations below. I hope to gather a lot of my skills and footage, but I do realize that I'm not going to be able to do EVERYTHING that I want. Hopefully my enthusiasm will help me to maximize the amount that I get done. Also, just to clarify, I will be using both pictures and film that I shoot for my documentary.

The suggestions listed are the following: visit the places on your list and write about the storyboarding/steps in your documentary, write about the hardware/software you will be using to make the documentary, write about the nuts and bolts- how is this documentary going to be put together? 

Since the task force journal review took place, I've explained myself a bit more on most of these fronts. I will discuss the planning and storyboarding a bit more in a future post. 

This is a picture from my phone camera of Beebe Lake, a man-made body of water in town:

Editing!

It's been almost a year since I've used the editing software, Adobe Premiere Pro. I'm so excited to be seeing my work come together. It's crazy! I now am realizing how much time and work this is going to take to correctly place everything where I want it (and figure out where that is). I also have realized a lot of the camera work is quite shaky, either from times I was without a tripod, from wind, or from trying to smoothly pan (and only being semi-successful). Sometimes it's hard to see footage I've collected that I can't use, but I know that there is a lot that I can use, too.

I'm very excited to re-learn how to use the program, though. Initially, I had some difficulty uploading and formatting in the program, but fell into the swing of the work. I have a nice little nook in the digital media studio behind Mr. Cass's classroom. I can go in during my free periods and work. One problem I may run into is working while Mr. Cass is teaching and being unable to ask for help. This will give me the opportunity to gain more independence and to look up and research more on my own.

This is a picture that was taken in front of a mural on the Tioga Street parking garage:

Story-Bored

I know, I know, storyboard is not spelled like that. I just want to mention how much I dislike the idea of a formal story-board for creating my documentary. My project is constantly changing and I don't feel that a storyboard would be the best use of my time. It would be tedious and wouldn't end up matching most of what I'm doing, simply because the documentary is more like a goo than a solid. In other words, it is more adaptable and likely to change shape as I mold it. Other types of filmography the scripts and shots are much more organized to get the desired scenes just so, but I'm going for a more organic feel.

I already have a list of the places and people who I intend to include. As for the order, I feel that it would be better for me to play around with different audio and visual clips/pictures to see what fits the best.

Of course it's important to have a storyboard, but mine is more of an informal version. It's leaning toward a free-flow of ideas and how to string them together. I want my project to open with an intro of me explaining my project and switch into voiceover with pictures. Next, it will go to the title screen of "Why Ithaca?" And then a long series of interviews and footage that fits together by the mood of what people are discussing, with intermittent narration by me. I will probably end with a wrap up of how I feel. Of course, there will be a lot more "meat" to the film than what I have listed here, but this is just an outline of the direction I'm working toward. The format has changed a bit since I first started, but you can see more of that in my April 20 post entitled Mentor Meeting and Slight Changes.

Lastly, I know that we need to get a physical piece of work in to Wise to demonstrate what we've been doing. Hopefully I can get in and edit a little preview of my work so far, so I'm ready to show it on Monday. I think it will also be good editing practice. 

Here's a picture from Sweet Melissa's Ice Cream a few days ago:

Technology and Logistics

It's time for a technical post! I'm not very good at understanding logistics and once I do, I still have a bit of trouble explaining to others. Please bear with me.

I am using a DSLR Canon camera and a basic tripod. Unfortunately it doesn't have a level on it, but it's been okay to use so far. I am using a fairly basic microphone (borrowed from the digital media department--thanks Mr. Cass!!) that slides on top of my camera. It's been working very well so far.

Mr. Cass has given me a book titled Video Basics 7 by Herbert Zettl, which is actually used in some college programs. There are some sections, I won't really be needing to look at such as 'Talent, Clothing, and Makeup' or 'Tape-Based Video-Recording Systems.' There are some parts that I also already understand, such as information on the basics of framing. Because I have a background in photography and some experience in digital media, I understand how some of this works, such as the rule of thirds, where to place bodies, and even simply not cutting off people's heads.

In the editing process, I will be starting to use a program called Adobe Premiere Pro. I have a bit of background with it from digital media class last year, but hope to use it with more ease now. One struggle I face is only having access to it mainly at school in the lab. Mr. Cass also has laptops I can borrow and bring home when it gets closer to my deadline and I need to work on polishing off my product. In addition, Mr. Cass has offered to help me design a title template for people's names and other stylistic choices. I hope it will help my documentary to look nice and be unique and uniform throughout the video.

Here's a screenshot I found online of the editing program. I remember seeing it for the first time and being overwhelmed by all the tabs and options:

Mentor Meeting and Slight Changes

I had my meeting with Mr. Cass. We went over the importance again of naming and filing through my work. We will keep one set of files on the external hard drive, and one on a specific computer for me to use in digital media lab as back up. In addition, throughout my film, I want to diversify locations, age groups, etc. to keep it from being monotonous. This means that I should be splitting up scenes and interviews that are similar throughout the film, instead of, for example, putting all of the Ithaca Farmers Market interviews one after the other, in a row.

We also have started to think about how I want to proceed with the opening of the documentary. I know that I want it to both explain my project but also captivate people to make them want to watch. Therefore, I've decided to tweek the way I'm approaching the editing and continued filming process. As I've been progressing through shooting, I've decided that I want to make the documentary a bit more personal. It's going to be impossible to capture all the places and ideas that are pertinent to the culture of Ithaca. Instead, I'm still looking to answer the same question, but putting more of a personal twist on it, to interview others but also look through more of my own lens.

This also gives me a bit more freedom in script writing and storyboarding for myself. I can also find different sayings and mention them, although they might be a bit cliche, about what Ithaca is/means.

Also, I'm so sorry I haven't been posting exactly regularly. I'm trying to keep up but I was away this past Thursday through Sunday, without internet access. Anyway, here's a picture I found online of one of the pithy sayings about Ithaca (plus a bonus FLEFF sticker and an environmentally conscious one. So Ithaca.)

Disrupting my Comfort Zone

Today in Wise class we listened to an NPR podcast. Brian Grazer discusses meeting people who challenge his ideas about himself and the world. It took a lot of work for Grazer to get certain people to talk to him and when he did, he was was insulted. He also decided to start surfing in a very intimating environment. I really appreciated the quote from a biologist he used: "If you're not growing, you're dying."

My project is a lot of work that goes beyond my comfort zone. I usually keep to myself when I'm out in public and I don't know anyone. It's forced me to have conversations with people I otherwise wouldn't have talked with. In addition, I feel like I make myself stand out when I lug around a camera, microphone, and tripod with me. People stare and try to avoid it, even when it's not even on. I think it's benefitted me to care a little less about what strangers think about me in everyday life. 

Also, to push forward, I think it's important to get out of my own mindset about this town. I've been doing additional research by talking to people around town. I don't always have my camera on me, but that doesn't stop me from working on my project. I now am starting to talk to people, such as parents, prospective college students, and others I've met. I want to get a more global idea of how people view Ithaca, because staying narrow minded is something I'm trying to avoid.

Ms. Lord drew this visual for us in class:

Mentor Meeting

In my mentor meeting with Mr. Cass, we talked about the next steps in my project.
Here's a list of the main parts of our discussion, which I will continue to work on:

• Make sure to tell the interview subjects to talk to me, not directly at the camera
• Try to avoid both visual and audio distractions while filming
• More footage and interview questions are better than less
• I can find time to start coming in and working at one of the computers in the digital media studio during my free periods
• The importance of saving my work to the computer in a file too, to ensure I have my work somewhere if anything happens to the external hard drive
• Working on improving smoother shooting skills and panning shots
• I should move on from people I've asked to interview, who haven't responded well

Here's a photo featuring the grass beginning its spring transformation and the typical gray skies:

Motivations and Deadlines

"But what about assignments that don't have clear deadlines? Or projects that are so large that they must be done in increments, so that pulling an all nighter isn't an option? Or creative goals that no one much cares about, except you?"

-- Phyllis Korkki, The New York Times

"Need Motivation? Declare a Deadline"

In Wise class on Monday, we read an article that I relate to very well. In the past, I've had a lot of problems with procrastination and a lack of motivation to complete my responsibilities. I always manage to finish what needs to get done, but end up stressing myself out in the process. I put a lot of pressure on myself to finish tasks but I don't plan my time out well, especially when the deadline is far away and less tangible.

Hopefully I can inspire myself to continue to increase my workload, now that I've realized the time constraints I'm working against. With better weather and more people out in the streets, opportunity is calling. In addition, the college students are leaving fairly shortly and I need to get them in my filming. This will help with motivation. In addition, I'm excited to start the editing process, but want to wait until I have a bit more footage to work with, which will also push me to continue to work hard. 

Senioritis might be real in other aspects of my life, but I'm excited to keep working on my Wise project for the rest of the year.

Here's a photo of Ithaca Falls from Monday:

First Interviews

I went to a concert at the State Theater last night and tried to get some video footage of the music scene that Ithaca attracts there, but I don't know if any of it will be great quality. We'll see...

Anyway, I had a friend visiting in town today who is going to Ithaca College next year. We went to the Ithaca Farmer's Market and while we were there, I interviewed some venders about the market and their impression of Ithacans. Although I got three vender interviews, one customer interview, some b-roll around the market, and footage of a live performance going on, I was aiming for more. Many venders and customers who I asked to interview were busy, were too shy, or were too close to the drums of the musical performance going on. I was surprised at how many people turned me down because they thought they looked bad or they didn't want to talk. It was also pretty chilly, so that may have been a factor. I also got some great positive responses from those I did interview, so I'm pretty happy about that.

It was my first time using the microphone that Mr. Cass gave me. I was worried that the sound wouldn't work because there was so much background noise, but I previewed the videos and they seem fine. One thing I realized while interviewing was that I should tailor my questions to the situation. It's going to require a bit of thinking on my feet while also focusing on my camerawork. I hope to go back and talk to more people later on when it's a bit warmer and sunnier, and hopefully the people will be too.

Here's a picture of me and my friend Missy at Steamboat Landing

Gleaning From the Past

Over spring break, we were assigned a former Wise student's project (the narrative and journaling aspects) to look through and reflect on. I received a project that involved creating a musical by a girl named Ellen.

I think that Ellen did a great job showing reflecting on her reactions and emotions throughout the project. She was very open about her opinions. Furthermore, she included many pictures, videos, and gifs in her posts that were both entertaining to look at but also explained and supported what she was saying. She also builds up her ability to cope with stress and it shows. Ellen also used a very helpful mentor who she was close with, which I feel probably helped her move along with the project.

I think there were also a few minor weak points in Ellen's journaling, as well. She had some gaps and irregularities with posting (sometimes many on one day with an absence in others). She also often gives off the impression that she doesn't prioritize or feel like working on her project, too. I think we can all relate to this, but I personally probably wouldn't share this.

I appreciate her self awareness of the gap between what she accomplished (a script and two full songs, I believe) and a full musical (full script, ~18 songs, etc.). I feel that although I'm aiming high, if my documentary ends up not being quite as long as i expect, I will probably be ok. I'm creating it in much less time without all the crews and people that a professional, full length documentary uses. I'd like to borrow the relatable way that Ellen shares her information.

I think that Ellen learned a lot from her project and I know that she's interested in performing arts. I wonder if she would do something like this again in the future as a hobby or as a job.

Reflection Over Spring Break

Well, spring break is nearly over. I spent a week recovering from my getting my wisdom teeth removed and unfortunately wasn't feeling well enough at all to go out and film. I feel like I missed out, but I also had some time to spend time looking up some ideas and getting in touch with some people around Ithaca.

I have gathered some inspiration from videos made about Ithaca. I'm interested by the voiceovers and shots used. Sometimes I find it hard to find ways of showing motion in the videos of places and things I take. Maybe I can use a time lapse with people moving around as part of the scenes I shoot. Included in the short videos I found is this one about downtown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yVHvjpYqjg. Additionally, this one is mainly about Cornell, but still very relatable and useful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWXK4npGxKE. 

...and speaking of Cornell, I received my last and most anxiously awaited college acceptance letter! I am very excited to announce that I may spend the next few years here in Ithaca at Cornell University. The only hesitation that holds me back from immediately saying yes to my top choice is that I was accepted for January 2016. This leaves me wondering what I should do for the first semester. More information on the new program can be found here: http://admissions.cornell.edu/fysa#a. 

My main reason for including this information in this post is that it may color the way I narrate my documentary. I think the voiceover will end up being one of the last additions to my film, because my overall connections and impressions will probably continue to change right up until the end. 

This picture is a pretty good representation of the weather lately (wet and cold)

Connections

My Wise project has given me an enormous amount of support from the Ithaca community. Already, I have made some great connections that aren't just helpful now but I believe might help me later on in my career/hobbies.

Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Professor Bradley Rappa from Ithaca College. Not only did I get to hear his perspective in teaching documentary filmmaking and the technical aspects of that, but I also got to hear more about his experience out in the field as he produces, directs and more. In addition, I was able to get him in contact with Mr. Cass to possibly get his college students working with high schoolers next year.

The first Ithaca College professor I got in contact with from the Parks School was actually Dr. Patricia Zimmermann. Although I didn't end up interviewing her, she's the one who suggested I talk with Bradley Rappa. In addition, she plays a major role in the annual Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, which is an internationally renowned event that I am so happy to now have a part in. Zimmermann asked me to be a social media intern for the festival. 

The process of getting high school students to submit nonfiction articles they wrote was a bit more difficult than I first anticipated. Overall, it was very cool to think about documentary filmmakers and opportunities that are so close to me. The festival itself will is April 6-12. I can't wait for the opportunity to watch the products of the film festival.

In addition, I now have a solid group of people who have agreed to do interviews with me, but I will need to work out schedule-wise the best ways to meet up with them. In addition, I'm very happy the weather has started to clear up.

Here is a short clip from a documentary about an Ithacan resident who has been inspired by the scenery around her. I hope to be able to talk with her!

that moment; film cue by robby aceto from robert aceto on Vimeo.

Keep On Keeping On

I met with Mr. Cass on Monday and I got my microphone. I'm so glad I have this connection and I'm able to use the digital media equipment, because it has made this project a little easier on me. Mr. Cass and I discussed the style of interviews that can happen. I might choose to include my voice asking questions, or I might just use what people say. Stylistically I might choose to have people looking off to me at the side, and not talking directly into the camera.

In class on Monday, we further discussed the movie, Barnsong. In particular, part of the conversation the stuck out to me was the idea of the learning that one obtains along the way. It's not the end of the world if people don't completely finish their projects. Of course it's preferable to meet and exceed goals, but along the way there is still the continuous process to show off. Although I still hope and expect to complete my project within the time limits, this makes me feel a bit more comfortable with the constraints I'm faced with. Moving forward for this week and next, I'm getting my wisdom teeth out on Friday, so I'll be busy and in some pain for at least part of break. I hope this doesn't prevent me from getting out and about in continuing to shoot for my project. 

I've decided that instead of a rigid schedule, I would prefer to check out the availability of people around Ithaca and look outside at the weather conditions, along with my own varying schedule. I think it will work better overall if I just aim to get out around town a few times a week when the moment seems right. It will be more comfortable for me and get the best atmosphere and lighting in what I'm filming.

Also, although I have talked with some people, I'm still always looking for more people to volunteer to interview with me, so if you happen to be reading this right now and would like to help me out, drop a comment below or send me a message at csgarbo@gmail.com. Thanks!

Sonder?

I know I've been talking about the cold so much, but wow, it is still pretty nasty! Despite the windchill being two degrees this morning, the sun was shining and I was able to get some great footage. Mainly, I got more b-roll footage. I went all over downtown Ithaca for a couple hours. Some places I got included different commissioned art pieces, various views of creeks, driving down the street, the State Theater, some historical landmarks, one of the planet walk stations, the Ithaca High School sign and driving by the lake.

It's comforting to see people I don't know all around me, living their lives. It's a bit like sonder. There was a family running around doing the Carl Sagan planet walk together. In another place, there was a lady walking her dog, and then there were quite a few couples hurrying along together in the cold. Everyone has their own story and I can't manage to capture them all, but I hope to uncover many different facets to the inhabitants of Ithaca.

Here is part of a mural depicting an abstract view of the Finger Lakes that I photographed today:

Potential Soundtrack?

UPDATE: It has been brought to my attention that I may not be able to use these songs due to the fact that they are copyrighted. I will have to look more into it, but I really hope I can...

I spent quite some time looking through music that I thought would be good to go with my documentary. I'm looking for a sort of indie-alternative/upbeat/inspiring/folk/contemporary mixture. I know it's a little early to start doing this, but I got excited when I found Our Song by Dynamic Inkline, which captures a lot of the essence of Ithaca, NY. There is a video with an interview with Ithaca Mayor Svante Myric and scenes all around Ithaca. It's inspiring because it's pretty similar to my vision of the lens I want to view Ithaca through.

I put my working soundtrack into a playlist online and it's about an hour and 15 minutes long in total. This is about what I want, because the music will fade in and out with dialogue, but will be present or most of the film. I may choose not to include some or add some later. Like I said, I know it's a bit out of order to look through music to early, but I was inspired to just sit down for a few hours, to go through music, and to find some interesting things that I hope should work. I want my own taste to be a part of the soundtrack but not to overwhelm it, because I'm aware that I also have a theme and an audience to work with.


Potential Songs:

• Our Town- Dynamic Inkline
• Truckin'- Grateful Dead
• Home- Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
• 40 Day Dream- Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
• Verona- Geographer 
• The General Specific- Band of Horses
• Society- Eddie Vedder
• Electric Love- BØRNS
• anything Wilco)
• Friends- Ed Sheeran
• Left Hand Free- alt-j
• For What It's Worth- Buffalo Springfield
• Good Vibes- Rebelution
• I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For- U2
• Let It Go- James Bay

Songs with few/no words:

• Dye- Tycho
• Your Hand in Mine- Explosions in the Sky
• Five Silent Miles- American Football
• Loud Pipes- Ratatat

Here is a picture from a local eatery! 

Lists are Great for Planning

The weather is hindering my shooting a bit. I really want good lighting outside to get more b-roll footage, but the past few days (and I believe the next few, as well) have been filled with grey skies and more snow. This is a bit of a let down, considering that- according to my Timehop app- three years ago this week, it was in the high 70s and sunny.  I have scheduled some interviews for the coming weeks and I've contacted others and am awaiting responses. For right now, I'm in the process of organizing the filming I've already gotten, and creating a list of places I want to include.

I've compiled a working lost from various "visit Ithaca" sites (including this pinterest board) and my own experiences. I will either interview people who work at these places or the places themselves. These are some of the areas I may choose to include (please note that some of these are technically in areas surrounding Ithaca, but extend from the atmosphere of the town):

• Moosewood Restaurant
• Sciencenter
• Treman State Park/Lucifer Falls
• Taughannock State Park
• Second Dam
• Ithaca Falls/Fall Creek
• Buttermilk Falls
• Beebe Lake
• Ho Plaza and various other places on Cornell Campus
• Various places in Ithaca College
• Sunset Park in Cayuga Heights
• The State Theater
• Stewart Park and Cayuga Lake/The Lighthouse
• Ithaca Commons
• Cayuga Nature Center
• Ithaca Visitor Center
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Ithaca Farmers Market
• Greenstar
• The Art and Found
• Sew Green
• Viva Taqueria, Gorgers
• Ithaca Bakery/CTB
• Ithaca Festival/Streets Alive/other festivals
• Grassroots organizer

Another idea I'm interested in is to create a time lapse in some areas, like on the commons, the walking bridge at Cornell, or one of the hot trucks on campus.

Here's a picture of me off a trail at the Cayuga Nature earlier this year, when the weather was nicer!

POSSIBLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

I've been thinking about how to frame my questions to get responses that will be engaging and lead to stories or discussion. I also hope that they will give me a chance to use some of my b-roll footage over what the interviewees are saying.

Here is a working list of possible items to discuss with the people who I'm interviewing (I may come back and add to it later):

• How long have you been living in Ithaca? 
• What brought you here? 
• What makes Ithaca unique or special? 
• In a brief phrase, how would you describe this place? 
• What is Ithacan culture? 
• What's your story? 
• First impression of Ithaca? 
• Favorite local business? 
• What do you do in your time around the town? 
• Favorite festival? Why? 
• What are the best activities and places to visit around Ithaca?
• Name some stereotypes you associate with Ithaca.
• Which season is your favorite in Ithaca? Why?
• Does anything else set this setting apart?
• How would you characterize the people here?

In the meantime, enjoy a view of Cornell University taken from Stewart Park:

It's Monday Mentor Meeting Day!

I talked with Mr. Cass today. We discussed the importance of organization throughout the project process. When I shoot footage, I know what I have and can organize it better if it's fresh in my mind. I can save time later if I keep the digital video and image files neat. Therefore, it would be wise to be labeling and deleting as needed. I hope this will smooth the process of editing later down the road.

We also discussed the demographics of my audience, which is fairly broad. We decided on a varying sample of people but the youngest age of interviewees in my film should be high schoolers. Mr. Cass also put me in contact with Maya from the Ithaca College Media Club. I can't wait to use her as a resource.

We met in class today during the Wise period. I appreciate hearing from my classmates about their progress. It's fun to know all of the cool things they are learning about and producing, but it's also nice to know that the path through the project isn't direct for anyone. Life gets in the way sometimes and we just have to work around it, but we also are making great gains.

In class, we watched a former Wise student's film about another student's Wise project. It was a documentary titled Barnsong. I better understand the Wise project after viewing it. The project was about making a barn, which I would generally associate with the raising of the barn, itself. However, the bulk of the film shows the before process that goes into creating a barn (such as the laborious process of getting wood and cutting it). The focus isn't on the finished product, which just gets quick recognition at the end. The Wise program offers a learning experience that the documentary shows well. It tells a story as time goes on and more skills are built up. 

Now that I watched Barnsong, I wonder about dedications and special thanks in my own documentary. I hadn't realized, but in nearly everyone's project, there are many people who must be relied upon to make the project work who deserve recognition. This film left me wondering about my own project. It got up close for small details and played in interesting aspects of lighting with an overall good variety of shots. Some questions I will now explore include how stylistically I want to conduct my interviews. For example, do I want people be looking into the camera or off to the side, and how can I frame what they say to get the material I need?

Interview Questions will be posted soon this week! Enjoy the sunshine!