Reflection

Our group is doing very well.

We finished filming the intro and are starting to edit, which will take maybe one class period. 

Our poster is also coming along well, with both Ravyn and Katie having made a copy, both of which look good.

For the poster i was having some questions with myself on the title. 

As a short story i love the name The Boy With The Smirk, but i felt somewhat that it does not work so well as a movie title. It just didn't have a movie title ring to it. 

I wanted to somewhat give the audience a sense of the main theme, that is harder to understand in the film. I wanted to change it to Fight Of The Mind to give the audience a bit of a hint at the point, but i also love the original title. Katie ended up using the title Fight Of The Mind while Ravyn stuck with The Boy With The Smirk. And both posters turned out well.

Filming
Our group is doing well with our film.
We have an excellent rough cut that is looking really good, though there are a few shots missing that we hope to shoot this week.
We thought we were done with filming, but there are a few missing shots, mostly in the second and third acts. Our first act looks phenomenal. 
All thats left (besides that) is working on a poster, which is almost done, and possibly brainstorming a new name.
In class we've also been working on an into to CAP Hollywood that i think will turn out quite well. I am looking forward to CAP Hollywood, and am excited to see how it'll all fan out.

The Boy With The Smirk
Thus far in our short film we have made great progress. Our group has already finished most of our filming, but we might need to get some extra footage if we are missing shots.
I am on the hunt for music and sound effects currently, because there is still some dispute on which music to use.
What i would more like to talk about though, is the story of the film itself. 
For my short story i drew a lot of ideas from the basic stresses of being a student. A lot of high school students are very insecure, and though their thoughts might not be this extreme, their thoughts plague them none the less. As high school students we have the stresses of school, as well as trying to fit in and make friends, all the while doubting ourselves.
This film shows how our thoughts about ourselves can undo us.

DIY: Denim Vest
I've always been a fan of DIY. 
Though sometimes it is necessary to go out and buy something from a store like H&M, Strosniders, or REI, i prefer to buy materials and put stiff together, or take it apart.
Since i was little i loved to take stuff apart, and in middleschool i would take apart Nerf Guns, change the mechanisms so the shot harder and farther, and put them back together. I was (and am) a total nerd, so i've got painted nerf guns, lightsaber hilts, and swords i've made. 
More recently, around 8th and 9th grade, i started to realize the importance of and appreciate fashion. 
I love looking good.
So i go to Value Village, or Pennyworth, or some other thrift stores and scourge the rack in an attempt to find pieces to put together to make an excellent outfit. My latest project is making a denim vest, which i'm a big fan of.
This project is probably a bit harder than what you're used to so i would say find a friend who is advanced at DIY. You can embellish yours with patches once you're done (which i plan to do) and possibly tie dye, but for now we'll be taking baby steps.
This is a challenging project, i'd say (out of 10) a 8 or so. Hard stuff. So get either an adult or an experienced DIYer to help you.
You are going to need these materials:

• Scissors
• A denim jackett
• your pretty little self

Now here comes the hard part.
The first step is to buy the denim jacket, which can be a bit challenging cause finding one that fits right can be an intense mission.
Pay very close attention here, if you mess up you're fucked and you will never be able to attempt this again and will have to fling yourself off a cliff to make up for the embarrassment to your family and friends, so read this many times before you are confident you are ready. Here is the second and hardest step of the process.
Cut off the arms.
Congratulations! If you have not died in the process, you now have a denim vest! This is a harder project so don't take it too fast.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and will be back later.
Molly

Netflix
Netflix Instant-View is the bane of my existence. That along with Pretty Little Liars.
Back when it first aired around 2010, a lot of girls i knew watched the show because they had read the books. When i first heard about it i thought it sounded ridicules and trashy TV, and didn't think of it again.
But a few weeks ago i saw a few gif-sets on tumblr of it and thought i would check it out. Little did i know how incredibly addictive the show would be. Its on Netflix Instant-View and there is a feature that shows the next episode of a series once the one you're watching is finished. And it kills me.
I watched the entire first season in two days.
It. Is so. Good.
Every episode ends with a cliff hanger, and the show has powerful female roles, and even a lesbian couple. Especially for ABC, its a progressive show. And Netflix makes it so easy to watch.
Basically netflix is the most addictive thing i've experienced.

Stress
Who ever said high school is the best four years of your life was spinning some interesting lies. Although i have had some of the most fun times of my life so far, i have also had some of the most stressful and painful moments thus far  I'm sure that there are many more horrible things to coe, and more stress than what should be humanly tolerable, but i'll also experience pure unadulterated joy.
Its just. High school is very stressful. Because how well you do in high school dictates how successful you are going to be in the rest of your life according to America's standard.
These tiny four years, and how hard you work during them, how good you are at working the system, how smart you are compared to others, dictates your entire future.
Its just not cool man.
Not cool.

Exit Through The Gift Shop
Exit Through The Gift Shop is an excellent observational documentary about street art and the street artist Banksy and Thierry Guetta. It starts out talking about various street artists and where the do their art. It has interviews with many and follows them as they prep and do their art. The film was originally about street artists but Guetta met street artist Banksy along the way and the camera was then turned onto Guetta and was about his rise as a street artist. 
The film is about Shepard Fairey who is known for his OBEY posters, Space Invader, Banksy, and Thierry Guetta. It addresses the conflict with street artists and the police, and street artists motives and the messages they intend to get across. 
The film had a few literary aspects, including conflict with street artists and the police, and in the end Banksy and Guetta. The film had a dark and yet adventurous mood and took place in multiple locations, such as London, New York, and LA.  The point of view was mostly that of a member of the street artists crew or friends who help them to put up their art. 
There was little dramatic aspects to the film because it was a very raw documentary with little prep for the footage, which was mostly taken by hand held cameras going along with street artists. There were interviews which took place in rooms that were probably post shooting of the raw footage. The film was very uncommercial and non dramatic. 
The cinematic aspects of the film were more obvious, such as music over the movie and narration and diegetic sound. The shots were mostly from hand held cameras being held by the director himself, and lighting was flashlights at night when posters were being put up, and light on interviewees (except Banksy who prefers to stay anonymous).
It was an overall great film that really brings you into the world of graffiti and street art. After watching it it really made me want to go out and tag things up (i didn't of course). The film shows you the motives of street artists and is inspiring, though it makes you have doubts about Guetta's purposes. It seems that he only does street art for fame and fun, whereas people like Banksy and Shepard Fairey do it to get a message across.
If you have time go watch the film, it is definitely worth it.