Hello! This is Alaysia here with a few words I'd like to say before I depart. In my final blog of CKTV, I just wanted to give out some necessary thank you's and just reminisce on my time in the class. But first, thank you to all of YOU who actually take the time to read these blog posts! I know I probably don't make much sense most of the time, which I'm sorry about, but thank you for hearing what I have to say. These past three years in the class have truly been an amazing experience. A lot of the opportunities we were faced with wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for the support from our Kaua'i community. I am very thankful for all of your help, especially with our STN trip fundraising. I wouldn't have gotten to go to Orlando, San Diego, Atlanta, and New York without your help. Special mahalo goes out to Uncle Toyo. Uncle Toyo donated iPad's, desktops, and all of the new Macbook Pro's we are so fortunate to use. These pieces of equipment have helped our class so much! Speaking of, Mr. M said we could make a 'last will and testament' to end off the year. To whomever receives Laptop 14, we're now spiritually connected. I hope that our laptop treats you well, being that 14 is a lucky number (and my favorite, too!). Remember in return, treat the laptop with great care and only use it for good! If and when you get the rotating wheel of doom or the beach ball while editing, I wish you luck! I still remember the desktop I used as a sixth grader! I remember once the power went out while we were editing after school on FCP 7 (back when rendering and saving were manual), and a bunch of our projects got reset back. Oh, the beauty in struggle. Furthermore, I met very kind, sweet, and caring people, all whom are just as invested and excited about media as I am. Not many people can say this about their class, so I am lucky that I can. I am proud and so grateful to call the people in the media class, our CKTV Ohana. Thank you to all of my fellow classmates and peers for helping me become a better person and being a great support system. Without this class, I would have never met the great people I call my friends today. Thank you to all of our parents and chaperones out there! Thank you for all of your hard work. Especially towards my parents, thank you for all of the things that I put you through these three years, driving us to interviews, filming, etc. To our chaperones, thank you for dealing with us middle schoolers in the preparation and during the actual STN trip. Again, the trip would not have been possible without you guys! Last, but certainly not the least, the biggest thank you out here goes to our wonderful teacher, Mr. M! It's hard to put into words how great of a teacher you are and the gratitude that I owe to you. No other teacher that I know is as invested, dedicated, and passionate as you are. You put so much work and time into making us and this class, the best it can be. I really appreciate the amount of effort you put in, staying late after school, coming in on weekends, when no one is forcing you to! You have helped shape the person I am today, improving my character. You gave me words of inspiration when I was doubting my work or myself, and you always push us to be the best we can be. Although you can be hard on us, it is only because you want us to strive for greatness. I'll never forget all that you have done for me, Mr. M. Thank you so much! Whether you're a newbie or a returnee reading this, seriously, enjoy your time in the class. Yes, it can be a lot of work sometimes but it's worth it. You can create long lasting friendships, learn lessons that will carry out in life, and create amazing memories along the way. Thank you everyone, and thank YOU again for listening. Goodbye, CKTV. 

     Hey Everyone! This upcoming week is the last week of this school year. Wow, this year has gone by way quicker than I anticipated. I guess the saying, "Time flies when you're having fun" is true. This will also be the last set of blogs from me which is just as sad as my time in CKTV ending. I'll go over more in this week's reflective response. With school ending just around the corner, summer is coming right back up! For this week's constructive response, I will be talking about three goals I have for this summer to improve in media. Since I am an eighth grader moving onto high school, I won't be in CKTV anymore but I will still talk about some skills that are needed in all classes. To improve, three summer goals I have is to learn more about photography, work on not procrastinating, and to try new things.
      One summer goal I have relates more towards media, learning more about photography. I've only recently learned the magic of manually shooting, and it's seriously improved the photos that I take. I've recently got the "nifty fifty" lens last week and so I really want to test out that maximum aperture! I want to learn about how the different settings can achieve different affects. Currently, I only know about how the aperture can create a nice shallow DOF, prompting bokeh in the background. I want to learn more about night, motion blur, long exposure, macro, and other types of photography! I also want to improve in being faster at changing the settings manually. I can read online or watch videos to get more insight on these types of photography. There is so much to learn and I want to use this summer to do so!
     Another summer goal I have is to work on stopping procrastinating. Procrastination is a major thing that occurs to me on a daily basis. It affects me not only in media, but in all classes! It's such a terrible habit that I need to break, especially before going to High School. Here in middle school, the teachers aren't that strict in deadlines and they let you turn in your work late without penalty. However, just like in media, at High School you'll receive consequences for late work, and some may not even accept it at all. To improve on stopping this, I will avoid putting off my summer chores and assignments, and instead, do them right away. This summer, I will work on breaking the procrastination habit. 
     A third goal I have for the summer is to try new things. Usually what occurs during summer breaks is that I fall into a lazy, unproductive state. I stay up until 5am on Netflix, sleep in late, then repeat the whole process. This summer, I want to break that unproductive streak. It's always good to try new things. I want to read more books, learn songs on the piano, go jogging, take more photos, learn to code, learn a language, the list can go on and on! My point is, there is so much that can be done during the break and I want to put that time to use, not to waste. When I joined media in the sixth grade, that was me trying something new. I wasn't sure if I'd like it or not, but I decided to give it a chance. Fast forward about three years later, and here I am! I love this class! So this summer, I want to use my time trying new things and see if I discover something that I love just as much as CKTV.
     To conclude, three summer goals I have are to learn more about photography, stop procrastinating, and to try new things. Let's put this summer break to use. It is in our favor after all. How are you going to spend your summer break? Whatever your answer may be, stay safe and have fun! Well, that's it for this week's constructed response! Thanks for reading! Goodbye!

     Hey Everyone! When watching movies, especially action movies, have you ever noticed how one shot transitions to the next? I haven't really noticed the cut because it was done in a way so smoothly. I've only recently realized this after watching a video on cuts and transitions. For this week's reflective response, I will be talking about that video and its information on how to use cuts and transitions creatively or so that the audience doesn't even notice the cut. The first cut they talk about is cutting on action. This is where the shot changes right when the action starts. Cuts von action usually occur during fighting or chasing scenes but we see them quite often in really simple actions although we may not notice them. The next shot they talk about it the cutaway. The cutaway is an insert shot of something else away from the frame. Sometimes, it could be of something in the same location but totally unrelated. Other times, it can be used to see a person's thinking. The next cut they talked about is cross cutting. Cross cutting is the alternating shots of different locations. In the example they used, cross cuts are used commonly during phone conversations. They also can add tension and drama to the scene. The shot they talked about after that we are familiar with, the jump cut. The jump cut is essentially a cut of the same shot. It's usually used to show change or the passing of time. Although you may think that jump cuts are always a bad thing or a mistake in editing, when used effectively and with purpose, they can be a creative technique. The next cut is similar to the jump cut, but in fact different. The match cut is one of my favorite cuts. It's when they switch to a different shot that has the same composition or action. It's a really cool technique but I think is really difficult to pull off, especially trying to match the composition. Match cuts can be both visual and verbal. In fact, verbal match cuts are common in a lot of comedy skits. Next, I'll talk about transitions. There's the simple fade in and fade out which is pretty self explanatory. There's a dissolve which is also pretty explanatory. You can use dissolves to show time passing by, too. Smash cuts are really sudden and unanticipated. A lot of the times it'll be really quiet then get super loud, or the other way around. It works either way, as long as it's used effectively. Another transition is called the iris. It's where everything shuts to black except for a small hole, exposing the shot. This reminds me of the ending of old cartoons such as Tom and Jerry. Nowadays, you don't often see iris transitions in cinemas. The video continued explaining the different kinds of wipes, again, self explanatory. The next transition discussed is the invisible cut. It gives the idea of a single take, yet it hides the cut when it cuts to black. Editors often hide cuts through different distractions. Whip pans, or fast pans, are used to hide the cut. Cuts are also hidden through the movement of an object in the frame, and leaving the frame. There are also audio cuts. The L-cut is when audio is carried over to the next shot. It's likely that in the next shot, the audio sounds softer, more distant. The J-Cut is where audio from the next scene plays before the scene starts. Many movies combine all of these cuts, and often times than not, we don't even notice them! They're made to seem unnoticeable. Next time while watching a film, concentrate on the types of cuts and the transitions that occur. What kinds can you work into your video? I thought this was an interesting video that was worth a share. It's amazing what editors can do, putting in thought into each cut, instead of just slapping things down into the timeline. I can't embed the video right now and will do so on Tuesday. For now, click https://youtu.be/OAH0MoAv2CI for the link. Well, that is it for this week's reflective response! Thanks for reading! Bye!

     Hey Everyone! Did you know that there is a thing called 360 degree YouTube videos? Well that is what I will be talking about for this week's reflective response. 360 degree video is quite a neat thing and it's exactly as the name is, 360 degree video. I initially discovered this through a vlog of Casey Neistat which was filmed in 360. Apparently, 360 videos have been here since 2015! Depending on your device, you can see the surroundings of the person! If you're on a mobile phone, just move your phone in the direction of where you want to see, and the video will match that area. If you're on a desktop watching YT, drag your mouse in the location of your choosing and the video will sync to there as well. I find 360 videos interesting. I think it'll allow content creators a new way to share their content more creatively. Especially if they are filming something action related such as going on a roller coaster or sky diving, a lot of the viewers will want to see what that's like. If you know of the Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard, it's a bit like that. It's almost like virtual reality. You get to see what's around the person that is filming, not just the regular 180 view. However, I think there are certainly some cons. Being that you can see everywhere, there's a high chance that you'll actually miss what the creator intended you to see. If they wanted you to see something that was in the front of the camera but you were looking off to the side or in back, you'll miss it, and you wouldn't know what happened. Also, of course expected, it's a slower playback and disrupts the resolution of the video. Another thing that some of the 360 videos have are spatial audio. Spatial audio is sound that is recorded so that when you listen to it, it's coming from all directions. It's made so that it immerses you in the video, like you're actually there. I think it's a good pair with the 360 visual, almost getting to a virtual reality. Here are some videos I found cool using 360 degree video. Well, that is it for this week's reflective response! Thanks for reading! Bye!

     Hey Everyone! This month will surely be a crazy one. With only a few more weeks left of school, there is so much being done! Last week Friday was May Day and Makahiki, this week is finals, eighth graders have our EOC and the slideshow, and our projects are due soon! Ahh! For this week's constructed response, I will be giving you an update on our fourth quarter project. To sum it up, I am working with Kaycee Nakashima for fourth quarter and we're doing something a little different. We decided to do a video towards the new media students and returnees that is like a tutorial, do's and don'ts, and a how-to video with comedy mixed in together. Unfortunately, I'd have to say that we are behind schedule for the following reasons.
      One reason why we are behind on our project is because we changed project ideas. This year,   PSA's were due earlier in the third quarter to give us time to work on our fourth quarter projects, before fourth quarter started. Both Kaycee and I got our PSA's done early, and we chose to create a short film for our project. We started working on it before the STN trip, but it really wasn't going anywhere. When we came back from the trip during fourth quarter, we continued working on it but it was a dead end. We realized that there wasn't much of a story to our idea, and so the whole thing didn't make sense. We were already at the point where TIAS' were due. We decided to do away with that idea and start fresh, putting us behind schedule and at a late start.
     Another reason why we are behind on our project is because we didn't finish filming. As you all are aware, the filming deadline was last week Friday. Kaycee and I finished recording all of our voiceovers, but only filmed three scenes. Our script is literally 18 pages long, and so we have a LOT more to film! All of our filming is being done in school using media students as actors. I just counted, and there is 14 scenes total. That means we still have 11 more scenes to film! Plus, it'll be difficult since everyone else in the class has their work to do too, so they might be busy. Kaycee and I really have to film each day this week to make the deadline!
​      The third reason why we are behind is because of pure procrastination. I'll be honest, we did procrastinate. We got our script approved days after we posted it, yet we only started filming last week. We could have been filming the whole other week, but for some reason we didn't. However, we are editing as we go meaning the day that we filmed we edited it right away. This way, we can kind of combine editing and filming time or basically just not get even more behind.
     To conclude, we are behind on our fourth quarter project because we changed project ideas giving us a late start, we didn't finish filming, and because we procrastinated. To meet our deadline this Friday of a first draft, Kaycee and I will seriously need to get everything filmed, and avoid procrastination. I believe if we put our mind to it and are determined, we can get it done. Well, that is it for this week's constructed response! Thanks for reading! Bye!

     Hey Everyone! For this week's reflective response, I will be talking about Olelo! This past Wednesday, April 27th, a few students went to Oahu for the Olelo Youth XChange luncheon. I, along with Kaycee, Mia, Nicole, Kirra, Kichelle, and Ikaika, were all finalists in the Olelo Youth XChange contest. Kirra and I were selected for our Passionate Painter story in the Jr. Experts category. There were a total of three finalists for each category. Apparently there were over 900 entries which is cool. I've never been finalist for Olelo so this was a new experience for me. We all met early in the morning at the airport and flew to Oahu. We were on the same flight as some of the Kaua'i High students, some of which are former CKTV students! The luncheon was at the Sheraton Waikiki Resort in a big ballroom with two large screens. The awards ceremony started around ten in the morning, so we were actually served breakfast foods! It was all delicious, especially the bacon! After eating, we sat and awaited the results. Congratulations to Ikaika and Kichelle for winning in the "Taking Assessments Seriously" category with their video, "The Chain Reaction". I absolutely loved their video. It was hilarious. We got to watch the winning videos of other schools. It was interesting to see the ideas of elementary, middle, and high schoolers for each category! Although Kirra and I didn't win, it was a great experience and I'm very grateful to be able to have gone! The winner for the Jr. Experts category was "A Home For Larenzo" by Waianae Intermediate. They told a great story, one of the best I've ever seen, so major kudos to them! To get to the Olelo website, click here. Overall, going to Olelo was fun and a good experience. Thank you Mr. M again for all your hard work in putting this together. Well, that is it for this week's reflective response! Thanks for reading! Bye!

     Music plays a big part in each of our lives in unique ways. Whether it be through playing musical instruments, or just having an appreciation for the art, we are all affected somehow through music. The amazing thing about it is that we all have different music tastes and therefore are affected differently. You might not receive the same effect from a song or composition than the person next to you. You could have thought that it wasn't for you, but the person next to you could have loved it and totally be inspired by it! Today, a band called Tunnel 6 visited CKMS and played for us. The saxophonist asked us to tell us what we thought of while they played. Some people said it reminded them of  distant friends. Others said it reminded them of their home. For me, I thought of Brooklyn, NY. It made me think of that night where we were out debating where to eat for dinner and some people decided to go to the Ethiopian place. The band then said that the song for them was actually written about an old river back in Canada. We all had different answers yet all of them were valid. The beauty of music is that there is so many different kinds of feelings you can experience just by listening, and it's uniquely tailored to you, and you only! It's this special connection and bond that you as the listener has. You can interpret the song as you'd like–there is no right or wrong. You are free to choose how you feel and your own emotions. For this week's constructive response, I will be sharing with you artists I turn to when I want to feel inspired. 
     One genre that I definitely turn to for inspiration is Classical. To be more specific, I like classical piano. Most people don't understand my love for classical piano often asking if someone's going to start singing or if there are lyrics to the piece. However, just because there is no singer or lyrics to a piece shouldn't negate to it's power, in my opinion. In this case, I actually think that not having any vocals strengthens the piece. You may be thinking, how can something with no lyrics inspire you? Although some people may think that classical piano is merely soft background music, and while some are, there are other pieces that are very intense. Classical can range from slow to extremely fast tempos, each making you feel a different way. Somehow each time you listen to the same song, you discover something new that you didn't catch the first time. Classical pieces are very complex, full of progressions, variations, and most importantly, emotion. It's amazing what kinds of emotions can be shown in a classical piece. Just one piece can be a combination of so many powerful, overwhelming emotions. My favorite pianists and composers would have to be Frédéric Chopin, Wolfgang Mozart, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Claude Debussy, and Johannes Brahms. I like Chopin and Beethoven the best, though. Chopin composes very peaceful romantic compositions and loves the use of grace notes. You've probably heard the famous "Nocturne in E-Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2" and "Nocturne, Op. 48, No. 1" but if you haven't, you should give it a listen! I recommend "Waldstein Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major Op. 53", and "Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13/PathéTique Movements" from Beethoven. If you want a very relaxing piece, I recommend the simple Pachelbel's "Canon in D", often played at weddings. For me, classical piano can be very inspiring because of it's ability to make you reflect easily. 
​     Furthermore, an artist I like to listen to is Ed Sheeran. Ed Sheeran is a British singer songwriter with many different genres. I'd describe his music as acoustic pop. Many of you probably are familiar with his latest album, "X", or Multiply. In my opinion, that album really showed off his hip-hop side. The album previous to that, "+", or Plus, was more acoustic folk sounding. Regardless of the genre, I absolutely love his music! Along with his peaceful vocals and his guitar playing, his lyrics are truly beautiful! Though, I think it's not so much as the lyrics itself but how passionate he is as he sings is what makes his music inspirational to me. He really puts his heart and soul into every song. He isn't afraid to try things that may be unconventional or what other artists wouldn't do. Take his song, "Give Me Love" for example. In the bridge of the song he's practically yelling out to the listener in a cry for help. The first time I listened to that song I'll admit, I was kind of in shock. At the time it was a different approach and I've never heard anything like it. But over time, I've learned to appreciate it. If you watch videos of him singing live, you can really feel the music because of all the emotion he puts into it! I recommend "Give Me Love", "I'm A Mess", "Afire Love", "Little Lady", "The A Team", and "Cold Coffee".
      The final artist I will be sharing with you is Melanie Martinez. Melanie Martinez is a singer songwriter in what I'd consider the alternative genre. What I love about her songs is that each individual song tells a different story. They are all so dark and meaningful but are all pieces to one big picture. Each song tells a part of the whole album! I thought that was really unique and interesting. Like Ed, her passion and emotion is visible in her songs. To be honest, when I first listened to a song by her, it was a little scary. All of her songs are very sad and gloomy. But as I started to listen to the rest of her album, I started to really enjoy it! Her lyrics in general are inspirational. That may be a bit ironic considering I just said how they were all sad but they were also very beautifully written! I think that's because all of her songs touch up on some serious, sad, topic. They all have a deep story embedded in the lyrics. I recommend, "Mrs. Potato Head", "Dollhouse", "Tag, You're It", and "Mad Hatter".
      To conclude, we are all affected differently by music. When I want to feel inspired, I listen to classical piano, and songs by Ed Sheeran and Melanie Martinez. They are all great artists and I hope that you give them a listen! Who do you listen to for inspiration? Well, that is it for this week's constructed response! Thanks for reading! Bye!

     Hey Everyone! In my English class, our teacher played us a snippet of a scene from the movie, Freedom Writers. This movie was actually released in 2007, based on a true story from the book, "The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them". I thought the small clip she showed us was interesting, so I decided to watch the full movie. For this week's reflective response, I will be talking about the Freedom Writers movie. For last week's reflective response, I wrote about something technical so this week I thought I'd change it up and talk about the story and emotion side of filmmaking. The movie follows the journey of first-time freshman and sophomore English teacher, Erin Gruwell, at Woodrow Wilson High. A few years earlier an integration program was set in place in their school, which is where people from different races are brought together. Set in 1994 in Long Beach, California, the students in her classroom 203 all have been through rough and scary experiences. Many of them were at a grade 5 level reading skill or lower. They didn't know what the Holocaust was or who Homer was. What they did know was that they had to protect their own. There's an unspoken moral code that they all followed by, and the different racial groups in the classroom often erupted in fights and arguments. A lot of them were in gangs, and knew someone who died from gang violence. Some even wore juvenile ankle bracelets. In the beginning, teaching was very difficult for Erin, who is known as Mrs. G. No one listened or respected her because of her light skin color. In an attempt to connect to her class, she assigns a project for each student–to write in a diary each day about anything they'd like. Erin's passion shines through as she goes to full extents, even working two extra jobs, to do everything she can for her students, and instill liberality and desire into them. Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. I've never read the book before, but it seems like something I'll read in the future. The movie left you with a heart warming, inspiring, and ambitious feeling in the end. In the start of the movie, it's almost as though you can really connect with Erin. You can really feel her struggle trying to teach kids who don't want to learn. I think one of the best things in this movie is the acting. As far as I know, they didn't use any of the real people from class 203 in the movies, but they used actors. I felt that the actors did them justice. It seemed really authentic and genuine. I also liked how we got to see in the lives of the students, not just Erin's life. Overall, if you love a good dramatic, feel-good movie, I'd recommend the "Freedom Writers". I'll embed the trailer below. If you have the time, check it out! Also, be cautioned as this is a PG-13 movie, with a mild use of profanity. Well, that is it for this week's reflective response! Thanks for reading!