Yolo everyone, this post is for the final exam. Right, our final exam is a blog post! Anyways, this post will include some reflections, emotions, and experiences I have gained throughout the “movie trailer” project. Now, My everything will be reflected through the Mirror of Erised.(a mysterious mirror in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)

            Every matter resides in its wondrous transparency. 

Intro to This Project

Three months ago, as a playwright of a film, I started to work on the script of a movie trailer, which captures some important features in a book of my choice.(You can say it’s a “book trailer” instead of a movie trailer) After I have finished the script, my partner, Maryssa, would further collaborate on the script as a director and present a filmed trailer based on my screenwriting. Hope I could be as good as William Shakespeare and Maryssa could be as good as Steven Spielberg:) However, this is not Disney and dreams don’t always come true…

           Orlando Magic, Hogwarts School, I cannot tell which one is which… 

And here is my script if you are interested! (Document embedded) Sorry for the poor artistic skill due to my paucity of aesthetic talent:)

The Chosen One

I chose to do Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K Rowling. (I won’t bring out a mirror from Harry Potter and Hogwarts on a post for no reason, right?) Actually, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is my favourite book due to its amazingly magical plot. Definitely, I have been looking forward to the finished trailer of my #1 book, especially from a pal 8000 miles apart! After five seconds, I will open the video link!

5, 4, 3, 2,

            One is the start of counting, so is the end of countdown.

 

Trailer of My Feelings

Well, first of all, splendid job by Maryssa. I really appreciated the efforts you have put in this trailer. I was really surprised by the “disappearing effect” you used, although it could be slightly better.(Don’t be down! This is a compliment! It’s your first time, right?) Maryssa has carefully followed my plot and designated settings;(except the swimming pool) additionally, Maryssa actually used a lot of people to perform different characters in this trailer.(I did not know she would do that:)) The trailer was overall extraordinary. Not only did the scenes and settings flow perfectly, but you also showed each character’s personalities via nuanced tone!! I especially liked the part when Minerva Mcgonagall was talking- it was full of sentiments and emotions. As an audience myself, I was totally enchanted by this “pure wizardry!”

If we had had the budget to do our trailer, it might have been better than the real trailer of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!

 

            The power of money is infinite; it distinguishes the great from the greatest.  

From Challenge, to Creation, to Reflection

Warning: This section is really long but important.

Actually, I had been dreaming of a project like this to happen someday, and thanks to the efforts from both schools, I have had the pleasure to be a scriptwriter for the first time in my life. Without doubt, it has been a tough process writing scripts, designing dialogues, and determining settings.(Yup, I had no experiences before) At first, I had been frustrated with my inability of constructing a well-thought plan, but these challenges have trained me as a tougher individual and a more independent learner. As progress was made, I actually enjoyed typing scripts because I was doing it for my favourite book!(The only but the most powerful excitement that made me finish everything individually) Because of this project, I am one step closer to the “I” in BIG!!!(If you are a member of KAS, you will definitely know what “BIG” means. I’ll leave that as a secret:))

           Become big, become Bigger, become BIGGEST.

 

Every cloud has a silver lining; after finishing the joyful yet rigorous screenwriting, it was the time to wait for the thrilling trailer of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire directed by my partner, Maryssa, who lived thousand miles away! My partner and I have indeed put a lot of efforts in this project. Although we were many miles away, we still managed to communicate and cooperate with no difficulty. I learned to be an open-minded and global citizen who is willing to collaborate with people outside my little “school zone.” I guess that’s what the G in BIG means!

However, there were still a lot of things to improve. First of all, I should seriously improve on my literary skills in the future. Some of my instructions were not clear enough, resulting in unnecessary confusions and misconceptions.(The fact that the trailer did not follow my script really well. Scene 11 ~ Scene 15 were not on the trailer) I found out that my wordings were too vague and my instructions were not solid enough. Also, as an expert in Imovie and photoshopping, I should have taught Maryssa some technological manipulations that might enhance the overall quality of our final trailer.(Especially the part where characters disappear) Finally, I should also be aware of the budget, which was sadly 0 dollars, and be more realistic.(Again, this is not Disney) For some scenes such as casting a spell(Avada Kedavra!), it’s simply impossible to execute without $$$ or superb photoshopping ability. In short, I should have made my instruction crystal clear and been aware of the feasibility of certain scenarios.  

            A great work needs to be as clear as glass, as real as glass, and as tough as glass.

Two Guys Walking in One Direction: Collaboration

Well, in this project, the most important skill I have learned was collaboration. Absolutely, this project was not the first time I collaborated with others, but this trailer was arguably the biggest “product” I have made with others. In this project, I understood that teaching and supporting my teammate in certain fields is the key to making a successful product.(Yep, teaching Maryssa some advanced Imovie skills) Learning other’s strength will eventually become necessary in my career.(Maryssa made the scenes flow beautifully. I should ask her how she did that) Finally, I have to care more about others’s situations instead of doing everything by myself and expecting everything to come up perfectly. That’s how collaboration works, right?

           It’s not about how much “one” achieves; it’s about how much “we” achieve.

This post is quite long and wordy, but I try my best to make it seem interesting! Hope that you feel inspired while reading this. I hope you do because every word comes from my deepest heart! Finally, big thanks to Mr. Williamson, Ms. Lang, and Marrysa for making all this possible!!! Also, special thanks to Mrs. Hisey, Mr. Harrison, Ryan, and Colin for showing up in the movie trailer! You guys fared a great job!

See you guys for next post!