Reflection Essay

The documentary project that we worked on this semester was a very unique project compared to the projects I am normally used to doing. I found that some aspects were very fun and entertaining to work on while others were a tad difficult. My biggest struggle during this project was using a more advanced editing software than what I was used to. Although I did struggle with that, it will help me in the future with similar assignments that may require a similar editing program.  The aspect of the documentary that makes me the most proud is the incorporation of b-roll footage into the interviews that we got with the student workers. I really feel that it made the interviews more interesting to watch and allowed us to use footage we might not have been able to use if it had not been for us linking the b-roll footage with the information being spoken. One aspect of the documentary that I would have changed  would be the abrupt ending and more entertaining credits to watch at the end. The aspects of the documentary that I was personally responsible for was some of the filming and pictures that were taken, choosing the instrumental soundtrack that we had in the background and helping with the editing of the documentary. One thing that I feel I did, as well as the rest of my group, was always having a positive attitude when we were working together and being open to everyone's suggestions for the different aspects of the project. One thing that I wish I would have done more to help the group was plan going to the live concerts better so that we could have had more footage of that. I do feel that I contributed a fair amount to the overall project.

I do feel that this class was successful with helping me hone in on my critical thinking skills.  At first I wasn't sure how I felt about learning new technology and communication techniques, but I ended up enjoying it more than I anticipated. I would definitely prefer learning about how different styles of communication function rather than writing four essays. I feel due to the nature of the class, the styles of communication would be a more effective of getting the ideas across. I think your style was effective in bringing out the abilities I already possessed as well as new applications. I also feel that we had a good distribution of lectures, discussions and homework/blog posts. I personally don't think that any aspects of the class were overlooked in a way that I would suggest to include more of it in the course. One suggestion I do have is maybe spending more class time on the editing of the final documentary due to the fact that it can sometimes be hard for people to meet outside of class time as often as they would like to make the documentary the best it can be. If I could change one thing about the course it would be maybe putting the desks in a circle during discussion. I have seen in a few of my other classes that this sometimes makes people talk more due to the fact that everyone feels more comfortable and they are in a situation that causes people to feel more inclined to speak. Other than that I  think the class was very informative and I really enjoyed the semester!