BLOG QUESTION ADV: THE PURPOSE OF CONFLICT

Why is conflict important? What is its purpose in the story? What are the differences between the different kinds of conflict?

Conflict is important to a story because it's an important part of the plot. The character's usually have to overcome the conflict that they face in order for a story to progress. The three main kinds of conflict are external, internal, and philosophical conflict. External conflict is the obstacles that the character faces in the external world. Internal conflict is the internal choices that a character must make. Philosophical conflict must challenge a character's morals and values. Most movies have a combination of all three, but it's essential to understand the fundamentals of a story in order to utilize conflict effectively. A movie can't just use internal or external conflict, it should also use philosophical conflict to give the story an overall meaning. Minor characters can also contribute to conflict, and they usually push other characters, along with the audience, deeper into the philosophical conflict of a film. A combination of all three, good character building, and good writing, can all contribute to a good, non-preachy movie.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: DRAMA AND CONFLICT

Why is drama important to conflict? How do you create effective conflict in your story?

Drama is important to conflict because it raises the stakes in the story, making it an exciting and captivating watch for the audience. A story needs emotional stakes to move the audiences. This can be done by stacking the odds against your character by making them take risks in the story. You should know what your character wants and have them go through trial and error to get to their wants. The video gives an example in Finding Nemo, where the dad is willing to do whatever it takes to save his son. This inspires the audience, since he is truly determined to get something, he wants and goes through immense obstacles to get to his son.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: WRITING STRONG CHARACTERS

What's the difference between the wants and needs of your characters? Why is it important to know these for your characters? What happens when you don't have these?

The many wants of a character are driven by a larger want at the end. You can think of a want as the character's "goals". Wants are subject to change throughout a film, but their overall need usually stays the same. A character's need is the reason that the characters have wants. they need to realize what they need to fulfill their goals. You can think of a want as something that is "external" whereas a need is "internal". A need can be unknown or rejected by a character, while a want is known by the character. It's important to know these for your characters because when combined, they can create a great film with clear plot points and an overall message, but if one is missing, it can leave a film feeling incomplete. Wants and needs are intertwined, and they work together to teach us something about ourselves at the end of a story.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: HOT SEAT TECHNIQUE

What is the hot seat technique? How can you apply this to the next script that you write to create interesting characters?

The hot seat technique helps you build your characters backstory and flesh out their motives. Typically, you would have the actor sit in a chair and answer questions about the character while "In character", which helps flesh out their personality and backstory, making them more believable. It helps you understand their motives better, since you'll recognize where they're coming from. I can apply this technique next time I write a script by really trying to get into the characters motives and personality. I can either have the actor for the character tell me what they believe their character's beliefs are, or I can try to interpret it myself. It's important to understand the characters you create deeply, in order to create a similar bond for the audience.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: CHARACTER EMPATHY

 What is the key to creating empathy with the audience and our characters?  How does success play into this? 

The key to creating empathy between the audience and the characters of a movie is desire, and the reason behind it. You want to target the audiences desire, or what the audience wants for a character. The audience is more likely to relate to a character who has certain goals for success, especially if the character is an underdog. They want to see the process of trial and error. It's important for the audience to understand the characters motives and emotions.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: CREATING A CHARACTER & STORY IN 10 MINUTES

 Reflect on this video and the character exercise yesterday.  How can these exercises help you develop and improve the characters you create for your next film?

After watching this video and doing the story spine exercise yesterday, I learned that developing a character first can help you set up a unique story based off them. Starting with qualities they're good or bad at is the easiest way to first start off.  After that, you can start developing other characters around them, and important facts about their life (such as job, family, friends, etc.). Once you have solid main and supporting characters, you can shape your story around that. I believe this video and the exercise we did is a good way to practice developing ideas. Since it follows such a clear structure, you don't have to think too hard about how all of the events connect at the end, since it's all clearly set up for you. The video advice helps you create a unique concept based off a character, and I think it's the quickest way to get an idea rolling since it's easier to build off of something rather than thinking of a story in the chronological order of events.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: COPYRIGHT AND FAIR USE

How does copyright and fair use apply to YouTube? Write a reflection on three instances where you might have violated copyright on YouTube. Now that you've learned more about copyright, how might you have solved each of these three situations using the fair use clause?
Take time to craft a 3-paragraph response to what you've learned about the future of work in this video.

Youtube has 4 main rules that apply to their copyright/fair use laws; that the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes, the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount and sustainability of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole, and the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

One instance where I may have violated copyright rules on youtube is when I chose copyrighted music for my videos, such as the 72 hr. challenge and my trail-z chase sequence film. I may have also violated it when I used to make edits of certain movies/tv shows, since I would pull clips from the actual content. 

To solve these issues, I can make sure that all the music I choose is copyright-free by sourcing them from reliable music sites like music bed, artlist.io, etc. I can also obtain the rights of them legally if I really need to. I can also properly credit the works that I edit with in the description of the video, but I think that the majority of the work I make should be my own content (70:30 rule).

BLOG QUESTION ADV: 21ST CENTURY SKILLS

What are the four 21st-century skills? As an advanced student, how do these 21st-century skills apply to the work that you are doing in the advance class? How do you think you can apply each of these to your work in this class going forward into the year? Be specific and give an example of how each of the four key 21st-century skills apply of your filmmaking career going forward.

The four 21st century skills are ways of thinking, tools for working, ways of working, and skills for living in the world. All of these skills are applicable in the advanced. Every day we have to make decisions, problem solve on the spot, communicate, and collaborate. Some of these skills are up to the person themselves, such as responsibility and information literacy. I think problem-solving, responsibility, and collaboration are some of the more important skills that I'll need to focus on this year and forward, especially as an advanced student who will be graduating soon.  For example, we will probably encounter a lot of problems on set that will require critical thinking and decision-making, so we have to be adaptable and think of ways to problem solve outside of class without Mr. Furtados help. We also need to understand the information we're learning as we dive deeper into topics like storytelling, cinematography, and more. Collaborating, communication, and responsibility are all things we practiced last year, but we really need to apply these skills in order for productions to move forward. 

BLOG QUESTION ADV: AI IN THE FILM INDUSTRY

How is Artificial Intelligence affecting the film industry? What are its benefits vs. drawbacks? What are your opinions on it?

AI can be used in all parts of production. For pre-production, it can review scripts, assisting with brainstorming ideas, spotting plot holes, etc. It can also create 3d models for locations by helping you map out the geography of locations. In production, it can also help with production design with things like props. In post-production, AI has many benefits, helping with vfx the most. It helps with face-swapping and helps cut down on tedious work. It can also help remove elements in the background. Some drawbacks of AI is that it can't perfectly recreate the same character from shot to shot. It also threatens many jobs of people in the industry, and it lacks authenticity and creativity that human-made work has. In my opinion, I think AI should be used as a tool, but not as a replacement for human emotion and stories. I can see how it serves as a helpful tool, especially in post-production, but it also reuses existing content from the internet, meaning that nothing it makes is truly original.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: 72 HR. FILM CHALLENGE STATUS

Looking back on your 72-Hour Filmmaking Challenge, what did you learn about yourself as a filmmaker and collaborator? What challenges did you face? How did you respond to the challenges you faced, and what insights will you carry forward into your next project?

Looking back at the 72 hr filmmaking challenge, I learned that I don't do well under a small-time constraint, especially when it comes to something that requires a lot of attention to detail. However, I think I'm capable of locking in to get things done quickly when I'm working with the right people. For example, on our main filming day, Sunday, we managed to finish 2 hours earlier, and we were 3 hours ahead (allowing us to have a longer lunch break). One challenge I faced was having to work a 9 hr. shoot, go home and edit for 6 hours, shoot again the next day in class, and now I have to edit when I get home. In future projects, I will try not to take on such a big role if I'm also going to edit afterwards, or divide up the editing job.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: FUTURE JOBS

What will the work world of the near future look like? What are the societal challenges that will come up in the coming machine age? How will this change how we look for employment?

In the future, there will be fewer jobs filled by humans, and more filled by droids or artificial intelligence. While there are some benefits, such as  a greater abundance of consumer goods at a cheaper price, there are also challenges that come along with it.

 One challenge we'll face is economic inequality. The median income of the average middle class person is decreasing, which in turn increases the gap between the wealthy. If you were to take a college educated, white-collar worker and compare them to an average blue collar worker now, you would see that people that fit into the blue-collar line of work are less likely to hold a full time job due to automation joining the industry. Even their personal life is affected by this such as the longevity of their marriages.

This significantly changes how we look for employment, as more blue-collar jobs are being filled in by automation. This doesn't necessarily mean that there will always be a huge gap between the wealthy and the poor, as humans will adapt to this new machine age and find a way to use machines for our benefits. We've already started this by implementing technology inside of the school system, deeply impacting our education. If we continue to use technology for beneficial reasons that support humans instead of replacing them, the machine age won't necessarily be a horrible time.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: PROFESSIONALISM

Overall, how do each of these characteristics of professionalism apply to filmmaking? How do they apply to your daily work in this class? Please select three characteristics to give real-life examples of how you can work toward improving them in this class.

These characteristics make you stand out to employers/bosses, which is essential to filmmaking because you want to climb the ladder and achieve a part in essential crew. These apply to our class because we practice professionalism everyday, particularly the no phone rule, dress code, and staying organized skills. Three characteristics that I believe I can improve on this year are owning up to my mistakes, having good poise, and dressing for success. I can owe up to my mistakes by apologizing to group members and actively working on becoming better if I ever make a mistake or don't deliver what I promised, I can maintain my poise by remembering to stay professional and not letting my feelings get ahead of me, and I can dress for success by following school dress code and even bringing extra clothes to change into.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: TIPS FOR STUDENT LEADERSHIP

Considering how you behaved last year, select 3 of these leadership qualities that you are weak in. How can you positively develop these leadership qualities going forward this year? How could improving these aspects of your leadership make you a better class leader and filmmaker?
Please write a complete paragraph on each of the three characteristics, along with an introduction paragraph.

Looking back on my behavior from last year, I'd say that the three characteristics that I need to work on are my self-confidence, assertiveness, and extroversion. Last year, I doubted my capabilities since I didn't have much experience in film, and I lacked confidence in the beginning (and a little towards the end) when I started to take on bigger roles in my groups.

To work on my self-confidence, I can start by looking back on what I know, making sure that I'm confident in those roles, and knowing that it's okay to make mistakes as I'm still learning myself. I think I was too harsh on myself for making mistakes, so I have to come to terms with being okay with that, and acknowledge that mistakes are actually necessary for growth.

To work on my assertiveness, I have to first build my self-confidence, as it'll give me the courage to speak up. Since I now have more experience in film, I know a little about what works for certain groups and what doesn't. I think I lack this skill in larger group settings especially, so I need to understand that my opinions matter and should be considered just as much as anyone else's.

Lastly, to work on my extroversion, I just need to get myself out there and interact with more people, because it really just takes a lot of exposure and practice. There are some days where I feel more extroverted than others, so I need to try and channel this energy into my everyday life, and especially when I'm leading groups.

I believe that all these skills will help me be a better leader because I need to be someone approachable, and a person that someone can look up to, especially if I'm going to be leading a group. In the film industry, being a leader will also get you noticed by higher-ups, and promoted up the ladder.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: PRODUCTION ASSISTANT'S HANDBOOK

What are the key responsibilities of a production assistant on a film set, and how do these tasks contribute to the overall success of a production? Reflect on how you would approach the role of a production assistant, including any challenges you might anticipate and how you would overcome them.

Some key responsibilities of a production assistant on set include fetching items for the crew or even cast (such as water or snacks), passing out batteries for walkies, and even being the connection between different departments. You're also responsible for doing "runs", which is fetching things off of set, usually in a production car. The tasks PA's are given may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of a production, but they truly keep the production running and organized. It's important for crew to stay hydrated and fed, walkie talkies are vital for communication on set, and someone needs to keep the different departments connected somehow. Runs are also really important as essential crew members can't just leave set in the middle of a production, and items need to be transferred to set by someone. If I were given a production assistant role, I would try to stay busy as much as possible, rotate my jobs throughout the production to get a feel for the different departments, and maybe even try to make connections with other PA's or crew (if approached). If I were ever faced with a challenge, for example, not being comfortable enough to drive a certain vehicle or being told to do something dangerous, I would try to speak up for myself and ask for a different task. I would try to find the department head or whoever is in charge of me, and see if I'm needed elsewhere.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: MOVIE SET SAFETY

After reading the article on film set safety, what do you think are the biggest reasons accidents still happen on movie sets today? Choose one example from the article (like long work hours, lack of safety rules, or low budgets) and explain how you think the film industry could fix this problem. How can you relate this problem to all of your experiences in the beginning class last year?

I'd say that exhaustion is one of the most common causes of accidents on movie sets today. Long work hours and little to no breaks often cause people to let their guard down, leading to more long-term injuries and negligence. One example that the article brings up is the physical tax standing up all day has on your body. Some people develop health problems, as they constantly have to move and get little rest.  One solution to this problem is to make sure every set gives people their mandated breaks, especially those who are "below-the-line", since they're usually doing a lot of the physical work. Another solution is to not go overboard with overtime, and if possible, give an extra break for the extra hours added. 

BLOG QUESTION ADV: ADV GOAL SETTING

What are your 3 filmmaking goals for the 2025-2026 school year? Don't simply copy everything this creator says. Really look down and decide what specific goals you want to set for yourself. Look back at your goals that you set in last years class. Did you achieve them? Why or why not? How can you make steps to achieve these goals? Where will you need to look to gather help or resources? Please write a complete paragraph on each of three goals, along with an introduction paragraph.

    Some things I really want to do this year is submit my films to more festivals, create more personal projects outside of class, and learn more editing programs like Davinci resolve and after effects to improve my skills in color-grading and graphics, and learn how to light. Last year, I wanted to try out every role in class (and thankfully I did), so now I want to hone my skills in the roles I'm more interested in (cinematography and editing). 

    One thing I can do to achieve my first and and second goal is to get involved in more projects, especially outside of class. I can try to do this by maintaining my contacts with people from last year, and maybe try seeking opportunities with new people by networking. If I want to create more personal films, I'll probably have to write, direct, or produce my own work, so I should also start building a team that I'd want to do that with as well.

    Another step I can take to achieve my goal of becoming more proficient in editing is by practicing more in my free time. Even if I'm not editing an actual project, I could pick up my hobby of editing that I used to have freshmen year and try to learn different tools on after effects and Davinci resolve. I think watching motion graphics/color grading tutorials on youtube would help a lot with that, since most of my skill on AE was learned from those.

    Lastly, to get more involved in the lighting aspect of film-making, I can participate more in labs and try to pass more skills tests for lighting. Watching the skills videos, videos about lighting theory, and movies that are known for its unique lighting style (like noirs), are all things I can do early on to prepare myself for the lighting unit.