Leif Ericson Claymation

For the past month, we have been working on stop frame claymation movies in American Studies class. My movie was about the first European explorer to step foot on North American soil, Leif Ericson, son of famous Viking explorer, Eric the Red. I learned a lot while making my movie and a lot of what I learned had nothing to do with explorers or Leif. I learned a lot about myself while making Leif Ericson: The first North American Exploration. It was a fun and difficult project.
I had a ton of fun making the sets, props, and characters. I’m a right-brained person, so the artistic part of the project really appealed to me. It was interesting to see how we could make our figures stand up straight and be practical, while still making them visually pleasing. My partner, Kelsey, and I had a very different view on what the people should look like. We decided that one of us should make the people, and the other one would make the sets and props. I ended up with making the people, which proved a challenge, as they always fell down! Eventually, we make the sets and characters look as perfect (and be as practical) as they ever would be. I enjoyed that challenge. But the challenge of making the figures was nothing compares with the challenge of working with Kelsey.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Kelsey Crooks to death, but working with her was harder than I’d expected. We fought constantly and it was hard to get anything done. I think that that is why we turned in a few animations late-because we spent so much time arguing and not enough time working to get our project done on time. Though we are the best of friends outside of class, our personalities clash too much to be in the work environment together. Kelsey is very laid back and takes things as they come. I, on the other hand, am very controlling and refused to give her the control and input that she deserved. I think I was a little bit over bearing and lost my temper easily, so that stressed Kelsey out, and as a result, we communicated poorly. I need to let some of that control go and figure out how to be more like Kelsey.
I learned a lot of new things while working on this project, and though I learned a lot about the first Europeans who came to our country, I think I learned more about myself. I learned about my strong points and short comings. I never realized how controlling I could be. I realized that the very thing that made me strong on my own made me feeble in a group setting. On the other hand, I learned that I was good at solving problems. Weather it was problems with Kelsey, problems with our characters, or problems that another group needed help with, I was able to fix it. I think that that made our group stronger. We were able to overcome communication problems and even technical problems due to my problem solving skills.
The stop frame project was a good experience. I had fun doing it and learned more than I’ve ever learned while working on a single project. Technical skills and problem solving are qualities that the students of American Studies class will take with them and use in the future. I’m glad we did this project and hope we do more like it.

AFI Rear Window Essay

Recently after breaking his left leg, photographer J.P. Jeffries was confined to his apartment. Stricken with boredom, he uses an old pair of binoculars to observe neighbors across the garden. Having a grim outlook on marriage and his future with his girlfriend, Lisa Fremont, his sights are particularly set on a married couple, whose husband, Lars Thorwald, is a salesman, and wife is sickly in bed. Jeff gets a certain amount of amusement from “spying” on these people. But soon, it’s no longer a game. Jeff notices some odd behavior in the married couple’s apartment, and shortly after the wife disappears entirely. Jeff must decide weather he thinks that the peculiar husband is a killer, of if his mind is playing games with him, and must find the strength to solve a case where no one believes the is a case to be investigated.

Jeff has a provincial look on marriage. His caretaker is convinced Lisa is the girl for him. He refuses to admit it because he’s afraid she might be right. But he couldn’t deny that he loved Lisa-she was the only one who believed him about Thorwald, and even when he wasn’t sure about what was going on, she stood by him. But she too got sucked into Jeff’s investigation and her life was almost lost because of her curiosity, but after coming close to loosing her, Jeff was sure of his feelings for her. Though at the end of the movie they don’t marry, Jeff defiantly has a better outlook on the situation.

Jeff also learns a lot about not doubting himself. He continually tells one of his colleagues about his suspicions regarding the murder of Mrs. Thorwald. He continually tells Jeff that he’s just imagining everything. His caretaker and even Lisa occasionally doubt him. But he never wavers and, though his suspicions lead to another broken leg, he was right about Mr. Thorwald. His standing firm allowed a threatening killer to be caught and that wouldn’t have happened if he’d been indecisive.

In addition to learning about self reliance, he also learned a lot depending on others. Since he had broken his leg and was left in a wheelchair, he was somewhat helpless. His caregiver was there to make sure that he didn’t do anything unwise, to make him breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and other everyday things that he was used to doing by himself. At the end, when Thorwald discovers that it was Jeff who turned him in, he went to Jess’s apartment to kill Jeff. His only defense mechanism was a camera flash, but that only lasted him so long before Thorwald pushed him out of a window. He relied on the police to catch him. He learned that he couldn’t be alone forever if he wanted to live long and happy.

Over the course of the film, Jeff learned a lot about himself and others and how to deal with others. He realized that speaking up and taking a stand was important, but relying on others was also a big deal. Over all, Jeff learned a thing of two about life and how to live it.

Summer Experience Essay

My world is spinning and I see nothing but a blur of hazing lights and jeering faces. My fear of heights obstructs all clarity from view. I feel as though I have no way out-like I’m screaming in this crowded place and no one cares enough to look up. I show the ticket master my wrist and he opens the gate for me. He can smell my fear. I warily advance to the suspended seat. Once I’m sitting, he locks me in. He sneers at me. “Good luck.”
I feel the world fall out from beneath me. I think I’m moving, but I’m not sure because my eyes are shut tight. I feel a gentle breeze kiss my nose and I begin to wonder if everything is all right. But when I open my eyes, I’m not sure what to think. I’m a thousand feet up and I’m all alone. I can see the entire fair and even though I’m terrified, I’m amazed. Somehow, I can’t shut my eyes. I could see all of the lights and people that before I was so afraid of. I don’t understand it, but some how looking upon the whole site rather than from just one point brought clarity to it. The music, the sights, the people-somehow they all came together now ant I wasn’t so scared. I didn’t feel so high up any more. I now feel as if I’m flying. I feel like I’m independent and nothing can bring me down.
The ride comes to an abrupt stop. The ticket master’s eyes have softened. He lets me off. “Thank you,” I said to him. I run up to my family.
My mother laughs. “Emily, you’re beaming,” she said, her British accent thick. Good, I think, I should be. I took an important risk and for the first time I didn’t let my fear of heights stop me from flying.