Running Reflection Form

For the 100m sprint, I can improve my form in a number of ways. One of the ways that I can improve my form is by having a smooth forward backward action for my arms, where I drive back with my elbows and have my hands move from bust height to hips. I need to improve on this because currently my arms do not swing that high which is necessary to have a fast time as this will help me propel faster without using as much energy. I also need to work on relaxing my fingers because I normally, even when I am biking, clench my hands into fists. This drains my energy faster causing me to have a slower time. Therefore, if I have my fingers loosely curled, I will gain more speed and will not get tired as easily. In addition, I think that I need to bring my foot higher up to make a cycling motion, I don't think that this is one of the biggest problems though as I am still making the cycling motion, I can just improve it a little. A couple of good things that I have with my form are I keep my eyes trained on the finish line which helps me set a goal, which is to finish. It also keeps me aware of how much further I have to go and how much I have already run. I also have a straight back, not one that is hunched, which helps me extend my legs further. Even though, I need to work on my arm motion, one good thing about it is that my arms do not cross each other or over my chest which is great because if they did, I would waste a lot of energy!  

The Truman Show - Scene Analysis

I chose the scene where Truman is threatening Meryl because I think that this scene portrays Truman finally taking action after realizing that his life is not what he thought it was. He has finally found someone who he knows is a part of whatever is taking over his life. This scene is full of suspense which is why I also enjoy it.

Shots

There were a variety of shots taken during this scene. In the start, there was a mid-shot of Meryl which then turned into an interesting long shot of Truman, as the camera went behind Meryl and had half of Meryl's back in the shot and half of her out. There are also a few dollys, like when the camera dollied into Meryl when she was speaking like a commercial person about cocoa, the mid shot turned into a close up. There are a couple of closeups switching from Meryl to Truman until Truman gets up. This is the shot which I thought was unique, because it was a shot of Truman, a mid shot, but the camera lens were in the picture so you could tell that someone was watching him. And even when Meryl is trying to defend herself with the peeler, there is a vignette which expresses that the camera has not left but is not in full view right now. When, the camera does an overview, I could easily see the "fight" between them which was an interesting view. They also had a scene where Meryl's and Truman's motions were pictured on an old television which portrayed that people were watching them, again. 

Characters
Truman's character as well as Meryl's makes the scene work because Truman, is usually a happy man but when he suddenly gets angry at Meryl, who he is normally calm at, it surprises the audience. This makes the scene work because it shows that he is realizing what is happening and is changing. Meryl, who is normally kind and sweet hearted, suddenly gets defensive and scared, which also captivates the audience's attention. They make the scene work because both characters and acting out of their normal state which makes the scene interesting. It helps drive the story because it shows that Truman's life isn't as happy as we thought and that Meryl is actually a part of the group watching him which wasn't expected. 

Seed Germination

This the procedure I used to germinate my seed. This procedure is for lettuce seeds.

1. Fold a brown(if possible) paper towel in half and moisten

2. Lay the moistened towel at the bottom of a plastic container

3. Place seeds about ½ inch apart on towel(if doing more than one)

4. Place cover on the container and keep inside the classroom where it is away from direct sunlight and where the the aircon is coldest, as it cannot be kept in places with the temperature below 22 celsius.

5. Take of the lid of the container to let oxygen in daily for about 10 - 15 minutes

6. Add moisture, if necessary, by spritzing it with water. Spray the towel and the plant to prevent saturation with a spray bottle, if you have one.

7. If you notice mold growing on any seeds, remove them immediately from the container to prevent it from spreading.

Materials needed:

(Brown) paper towel

Plastic container with holes on top

Spray bottle(if possible)

Temperature:
22 celsius at the highest

A Day in the Life of a Green Apple Reflection

1. Now that you have finished your film, what were some of the skills you used the most?  How did they help make your film better?

A skill that we used was filming at different angles and therefore having a variety of shots. This improved our film because it made our film more interesting and have more diversity.

2. What were your biggest successes during creating this project? Why would you label them a success?

Our biggest success was finding suitable sounds for our imovie as we struggled with that with out last movie. I would label this a success because it made our film more entertaining and was something new that we achieved in this imovie that we didn't in our last one.

3. What were your struggles? Why were they hard for you? How did you overcome them?

We struggled with a few scenes in our film that involved Megan's dog, Lucy, because it was hard to make her do the things we needed her to do. We overcame this obstacle by using treats to make her do the things we wanted.

4. What was your overall opinion of this project? How would you make it better or different?

I think that the project was a great idea because it got student's thinking and you could be creative and do something you wouldn't normally do - film a day in the life of an inanimate object. I would not change anything about this project.

Pixar Pitch

Questions to Answer

What is your object?
Green Apple

Who do you plan on working with?
Megan

Where do you plan on filming?
At Megan's house

Pixar Pitch Sentence Starters

Once upon a time...
There was a green apple in a fruit bowl

Every day...
He would see all of the other fruits get picked up and he always wonders what's happening to them when they go into the special room.

One day...
Two apples were chosen to go to the special room where he saw another green apple get sliced. He was placed on a cutting board. When the knife was coming down, he realised what was happening and rolled off.

Because of that...
He saved his life from the knife but a dog started chasing him.

Because of that...
He rolled under the table where he was all alone and cold.

Until finally...
The person dropped a napkin on the floor where she picked up the apple and placed it into the fruit bowl. But when he thinks he is safe, a hand grabs him(dun dun dun).

The Hero's Journey - The Hunger Games

1. Hero is in an Ordinary World
Katniss is living in her district(12) with her family.

2.  Call to Adventure
Katniss's sister, Primrose, get's called upon to go into the hunger games, Katniss volunteers to take her place therefore sacrificing herself to participate in the games.

3. Refusal of the Call
Katniss refuses to talk to the other members in the hunger games and refuses to listen to the torments of the judges.

4. Meeting the Mentor
Cinna is Katniss's stylist and decorates her to stand out so that she looks brave. This creates her image as the "girl on fire". He also supports Katniss through her games and they become good friends.

5. Crossing the Threshold
Katniss participates in the hunger games and fights for her survival for the first time.

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies
Katniss passes through the rounds of the hunger games. She allies with Rue, a young girl, and they fight together to survive. Her enemy is Cato who she tries to steal from with her partner Rue.

7. Belly of the Wale
Rue dies and Katniss is left all alone where she is struggling to keep going.

8. The Road of Trials
Katniss is in the last round of the hunger games, the finals with Peeta Mellark who she must defeat in order to win but she doesn't have the heart to.

9. The Ultimate Gift
Katniss and Peeta Mellark, both survive the hunger games together where for the first time, two people are crowned the winers.

10. The Road Back
Katniss and Peeta take the train back to district 12.

11. Rebirth/Resurrection
They come home to rejoice with their families and to plan how to put an end to the hunger games.

Film Short

Q1. How do you feel about your film short? Are you pleased or not pleased with the final result? Why?

A1. I feel like we could've improved the film and added more detail to it as we had a big setback - the classroom that we needed for filming in was locked and not available to us. I am pleased with the final result considering our setback but we could've done better.


Q2. What successes and struggles did you run into while filming?

A2. A success we had was having a film with many different types of shots as well as finding good sounds for the editing. A struggle we ran into was cooperating with our setbacks to create a good film.


Q3. How was working with your group?

A3. I think that Megan was a great partner as she has a good eye for interesting shots. She is also good at filming. We both have good ideas that work with each other and have similar set minds which helps when we come up with ideas.

Q4. What was the biggest lesson you took from this experience?

A4. the biggest lesson that I took away was that there will be many problems that I will have to face but I just need to get through them and find an alternative method. I learnt this because we had to compromise when we faced our challenge.