Final Reflection

Ever since I was a freshman, I knew I wanted to do a senior project. And ever since I knew I wanted to do a senior project, I knew I wanted it to be about the environment. Originally, I thought I would probably do an internship or some sort of volunteer work. But my idea changed when I discovered a new passion for film and applied (and eventually got into) The University of California Los Angeles’s Film Program. I was so excited about the film industry and wanted to be part of it but I realized I wasn’t even sure how to use any editing system above I-movie or how to work any equipment. In the end, this senior project allowed me to feel confident and prepared in my decision to go to film school and peruse this subject for the rest of my life. But it also gave me more than that. It gave me a chance to explore my “backyard”, form a new friendship, and learn about different ecosystems and conservation efforts.

While the project helped me grow in many ways, there are some things that I would have done differently. However, some of the things I would change might not have been possible. I would have loved to have higher quality equipment so that we could capture better, less-shaky, footage. But that comes at a price that Jordan and I were not able to pay. We looked into many options but couldn’t find any that would be near anywhere in our price range. With that being said, I still wish we could have looked a little harder and found a better quality camera because it was a lot more important than we had originally thought.  Secondly, I wish we would have found and visited less commercial sights to film at and stayed at them for longer periods of time. Our last site, St. Phillips, was by far the most remote location we visited and the only location we stayed at for more than a day. And it is no coincidence that we also got some of our best footage there. Besides these few regrets, I have no doubt that I improved as a cinematographer, editor, and person over this past month. These improvements are evident in our videos. Our first video is the worst, the footage is boring, the music doesn’t match, the editing is awful, the videos are shaky, and the overall quality is horrible. The second is better, but certainty not perfect. The third video and final video is by far our best. It is evident that we mastered making makeshift tripods and flying the drone at incredible heights as well as over bodies or water and near trees. We learned how networked to get ourselves some higher quality cameras and we realized how crucial it is to film quickly in order to capture fast-moving wildlife. We also discovered what feel we wanted for our video and selected the right music while also perfecting our editing skills. Overall, it is obvious that my skills in all these areas improved, and that alone is a great success. But if that was not enough, I also learned so much applicable information about the environment, importance of its conservation, explored great sights, met new people, and had a great time. I am so lucky to have been given a chance to explore these passions of mine and this program is truly a unique one that should not be taken for granted.