Its been a minute..

Next big thing... 

Now that we are officially done with all the preliminary projects we have for Aice Media A level we are moving on to something bigger. Since we last wrote in this blog we have been very busy in our class. The last project we did was create a distribution and marketing plan for an upcoming movie written by our schools creative writing class. Part of this project included creating a movie trailer, a teaser, and a print document to publicize the film.

Here is a brief summary of the film: Juan Antonio Casas, nicknamed Juanto, finds himself in a whirlwind 48 hours after his roommate Felipe Barboza mysteriously disappears. After discovering a ransom note demanding $315,000 for Felipe's safe return, Juanto embarks on a frantic investigation through New York City. He navigates through police stations, and Felipe's school, and eventually uncovers Felipe's deep debt to a loan shark. Juanto works with a detective to set a trap, ultimately exposing Felipe's staged disappearance. Felipe and the loan shark are arrested, leaving Juanto searching for a new roommate.

I'm honestly really happy with how this film turned out. Here is a link to my trailer, teaser, and print document if you'd like to check them out! :)
 

But now that our project is over we're finally starting our portfolio project.

I seriously don't think I have ever been so excited to start a project in this class because I finally feel excited to create and genuinely I don't think I've felt so passionate about a project in a long time. This brings forth the first decision, which project should I choose to complete. Throughout my four years of high school, I have always been interested in journalism and telling others stories so I instantly landed in completing the documentary package. 

    Within the past few months, I have been really considering what content I want my documentary to share. At first, my interest was in foster care and discussing the different impacts of the foster care system on others and the detrimental impact being separated from a parent can bring. I liked this concept because, in terms of an episodic documentary series, I felt the issue of children losing their parents could include things such as the passing away at a young age, foster care, and more topics. I've always been really passionate about foster care but due to the inability to get a concrete b roll in foster children, I decided to move on from that concept to something tremendously different. 

    I compete in a television competition called STN where we practice every Saturday to make a news magazine in 8 hours. So through that, I make a news package every Saturday in which I meet a lot of people who really help me to make connections in my community. When at the Challenge Air event helping disabled children learn how to fly planes, however, one person really stuck out to me more than any have before. There was a table for one of the children who passed away in Stoman Douglas: Gina Rose Montalto although I wasn't able to interview him for the package I was currently working on that man really stuck with me. He shared how his daughter loved working with Challenge Air and was only 14 years old which got me thinking, we talk about the person who has passed away but never the people still alive afterward. 

    I did a lot of research and that's when I found her. Sydney Aiello. A survivor of the tragic massacre who was so guilty of surviving she took her own life just a year afterward. I have already started doing a lot of research (if I'm being honest the second I started this project I really couldn't stop). So I honestly stalked a lottt of Instagram accounts and websites and photos and news articles and I found SO. MUCH. INFORMATION. Firstly I found out how Sydney was best friends with a girl named Meadow Pollack who was shot in Stoneman Douglas. Ever since then, she suffered from survival guilt and PTSD from what had happened. She tried to recover from this grief but it was just too much for her and she lost the fight the same way her best friend did. 

    This is a really heavy topic but I'm honestly so passionate and excited to see how this documentary comes out. 

    

    Until next time 

- Emma <3