Progress+Reports

Progress Report #1 In the past few weeks I have been mainly focusing on fine tuning my topic for my paper. I had a lot of trouble initially picking an area of focus to research but through the help of Mr. Martin and my classmates I have been able to come to a final decision. In terms of research I have ordered a good amount of books from access PA and just received a few of them and have begun reading and highlighting. I am a little behind on the research aspect of the project because I have been still working out the kinks in my overall topic and have been waiting on these books to arrive that are the main portion of my resources. My classmates have been helping me a lot with research and brainstorming ideas for my hands-on projects.

A problem that I am facing is where to turn in terms of a topic expert. I am a little unsure of who to ask or who to consider as an expert of film. My mentor is currently helping me find a topic expert. I am going to try and get in contact with a smallc name company or director who could offer some insight. Another goal I am working towards is getting more sources and completing my research outline.

Progress Report #2 In the past few weeks i have hit a couple snags in my research process. I have changed and revised my thesis so many times to get it to something i was interested in. Initially i had been writing about how college life is portrayed in films and TV, but have since changed paths to focus on censorship in films and how it effects children. Because of my thesis changes and my many long talks with Dr. Valenza, I was unable to complete my thesis based research on time. I have since finished that and have began to dive more deeply into my sources in order to pull the information necessary for the completion of my paper. Before the next progress report, i have to continue to sift through sources and information to piece together the findings that will be the basis of my paper. I need to generate a god outline that will help to form my paper. I think I want to start by taking information from my sources and forming paragraphs around them based on my opinions and research. I am hoping to have my introduction and outline finished by Thursday of this week to begin writing my paper on November 1st. I need to find more information on the effects of violence on children. I want to split up my paper into thirds, 1/3 will be about the effects of children, 1/3 about the decrease in censorship in film, and the last 1/3 about the desensitization of American viewers. Once the paper is finished i can switch focus to my hands on project. I have to begin to storyboard my short film in order to meet the schedule of beginning filming on November 17th. I have not spoken to my mentor in a week or so due to a family issue however the last time we did talk, we discussed the direction of my paper and she helped me to come onto the topic i am on now. My topic expert will probably assist me most when it comes time to film and edit for my hands-on project. For the past few days i have been brainstorming and discussing with students in my class who have also helped me to fine tune my project.

Progress Report #3 The past few weeks I have been doing more research for my paper. I have pulled new quotes that should be more effective in my paper. I am waiting on a few of my sources to come back in from access PA but for now I think it is going well. I have taken some time to storyboard my video but have not begun filling yet. I am hoping to begin early next week. Before the next progress report, i am hoping to have the first half of my filming completed, find a topic expert and (obviously) have my paper finalized and submitted. I am excited to see some progress in my video. I am basically on track for my paper so far. As far as the video goes, give or take a few days should not be bad considering its only a 5 minute film and footage is not a problem. None the less i would like to begin as soon as possible. It has been a little while since i have talked to my mentor about things concerning my senior seminar because she just had a baby and has been a little preoccupied, understandably. I am still looking for a topic expert and plan to go talk to Mr. Meder about any previous students that have entered into the film business. I am still relying on my classmates and family for guidance during this process.

Progress Report #4 We have submitted our paper already, which is a huge weight off of my shoulders. I was really nervous about the paper but now that it's finished I feel like I can breathe a little. Now comes our presentation and the conclusion of our hands on project. My video is looking great. I still have a couple of scenes to shoot but the ones I do have are really funny. I had revised my storyboard from my initial one (again) and have finally compiled a good sequence of events. The plot and storyline remained the same, I just added a few things and mapped out in more detail music and camera angles. I am very hopeful for this video and cannot wait to see the final result.

Progress Report #5 So my presentation is the first day we return from break and I am freaking out. I have finished filming all of my scenes and am trying to finish all editing and polishing of my final product. It really, really hard because I have not had any previous experience using editing software but I have been receiving help from some TV Production students and am beginning to see the final outcome shape up nicely. My powerpoint is looking alright but I am having trouble finding appropriate and relevant images to put as the background while still maintaining an official look of my presentation. I have begun to create the note cards to accompany my powerpoint but will probably be wrapping that up more over break. I plan to practice a lot of the next few weeks on timing (which is a big concern of mine). I am just so worried that something will go wrong technically because we don't have a day cushion to set up the presentation on the school computer. I guess we'll see.