~ Another Interesting Video + my Technology Stop Motion ~ Journal Entry 16

In this post I would just like to quickly show two videos, one which I found as an internet source, and the other video is a stop motion animation I had finished in technology, which sort of shows what my final PP outcome will look like.


- So Where is Home? A film about TCK identity by Adrian Bautista
                                https://vimeo.com/41264088

                   
                                                                                                      













I thought this was an interesting short film, because it showed the insight and perspective of around 6 very different people, who all would consider themselves to be placed under the label of being a TCK. The film shows the struggle of having to answer the question "so where is home?" because it is challenging, as all these people had spent great portions of their childhood abroad. This leads to them not being able to identify with one place.

-  My Technology Stop Motion

The sharable link to my technology stop motion: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1U_SKVZKgnHUF9RRWRSU092dmM/view?usp=sharing

I thought that this would be important to share, because I have been using this video (which I had made previously this year for a design technology project) as a rough guideline for my PP stop motion. With it, I can see how many seconds a certain number of frames durates, and I can also look at some of the ideas I used and think about how I can manipulate it. This technology video was a documentary for the overuse of smartphones, and I decided to make it in the form of a stop motion just to be able to utilise it as a "test run" in a way, since it is a very small project compared to the PP.

~ What work will I achieve during Winter Break? ~ Journal Entry 15

At this point of time in the personal project, I should be well underway with the project outcome. The winter break is vital to spend time to finish off unfinished work, as well as being able to make big progress so that when school starts again on the 6th of January, I will be all set to continue taking frames and then to begin to edit the stop motion video, and also to finish a good portion of the report.
As I had discussed in my previous meeting with Mrs. Murphy, we had made a checklist for what was to be completed by the end of december. This checklist included:

1. The final storyboard with a timeline and annotations
2. around 50s of the stop motion animation -- this would be around 351 frames
3. write script for dialogue of the first 50s of the animation
4. begin to write the first draft of the project report 
5. Finish all interviews 

The reason why the last checkpoint was crossed out is because this is what I had aimed to finish before school ended for winter break, however I did not manage to complete these interviews due to various complications. I plan to finish them all by the first week back from school, by arranging with all my interviewees the specific dates and times. 

I do not plan to focus on point 4, the writing of the project report, for the winter break. However, I aim to finish the template of the report itself (title page, contents page, subheadings.. etc) as well as have written up my introduction. 

My main focal points are 1 and 2. To have a final storyboard for myself as well as Mrs. Murphy would make the process of taking the pictures for the stop motion much easier, as I would know exactly what I would want to do. Although I have developed several sketches of rough storyboards, it is important that the ideas are very clear also for my supervisor so she can give me some feedback and critical ideas. 

The 3rd point on the checklist is definitely also important. I already have thought about what dialogue should go with the animation I have so far, I would just need to put it all in writing on my Google Doc so that it would be all set for me to start recording the narration after the break.

~ Interesting Video ~ Journal Entry 14

Down below is a very insightful and relavant video to my topic of TCKs exploring the question of "where do you come from?" that TCKs struggle to answer. It is a TED talk which Mrs. Murphy has showed me.

(http://video.ted.com/talk/podcast/2014G/None/TaiyeSelasi_2014G-480p.mp4)

     Important Points from the Transcript
>> Last year, I went on my first book tour. In 13 months, I flew to 14 countries and gave some hundred talks. Every talk in every country began with an introduction, and every introduction began, alas, with a lie: "Taiye Selasi comes from Ghana and Nigeria," or "Taiye Selasi comes from England and the States." Whenever I heard this opening sentence, no matter the country that concluded it -- England, America, Ghana, Nigeria -- I thought, "But that's not true." Yes, I was born in England and grew up in the United States. My mum, born in England, and raised in Nigeria, currently lives in Ghana. My father was born in Gold Coast, a British colony, raised in Ghana, and has lived for over 30 years in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For this reason, my introducers also called me "multinational." "But Nike is multinational," I thought, "I'm a human being." <<

>> The myth of national identity and the vocabulary of coming from confuses us into placing ourselves into mutually exclusive categories. In fact, all of us are multi -- multi-local, multi-layered. To begin our conversations with an acknowledgement of this complexity brings us closer together, I think, not further apart. So the next time that I'm introduced, I'd love to hear the truth: "Taiye Selasi is a human being, like everybody here. She isn't a citizen of the world, but a citizen of worlds. She is a local of New York, Rome and Accra." <<

Also, here is the link to my google docs for research and ideas: - 

           https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jXgRxeCfFZgaa-OY9HLGOt3oEv6zGgV9rkphz8AUbvg/edit?usp=sharing 

~ 5th Supervisor Meeting ~ Journal Entry 13

Meeting 5

Date: 8th December 2015

What we discussed: Today was an important meeting because we properly defined what the end product would look like. I showed Mrs. Murphy my stop motion animation from technology and used it as a framework for my personal project stop motion. In technology we were making a documentary and I chose to make it in the form of a stop motion animation (like the project we had done in technology in grade 9) as a sort of test-run preparation to see how the technology project turned out and translate the good qualities of the animation into my PP project. This was helpful, because then I was able to see approximately 20 seconds = 170 frames (photos). This is the stage I am at in the moment. 

Introductory scenes/frames of storyboard

Also, most importantly, we discussed the timeline and due dates I was going to set for myself. For example, before the start of christmas break I need to have the finalized, detailed storyboard + video timeline. I also am aiming to have all the interviews finished as well as have approx. 30-45 seconds of video completed. With the help of Mrs. Murphy I set checklists for every month until the exhibition - these were general checklists of course. 

Checklists & additional ideas 

                   

~ 4th Supervisor Meetings & Discussing Progress ~ Journal Entry 12

Meeting 4

Date: 4th December 2015

What we discussed:  This meeting was relatively short but very useful, because Ms. Murphy and I made a list of goals to accomplish and to set deadlines by before the start of christmas break. One of the most important and significant things on the list was a storyboard. Although I do have a storyboard of some sorts it needs to be more clarified, so the production of the video in itself will be easier to do, because I will know exactly what to do. Ms. Murphy also said its crucial to have a video storyboard so she can also have a clearer picture of what I am planning for my outcome to look like. 

Another thing which was on the list of things to complete was the interviews which I wanted to have for the beginning of the video as an introduction. 

--> So far, the interviews is a problem which I encountered, for three main reasons: 

                       - not everyone is willing to be filmed 

                       - the audio(difficult to find a time in the library which is quiet and empty and allows me to film) / lighting is not always consistent 

                       - some people do not give very thorough/detailed answers

Although the interview part is only meant to last at least around 30-45 seconds of the video, I think it is very important to show what different people have to say about my topic. Also, the interview will hopefully give a clear introduction to what the stop motion animation will be about. This is not the main part of the video itself but it is still an important component, and I am hoping to compete four by the end of the week. At the moment I have already about six interviews, but the majority I may have to do again due to audio and lighting problems.