Senior Reflection

5 Guarantees 

Technical Skills

In e-Comm I have learned many technical skills of filmmaking. The program has taught me how to use a camera and other equipment, and how to use editing software. This is extremely beneficial for me, as I am going to study these areas in college. I have a solid understanding of these skills before going to college which will help me a lot. I faced a few struggles along the way, but that is simply part of learning. You can't learn without making mistakes. 

Communication

In e-Comm I learned how big of a role communications has in life. Being apart of a team requires communication from each person for the maximum outcome. When I was apart of projects with a group that had bad communication, the final product was never as good. It will continue to be one of the most important skills to have throughout the rest of my life.

Collaboration

In e-Comm I have learned collaboration skills I wouldn't have been able to get anywhere else. I learned about the specifics of collaborating in film. All the different roles and how they work together to create the best outcome. I learned this with real life experience in group projects, and in the feature film production. This will also continue to be a key point of my career and life going forward, which is very important. Sometimes it is hard to share a project that is important to you, but learning to trust others who are good at what they do is very valuable.

Leadership

In e-Comm I learned leadership skills that I would not be able to develop anywhere else. I learned how to lead a creative team, which is very important for my time in college and career after. Sometimes it is hard to step up and be in charge, but it allows for an organized and calm setting.

Project Management

In e-Comm I learned the importance of project management. I learned that it is important to schedule out time to work on projects and finish on time. I struggled a bit second semester, as I was very busy with everything going on in my life, and struggling with motivation on top of that. However, that taught me that sometimes my mental health needs to come first, as well as doing a little each day will allow for less daunting amounts of work at a time. This is important for projects I will work on in the future.

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I think my greatest strengths are my technical skills and communication. I believe I am talented and am proud of my work. I also believe I am good at communicating things when needed. I have drastically improved my camera skills, as well as ability to deal with confrontation. I think I still need to work on my project management skills. My biggest struggle has been looking at a project and feeling overwhelmed with the task I'm facing. I think it's important for me to be able to piece it up into manageable chunks to make it less daunting. 

I will be taking everything I have learned in e-Comm with me to college, and on in my career. I think what I've learned here will be some of the most valuable lessons and skills I will carry with me for the rest of my career and life. If there's anything I would change, it would be making more relationships in my class this year. Switching hours was hard, and I didn't know anybody in my 6&7th hour class. The people in my class this year had their groups from past years, and I didn't have the same welcome I did last year, and because I have significant social anxiety, I was scared to reach out. This caused for me to get pretty bored in class, and not have many people to work on projects with. All in all, I am happy with my time in e-Comm, and in Entertainment. I have learned a lot and I will keep what I've learned forever.

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My Favorite Projects

SubRosa Trailer

This project is very special to me, because it was my first big project, and I was assistant camera. I was super excited to be working an important role. This project took the longest to make, due to the length of film, but was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We faced many challenges with locations, never finding a location for our big scene. Along the way, I learned how a film set looks, and how it works. Overall, this is my favorite project I've made, and I'm very proud of it.

Peace Tea Commercial

I really enjoyed this project. I had fun doing the art direction and coming up with the concept. I think my camera work is good, and the vibes of the video are overall fun and summer-y. It took a few weeks to make from pre-production to post. We faced challenges with casting people due to COVID restrictions. I learned a bit about advertising with color and tone. Overall, I really enjoy this project, and I am proud of it.

The Sandwich Hunt

This project was super fun, and probably one of my favorites in terms of creation. It was just a fun and silly idea, and on set, it was just that. It took a few weeks to make, as it is a little longer of a project. We faced challenges with fulfilling our ideas on a budget, and casting. I learned about the struggles of audio and the importance of learning how to record it correctly. Overall, I am happy with the project. It is funny and light-hearted, and I enjoyed making it. 

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I think overall, I used my time in class well. I enjoyed doing the internship twice a week. Outside of class, I did photography and editing practice. I think I am a strong and talented student in areas of technical skills and communication. I can improve on my project management skills. For the feature film, my role was publicist. I created the instagram account, the casting flyer, and the boulevard drive in flyer. Unfortunately, due to poor communication between the directors, I was unable to create any other big things for the film. This year, I enjoyed being a part of an internship. If i could change something, I would try to make more connections with the people in my class. My overall takeaway is the importance of speaking up and standing up for yourself. A goal I want to set for myself is to have fun. Going to college, I want to meet new people, make new friends, and have new experiences. I don't want to put any pressure on my first year of college. Overall, I am super excited for new experiences and opportunities in college.