In The End

The students of Grosse Pointe South High School and the Van Meter kids in Iowa have been working on a project. They are recreating the film of Romeo & Juliet, but there is a problem. A parent has complained, they said that this project was not a learning experience and is a waste of the student’s time. Some students say that this project will help them later on because of the tech tools that we learned in the making of this project. Even more students will say that this is a hand’s on experience. Others say that this is a memorable experience. Finally students say that this teaches them responsibility for later on in life. The Romeo & Juliet project is a great way to learn helpful skills outside of the English class room.   

            During the duration of the project the students had access to a whole bunch of tools that would help them. Including BlogSpot, BlogSpot allowed the students to blog about what they were doing in the play with the Van Meter students. Another resource that the students who were print advertisement used the site Glogster, this allowed them to make brilliant posters to place on the blog. Every student had to put their name on the wiki spaces account that would be linked to the blog so that we could post and edit information that could be shared with every student that was using the project. The students who were sound track had to use the site Jamendo, for the sound track because we don’t have the money for actual songs that kids know. All of the tech tools would not have been learned if they sat and read the story and took tests. Additionally the students learned these tools that will help them later in life. BlogSpot helped the students with their writing skills. Glogster showed the students how to make posters for other projects in their lives. Those are just some of the tools the students learned.

            In the same way this project was a hand’s on experience. The students believe that this was a hand’s on experience because they are actually performing the play. This will allow the students to grasp the material rather than reading out of a book and taking tests. If the students didn’t do this project then they wouldn’t have learned as much. Studies say that more kids learn better if they are working hands on. If the parent that complaint took away this project then over half of the students wouldn’t grasp the concept.

            Another reason that this project was a good idea is because it is memorable instead of reading a book they are actually doing it. It will last in their heads longer. If they read the book only they would only remember a few key moments. Sense they did this project 14 years later when their at their high school reunion they can remember it. It also helps that it’s on film so that there will always be a copy ready to watch. This project was a great memorable experience because of all of the things that we did because what other project do students shoot a movie in school. That is why this project was a memorable experience. 

Finally this project thought the students to be responsible a lesson that students will need later in life. Some examples are, the cameraman had to take care of the camera at his house. If it got damaged then they wouldn’t be able to film. If the camera guy didn’t show up they wouldn’t be able to film. Also even in the littlest jobs responsibility was needed. If the people in print advertising if they didn’t post their posters the students wouldn’t know when the film would premiere. Another job that needed huge responsibility was actors if they didn’t show up then again they wouldn’t be able to film. All of those examples and more are reasons that the students learned to be responsible.

            In the end this project was a good idea, because of all of the useful tools that the students learned in the making of the film. Like the tech tools Glogster, and Blogspot. Also the hands on experience that the students got to do, and then there is also the memorable experience that the students would not have achieved if they were reading the story. The final thing they learned was the responsibility that they also would not have learned if they read the book only. That is why this project was a good idea.

In the end

This project was a blast, I had so much fun filming this play and think that i did a decent job. I cant wait to see the final result of every ones hard work. This was a dream come true, i can remember long ago when i was little wanting to be the person shooting the shots of a film and now i got to live it. I want to say thank you to all the Van Meter kids for their support and help in the play. I also want to say thanks to Emma and Matt for their amazing performances with out them we would have gotten no where with this. My final thank you is to Mr. P for all of his hard work and for teaching me to use the camera. I hope we will be able to use some of the film from the flip cam for a behind the scenes that would be pretty awesome. I am some what sad to see this project end because of the great time i had doing it, and because this project was great at building some new friendships and i will hopefully still keep those friends throughout high school. I am looking forward to seeing the final production.

Act III Scene V

In this scene we had to do the morning after and it was a little awkward, because Matt had his shirt off. Mr. P said that we have to edit that part out and re shoot it at the house again. Sense I’m not the cameraman anymore I was there to get extra credit on the flip cam. We got some cool behind the scenes and I’m goanna be there for the finale to get the after party. At Scene V we got the friar and Romeo Talking and that was pretty good I took a few shots. Then we had to wait till Emma got there to film the rest. Lord Capulet’s scene was amazing he looked like he was really furious it was amazing.

The Kiss

The Kiss, The kiss was a hard shot to get. First what we had to do was move all the chairs and tables in the cafeteria and that was hard in its self. It took at least 30min, to get them all moved. Then we had to make it look like a party and without help from Adelle’s dad it wouldn’t have looked like a party at all. Then we had to get everyone quite to get the dancing in then we would put music in after so they wouldn’t look like idiots. After that we took two views of the shots before they kissed, one view was with Emma walking down the aisle with Matt walking behind glass watching her. Then we stopped when she was at the drinking fountain and we moved the camera and shot Matt’s view behind the glass and we got up to the fountain and we stopped it. After that we moved it so we got both of them in the shot to get the dialog and the kiss itself in. AND WE NAILD IT!!! It was the best scene that I shot in my turn on the camera and it was a perfect way to end my turn.    

The Fight.

Scene 1 the fight. The fight scene was excelent we got the right shots in the right places it looked real. The bad part about it was the shortage of people. like the person that was supposed to brake up the fight he left thinking we were done. So I had to do it and give the camera to anne and i did it. the other person that was missing was montague so Matt S. had to play him and he did exelent for being put on the spot so thank you Matt!! If he wasnt their I dont know what we could of done with out him. Then the Prince was missing so we had Andrew read them and wasnt on camera. Then their came the part of the memorizing the lines, Andrew after counless takes still couldent rember the big Parts so he read them on the ground. It took atleast 3 shots to get the right shot for the fight and it looke real i thought Conner actuly hit Elise it was awsome. Another problem was the wether it was freezing so what was supposed to be shot out side ended up inside above the pool so that was a problem. In all i beleive that we did a great job with the scene. My thanks to Matt for his help.

WE DID IT!!!

we got the first day of filming done with success  and we will be good for Monday. Even though it took a couple tries we got the job done. The flip cam works fine i don't want to use the expensive one cause i don't trust my self to use it so ill stick with the flip cam. 

My schedule

For my schedule i am free on weekends. On weekdays i am not free because of sailing but i will be their to day and monday.