Media Reflection #5

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        In the past few months, my increased knowledge of the media has resulted in a change in my relationship with it. With the implementation of the final project, I would say the greatest cause of a change in my relationship with the media is my experience with filmmaking. In making the film opening sequence, I was given insight into the challenges of filmmaking, something I have never experienced firsthand before. Knowing just how difficult it is to create realistic lighting, audio recording, and manipulate sets and props, even on such a small scale, has made me appreciate the art of filmmaking so much more. Additionally, storing footage, exporting it into an editing software, and then editing it in a way that pleases you also present extreme obstacles. As somebody who has had amateur experience with editing, the project was definitely a reality check of just how difficult these tasks are.  

Regarding the representation of different groups in our final project, there are three main characters shown throughout the sequence, all of which are young girls. They all have different personalities, however. The main character, Caroline, is more edgy and emotional. Caroline’s sister, though she has no dialogue, is represented as a caring, role model figure. Finally, Caroline’s best friend is an outgoing, enthusiastic girl who just wants what's best for Caroline. Each character has a specific personality type, however, we avoided use of any stereotypical representation of women throughout our scenes, and to my knowledge we succeeded. Knowing the importance of this responsbility, and having seen examples of misrepresentation of groups in other movies, made it easier to steer clear of making the mistake. However, having to deal with this gave me further insight into the process of filmmaking.  

Our film opening sequence is of the coming-of-age genre. My group and I really resonated with this genre, as we are about to go to college and experience the changes that come with growing up. Furthermore, we all enjoy coming-of-age films, and most of our favorite movies conform to this genre. So, the content we created definitely parallels the content we consume. This allowed the subject matter to come from our hearts. We were able to develop a true connection with it which, I think, is a vital part of creating something you are proud of.  

Finally, I would say my consumption habits are an aspect of the media that has changed the least for me, having taken this class. I am not much of a movie watcher on my own. I watch most movies with my friends and family, and these are usually movies they have expressed interest in. Though I am now more mindful of the studios that make certain movies, having taken this class, I don’t think this knowledge has impacted what movies I choose to watch. I have always leaned more toward large studio productions, because they are usually most popular. I typically adhere to mainstream media subconsciously, because that is what is pushed to my demographic the most.  

 

 

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