Create a unit titled: "Midterm"--answer the following questions. For EACH question be specific by writing examples of your experiences. No generalizations! :

(Copy and paste the midterm questions into your Midterm Unit)

 

Where were  you, where are you and where are you going?

I came in as an experienced cinematographer with good editing skills. I am getting better with the quality of the content of my films as well as how they look. I have some director skills but I'm learning to become a better one.   

What have you learned about working with equipment (camera, lights, sound...)?

I learned that when using lights it looks warmer with gold light rather than soft light and I learned how to use the DSLRs more in depth so I can have a good look to my films.

What have you learned about working with Final Cut Pro X?

I recently learned how to line up sound from two different clips. Also I figured out how to make the end of a commercial with the ad signs and credit card stuff

What have you learned about working with actors?

I learned that the time I have with them is valuable and not to waste their time. 

What have you learned about working with a film a crew?

If everyone does their part and helps contribute to the ideas things run well. Also that it can be a pain when people don’t show up. 

What have you noticed about television, commercials or motion pictures since you started this class?

I pay a lot more attention to bad cuts or continuity issues. I also pay a lot of attention to how people never reload a gun in action movies. Like in the movie theMechanic the man character fires 20 times with a pistol before reloading and I’m sitting there wondering how that's possible

 

PART II

Advanced Students

Watch the following film by Georges Méliès. A Trip to the Moon was named one of the 100 greatest films of the 20th century. The film remains the best-known of the hundreds of films made by Méliès, and the moment in which the capsule lands in the Moon's eye remains one of the most iconic and frequently referenced images in the history of cinema. It is widely regarded as the earliest example of the science fiction film genre and, more generally, as one of the most influential films in cinema history.

After watching write a 750 word essay (Three pages Double-Space Times New Roman 12pt font) addressing the following questions:

1. What is the plot of the film?

It starts off with a secret society of astronomers. One of the characters brings forward the idea of going to the moon and he shows the rest of the society how he’s gong to do it. He is then mocked and told he couldn’t do it by another member of the society. So he and his friends go and build the space pod and get shot to the moon in a really long canon. When they get to the moon they spend the first night out on the surface then it starts to rain so they go in a cave and find a moon man. They then get captured by the aliens and are brought to the king. They then kill the king and escape back to the pod and pull it off a cliff and fall back to earth taking a moon man with them. When they land they are praised and they capture then alien that came with. 

2. Where you able to easily follow the plot (why or why not)? Please give specific examples.

At first no I wasn’t because I couldn’t figure out who was who in the first scene. There was no distinctive characters for the first 30 seconds of the film. When they are sleeping on the moon. I had no Idea what was happening with the stars and stuff.

3. This film was made in 1902. What special effects did you notice?  Be specific and give examples.

It was really cool how they used puffs of smoke to show the aliens dying. Also they used a face as the moon with some sort of green screen idea. There were also cuts to show magic like the umbrella turning into a mushroom. 

4. How was the acting different from today’s movies?  Why do you think the acting was different?

It was different because there was no lines and there was no facial expressions really. Everything was done through very exaggerated arm movements and weird choreography. This was the only way to show emotions. 

5. What was your favorite scene and why?

My favorite scenario was when they pulled the pod off the cliff and then it fell down to earth. It was funny because back then it didn’t register to them that space doesn’t have gravity so they just have to fall back down to earth when they want to come home. 

    6. What are the difficulties that a film make has to deal with when making a film with no words?

They have to deal with very distinct plots. Also they have to be able to show everything without running out of expensive film. If the plot is too vague you’ll never know what is gong on. Especially in a movie like this you have to extremely careful with the cuts you make and the set design and everything. 

    7. Were you impressed by any of the cinema techniques that were used by Georges Méliès over 100 years ago?

Yes i thought it was very interesting how he got a face to look like a moon without CGI. And the whole cutting the film by hand to show effects of magic like the mushroom and the chairs. 

PART III

I will never grade on the quality of the final films but on how well you apply yourself in this class. Using the Effort Grade Descriptors below explain where you stand in the effort you have given this class the first marking period.

 

Remember that an "A" would be someone who is ALWAYS on task. When the project is done this student is learning a new technique, working on the portfolio, writing a script, helping others out, watching movie clips or clips that explain new ideas. An "A" student is ALWAYS on time and if he or she is going to miss a class they will email me or the group that they are filming with.

 Are you someone who is showing leadership, are you helping out other groups, are you taking advantage of every minute you have in this class?

I feel like I show leadership along with helping in any way i can. I do think I could take advantage of my time better. It’s not that  don’t do things I just need to speed up the process. 

 What would the rest of the class say about your behavior?

Hopefully that I work hard and that I try to be helpful. I notice that a lot of the first time students ask me questions more often than asking others.