Tag: film

World War II: How Do We Remember? 💣

Posted on by elsaw

WWII: How is it Remembered?🎬

This project was something I had been looking forward to learn about for a very long time. I’m happy to say that I really enjoyed this project and learned lots. This is going to be a rather long post because we did a lot during this project and it was our theme for this years winter exhibition! 

The main theme: 💣

The main theme for this project was (obviously) WWII. Our main idea was to look at (and make) some examples of media that remembers WWII. We watched two movies, looked at lots of propaganda, made our own propaganda, and compared recent history with some events of WWII. All of these things were to help us answer the driving question of our project which is “How do stories, media, and propaganda shape how we remember World War II?” We discussed a lot about perspective and how the side the media is taking can manipulate the audience into feeling a certain way. 

Driving Question: “🏎️How do Stories, Media, and Propaganda Shape How we Remember World War II?🏎️”

Stories, media, and propaganda play a huge role in how we remember World War II because most people now didn’t experience it firsthand, and only have the opportunity to learn about it using the media that has been created. Stories help make the war feel personal. Memoirs, novels, and interviews focus on individual soldiers, families, or survivors, which makes the war easier to understand and emotionally connect to. However, these stories usually show only one perspective, so some experiences get more attention than others while some are left out.

How did Europe let it happen? 📝

This was an activity to start off our project. We were told to make an infographic of the main reasons why WWII happened. The four main factors were the Treaty of Versailles, apeasement, the Great Depression, and expansionism. When WWI ended, Germany was punished severely by the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty made Germany take full blame for WWI and made them pay for damages which amounted to roughly 44 billion Canadian dollars. When Hitler started to become more aggressive, they let him get what he wanted in hopes that appeasement would be enough to hold off another war. (Spoiler alert, it only made him bolder). The Great Depression hit Germany harder than most countries, which allowed Hitler to rise to power by promising the angry and humiliated German people that he was going to fix everything. Most of the other countries were to busy with their own problems to notice Hitler slowly rebuilding his army. Italy, Japan, and Germany were all interested in expansionism. They all wanted more land and power for their countries. This eventually led to the allies not being able to ignore Hitler and his aggressive actions anymore and led to the start of WWII.

Then and now remembrance activity:🏙️

Our next task was to see how the remembrance of historical events changes over time. We were tasked with finding an old article on a historical event of our choosing (my group with Brooklyn and Carmyn chose 911 as our event), and then compare the old article to a new article of the same topic and see how the remembrance changed. This helped us get into the habit of noticing how time can change the story or even how our thoughts and feelings can change about an event.

Take a look at our notes HERE

Create your own propaganda:🗣️🇸🇪

Propaganda was used during the war to influence how people thought and felt. Governments used posters, radio, and film to build support for the war, boost morale, and portray enemies in a negative way. Even after the war, some of these ideas stuck, shaping long term attitudes and memories about who was “good,” who was “bad,” and why the war was fought. 

I wanted my propaganda to be original and well thought out, so I did some research on some actual propaganda that was featured in Sweden. My propaganda poster is something that the Swedish government would have been reminding Swedish citizens throughout the whole war. Sweden declared neutral for the entirety of WWII, so their main concern was preventing espionage at the hands of the public. When the war broke out in 1939, The Swedish Advertising Association offered its services to the information agency in connection with possible propaganda campaigns. At this point, neutrality was very vulnerable in Sweden so the government wanted as little chatter as possible.

 The background symbolizes Swedens national colours and maintaining pride. “Håll Käften” means “keep your mouth shut”, which would have been a common term during those times. “En Svensk Tiger.” The word “svensk” means “Sweden” or “swede”, and “tiger” has a double meaning, “tiga” which means to “keep ones mouth shut”. So the meaning of the Swedish tiger is directly “a swede keeps their mouth shut”. I really liked this symbolism and it is still a popular saying in Sweden. The government was very serious about the public not relaying important or sensitive information that could potentially get back to the Axis powers or the Allies.

I go more into detail HERE

Movies:📽️

Media, especially films, documentaries, and newsreels, shape strong images of the war. Movies usually simplify events into clear heroes and villains, which can make history easier to follow but sometimes less accurate. For example, many films focus on battles involving certain countries, which can make it seem like those were the only important parts of the war.

Dunkirk:⚓️🪖

I really enjoyed this movie, it was intense, the soundtrack was incredible, the acting was really good, and the overall theme was captured really nicely. I liked the way that there were three separate stories that sort of molded together in the end. In the beginning, it was hard to follow along but it became clearer the more you watched. I think this movie did a good job in representing the stressful situation France and Britain was in, but not so much in giving background information, and insight into what the Germans were doing and even talking about France’s contributions (which is ridiculous because the whole thing happened in France). The movie definitely portrayed Britain as the “good guys” and had a bit of British propaganda in it. It highlighted the struggles but also the victories that British troops endured during that time. 

(For a little overview of what the movie is about): The Dunkirk evacuation happened during World War II in 1940. Allied soldiers from Britain and France were surrounded by German forces in northern France. Hundreds of thousands of troops were rescued by military ships and civilian boats and taken across the English Channel to Britain. This evacuation helped save the soldiers so they could continue fighting later in the war.

Jojo Rabbit:🐇

This was the perfect movie to represent propaganda and control. Jojo Rabbit is a movie about a young boy living in Nazi Germany during World War II. He strongly believes in Nazi ideas at the start, mostly because that’s all he has been taught. Jojo is portrayed as the Nazis biggest supporter, he has lots of posters and propaganda pieces in his room and his imaginary friend is Hitler.The movie mixes humour with serious topics and focuses on themes like propaganda, growing up, and learning to see others differently. The story takes place near the end of the war, when Germany is starting to lose and the Nazi government is still controlling people through strict rules and fear. Children were trained in Nazi beliefs through school and the Hitler Youth, and Jewish people were being hunted, forced into hiding, or taken away. Fear was used to control and force society into obedience.

 

Winter Exhibition:🛩️

Our winter exhibition was a little bit different this year. Since Avatar: Fire and Ash came out very close to the exhibition date, the teachers wanted to make the theme Avatar. At first it was a bit difficult to relate WWII to Avatar but we actually found a few connections to make. My groups theme was Technology, Innovation, and Consequence of WWII and Avatar. 

To make connections between the two, we chose the spitfire and the ikran (both flying technologies used by the “good guys”). The main connection is how both in WWII and Avatar, propaganda was used to manipulate how the audience feels about certain sides of the story. 

Our group was very successful at improvising and making last minute changes. We had a group member be sick the day of, we had mishaps with lighting, and room decor changes. We managed to push past the bumps and preform really well. We got lots of compliments saying that we were all very engaging, interesting, respectful, polite, and most importantly, we knew what we were talking about and were all very knowledgeable on the subject and could answer people’s questions. 

there are some more notes HERE

In the Name of the Nation🇨🇦

Posted on by elsaw

Hello and welcome back to my blog! For this post, you will learn all about the confederation of Canada. In humanities, we did a short project all about why the different Canadian provinces should/should not join the confederation. This was a pretty short project So this post might be a little shorter than usual.

Nationalism VS. Patriotism:

The launch activity was to take notes on nationalism and patriotism. Then we had to distinguish between the two. We watched some very interesting videos on the matter and also some of the most famous Canadian videos. Like for example, the Molson “I am Canadian” add. It really shows how you can both be proud of your country but also respectful. Thats the difference between nationalism and patriotism; nationalism is when you think that your country is the best and any country that has different values, laws, or beliefs is wrong. But patriotism is when you think your country is the best and you love your country but don’t go around saying that other countries are wrong if they don’t agree with yours. I made some very interesting notes on the consequences of nationalism. Take a look!

Here is the link to my NOTES: 

The Confederation of Canada: Nova Scotia

My group consisted of Carmyn and Ian. We did a draw in class and our group got Nova Scotia! Over the next few days, we took vigorous notes on what Nova Scotia was like BEFORE the confederation. We learnt about their population, government, industries, etc… Once we finished our notes we brainstormed ideas for our final product: The Confederation Video! In our video we had to talk about why Nova Scotia should or should or should not join the confederation. After a lot of debating we decided our video should be like a professional debate. In the video two men, Charles Tupper (Carmyn) and Joseph Howe (Me) would be debating back and forth weather the province of Nova Scotia would join the confederation. The moderator (Ian) would be making points and the final decision. 

Here are our notes on Nova Scotia:

Driving Question: 🏎️

“How has Nationalism’s influence shaped the global structure? Moreover, how has Nationalism impacted the establishment of Canada as a nation?”

Nationalism has shaped the global structure by encouraging people with shared culture, language, or history to form their own nations, instead of complaining that other countries weren’t right. This led to the fall of empires and the rise of many independent countries, changing the world map. While it united some groups, it also caused conflicts when different groups competed for land or power. In Canada’s case, nationalism helped bring the colonies together. People began to feel proud of their shared identity, different from Britain and the U.S., which led to Confederation in 1867. French-Canadian nationalism also played a role by pushing for the protection of language and culture. So, nationalism helped Canada become a united and independent nation in its own unique way.

Filming: 

Since our video was set like a debate, we needed a plain background and a judges stand/podium. Once we roamed the school for a bit, we found the perfect filming location… the library! Unfortunately for us, the library was also being used by multiple other groups. This proved some problems and got quite frustrating at times, because we needed to film but we couldn’t because other groups were either using the space or props we needed. But in the end we got there! Take a look at our final product: 

 

Thanks for reading (and watching)! I hope you enjoyed learning all about this project. 

7 Habits (with a Hunger Games twist)

Posted on by elsaw

May The 7 Habits Be Ever In Your Favour

By now, you’ve probably heard about the importance of getting your personal life in order—being proactive, setting goals, and managing your time. That’s what the first three habits of Sean Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens are all about. But once you’ve got a handle on yourself, it’s time to level up and learn how to work effectively with others.

That’s where Habits 4, 5, and 6 come in.

These habits aren’t about pretending to get along with people or faking teamwork in group projects. They’re about learning how to build real, strong, and productive relationships—whether it’s with friends, family, classmates, or teammates.

Habit 4: Think Win-Win

The mindset of mutual success

In a world where everything can feel like a competition—grades, sports, college admissions—it’s easy to fall into a “win-lose” mentality. But Habit 4 challenges that by asking: What if everyone could win? A win-win mindset is about seeking solutions that benefit everyone, not just yourself. It’s not about being overly nice or giving in all the time. It’s about balancing courage with consideration. You stand up for yourself while also respecting others.

Why it matters:

  • It builds trust in your relationships.
  • It encourages collaboration instead of conflict.
  • It helps you avoid unnecessary power struggles.

Whether it’s working out a disagreement with a friend or sharing responsibilities in a group project, thinking win-win leads to stronger and more respectful outcomes.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Listening is more powerful than you think

If we’re honest, most of us aren’t great listeners. We hear people, but we’re often planning our reply while they’re still talking. Habit 5 flips that by encouraging us to truly understand the other person before jumping in with our own thoughts. This means listening with empathy—not just with your ears, but with your heart. It’s about putting yourself in the other person’s shoes and seeing things from their perspective.

What this looks like in real life:

  • When a friend is upset, don’t rush to offer advice. Just listen.
  • If your parents are frustrated, try to understand why before reacting.
  • In a disagreement, repeat back what the other person is saying to show you get it.

When people feel heard, they’re more open to hearing you in return. This habit is the foundation of healthy communication.

Habit 6: Synergize

Better together than alone

Synergy is when a group of people combine their strengths and differences to create something better than anyone could achieve individually. It’s not just about working together—it’s about working together well. In a synergized environment, differences aren’t seen as problems. They’re seen as assets. One person might be good at organizing, another at creative thinking, another at public speaking. Together, they can create results far beyond what one person could do alone.

How to build synergy:

  • Value differences in people’s perspectives and talents.
  • Communicate openly and respectfully.
  • Look for creative solutions that incorporate everyone’s input.

This habit is key not just for school and sports, but for life. Whether you’re in a band, a family, or a business team someday—knowing how to collaborate is a superpower.

The Video:

for my video I was with Ella and Brooklyn. All three of us are avid readers and we really wanted to tie in some of our favourite series to our videos. Our goal was to make the video a bit silly but at the same time, educational. We based our video off the series “The Hunger Games”. In our video, there are three tributes left in the games, they all agree to work together to escape the arena. I think that we were really creative with our ideas and hopefully made the video a little easier to pallet with some side lore. Make sure to check out my teammates blogs!

Conclusion:

Habits 4–6 take the focus off just you and help you become more effective in your interactions with others. They’re about respect, teamwork, and communication—skills that will serve you well in every part of your life. Thank you for reading this post, I hope you enjoyed. Make sure to stick around for my last post.

7 Habits : part 1

Posted on by elsaw

Hello and welcome to my blog! This post will be a bit different, instead of a project reflection, I will be doing 3 small posts about all of the 7 habits. Title: How to Be the Main Character of Your Own Life (According to Sean Covey)

Enter Sean Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, starting with the first three habits that are all about conquering yourself before trying to conquer the world. Let’s break them down.

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Being proactive means you don’t just sit around waiting for things to happen—you make things happen. You’re not blaming your bad mood on your little brother, your teacher, or the weather. You’re saying, “Hey, I get to choose how I react. I’m not a robot. I’m a legend.” Covey uses the idea of “responsibility” = response-ability — your ability to choose your response. So yeah, life throws stuff at you. But being proactive is like having an emotional force field. You don’t flip out, you flip the script.

Pro tip: Stop saying “I can’t” and start saying “I will figure it out.” That’s proactive energy right there.

Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind

This habit is like playing chess instead of checkers. You’re not just reacting move by move—you’ve got a strategy. You’re not living on autopilot, bouncing from one TikTok to the next. You’re asking big questions like:

  • Who do I want to be?
  • What do I want people to remember me for?
  • What would the highlight reel of my life look like?

Covey says to make a personal mission statement—a little life GPS. It’s like giving your brain a playlist of goals so it knows what direction to vibe in.

Fun idea: Write your mission statement and slap it on your wall, journal, or phone background. Instant motivation.

Habit 3: Put First Things First

Alright, this is where it gets real. You’ve got goals. You’ve got vision. Now you’ve got to prioritize like a boss. Habit 3 is about managing your time like it’s your most precious snack and you don’t want to waste a single bite. Covey introduces the idea of the Time Quadrants—fancy words for sorting your life into what’s urgent, important, or just straight-up distractions (looking at you, 3-hour YouTube rabbit holes).

Example:
  • Homework due tomorrow? Urgent & Important.
  • Practicing guitar? Not urgent, but important.
  • Scrolling memes for two hours? Not urgent, not important (but weirdly addictive).

The goal: spend more time on what’s important but not urgent—like working on goals, exercising, building relationships. That’s where growth happens.

Pro move: Use a planner, a to-do list, or even a sticky note attack on your wall to plan your week around your priorities, not your procrastinations.

The Awesome Video:

Along with this post, I made a fun YouTube short about the first three habits. Since I was paired with Ella and Brooklyn, we chose our theme to be Harry Potter. The video follows the story of the tri-learning tournament when Harry and Ron decide to sign up but have no idea how to prepare. Hermione helps them become proactive learners by thinking with the end in mind and putting first things first.

The Big Picture:

  • Habit 1: Take control. You’re not a victim—you’re the hero.
  • Habit 2: Dream big and design your life with purpose.
  • Habit 3: Prioritize what actually matters and stop getting sidetracked by stuff that doesn’t.

These first three habits are like building your own inner superhero. Once you master them, you’re not just surviving teen life—you’re owning it.

Want more? Stick around for the next post where we dive into Habits 4–6—aka, the teamwork and relationship power moves. Until then, go start being the main character of your own story.

Unboxing The Story Of Me📦

Posted on by elsaw

Hello and welcome to my blog. In this post I will unbox me. This maker project is all about setting goals, making good habits, and unboxing yourself. Unboxing Me (the project name) started with a book called What Do You Really Want by Beverly K. Batchel.  

Driving Question: How might I tell a story about who I am and where I’m going?

My story is about growth, goals, and figuring out where I’m headed. I’ve always been someone who likes structure—not just to stay organized, but because it helps me focus on what really matters. I use my iPad to keep me on track. The Things app helps me break big goals into smaller steps, and my calendar keeps me accountable. Whether it’s planning projects, managing daily tasks, or just making sure I have time for what’s important, these tools help me turn ideas into action. With the right mindset and tools, I can successfully plan a future and also tell a story. 

What Do You Really Want? 

“During adolescence, a person is faced for the first time with the need to plan his or her own life, set long-term goals and take responsibility for their fulfillment. That’s a big challenge even for adults, isn’t it? Think back to your teenage self: did anyone teach you to set goals, understand yourself and follow your dreams? I don’t think so. More likely, you were nurtured, given the information you needed and tried to guide you. But the most important thing an adult can give a teenager is to help form not knowledge, but so-called meta-skills: the ability to communicate, to hear yourself, to understand others, to be persistent, to set goals and achieve them. They will help a child find their way and succeed in their chosen endeavor. This book is written for teenagers who are thinking about the future, but do not yet know exactly what they want. It will help to define their aspirations and outline a plan to achieve their goals, teach them how to motivate themselves and inspire them to achieve their goals.”

 There are many activities in the book that help boost your goal setting habits. My first activity was a think it and ink it. The book instructed me to make a goal tracker, so I hopped onto notability and wrote down some of my current goals. Then I added more to it by talking about how I would achieve the goals and what I would do to get there. Our second task was a twenty by twenty sheet. “If you could do any twenty things by the time you turn twenty, what would they be?” My sheet consists of many different things such as school, sports, travel, work, friends, and housing. I like to think of my self as pretty ambitious so I hope to reach most, if not all, of my goals by the time I am twenty. The next activity and my favourite, is the dream board! I love making dream boards because you can use your creativity to express yourself and your goals. Mine was fun to make because I used Canva and made mine pop with colour and images. Our second last task was writing a letter to ourselves. I struggled a bit with this because I’m not much of a goal person so actually writing to myself about goals was a bit tough. The letter spoke about what you will do once you reach a goal. And last but not least, we made a celebration plan! Our task was to write about what we would do to celebrate once we had met one (or more) of our goals. 

Goal Tracker:

 

Twenty By Twenty: 

Dream Board: 

Letter To Myself: 

“Sup me,

I wanted to take a moment to remind myself of the things I love about who I am. Its easy to get caught up in the grind and forget to appreciate what makes me, well, me. I love how kind I am. I always try to be there for the people in my life, whether its offering a helping hand or just

listening when someone needs to talk. That kind of empathy is something Im really proud of. I also love my resilience, Ive been through some tough times, but I always manage to bounce back and keep going. It reminds me that I’m stronger than I think. Another thing I love about myself is my curiosity. Im always looking for new things to learn, whether its reading or just diving into something that piques my interest. It keeps life exciting. And lets not forget my creativity. I find new ways to solve problems or just express myself, and it feels good to know I can come up with something original when needed. I also really appreciate my sense of humour. I know how to laugh at myself and keep things light, even when life

tries to get too serious. It makes everything a little easier to handle. And Im grateful for my selfawareness. Im not perfect, but I know who I am, and Im always trying to grow and be better. My determination is something I admire too. When I set a goal, I dont back down, I keep pushing until I get there. I

also really value how I stay true to myself. I dont try to be anyone else, and Im learning to be more confident in just being me. I try to keep a sense of gratitude in my life, appreciating all the little moments and things I have. It helps me stay grounded and focused on what really matters. And lastly, Im learning to love myself more. I show love to the people I care about, but Im working on giving myself the same kindness and care. I guess, at the end of the day, Im proud of who I am. Ive got my flaws, but Ive got a lot of good stuff too. Im constantly growing, and Im excited to see where that takes me.

With love,

Me.”

Celebration Plan:

“Hockey: I did it! I set out to get better at hockey, and all the hard work has paid off. I wanted this because I love the game and knew I had more in me. Even when it got tough-early mornings, tough losses, and frustrating practices—| stuck with it. I stayed consistent, pushed myself, and kept improving little by little. Now I’m faster, stronger, and more confident on the ice. Time to celebrate! Whether that means treating myself, taking a well-earned rest, or just enjoying the game even more, l’m going to soak it in. I earned it.

On to the next challenge!

Fiji:

Goal achieved! I set a goal to be fitter and feel more comfortable for Fiji, and all the effort has paid off. I wanted this because I knew l’d enjoy the trip so much more if I felt strong, confident, and full of energy. Even when it was tough-workouts I didn’t feel like doing, cravings, and days where progress felt slow-| kept going. I stayed consistent, made healthier choices, and kept pushing myself. Now I feel better, move easier, and have way more confidence. Time to celebrate! Whether that means fully enjoying every moment in Fiji, or just appreciating how far l’ve come, l’m going enjoy it. I earned this.”

Managing Me Video: 

Our first benchmark was our managing me videos. We had to make a short 1 ish minute video about how we stay organized and manage ourselves. I talked about time blocking my calendar and using Things. Time blocking is a very useful way to keep track of your day and also your goals. I time block my school days to know what classes I have and what time I have in each class. I also like to time block my activities outside of school so I can keep track of sports like my hockey and boxing but also other things like walking my dog or hanging out with friends. Since we didn’t post these videos to YouTube, I used a background song that would be subject to copyright. So unfortunately I cant show the video on here because of some technical difficulties. 

Unboxing Me Video: 

For our last and final part of thee project we made an Unboxing video about ourselves and our goals. Our videos had to feature enough information to tell a story. The video had a time limit of 2-3 minutes. For my first draft I made a script: “Do you have big goals for life? Hi, my name is Elsa, and I have some big goals. Before I get into some of my bigger goals, I’m going to go over who I am and my values. I love sports and physical activities. I am I huge fan of hockey and I’ve been playing it since I was three years old. I love getting exercise and going on hikes. Another sport I do is boxing. The most important thing I value is nature, especially the ocean. Every summer I go on a boat trip with my family and I have the best time. I love being in and on the water. That’s why one of my biggest long term goals in life is to become a boat pilot. I was never interested in this type of job until I went to the B.C boat show. I was wandering the halls when I saw a stand that talked about becoming a boat pilot. I was immediately intrigued when the two people who were working at the stand mentioned the good pay and long vacation times. You get to travel the world and get paid for it?! This sounds like the job for me! I will need to work hard to become a boat pilot and I know that the journey wont always be easy, but I will have to stick with my goals and chip them away one at a time! In order to stick with my goals I will have to stay organized. I will keep track of all my tasks and be able track my goals as well. I’m going to set small goals that will lead up to bigger things like getting into university or applying for a job. I want to become successful and be happy with my life and how I got there.” 

 Personally, i didnt really stick to my script but thats the gist of my story. I did a lot of filming and re-filming but I got there in the end! My video is posted on YouTube for you all to enjoy. I’ll drop a link below. 

Thank You! 

Rise of Change🧸

Posted on by elsaw

The Frankenstuffies!!

Hi and welcome back! This is my blog where you can read about everything that I learn. This post will feature my latest humanities project called…. Fankenstuffies: The Rise of Change! This project was all about the Industrial Revolution and the changes it brought to society. The Industrial Revolution was a period of major changes in the way products are made. It took place more than 200 years ago and greatly affected the way people lived as well as the way they worked. In earlier days, people made products by hand. They worked mostly in their own homes or in small workshops. During the Industrial Revolution, many factories were built. Labourers began making large numbers of things using machines powered by engines such as steam, or coal powered.

Driving question: 🏎️ How can we, as writers, weave historical details into our creative storytelling to convey a clear and impactful message?

We kicked off the project with the urbanization game, which was a fun and interactive way to get a feel for what life was like during the Industrial Revolution. Urbanization happens when people move from rural areas to cities, usually because of job opportunities in growing industries like factory work. As we explored this shift from farming to factory life, we started to understand how drastically things changed during that time. Cities became overcrowded, living conditions were often poor, and factory work was exhausting and even dangerous. It was interesting to put ourselves in the shoes of people who experienced such a massive transition. We imagined what it must have been like to leave behind a familiar way of life, move to a busy city, and try to keep up with all the changes happening around them. Here’s a picture of the city my group created: 👇

Making the frankenstuffies: 

The Hero’s Journey

For this part of the project we had to create our very own frankenstuffies! It was a super fun (but slightly sad) activity that took around 3 classes to finish. We had to bring in around 3-4 stuffies that were no longer loved (my heart💔) and cut them up and use their body parts to create a whole new stuffie. I learnt a lot of things during this part of the project but the thing I learnt most was hand sewing. (Strange thing to be learning in a history class). Anyways, here’s a short video on how my beloved stuffie came to be!

Film Pitch 

My Storyboard

For the last bit of preparation we had to do, we made a story board to map out our films. A storyboard is very helpful when you want to be organized before you create a story. Mapping out your ideas will help you create a more precise and easy to follow story. I used drawings to create my story board.

The Final Draft

It’s finally time to introduce my beloved Stefan!! Isn’t he gorgeous?! Anyways, for the final draft I worked really hard to find pictures and sounds that were copyright free to use in my movie. We used iMovie to create a short story that featured our characters in the Industrial Revolution! Here’s mine: 

Thanks for reading all about this project!

Running A Remake🏃‍➡️🏃‍➡️

Posted on by elsaw

Running a Remake🏃‍➡️

Hi and welcome back to my blog! This post will be about the world of filmmaking. Our maker project called “Running a Remake” was meant for us to pay attention to detail and make an EXACT copy of a short film called “RUN!” (I’ll leave a link). Attention to detail was extremely important for this project because in order to make a copy, we had to film the exact angles, timing, sound, shots, and overall, story. We learnt many video making skills by learning how to create a story by using filmmaking. Sound affects were the hardest part because we had to create original audio.

Most people think that copying a 1 minute short film is easy, but there are so many aspects you have to consider. The first thing you have to consider is the angles you are using to portray your film. If you were trying to make a copy like we did, then you have to make every single scene count. We had to pay attention to the angle of the shots, the lighting of the shots, the setting of the shots, and of course the style of filming. 

The first step of re-creating a film is making a storyboard. Your storyboard doesn’t have to be detailed, but it has to be precise. Make a drawing for each one of the different shots and angles and then you’ll be able to follow along better. A storyboard is a simple, but effective way of figuring out which shots you will need to make. Once we finished making the storyboard, we were ready to film.

Part of being attentive to detail is your costumes and settings. Since I was the runner (the main character) I had to be dressed accordingly. The runner in the RUN! video is wearing a tracksuit, so I tried my best to get a sweater and sweatpants to make it look like a tracksuit. A second detail is that the runner is wearing a grey toque. Since I couldn’t find a grey toque, I had to make do with the black one. And the final detail is that the runner has earbuds in. I also couldn’t find earbuds with strings so I had to use wireless ones. Once my costume is ready my group and I headed outside to film. We had to be careful in choosing our filming spot somewhere where we wouldn’t be interrupted too frequently by other groups or other people. We chose the perfect spot in a trail that fit the setting of the original video. 

It was challenging to get all of the correct shots, but once we were done, it was time for the editing stage. Since I was the editor, I was in charge of inserting the sound that we had filmed and also editing the video so it looked more like the original. Sound is one of the most immersive parts of any movie or show so it’s critical that you get it right. Once I was done editing the video, I posted it to my YouTube. (I’ll leave a link.)

Thanks for reading this post! My next post will probably be after winter break (unless the teachers are ruthless…) I hope you enjoyed the details of recreating a short film.Â