Weekly Check-In #15

This past week we discussed our plan for implementing the Visions6 DVD and we were all assigned different edits. I personally didn't do a DVD edit, but was called upon to do a Vimeo edit of all the video race clips. We reflected on the event together and talked about our hits and wishes regarding it. Based on these hits and wishes, we are compiling a new and updated video race manual which is looking pretty good so far! I have a couple sections left to do and a few things left on my video race edit and then I'll be set! I'm excited to see how the DVD itself turns out and to have a chance to reflect back on the highlights of this event. On a even more happy note, I'm really excited for our "final" at Defy Gravity! It'll be a nice stress reliever, and the best part is that it's a great final to end on! I'll be finished with all of my papers and all of my projects, and I'll be able to relax and say that I've successfully finished my junior year! So crazy how this year flew by! Can't wait to see what my senior year entails!

Visions6 EVENT REFLECTION

This past Friday, we finally had our event and I'll have to say I'm so glad everything went smoothly. For this event, I was a video-race co-coordinator, and it was a crazy ride. First, Aedan was my original partner and he helped me lock down some of the pre-event materials, such as the questionnaire for sorting teams. When Jessica came on board as my new partner, she was able to help with more ideas that helped us with the organization of this event. We also simplified certain aspects of the event such as the Mind Race portion in order to meet our time crunches for the video race. I was told by some staff members that at first they were apprehensive of the event, but ended up having so much fun. I'm glad to hear that our hard work has paid off and that people have enjoyed themselves. From securing our location to creating several team shirts, it's great to see a wonderful end product that caused so many filmmakers to bond with each other. Every event does have its flaws however, and the big one is that we did include glitter on our shirts. For our manual, we are going to have a bolded rule within it that forewarns the future coordinators of the glitter issue. Another thing I would like to have done differently next year if possible is to have teams determined just a couple days earlier than we did this year (and without last minute changes). While it was nice to have a lot of people on our teams, it was stressful stenciling all of the individual shirts in just two nights and this could cut back slightly on the stress levels. What went well was the fact that we allowed enough time to view our submissions to make sure everything went through and worked properly. We also met all of our time constraints despite any minor issues. All in all, I'm grateful to have had this opportunity to connect and bond with so many filmmakers and make new friends! Now everybody can relax and focus on the highs and lows of this event. Most importantly, we can reflect on all of our hard work and realize that we put on this huge event that is going to be an experience we always remember.

Weekly Check-In #14

We finally had Visions6 and I'll admit that I was a little bit apprehensive of how everything would run, but I'd say it went pretty smoothly with only few errors! I was particularly happy with the video race because the submissions had hardly any technological errors and I'm thankful that Dustin helped to ensure that. I also loved that everybody bonded through this activity and seemed to have this closeness that wasn't there prior to this part of the event. I'm happy to have taken part in this event and see the effect it has on visiting filmmakers, scholars, and filmmakers at UNCW. I've made so many new friends that I hope return next year and I feel that I did make the most of this experience. This weekend left me so exhausted but I also had this sense of relief and satisfaction over this spectacular event we all worked so hard on through the semester. There were times where people got stressed, cranky, or overwhelmed, but we all persevered in order to put on something great. Even though my event had its flaws, I've definitely learned a lot from this experience that I can apply to any future endeavors and obstacles I might face.

Weekly Check-In #13

So after receiving a lot of tough love from the rest of the Visions6 staff, Jessica and I have conjured up a day of event plan that is fairly detailed and I feel more comfortable knowing that we are ready to face most issues that are thrown our way. I know that nothing is going to be perfect, but all we can do is try our best to problem solve this issues. Recently, we had an issue with our shirts regarding glitter, but we are trying to resolve it in the best way possible. We sprayed the shirts down with hairspray and I think it's containing the glitter so well. If Amelie does not approve the shirts, then we can at least say we gave it our best (we spent hours trying to solve this issue). All we can do at this point is suck it up and face our mistake and keep our momentum. No matter what, this event will be fun for all and I can't wait to see what videos our teams come up with! I know that the minute I have a negative demeanor, things can "go to shit," but if I remain positive and optimistic, the event can run much smoother. I'm going to take a deep breath and face this event head on, because the fact of the matter is nobody is ready for everything. For big events, there is always this element of unpredictability and I'm trying to be ready for it all, but I know some things are out of my control. I really hope that our shirts are approved, but if not, I will own this issue and take responsibility.

Weekly Check-In #12

This past weekend, we made our shirts for the video race! We took this black shirts and twisted them, bleached them, and painted them with blue, purple, and silver glitter paint. To make stars, we used white glitter paint and splattered it onto the shirts into little specks. We also recently started our prop drive and will be checking out the box tomorrow morning to see what props have been donated so far. We are also in the midst of sorting our teams based on all of the responses that we have received via our questionnaire. Now we are just gearing up for the day of the festival and I'm excited to see what the outcome of our event will be! In other news, Sean Ahlum is coming to talk to our class and I'm very excited to see what tips for success he has to offer to us! I don't often say it, but I am always nervous for the future and while I know it will be hard work, it would be nice to see somebody that could maybe relate to where I am now. There's nothing I love more than success stories and how I can conjure up the motivation to be whatever I want to be.