Final Feelings...

 RESOLUTION

It feels so weird writing this but this long journey is over. Here are a few takeaways I gathered from this whole experience. 

• Try something different/Don't be afraid when something different comes at you:

In the beginning of this whole process my sister and I were set on creating a short film. The vision seen and the feeling we felt towards doing a certain type of short film was extremely strong, and we thought nothing was going to take that away. Until then we realized we didn't really know exactly what we wanted to do as our short film, and then I got an epiphany. That one thought or idea in that one "in between moment" was what birthed this documentary series. So a big lesson learned has been to not be afraid to approach something I've never done before, and don't be afraid of change because it can lead to great things, maybe even greater things.

• Just Do It.

While I'm not actively promoting Nike and their tagline on my blogs,

 I do standby what advertise: the idea of just doing it. While this may sound like a vague and obvious saying, it has been something that I've been trying to overcome for a bit now. Even last year in AS Level I remember writing about this topic of procrastination and how it would get in the way of my project. And while there has definitely been procrastination in the midst of this project as well, the ending process of this project has genuinely awakened me. Specifically with Adobe, I realized that the idea of using Adobe intimidated me and I saw as something more for more "superior" and experienced filmmakers. But using Adobe Premiere this year with this project and learning about its technicalities showed me that this idolized vision I had of it is a false reality. This lesson will stick with me in many future projects and assignments to come.

• Finally, what is your intention as a filmmaker?

Especially in the beginning of this year with the digital identity bubble we created and seeing what we consume, it has been interesting to think about why we consume and create what we do. With this project, making it about a topic that isn't fictional (which I would normally do with a short film), but about one that resonates and connects to not only me and my sister (creators :) ), but with many of the people around us, has been really cool and eye-opening. I think that art and filmmaking can be for informational purposes, but it can also be to just have fun and fulfill a vision and feeling of yours. And this project has given me the freedom and permission from myself to do just that.

• You got to fight for what ya want!!

I couldn't imagine learning this to this extent with any other category of film. With a documentary especially, going out of one's way to be in "people's faces and get interviews" is essential to making the piece. That process was one that really proved to me that if you want something, you have to go out of your own way to get it, and ITS NOT HARD! It really isn't hard to just go up to someone and ask for an interview (obviously respectfully), but it seems and FEELS like a daunting thing to do. But just being courageous and going after what you want is essential to not just a Cambridge documentary series 5 minute excerpt, but in everyday life! Especially as a soon to be graduating senior... don't get me started on this. 

While I could write a few more, I think these are the main lessons I have learned with this project. I could've written some technical things like (I learned how to do cool animations in Adobe Premiere!), but I think these are ones that feel more personal and applicable to other parts of my life as well. This has been a wonderfully joyous and excruciating experience in some ways! But I wouldn't change a thing.