And thus, we return to the blog. I do apologize for not updating it more regularly, as if many people were reading my blog anyways. I mean, did you see my latest post? How long it was? It was like:
In that vein, I promise this entry will be short. Well, short in a manner of speaking. Short-ish you could say. Shor... You know what you might as well stop reading here you know where this post is going. But seriously, I am going to keep this post short, as I simply wish to use this post to offer a brief retrospective on the week I have had, in all of its many aspects.
From overwhelming joy to intense struggle, this has been quite the week. And it can offer an explanation for why my blog posts have been so infrequent, you know, besides the ridiculous manner in which I conduct blog posts that is. For over this week, I decided to challenge myself. To rise above my usual medium of Journalism which I am comfortable with, that being print, and confront a new, vastly unexplored medium: film. I have written numerous articles for my school paper, and have bee interested in writing since a young age, but rarely have I dabbled in filmmaking (despite an interest in the subject). This week changed that.
For as I described in my latest blog post (which I do not recommend reading by the way; Seriously I swear this will be...... well, shorter than that one) I was inspired by a film we Journalism students all watched on the first day of the workshop called Donnie by Anna Augustowska, about a Transgender man struggling for acceptance, self and otherwise. That film was heavily inspiring for me, and pushed towards the decision to convey my story on the Downtown Mural Project through a mini-documentary instead of your normal run-of-the-mill article. As it turns out, making a mini-documentary based on one made by someone with years of experience with the craft, when you yourself have just about no experience with it is difficult! .....yet intensely rewarding at the same time. And it helped that I had the tireless efforts of college-level journalism student David Del Grande there to help me.
A week I spent gathering interviews, compiling said interviews, gathering additional footage, conceptualizing the movie (the most difficult part), and finally putting everything together. That last part took an entire two days, me having just finished a couple hours ago, and I'm still not fully assured as to how good it is. I suppose we will see when it is showed tomorrow in front of all my fellow students *starts sweating* and their parents *sweating intensifies*,.... and my.... parents *sweating intensifying intensifies*, and the teachers.... ho dear.... my.... I...;'s'kiel.d.....O;jeheebfdjsa........eaishhuj.....
From overwhelming joy to intense struggle, this has been quite the week. And it can offer an explanation for why my blog posts have been so infrequent, you know, besides the ridiculous manner in which I conduct blog posts that is. For over this week, I decided to challenge myself. To rise above my usual medium of Journalism which I am comfortable with, that being print, and confront a new, vastly unexplored medium: film. I have written numerous articles for my school paper, and have bee interested in writing since a young age, but rarely have I dabbled in filmmaking (despite an interest in the subject). This week changed that.
For as I described in my latest blog post (which I do not recommend reading by the way; Seriously I swear this will be...... well, shorter than that one) I was inspired by a film we Journalism students all watched on the first day of the workshop called Donnie by Anna Augustowska, about a Transgender man struggling for acceptance, self and otherwise. That film was heavily inspiring for me, and pushed towards the decision to convey my story on the Downtown Mural Project through a mini-documentary instead of your normal run-of-the-mill article. As it turns out, making a mini-documentary based on one made by someone with years of experience with the craft, when you yourself have just about no experience with it is difficult! .....yet intensely rewarding at the same time. And it helped that I had the tireless efforts of college-level journalism student David Del Grande there to help me.
A week I spent gathering interviews, compiling said interviews, gathering additional footage, conceptualizing the movie (the most difficult part), and finally putting everything together. That last part took an entire two days, me having just finished a couple hours ago, and I'm still not fully assured as to how good it is. I suppose we will see when it is showed tomorrow in front of all my fellow students *starts sweating* and their parents *sweating intensifies*,.... and my.... parents *sweating intensifying intensifies*, and the teachers.... ho dear.... my.... I...;'s'kiel.d.....O;jeheebfdjsa........eaishhuj.....
So yeah, if that wasn't clear enough I am currently rather stressed as to how my movie will be received by its audience, but don't let anything I'm saying right now send the message that I did not heavily enjoy working on the movie, nor everything else which I have experienced over this last week. For despite the struggles, ultimately the Journalism Diversity Workshop was one of the best experiences of my life. I made many new friends whom I hope to remain in contact with for weeks, months, even years; I was given the amazing opportunity to explore my passion for journalism in a way which encompassed not only writing, but also radio, photography, and of course videography. Even my aforementioned struggles and challenges with creating the movie I am grateful for, as they required me to rise above, practice intense dedication, and ultimately, I feel that I learned much a specific facet of journalism which I am now very much interested in pursuing.
I will remember this workshop always, not simply for the wonderful people which I was given the privledge to meet, but for the ways through which I was forced to grow as a journalist and a worker. And while I am still a little worried for tomorrow, I have faith that I gave that movie my all, and that it will probably be well received.... probably.... maybe.... oh dear I hope so. Anyways I have a music video to star in - another memory I will cherish forever!
See. That was short. Right?
I will remember this workshop always, not simply for the wonderful people which I was given the privledge to meet, but for the ways through which I was forced to grow as a journalist and a worker. And while I am still a little worried for tomorrow, I have faith that I gave that movie my all, and that it will probably be well received.... probably.... maybe.... oh dear I hope so. Anyways I have a music video to star in - another memory I will cherish forever!
See. That was short. Right?