Ayaa A. North
Academy Award Winning Films
EQ: What is the most important quality of an Academy Award nominated film?



Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Blog 19: Independent Component 2

Content:
1. Log: Working on a project in my Service learning class. It was from 3/2, 3/7, 3/9, 3/14, 3/16, 3/21, 3/23, 3/28, 3/30, 4/4, 4/18, 4/20, 4/25, 4/27 (Mon. and Wed.) from 2:30 to 5:30.

2. https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Ap3hhCzvaRK0dHhTME9qM3lEQnpBOFRSZDhBYUw5cUE&hl=en&authkey=CNn17-oE

3. Complete LIA:
     1. Literal
          a.  I, Ayaa Abouelhouda, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
          b. In my service learning class, ROP, we are working on a Genre project. W to my Re must adapt the balconey scene from the play Romeo & Juliet, and rewrite and shoot it according to our genre. As producer, my job was to make sure that we will be able to shoot on location and on time, as well as finish the final product before the deadline. It was also my job to make sure that the rest of my crew was on time and on task.
      2. Interperative
           a. My task was at least thirty hours of work because not only did we work on the project during class, but I also worked on the project on days outside of class. My job as producer means that I was involved in this project during every stage: pre production, production and post production.
     3. Applied
            a.  This helps support the answers to my EQ because one of my answers is The Experince of the Cast and Crew. On this project, we had an actor who had several years of experince acting in front of the camers, thus Linda (the director) spent less time telling him how to act; we had another actor who had never acted in front of the camera before, and thus Linda spent more time teaching and more time directing. In the final product, the actor with more experience became the character, while in viewing the less experienced actor, it was obvious he was acting.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Creative Expression Idea

My idea for my Creative Expression project was to sculpt, using either clay or styrofoam, and Oscar statuette, and circle a piece of film around it. One the film strip, each frame would be one of my answers. The connection to my essential question (What is the most important quality of an Academy Award nominated film?) is obvious because my topic is award winning films, where the Oscar comes in play, and my answers are present in the film strip.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

20 Minute Rough Draft

Objective: To answer my EQ and prepare for the final 2 hour presentations. To teach the audience an important part of the film industry, without overwhelming them with information.

Lesson Plan:
For my 20 minute presentation, I will be teaching the class about the different types of scores found in a film, and how they can hurt or help a film.
*Before my presentation starts, I will move the desks into groups of six.
1. First I will introduce myself, my senior topic/EQ and what my presentation topic will be on.
2. I'll ask the class what they think is the most important part of a film is, calling on 1 or two students to share out, then I'll give them my answer.
3. I'll then start my Powerpoint presentation, and explain how a musical score is one of my EQ answers.
4. I then have a short powerpoint that will explain the three main types of scores, how they can help a film and how they can hurt them. For each kind, I have a short clip that showcases the pros and cons.
5.  I will then ask them to turn to their group members and give them seven minutes to do the activity. In my activity, each group will pick a Top 40 hit and place it to a scene that I will give them. Each group will get three scenes.
6. After the time is up, I will then ask one group to share out with the classes one of their choices and why the chose that particular song. They should defend their choice using the technical language I used during my powerpoint. I hope to play the devil's advocate during this part.
7. I will then conclude my lesson with a quick summary of the the types of scores and their pros  and cons.

Check for Understanding:
My check for understanding will occur during the last three minutes of my alloted activity time. Because I will call on the share out group randomly, all the groups will have to pay attention during my lesson. The share out group must also speak using technically language.

Resource/Materials:
1. My laptop and projector adaptor
2. Projector
3. Printed scenes
4. My powerpoint with all the links/videos
5. Internet Connection
6. Thank you candies for the share out group and the students I called on during the beginning of the lesson.

Independent Study 1

Content:

1. I watched movies most Tuesdays, Thursdays, and weekends starting Dec. 18.


2.

3. LIA

Literal:
I, Ayaa Abouelhouda, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
For my independent task, I watched academy award winning films from the 30's to the 60's (Hollywoods Golden Era) and wrote analysis', typically 250-400 words, on why I thought they deserved, or didn't, the win.


Interpretive: 
This is definitely deserving of credit because while the watching the films part wasn't much work, writing an analysis for each one helped me better understand a film.


Applied:
I believe this  was essential to helping me understand and answer my EQ because I got to learn and see how film has changed over the process of the decades, with the advancement of camera and film technologies as well as the perfection of certain techniques. You also notice that over the years, films are nominated for best picture for different things, dependent on the era.

Ten Hour SL Check

1. My ROP class has been my service learning. I'm working under Phillip Miller

2.  So far, I have accomplished more than the 50 hour requirement, but I'm not sure how many I have completed.

3. In my service learning, I not only make films, but I learn about different techniques and application. Working under Phillip Miller has offered me valuable insight because he still works in the industry, so the information he teaches me is new, current, and relevant.

Monday, November 15, 2010

What I've learned so far...

...
1.List at least 3 things you've learned since you started working on your senior project.
1. The Academy is really the American Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and the Academy is not only the oldest ceremony in media but it was created by MGM boss Louis B. Mayer.
2.  The first award winners were notified three months in advance, that then changed in 1930, when newspapers were given advance copies of the winners list to publish. In 1940, the announcement method was once again changed, after the Los Angeles Times published the winners early. Since 1941, the Academy has used the sealed envelope.
3. Starting in 1950, the Oscar statuettes have been legally encumbered by the requirement that neither the winners, nor the statue's heirs, may sell the statue without first offering to sell it back to the academy for $1. Oddly enough, this agreement does not extend to the other seven awards presented by the Academy.
4. To date, Walt Disney is the only person to win multiple Academy Awards in a single year, 1953 with 4 wins.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

EQ

EQ: What is the most important quality of an Academy Award nominated film?


1. Define possible terms in your EQ (e.g. successful, effective).  
  • Quality: something that stands out, makes viewers take notice.
  • Nomination: An acknowledgement from the Academy, although I will only be viewing nominations and winners.
  • Film: a feature length film, no shorts or mini-series. 
  • Important: most outstanding
2. So far based on your research, what are possible answers to your EQ? 
  • A possible answer could be experience. Most nominees and winners (Directors, Producers, Actors, etc.) are recognized later in their career.
3. What has been your most important printed source and why?
  • To date, my most important source is The Art of Technique: An Aesthetic Approach to Film and Video Production by John S. Douglass and Glenn P. Harnden. This source has taught me to recognize different story structures, types of characterization and conflicts, though that is not the extent of what I still have yet read. A close second is filmsite.org, written and run by Tim Dirks, an online publication of articles essays on all topics found under the umbrella that is film.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Second Interview Questions

1. How many years have you worked in this industry?

2. What was the moment that you realised you wanted to be what you are today?

3. What was your first job? Was it different than what you are doing today?

4. How has the industry and the technology changed over the course of career?

5. Why did you decide to allow me to shadow you?

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Interview One Reflection

What is the most important thing I learned from the interview and why?

I think that the most important thing I learned from my interview, is that I need to be ambitious, as well as a people person, to gain access and entry into the exclusive event that is the film and production industries. I need to be able to network and communicate my ideas to be noticed. This information has only made me more determined to work twice as hard than anyone I may come across on this journey.

Five Minute Presentation Reflection

1) What would you say stood out about your presentation performance and why?

I would like to think that my pictures, and the process by which they were acquired, stood out the most. I think that they were the most interesting aspect of my presentation.

2) What was most challenging to do and why?

I would have to say the most challenging part would have to be deciding what I learned from my research will be used in my presentation and being able to condense it in less than five minutes as well as do the check for understanding. (Which unfortunately ran out of time to do.)