Documentary Project: Jessica Takos

When I was little, my parents would go out of town and send me to my grandparents’ house while they were gone. My grandpa would be at work so I’d spend a lot of time with my grandma. Since I live an hour and a half away from her now, I don’t see her as much and when I do, it’s never just the two of us. My grandma always has funny stories about my dad and grandpa. She also was right next to the building where the shooter shot JFK and saw it happen.

What I plan on doing is one day over spring break is to just drive up to my Grandma’s house without her knowing and spending a day with her.

            Questions I’ll ask

à               What is her favorite memory as a kid?

à               How’d you meet grandpa?

à               How’d you know he was the one?

à               What was it like seeing JFK get shot?

à               What was my dad like as a kid?

à               What did he do that he thought you didn’t know?

(more that are on y timed writing sheet)

Bid Idea Project: Artist Statement

Bid Idea Project: Artist Statement

To think of my big idea, I wanted something that I would have a big range of possibilities. I also didn’t want to do something that many other people would think of. I wanted to do something different and not extremely obvious. I thought of different words that were very basic at first like animals or history. Then I thought of music. It has been what inspired all my movies so far. Then I was told that my big idea sounded more like inspiration. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it. Inspiration became my big idea

In our blog posts, we had to post statements about our bid idea. I used my statement that inspiration is entertainment for my first video about theatre. However, theatre is more then just entertainment to me. Theatre has inspired me to write many stories. I also used the question I posted, how is inspiration different for people, as the basis for the people talking in the background of the video.

For my second video, I used the question, where does inspiration come from. I get inspired from things that happen in my daily life. When I sit in class or walk down the street. So I made a video that just a day in my life and some of my thoughts. Mondays are pretty crappy so that’s where the attitude came from.

After making the videos I spent a month on, I realized the final product is the most important part. The amount of work isn’t what gets recognized. It is the final outcome that get’s praised. On the other hand, the process is what determines the quality of the product. If no time is put into the art, the outcome won’t be as good as if more time was put in.

As usual, I had a problem with time. My hectic schedule didn’t allow me to do as much work as I wanted to. I had planned for three videos but could only do one good one and one not so great one. My lack of time didn’t allow me to produce as good of video for my second on as I would have liked. If I knew I would have had more time, I would have fixed the audio. I rushed the last video a lot to meet the original dead line.

For my first video, I would definitely give myself an a. I put the most effort and time into this one. I still could have tweaked the audio more and got more footage, but I was happy with the result. As for the second video, I’d say probably a b. the audio was really bad, partially because of the levels and partially from me mumbling. Towards the end I debated deleting the voiceover and now I wish I would have. I think it would have turned out better with no or just less audio.

Following Questions

1) At first, I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to come up with an idea. I thought about it a lot and came up with a few idea. I feel like if I had a lot more time I would have been able to do a little bit more or a more difficult idea.

2) Same as always, time management. I was lucky enough to be able to do a project in a place where I was spending a lot of time already.

3) I think they were great for getting the wheels turning. They helped me think of many more ideas I'll try when I have more time and resources.

4) Not very much. I remembered my responses in my head pretty well. I remembered the questions I had asked and used those for ideas.

5) I liked that I was able to film parts of my life (theater) that my family and other friends don't get to see.

6) It was difficult because I was busy a lot and didn't have much time outside of theater. It took me a long time for the first video and I did the second one in a week.

7) I'd be better at it if it wasn't during a show week and I wasn't working all weekends.

8) I think it was decent, but it's hard to make a really good looking video or 3 decent videos in less than a month with only an hour a day. I would have liked to explore with some effects or use Color but I didn't have time.

9) I don't really know, maybe showed us some more student's big ideas maybe after we had our big idea so we would have already had an idea and we wouldn't be copying but we could see how others tied theirs together.

10) I liked it a lot. It gave me a lot more ideas that I'll try this year or outside of class.

Does Anything Negitive Come From Inspiration?

I'd like to think that nothing bad can come from a spark but the more I think about it, the more I think about the heartbreak that occurs when an idea that you really like isn't liked by anyone. Also I know that I can get a really good idea and when I write it down, it doesn't sound good anymore leaving me disappointed.

Does Everyone Get Inspired?

I believe that if people know it or not, they get inspired. Sometimes it's hard for people to identify where inspiration comes from for them because they don't look for it. I know I get inspired when I listen to music or hear a story. I want to change it to make it my own.

Project Proposal

For my first video, I've got an idea from the song I Miss You. What i want to do is film my friend writing notes and tieing them to balloons. There are other people doing the same. then she goes to the city and lets go of all the balloons with the notes.
The people I'm using in this video shoud be able to meet with me next weekend so I'll plan on taking 2.5 weeks for this video. Since I'll have a week of not shooting, I want to go out and take pictures around the idea of inspiration.

Is Inspiration Important?

I feel like in order to do anything in life, you need to be inspired. Whether it's writing a paper in school or making art, you must have an idea. If you're not inspired about what you're doing, your work won't turn out well.