May Blog

Well, this year has been really informative and I'm glad to say I endured all four years at I-Poly... that is if I pass my presentation tomorrow. I've rehearsed it several times now and I'm confident that I'll at least meet my own expectations. It's hard to believe that there's less than a week left of school, but I'm sure the remaining days will leave me with nothing but good memories of I-Poly when we all part ways.

April Blog

Some interesting news I recently found out: one of the films that my mentors worked on, and I served as a production assistant and extra for, will be featured by a film festival. The film will be exhibited at the TCL Chinese Theater at a date I have not yet learned. I'm really excited to see how everything goes, and it's astounding to see my 3rd answer in action. The film was completed on a low-budget and now it will be shown at one of the most famous locations in Hollywood. I didn't have any speaking parts and I wasn't a full time production assistant, but I'm glad to be a part of what my mentors have created.

March Blog

I've recently been provided with a list of independent films by Sabrina Colin, one of my peers who appreciates independent film as much as I do. I was told are very provocative and enjoyable. I've seen 3 of them so far, so I can't wait to see what's next.

1. Lifeguard
2. Stuck In Love- really good film. Both relatable and not too cliché.
3. And While We Were Here
4. White Frog
5. Keith
6. Sassy Pants
7. KaBoom
8. The Babysitters
9. The Paperboy
10. Werewolf Boy
11. One Day
12. Turtles Can Fly
13. An Education
14. The Way Way Back
15. Now is Good
16. Spectacular Now
17. Mysterious Skin
18. Dirty Girl
19. Twelve
20. The Last Word
21. Never Back Down- Not sure if it's independent, but was still well worth watching.
22. The Final- Strange and sadistic at times, but it was funny for me.
23. The Other Woman
24. Struck By Lighting


On a side note, I'm in pre-production of my independent component. I'm still gathering actors to play the main characters in my trailer, and I'm really looking forward to see how everything turns out.

February Blog

From 8 P.M. yesterday to 8 A.M. today, I was in the food court at the Montebello Mall. I acted as an extra for a PSA about active shooters and how to stay safe in such a critical situation. There were several groups, all of which had to react in different ways. I was part of Group A, the group that immediately took off into the mall when the gun was fired. Group B had to hide under the tables to ensure their safety. Group C was split into 2 subgroups: the first posed as cashiers at the fast-food restaurants (some of which had to be renamed for copyright purposes), and the second subgroup wore exploding bloodpacks to simulate getting shot by the extremely loud flash-bang gun. Thankfully, we were provided with earplugs, and all the catering was definitely a plus. Here are some photos I took during a rehearsal:

My mentors were not affiliated with this assignment, so my contact was Deputy Ralf Paddock email: RIPaddoc@lasd.org, or (909) 851-7805,  who called to confirm that I would be there. He has access to all of the release forms, which reflect that I was indeed there.

January Blog

My 30-min presentation is in 3 days and for my activity, I will be showing the class a film to support my answer 1 and help the audience better define characters and the factors that contribute to good dramatic presentation in regard to independent film. I am contemplating several different films:

1. The Breakfast club- one of my all time favorites, this film clearly establishes distinguishable characters and exhibits their complex interactions and personal situations.
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower- this film is truly moving, and features a unique character that faces numerous issues that he eventually succumbs. 
3. Garden State- I haven't seen it myself, however it was recommended to me by my mentor and it seems interesting nontheless.
4. Like Crazy- A nice love story that can offer the audience a bit of insight on a college relationship.

I'm currently leaning towards #2 since it's one of the less vulgar choices, but it should still be relatable to the audience.

November Blog: Independent Component Update

For my independent component, I have been writing a screenplay that I will shoot as my second independent component. As of now, I have 13 pages of dialogue and description. A brief summary of the story (so far) is as follows:
A girl, Kylie, with a stressed businesswoman of a mother has her 1st day of school. She is nervous about making friends, but she meets one boy, Luke, that she can instantaneously call a friend. The students give their teacher a very hard time, asking profound questions that she doesn't know how to answer. Anyway, Kylie and Luke play on the playground for a while after class, and at one point, they hug one another while sitting on a bench. The time period shifts, and now they are 18-year-olds performing the same action. They visit their school to reminisce, and it is established that Kylie is very studious, but has difficulty in her debate class. At school the next morning, their friend, Johnny, asks to borrow the homework. He can be characterized as a lazy, fun-loving friend. As Kylie leaves, Luke tells Johnny that he wants to propose to Kylie, and even shows him the engagement ring. Johnny tells Luke about an upcoming party at another friend, Josh's, however Luke is reluctant to go, as Josh is a drug addict and possible alcoholic. Meanwhile, Kylie is assigned a partner and topic for her next debate. She is comfortable with her partner, Daniel, and is prepared to redeem herself by debating against illegal drugs. Later that day, Luke is working on an essay and texting Johnny about the party simultaneously. He dozes off, and upon awakening realizes that he didn't finish his essay. At school, he frantically works on it, and Kylie assists. After, Johnny arrives and assures Luke that the essay is irrelevant enough to have little influence on his decent grade. To cheer him up, he mentions the party that will be later that day. Meanwhile, Kylie recites her debate speech against illegal drugs, as Luke is shown taking drugs at Josh's party.
For the 2nd Independent component, I am prepared to collaborate with fellow seniors that have topics that can be implemented to fufill the Independent film, or anyone that is interested in helping.

October Blog

Due to several presentations, tests, and quizzes for all classes, making time to watch films has been very difficult. Therefore, my list for next month remains the same:

Donnie Darko

Garden State

Another Earth

Primer

Upstream Color

Cyrus

Jeff, Who Lives at Home

However, I have started writing my screenplay for my independent component. A few pages have been completed, but ideas don't come out of thin air. I'm not quite sure how to show how I've worked on it, but the scene opens with a few kids' first day of school. They all give the teacher a hard time.

September Blog

Due to extensive research, cornell notes, and studying for tests, I wasn't able to watch all 10 films, as I had planned. In addition to the workload, watching that many independent films would have been emotionally exhausting for me. Nontheless, my interpretations of the films were as follows:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: This film was really remarkable. It could be a bit confusing at times, but the film essentially challenges the expression "ignorance is bliss." Both the characters and the idea that the main character is trapped and lost in his own mind make this film truly unique.

Tiny Furniture: This film will appeal to some, but the plot isn't really sophisticated or complex in any way. Many events do take place, but the film could easily be summarized in one sentence: "After Aura gets back home from college, she finds herself facing the drudgery of everyday life."

True Adolescents: The film details the camping trip of two teenagers and one of their much older, yet equally immature cousins. It has a very distinct and appealing mood to it, and like most independent films this one is very character-driven and the plotline is fairly ambiguous.

I plan to watch and evaluate as many of the remaining films as possible in my next monthly blog:

1. Donnie Darko
2. Garden State
3. Another Earth
4. Primer
5. Upstream Color
6. Cyrus
7. Jeff, Who Lives at Home

August Blog

In an effort to gain some more engaging insight on independent films, I will view and evaluate 10 over this next month. Most of the films were recommended to me by my mentor, with plenty of variety in terms of big names and big budgets. The question I plan to keep in mind while viewing these films is, "What is the most important aspect consistent within independent films?" Here are the films I plan on watching:

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2. Donnie Darko
3. Garden State
4. Another Earth
5. Primer
6. Upstream Color
7. Tiny Furniture
8. True Adolescents
9. Cyrus
10. Jeff, Who Lives at Home