Hey everyone! So today was a very long and tiring day; our legs and feet aching in pain. We went to Disney's Epcot Center and then we went to Animal Kingdom. Epcot was more of an educational center; there was only one actual roller coaster, most of the 'rides' were tours and things like that. When we first arrived at Epcot, it was early in the morning. We got these cards that let you do certain activities and get into specific places.We started the journey at Epcot by taking a tour. The tour was based on the Evolution of Technology. We allnwrote on cards; the most important technology to us. I wrote 'Electricity' and Kaden and I had pretty much the same thing. Other people wrote the usual iPad, iPhone, TV and things like that. Some people wrote about cars, and one person wrote 'washing machine'. After we shared, we had a discussion about how they were all evolutions' of technology. For example, for washing machine, in the olden times you had to actually hand wash them and hang them on a clothesline, but now in the present you went from hand wash to smart washing machines that run automatically! You can really see how times have changed; how things and ideas evolved. After the discussion ended, we headed to this place called "Test Ride". It was really interesting, with our cards we got earlier, we were able to create our own vehicles virtually on the tv monitor. However, it was all timed, so I just pressed whichever button I could before the countdown hit zero. Then we actually got to go on the real ride. We were put into groups of 4. I was with Taylynn, Nicole, and Mr. M. The ride was great! At the end, we got to see the statistics of each car: the power, design, etc. Surprisingly, I got 2nd place for power! We then went to this space training ride. It's a simulation of what going into space would feel like. I took both rides, the less intense and the more intense. The less intense was cool, it was just some turbulence though. So I tried the other one later that day. The difference was that the more intense one also spins you. I couldn't move anything. It felt so weird and awkward, I tried lifting up my head with all my might...but it couldn't lift up! I soon realized that because the area we were in was spinning so fast, we wouldn't be able to get up and we would just be wiggly, wobbly jello. And the last ride we rode on during the tour was this Future ride in this big pragmatic looking ball. The ride wasn't a roller coaster; but more of an educational tour instead. At the end they asked questions and showed us (we were in pairs) our future. After walking around, seeing some squirrels, and riding some more rides, we decided to go to Animal Kingdom even though we decided not to earlier. At Animal Kingdom we went to see a Bug's Life video; "It's Tough Being A Bug". I loved the video! Not only was it 3-D, but it also had ACTUAL things come out! When a bug farted, it actually had this green smoke or fog come out, and it actually SMELLED! How cool is that?! And when this termite spit out acid, actual water was splashed at us! It was exciting and a realistic experience, and I really enjoyed it. After that we left to go on this Rapid Ride. At first, I though it was just a minor little raft, because that's what my experience was like in California. But here, I got soaked! There was little fountains and huge drops. My expectations were wrong. My clothes were drenched. I had to walk everywhere we went from that point on with soggy, soaking, pants and a dripping, sopping, shirt. It was really uncomfortable. Then we went on this ACTUAL roller coaster. This is like the first roller coaster I've seen here so far, most were just educational tours. At first I was debating and contemplating whether or not to go. The last time I've been on a roller coaster was when I was 8. At first I was nervous, but I eventually got used to it. I sat next to Justice and the ride started. There were sharp turns and steep drops, and it was fast. It was a thrill! My favorite part was when the light goes pitch dark, and all of a sudden we start to go backwards...up hill. And I can't really explain what happened next because, no one really knows how to explain it, it was too dark and too much fun to keep track of. Unfortunately, we had to leave because the park closed at 8:00. We ate dinner at Wendy's, which was good because I prefer fast food for dinner over Golden Corral. In the end, it was a long tiring day for all of us. Our legs and feet ached (especially mine because I didn't break in my shoes) but it was worth it. We could barely walk, but we all walked a total of I think 10.5 miles! Which comes out to burning 906 calories (but it doesn't matter anyway because that's the same amount of calories I had in my burger). The day was fantastic and fun, but wait until tomorrow, we'll be going to Hollywood Studios! (And yes Mom, I'll take photos) Byee!!
Hey guys!! So we just came back from dinner. We ate delicious spaghetti cooked by our wonderful chaperones. Thanks you guys! But anyways, starting from the beginning. We could sleep in today, so we woke up at 9. However I was the last one awake, which sucked! I'm setting my alarm from now on. Anyways...after eating really good breakfast; eggs, sausage, bacon, and more, we headed back to our houses. With the free time, we were able to finish up any blogs or homework we had that we didn't finish. I finished up my blog from yesterday because I wasn't able to publish it. With the free time the rest of us who were done played in the 'game room'. As I stated in my previous blog, the game room is this really cool room in the house with darts, a pool table, air hockey, and a fuse ball table! Other houses have the same, but instead of a fuse ball table they have a play station in theirs! I actually learned how to play pool-but I'm not good at it. So I tried darts. After some time, it was finally time to go to the Amway center. And we kind of 'explored'. Finally getting to the Amway center, we met the tour guide named Jess, and he gave us our tour. The Amway center is huge! There were 7 floors, each for a specific category. I learned that Amway owns the magic...not the other way around. I also learned that Amway doesn't just emphasize the Magic's basketball games, but also more. They do concerts and even hockey! They have to tear apart the wood planks, all to just apply and freeze to make the ice! The tour guide led us to the court. We couldn't actually go on the court, but we will get to tomorrow. We took photos and saw the arena. It could fit over 18,000 people and it cost roughly $400-500 million dollars to build it! We got to see really beautiful art and all the media behind it. We saw our seats-109, and we are so close to the court; we are basically ground level. We saw the T.V.'s, that projected or showed the scores and advertisements. They have a lot of ad sponsors! They even had Kia park like 2 cars there! We explored the rest of it, some cool seating areas and some gift shops. After that, we got to go to the Orlando Magic Gift Shop! I bought a wallet for my Dad and a shirt for myself. Then we went to the house and freshened up and left for Aunty Lynda and Uncle Dave's house for dinner. And that you already know, because I talked about it in the beginning of my blog. And that pretty much leads up to now. Byee!! Hey Guys! So we just came back from a long, tiring day. So as I stated in my previous blog, I was on a plane going to LAX in California. Well we arrived at 12 or 1 or something along those lines to California. The plane ride from Kauai to California was honestly, horrible. At first, I was really excited; I love traveling! But then as the hours passed, I couldn't stand it. I was so exhausted-but my mind kept saying no! There was just to much distractions. Too much noise, the airplane engines, laughter, and peoples conversations. I just couldn't sleep! There was some minor turbulence, but surprisingly it helped me sleep, a lot! During the time of when we were waiting for our next flight from LAX to Florida we ate breakfast from a restaurant named Ruby's. I got some blueberry pancakes. After that, Mr. M passed out this scavenger hunt for our chaperone groups to complete within the whole trip. After some time, we were able to board the plane to Florida. This plane ride was so much better than the first one. Still some minor turbulence, but I pretty much slept the whole time! I got my sleep up to speed! I sat next to Lindsey and Kaycee. I got a window seat, which was the best thing, it was awesome! It's really cool to see what everything looks like from high above! I've seen like 7 cargo ships, some random islands near California, and a few states; however, I'm not sure which ones. It's so cool! The buildings and mountains look microscopic and I couldn't even see a human! Being in a plane reminded me of the Earth being a model. There were continuous straight lines everywhere, almost like someone was plotting coordinates. The mountains look like small dirt piles, although in reality they're very tall. And the plots. The plots are all square, and from this height and elevation, you can notice different shades and colors of it. It reminded me of pieces of fabric; like someone tore the textile from clothing and sew it all together. After 4 hours we arrived to the beautiful Florida! We got our suitcases and baggages and went with our chaperone groups to our rental car. Then we drove to the house and got ready to go to dinner at a place named Golden Corral. The house is amazing! It's huge and there is even a pool and a game room! In the game room there are darts, a pool table, air hockey, and a fuse ball table! I'm sharing a room with Ysabel, on twin size beds. I'm really thankful that I have my own bed! After we 'freshened up' we got in the car and tried to go to Golden Corral...but we got a little lost. After a long time, we finally reached Golden Corral, and there was a buffet there. The buffet was okay, but I just wanted to go back to the house. But then we went to SUPER TARGET!! I didn't get anything; I packed everything I needed. After getting groceries and things, we finally got to go home. At the house we took a shower and started our blogs. And then we went to sleep. Anyways, I'm going to go play in the game room now, Byee!!
Hey Guys!! So I am currently on a plane to California. Yes, that's right! Today's the day we depart Kauai and start our journey to Florida! So we all met at the Lihue airport at 6:00. After we got our luggage checked in, and got our baggage checked, we were clear to go, now all we had to do was wait. To pass time, Taylynn, Kelli, Nicole, Kaycee and Justice went to Starbucks. I ordered a Vanilla Bean (yes Mom, no caffeine). We all drank our drinks and then we went to gate 10. We had to wait for a total of about an hour, maybe more. As time passed (which it did quickly) we could finally board the plane. And that pretty sums up the day until now. So I got the middle seat, in between Kelli and Kelli's mom. Right now I'm chewing gum, I have really sensitive ears when it comes to popping. I'm also listening to music and doing my blog. Im honestly really excited for what comes up next; there are is so much on the itinerary! But in a few minutes I'll be sleeping, and tomorrow I'll be in LAX! Until tomorrow, Byee!!!
Hey Everyone! So as you all know by now, we are headed to Florida. This blog is just to inform you about some changes that will happen because of this trip. So first of all, blogs. I will be posting blogs everyday on the trip! So the blogs will start today or tomorrow I don't really know. In these blogs, I'll be writing about what happened in my day, my feelings, and more! So make sure you pay attention for that! The next thing I'd like to talk about is the time difference. Now that we will be up in Florida, there's like a 6 hour time difference. I'd just like to apologize if I might be waking you guys up at like 2 in the morning, unaware that it's like 9 there. Overall, I hope this is gonna be an awesome trip and that everyone will be safe! Until next time, Byee!! Hey Everyone! As you all know by now, the media class will be going to Flordia on March 11th to compete in a convention for the Student Television Network, or STN. I'm looking forward to a lot of things on this trip, but I'll be only writing about a few. I'm really excited, this is my first time being to Florida and on a trip away from my family. Although I will miss my family a lot, I'm super excited!! In fact, this is only the second time I have been to the mainland! Out of every single thing on the itinerary, My number one thing I'm looking forward to...actually isn't specifically on the itinerary. It's spending time and bonding with the CKTV Ohana. I've been told by some classmates, and even Mr. M that this trip will bring us all together. I don't really know many classmates well, and I believe this trip will be a big opportunity to get to know them better! And plus, spending 12 hours with them stuck on a plane, hours in the car, and 2 weeks with them all together, leaves plenty of time to spend with the class. Another thing I'm looking forward to is meeting our PenPals! I'm very excited to meet our Flordian PenPals and our Castaic PenPals. Although our emailing isn't so frequent, it will be good to get to know them better when I meet them! The gift exchange is going to be great! I look forward to playing laser tag with my Florida Pen Pal, Brooke, and going out to dinner with the Castaic class. Laser Tag is awesome! I've played laser tag once in California, and it is so fun! In Flordia, we're going to have a huge laser tag game! Despite being very excited, I'm also really nervous. I hope my pen pal likes the gift I get them, and I also hope they don't overspend the budget of $25. I also got a small little gift for my Flordia pen pal. The third thing I'm looking forward to is the STN convention. I mean, that's why we are going to Florida for, right? The movie trailer team has been practicing hard and we are going to bring our best to Flordia! I'm very excited, scared, and nervous for this competition. Being a new student to the media class, this is my very first time going to the STN convention and competing. I'm very interested and curious to know what it's like; how it looks like and the videos the 16 other middle schools will be producing. I'm assuming from the practices we have had, it will be held in a ballroom and full of serious, straight-faced, teenagers. But never less, we will also be serious about this, with our game faces on. We are representing many people. Besides our name, we represent CKMS, Kauai, and also Hawaii, so let's all make sure to try our best! Besides competing in both sweet sixteen and the movie trailer competition, I'm looking forward to the break-out sessions. Mr. M talked about it during class and I think it will be fun, educational, and I believe that I will learn something new there that will help me in the media class or possibly in my future! Look, I know Mr. M said our top three, but he also said we could do more so...yeah. Another thing I'm looking forward to is the taping of a basketball game and the actual game. I've always seen my Dad watching basketball games on the T.V., and I have always wondered how they actually filmed it. Do they pan when a person shoots the basketball? Or do they just switch from camera to camera to get a different angle? Since it's live, do they have a 'technical director' to switch between cameras? I honestly have no clue, so I think it will be very interesting and educational to learn how they film it, because when I'm back home seeing my Dad watch a game, I'll know how they get that shot. I'm also looking forward to the actual game the next day. The game is between the Wizards and the Magic (I memorized them because they're just so funny; magic and wizard). Knowing from prior the game, how they film a game, I'll know how they do everything. I've actually never went to an NBA basketball game, so it's a good experience, watching a live basketball game, rather than watching in on tv or online. As you can see, I'm very excited for this trip. I look forward to a lot of things, bonding with the class, meeting our PenPals, competing at the STN convention, and learning how they film an NBA game, and then actually watching one. I literally could go on and on, but it'll probably bore you so I guess this is where we say our goodbyes. Until next time, Byee!!! Guys!!!! Can you believe that we all will be leaving in 3 days to meet at the Airport, where we will leave for Florida for 2 weeks?! How crazy is that? It seemed like only yesterday when we were at the golf tournament passing out tees to the golfers. But here we are, packing our bags and trying to finish homework, so that we can go and compete at the Student Television Network Convention. I hope you all are super excited! I know I am! Besides going to the STN convention, we will be going to see a live taping of the WKMG News Brodcast, have a tour at Full Sail University, watch a real NBA basketball game, Go to Disney's Epcot Center, Go to Hollywood Studios, meet our PenPals, and so much more! I can already feel that this trip will be awesome. But what I'd really like to say is just thank you to everyone. Thank you to Mr. M, the chaperones, and my parents because honestly, without you guys, going on this trip wouldn't be possible. Thanks to the chaperones in advance for helping the class out, watching us, and making sure everything is good and everyone is safe. Being my 'mom' isn't exactly the ideal job...Just Kidding guys. The chaperones are here to watch us, support us, and keep everyone safe. As Mr. M stated earlier, they aren't our mothers, it's not a vacation, and it's a lot of work. The chaperones also take time off of work and their vacation time, spring break, to help us out, which means a lot! So thank you in advance, for helping us make this trip possible. Thank you to Mr. M, for arranging this trip,fundraisers, and for the faith of potential you have in us. Thanks for the advice and guidence to help us make our video better, because we all know that there are 16 other middle schools out there! It will be very tough! Mr. M has done a lot to help with the trip, besides giving us support and feedback. He plays a HUGE role in this whole thing! Without him, would there be what we have today in class? And also a big thank you to my parents who have helped me pay for the trip, with fundraising and money out of their pocket. Taking your time off of work and your other activities to help with fundraisers, and car washes, means a lot to me. In conclusion, the Flordia trip will be great, but it's all possible because of our patient chaperones, our parents, and Mr. M. So I think we all need to give a big thank you the next time we see them! That's all for my reflective response, see you next time, Byee!! So tonight is the Academy Awards, aka the Oscars, and this year, hosted by Ellen Degeneres. The Oscars is an awards ceremony in the film and video category. They give out Oscars to this winners of different categories. Here are some of them; Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Origjnal Screenplay, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Animated Feature Film, Best Animated Short Film, Best Live Action Short Film, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Feature Documentary, Best Short Documentary, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, Best Otiginal Song, and Best Visual Effects. As you can see, this relates to the Media Productions class a lot. You never know, in a few years we may see some of our classmates on television accepting their Oscar! I believe that everyone in this class has potential to do so. Age doesn't matter in the oscars. Did you know that the youngest person to ever receive an oscar was 10-year-old Tatum O'Neil for Best Supporting Actress. The oldest person to receive an Oscar was 82 year old Christopher Plummer. The youngest person to win Best Director is Noram Taurog when he was 32 years old! Anyways, the oscars are tonight so make sure you tune in and see if your favorite movie or Director wins! Hey Guys!! We recently had our first Sweet Sixteen practice so I'll be here writing about it! We arrived at the library at 7 in the morning and we left around 11. Overall, I think we can all draw conclusions that both, film and broadcast teams did well on this practice. I'm on the brodcast team along with Ben Brady and Lindsey. Being on the brodcast team, our group was assigned to do a news feature video, kind of like our 1st and 2nd quarter projects. The duration had to be close to 2 minutes because when the main editor edits all the videos together, we want to make sure that they all fit in nicely and doesn't go over 10 minutes. Anyways, so how it works is that they are giving us one word, and that word was Success (for this practice), and we are supposed to make a video depending on what type of video we were to make (however most teams were creating a News feature except for PSA) that revolved or related to the word. The word was Success and we had to get our news story finished and give Leanna the files so she can edit and finish the final brodcasts' team video consisting of all the videos, all within 16 hours. So we had to think of our idea first. We all have different definitions of success and what it means to us, leading to different story oppurtunities and ideas. However, we all could've had the same idea, which would be bad. So we gathered and had a discussion. All of the brodcast team, and including some PSA group members, helped us throw out some different ideas. Some suggested success as in beating an illness, like beating cancer, however none of us actually knew someone to do the story on. Honestly, that would have been a really good story and in depth, but we can't help the fact that none of us know anyone. Others suggested organizations; how they were unknown and then revolutionized over the past year. You know, Success can have endless possibilities, it just depends how you see it, what it means to you. We all kind of just stuck ideas out there and groups chose which one they wanted to do. The group I was in, with Lindsey and Ben, decided to do it on Puka Dogs. We found out that they opened at 10, so it would only be a couple of hours before we could actually call them. So we looked for another story, and found Popolani Gelato, but it opened at 11, so that would be our backup story. After we finished shooting the interview (I was the interviewer) and the b-roll we headed back and started to edit. The video was given to Leanna pretty late, at 9:00, which was bad because Leanna still had to edit everyone's video. At STN, we are going to need to work faster and get them to Leanna earlier. I think next time it would be best if Ben and Lindsey were to be the editors, although everyone had a turn at it. They have more experience in editing and they're good at it, might as well them edit from the start then having to fix errors later. I know that I can trust them to do a good job, and they know what b-roll matches, and the really important sound bytes. We could use more b-roll and that's a good thing to keep in mind at STN, you can never have to much b-roll! We realized that we were short on b-roll during the editing process, so instead of voice overs we had to do standups. At first, Ben did the standups, but his voice was warped, so I had to do them. I had the hardest time remembering the lines! We were kind of in a hurry because Leanna needed the files and it was hard to get them to her because we just needed to insert the standups but I kept messing up! It was actually my first time doing standups and I found that it's more difficult having to memorize them (reading them off the paper), and look into the lens and still look content rather then just reading it off a piece of paper into a microphone. Like I said, we were rushing to get it finished, but I believe if I were to do the standups again, I could do better. We had a few minor errors, like how the lower third cut off my chin and with the interview; he's looking down (I'm so short), that we can fix at STN. Another thing is to get it to the main editors early! If they get the video early, it's better for them to start editing! Overall, the practice was a success (was that a pun?) It was a long and tiring day for everyone and stress roamed the air. But in the end, we all saw that everyone did a nice job, so congrats! It was really interesting to see what other groups story were. I especially like the teacher who's definition of success was excellence, not perfection. The film team also did a great job, I really liked the short movie, I can tell a lot of thought was put into it, congrats to you guys to! We all have things to work on, and let's bring our best to STN! |