Week of June 12th

During this week, our production company finished our documentary about student athletes. The Film Festival also took place on Wednesday. In my opinion, this festival was fun because you get to see how good your film really is based on the reactions of the crowd. Our PSA got a positive reaction and it really made our production company feel good about it. After taking the class, you learn to appreciate the films a bit more as well because you know how much work it actually takes to create films.

Week of June 5th

During this week, my production company continued working on our documentary. We plan to finish today and work on our final film.

Week of May 29th

During this week, my production company shot our field footage and transferred some shots from one computer to another. We plan on finishing this film today.

Week of May 22nd

During this week, my production company and I cleaned up some interview footage and worked on figuring out what field footage to do, whether we use footage of teams or individuals.

Week of May 15th

During this week my production company, Empire Productions, interviewed a new person and re-did and interview with someone we already interviewed, due to audio issues. We couldn't get to much done because of AP exams and had days where we couldn't film or edit. We plan to get field footage this week so we can finish out this documentary soon.

Week of May 8th

During this week, my production company, Empire Productions, shot interview footage for our documentary. It was difficult to get a filming schedule around AP testing, but we managed to interview 2 different people. We plan to interview one or two more people before we get field footage.

Week of May 1st

During this week, our production company, Empire Productions, finalized our idea for our 2nd film. We plan on doing a documentary on student athletics and what it takes to be able to balance both school and sports. We shot some interview footage and plan to shoot some more over the course of next week.

Week of April 24th

In this week, our production company Empire Productions, consisting of Yousef, Erick Albert, and myself, completed our first film. We successfully turned it the application for the film festival and are currently working on our second film, which is a documentary.

Week of April 17th

During this week, my production company called Empire Productions, consisting of Alberto, Erick, Yousef K and myself, completed our first film. We finished our PSA about bullying and now we are working on new ideas for our 2nd film. We plan to do a mockumentary or a documentary, but ideas are still being tossed around.

Week of April 10th

My production company called Empire Productions, which consists of Albert R, Erick R, Yousef K, and I, revised our film and added a few finishing touches, such as the music, credits, and a few more shots. We also made our film a bit shorter since it was too long to be a standard PSA. We planned by finishing this week, but with the extra things we added to our film, we had to continue working on it. By next week Monday or Tuesday, we plan to complete our first film.

Week of April 3rd

During this week, my production company, which is called Empire Productions, completed all of the shots for our film. What we have left, which we plan to finish by today or Monday, is to edit our film and add the finishing touches.

Week of March 27th

My film production is called "Empire Productions", consisting of Albert Ramirez, Yousef Kassira, Erick Rodriguez and I. The film that we are making is a PSA which sends a message about bullying and students not going to school because of bullying. What we have done this past week is record two of the major scenes in our film, which are each about 15-20 seconds long. By next week, we plan to be done with our PSA and begin with our second film.

What Music Means To Me

Unlike a lot of people, I'm not that big of a music advocate. Yes I listen to music, but I'm not that hardcore about it. For example, I don't have all of the albums or song lyrics memorized. When I do listen to music on Pandora or the radio, however, it is something I really enjoy. To me, music isn't so much of a way to influence my lifestyle, but a way to relieve myself from stress. In a way, it is my anti-drug. When I need a break from something or I'm feeling stressed, I put earphones on and listen to music or just turn on the radio in my room. Some of the artists I enjoy include Coldplay, Muse, Of Monsters and Men, and a few others. The genre I prefer most is rock or alternative, which is what I also listen to on the radio.

Problems & Struggles

All around the world, high school students have their own problems and struggles which they deal with on a daily basis. One of the most common is having bad grades. There are lots of students who struggle with the subjects that they take at school. From english to math to science, every student has at least one class which they always have problems with. Not everyone might have F's and D's, but the conflict within their classes is always there. Another problem high school student deal with is their weight and size. Throughout the United States, there are millions of kids dealing with obesity. This causes them to not be as active which can result with health problems. This can also have an emotional role in which the student is ashamed of themselves or sad that they aren't fit like other people. Another issue every student has is stress in and out of school. In school, students are given homework and assignments everyday, which can get overwhelming and can cause lots of pressure from teachers. Outside of school, some students also deal with family issues or problems they can't control, such as overdue bills or not having a car to go out in. The final problem every student deals with, which is the most important, is emotional issues. Lots of kids deal with depression and don't want to talk to anyone about their problems. They stick to themselves which can cause severe mental problems.

The Most interesting Person in the World!

Although I don't see myself as an interesting person, some of the people that I know are really interesting for me. One person that is interesting is my aunt Veronica. She works at a family and restaurant where we go eat quite often. When we go to the restaurant or her house she always has funny experiences as a child and an adult. For example, when she was younger she wanted to see how smoking was like because my grandpa used to smoke. When she lit the cigarette and was going to put it in her mouth, my grandpa just got home which made her panic and put the cigar in her mouth and hide under the table. The cigar was burning her tongue but she couldn't make a sound in fear of getting caught. When my grandfather went to use the restroom, she ran outside and threw the cigar into the street.

My Anti Drug

When I feel stressed out or under a lot of pressure, there are a few things that I do to relieve myself. One thing I enjoy doing is listening to music. Going to my room, locking the door, putting on headphones and listening to some music always helps with the stress I am dealing with. Another thing I consider an "anti drug" is playing video games. I have been playing video games for quite some time now and it has always been the most effective way of calming myself or just having a good time. The 3rd thing I enjoy doing when I need a break is going out for a walk or go on a drive my dad. Being outside calm my nerves and makes me realize how small some of the things I'm dealing with really are. The final "anti drug" for myself is reading a book. I enjoying reading and being able to submerge myself into the book keeps my mind away from the pressure or stress I'm dealing with in the outside world.

What I Learned from An Inconvenient Truth

The documentary An Inconvenient Truth, starring Al Gore, is one of the most interesting documentaries I have ever watched. From this film, I learned quite a few things about global warming and how much devastation it can really cause. First, I learned that the ocean levels would raise up to 3 feet if the ice in the Arctic and Antarctica would break, which would cause massive damage in New York City, Florida, India, China, and many other nations. I have always known that ocean levels would rise with the melting ice caps, but I never knew that so much land could be damaged and destroyed. Another thing that I learned from the documentary is that when Al Gore ran for president, his loss was so close that it was determined by the Supreme Court. I knew he had lost to George W. Bush, but his close loss is something new to me.