Literature Circle Book Trailer, Metacognitive Reflection, Quarter 1

10/16/2014

You have just completed your first literature circle book trailer project. Next quarter, you will add a substantial amount of research to this project and include a PSA about the contemporary issue most prominent in your literature circle book. So, you have a lot to look forward to. :-)

Write a reflection about both the process and content of your creating your first book trailer. Respond to all aspects of the following prompt:

• What do I now know that I did not know before completing this project?

Include both the PROCESS: what it was like

1) working with your group,
2) reading your book each day,
3) filming, editing, and sharing your trailer.

AND the CONTENT: the newfound knowledge about the most prominent issue in your book, plus what you learned about human nature.

After you have contributed your metacognitive reflection, please respond to one other person. You can respond to someone in your class or someone in another class period.

105 Comments

Eddie Lin Period 2

10/17/2014 02:34:35 am

Working with my group on the trailer was both a fun and tiring process. We had to shoot scenes from many different settings, and that involved a lot of walking in between places. Our schedules also conflicted, resulting in us having to wait for each other almost everyday. However, the actual filming process was fun, and we almost always got carried away from the assignment. Reading the book at first was monotonous, but the book quickly picked up pace.

Before doing this trailer project, I didn't know the underlying message of the book (The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd). However, by researching topics we should include in our trailer and going back to earlier parts of the book, I found out the message the book is trying to tell the reader. This message was to live happily and don't let tragedies affect the way you should live your life. This message made me realize how easy it is for us as humans to let tragedies overtake us.

Cindy Ngo P5

10/17/2014 06:25:31 am

That's nice to know you had fun doing your project Eddie! I personally like the book and I like how you understood the concepts it was trying to discuss within it!

Kevin Tang P.2

10/19/2014 02:55:48 pm

I agree, people succumb to tragedies all to easily. They shouldn't let that affect how they live. Those who pass won't come back so it is best to accept it and live on.

Burton Tran

10/20/2014 02:01:05 am

Humans do let tragedies overtake us because what may have happened could have affect us deeply.

David V., Period 2

10/17/2014 02:34:43 am

What I now know that I did not know before is that sci-fi movies are really difficult to make without advanced editing. When we first worked on the book trailer, it was difficult to keep focused because everyone couldn't stop smiling when the camera is rolling. This process is normal because we are still young and immature. The important thing is that my group was able to get the project done by the due date. Reading the story was the longest part since we have to know all the parts so the movie trailer can be as accurate as possible. My group had to look for the specific quotes from the book so we can implement it into the movie trailer.

I admit that we didn't try as hard for this project because all the scenes were filmed during class and not outside the school. It was hard to film a movie trailer for Ender's Game because the story is sci-fi based. We don't have the props to film it. As a result, we had to take some clips from Starcraft as the fighting scene. The best that we can do is to film scenes of the characters chatting with each other. Although our trailer didn't look as good as other groups, I still think our movie trailer is very creative.

For the content of the story, it was harsh to take younger children from Earth to space to fight. I do not get that reason why. Why not teenagers or adult, where they are more mature? Maybe 7 year-old children were older in space. Children were being killed and the commanders didn't care much about it.

Samantha Wong P1

10/18/2014 06:34:58 am

I also read Ender's Game and I agree that it was hard to create this movie trailer because of all the special effects.

Preston Wong, Period 5

10/19/2014 07:15:35 pm

I'm glad you guys had a hard time working on this. This way, next time you work on a similar harder topic, you are already prepared. It also sounds like a good book to read, with exception of the children component, although that adds the the contemporary theme of the present world.

Christopher Chu P1

10/20/2014 01:31:36 am

I agree with what you think about making a film from "Ender's Game". It was really tough for my group since we did the same book, so I could kind of see what you guys were going through.

Samuel T. Period 2

10/20/2014 02:10:18 am

I really enjoyed watching your trailer and thought you guys took a creative approach to tackling the challenge of all the special effects that would be needed for a sci-fi movie. You guys had a nice blend of scenes from other movies and scenes that you personally acted in which kept the trailer interesting and fun to watch.

Burton Tran

10/17/2014 02:36:19 am

Working with my group was quite fun. We walked to stores and bought food and then went to film. We were messing around while filming some scenes but it was pretty fun overall. I learned that not everyone will be able to show up when we film because we had conflicting schedules and everyone wanted to go home. We cooperated but conflicting schedules made it worse for everyone because we had to rearrange which scenes could be shot that day and which ones could be shot another day.

What I gained from reading the Secret Life of Bees was that racism exists everywhere and in every period of time. Humans will hate each other and care about each other but as long as people do hate each other, racism will exist.

Jonathan Tam Period 5

10/17/2014 06:24:02 am

Shooting scenes are hard.

Kylie M., Period 5

10/17/2014 06:28:12 am

That is true about racism and very unfortunate.

Marcus Monserrat P2

10/19/2014 07:17:10 am

I agree with the conflicting schedule and how everyone couldn't be there to film in our group

Bailey K. Period 1

10/20/2014 01:30:01 am

I'm glad you had fun and learned something new.

Jonathan Tam link

10/17/2014 06:22:50 am

I now know to put a background behind text instead of a bland black screen perhaps some B-roll Footage

The discussions improved over time as we did the first one. It was okay around the end and we did some interesting discussions as i was messing with people inputting some random stuff that they would reason with even thought this was my BS method of putting thoughts into people. Basically its just random stuff about everything that applies itself into the subject. I did talk about consciousness and sub conscious interactions and that put some real questions into the discussion, but I don't know anything about psychology so I didn't truly know what I was talking about.

Reading the book everyday if I was tired and sleepy that day then I didn't really want to read otherwise I would be semi fine with it.

The filming process was okay but never record with a DSLR its stupid. Never use something that is meant to take pictures to record video, too much noise and grain. The trailer was pretty good as Ms. Sutton said this was 1 of the 3 Superior trailers. The video editing was great as we had a gunshot? with some slo mo falling from the iPhone5s. Good music choice and such.

Content: People will do what it takes to get out of jail and those people are rats so that they can get out faster but no one likes a rat.
Humans are sometimes self serving first but some are for others. People can choose which one but if you think about all perspectives you will surely have to think a lot of everything and every possible event that could occur in a realistic realm emulated in your head.

Cindy Ngo P5

10/17/2014 06:24:13 am

Reading the book Monster by Walter Dean Myers was a journey within the book and outside of it. As weeks went by we continuously discussed what was going on as the main character was battling his problems. With each passing day of reading the book, my group would question each other which part they are at and what their feelings to a specific part was. For the trailer we worked harmoniously and produced a worthy product that reflects how we saw the book was like.

In the book, it discusses how a 16 year old black teenager battles his trial and his feelings towards it. The book itself describes how easily a certain race is targeted towards a crime because of people who did bad around them. The teenager was convicted because of fellow black people who committed a crime. I learned that race alone can make you seem like you convicted a crime in other peoples' eyes despite how you are innocent.

Brian Vuong

10/19/2014 09:40:30 am

Riveting. What a book!!!

Calvin Huang P1

10/19/2014 02:23:47 pm

Isn't great that we're able to discuss the book after each day of reading so that it's more understandable.

Dawson Wu, Period 2

10/20/2014 02:10:47 am

I found this book to be something that leaves a mark on someone in life. I actually read this book before and i found it to be a book that teaches a lesson, help change people in life. Help people see new things in life, the different perspective there are.

Kylie M., Period 5

10/17/2014 06:24:30 am

From this project, I learned how to edit a trailer and the different steps it takes to create one. It was interesting acting out scenes from the book because the picture in my head when I read the book came to life on film. I really enjoyed working with my group and we seemed to work well together. We all had amazing ideas about how the trailer should look. The filming and editing process was pretty cool. Seeing all the clips come together to make the trailer made me feel accomplished.

While reading this book it was hard to put it down because the book is relatable to teens.After reading "13 Reasons Why", I learned that sometimes people do not realize how their actions may affect others. We assume that our comments won't hurt each other, however, everyone reacts and takes things differently.

Stephanie T, Period 2

10/17/2014 09:00:57 am

Hi Kylie,
I liked seeing the final product of our trailers too and I agree that it gave a sense of accomplishment. I also think the book you read sounds interesting and I would like to read it one day.

Belinda C. Period 2

10/19/2014 08:03:34 am

Hi Kylie! I felt the same way when I was reading my book, picturing each scene in my head quite vividly. When my group finished the trailer, I felt accomplished too, knowing that we did a good job. Seeing the final project was the best part!

Bianca L. Per.5

10/17/2014 06:27:44 am

I now know that music and camera angles are vital aspects to a movie/book trailer. Music helps set the tone for a trailer. It also helps build tensions and also guides the viewer emotionally as they view the trailer. The music also helps build the climax and charge the story forward. The camera angles are vital because it enhances the way a viewer feels about certain characters. For example, pointing the camera up at Mumtaz (the Happiness House owner), gives her power and dominance, and the viewer is able to feel that.

Working with my group was both exciting and dreadful. I love the people in my group and the unique personalities and opinions that come from them when we do open discussions or creative activities. However, my group also loses focuses easily and at times it can be stressful when we need to meet a deadline or accomplish something. My group also has a tendency to forget to do assignments or bring props for certain things. Reading the book in class everyday was beneficial for me. I find that when I go home, I often forget to read or I don’t have time to. So being able to read in class really works for me, because it gives me the time to read and do my work. Filming our trailer was a unique process. We had written a storyboard before hand so that helped us stay on task while we were filming. It also helped us save time, especially since my group gets distracted easily. Editing was done mostly by me and I enjoyed that. I took in the ideas of my teammates and viewed the style of other movie trailers to a get sense of what our trailer should look like. It was fun and exciting and I am quite proud of the trailer.

I now know that human trafficking is a common contemporary issue, not only in the United States by overseas. In other countries the conditions are worse and human trafficking is even more common and the people that are involved are mere children who are sucked into the horrible cycle by poverty and abandon by their parents.

Teri Phun Period 5

10/17/2014 06:27:49 am

Working with my group to make the movie trailer for the book "Sold" by Patricia McCormick was fun. We did all of our recording at school so we didn't have much location options but we were able to make what we had work. Although I seriously hated my part in the trailer, I am very happy with how it turned out and I'm proud of my group for doing so well. I learned that not everyone can remember lines well or do it all within one take because I had some trouble too. Everybody played an important role in the trailer even if they weren't in it.

After reading the book, I learned that sex trafficking is very common in the Middle East. The sad thing is that it is more common for younger girls to be taken or even sold by their family. What I don't understand is how an older man can do that to a young girl. I wonder what kind of sick mind they have because the young girls are still in the innocence part of their life where they shouldn't be exposed to things like this.

Annabell G. p5

10/17/2014 06:31:34 am

It is heartbreaking to know that such inhumane events happen around the world.

Marcus R., Period 1

10/19/2014 09:24:02 am

I really enjoyed your film. Well done!

Kellie B. Period 2

10/19/2014 07:10:10 pm

I think that your trailer was very good and it didn't seem like anyone had trouble remembering their lines! I agree with you and Annabell that the fact humans could have the ability to perform such terrible crimes and sell another human being is sickening.

Annabell G, period 5

10/17/2014 06:28:46 am

After completing this project I learned who to edit videos by adding slow motion as well as special effects. I also learned how to direct dialogue and body motions in the videos. Throughout the process of this project I learned something new about my group each day by spending do much time interacting with them. Working with my group is always fun because although we all can get annoyed with each other we still manage to get over it and move on with the projects we are assigned. Reading the book each day was enjoyable because I loved the book Thirteen Reasons Why. THe book was very intense as well as suspenseful and interesting. Creating the trailer was easy to most of the book because we knew the book we read very well making it easy to recreate the story.

After reading Thirteen Reasons Why, I learned that no matter how old you are your words and actions will always affect the people around you. This novel is something very appropriate for teenagers especially because the topic on suicide is something to be discussed. Every human is different, but we all have feelings, we all need someone there for us, we all want to be happy. This book had so many emotions that I was able to connect with which made me understand where each character was coming from no matter how different of a personality they had from mine. Suicide is like an escape route out of this world we live in. Our world isn't that bad unless you make the worst out of what you have, if you try to see the beauty in everything then things will slowly get better.

Genan hamideh period 1

10/19/2014 06:14:16 am

I also recently read"13 reasons why" and I agree with it being intense. I liked the plot too.

Kellie B. Period 2

10/19/2014 07:18:46 pm

I don't think the book is appropriate for children... I think it is demented how she left tapes behind blaming people for her suicide. I mean, those people have to carry around that guilt with them forever. That guilt could lead them to self harm or even suicide as well. And maybe we don't know this because it is just a book but what if someone recreated the story with their life? It sounds far fetched but there are some crazy people out there. Something like that could really ruin another person's life.

Ali (Alisia) Guzman Per:!

10/20/2014 06:16:56 am

In my class I also red "Thirteen Reasons Why" and i very much agree whit your statement about how actions and words always have a consequence either good or bad.

Logan Carvajal. Period 5

10/17/2014 06:31:50 am

Before we started to film our trailer I really didn't think it would be that hard. But while filming I found that making a trailer about sex trafficking would be hard to make into details. It wasn't graphic but trying to have to think about what she went threw was hard. Working with my group was great and they are super cool to work with! I enjoyed reading the book Sold. Even when sometimes it was a little crazy it was good and I was deep in the book. Showing the trailer i was a little nervous because i didn't see it over the weekend. The trailer turned out great and everyone did a good part in it.The content of the knowledge was that i didn't know that sex trafficking would be as bad as i thought. How they treat the girls and how they live is just terrible and no one should go through that.

Stephanie T, Period 2

10/17/2014 08:58:01 am

After doing this project, I learned a bit about autism. The book gave me a new perspective about people who have autism. I never really thought about their learning capabilities and kind of thought that they were unfortunately limited to doing a lot of things. But, that is false and it is not such a bad thing. The main character in the book I read excelled in science and math. He was a very organized person who kept track of his daily schedule and he saw things differently from "normal" people. I was amazed when his complex way of thinking was illustrated in the novel.

I enjoyed reading The Curious Incident of the the Dog in the Night-time. Every page had me interested and kept me wanting to find out what would happen next. Working with my group was a great experience. We got to become closer as a group as we worked as a team to write the script and put the trailer together. It was my first time doing a trailer and attempting to act. Making the trailer was fun and I like working with my group. I'm also happy with how our trailer came out. It was better than what I expected it to be.

Dicky(Jianchao) Huang Per.5

10/19/2014 05:31:24 am

Hi! I am also going to read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time in the second quarter. I have read the first ten pages already, and I agree that this book is very interesting, with a lot of pictures and tables, and the tone of the narrator is very causal ad funny.

Kimberly T., Period 2

10/19/2014 05:55:07 am

I agree! Working in our group is really fun and we became closer too!

Lily T., Period 1

10/19/2014 11:35:28 am

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" seems like an interesting book to read, I will definitely put it on at the top of my list of the books I want to read. It was great knowing that there was someone in your group that you were able to rely on and was also responsible.

ChinhChu Lai. Period 02

10/18/2014 02:49:45 am

My group did the trailer project based on the book "Panic" by Sharon Draper.

I had no idea that kidnap has became such a grave problem that people around the world are facing every minute. Before my group started filming, I was assigned to do a research into the statistic of kidnapping. I have read numerous of articles from the news that have left me totally flabbergasted. Every 40 seconds, there is a child that become missing; moreover, according to National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, nearly 800,000 children are reported missing every year in the United States. I have became more aware with this issue. I suggest people to walk with their friends or a group of people to avoid such issue to happen.

Working with my group was a very fun experience. We had fun while filming and discussing. I honestly didn't think that we could get such a good reaction from the audiences because I was unsatisfied with my acting. I knew that it wasn't good enough. Thanks to my group members that did such a good job on editing, which improved the quality of the video.

From this experience, I acknowledge that being an actor or actress is not easy, it requires practices and experiences. My friend gave me a lot of comment on how I should improve it next time.

Diana Tran

10/18/2014 04:48:50 am

Hi! My literature circle book was on Panic too. I completely agree on how it was very difficult to portray the characters while we were filming the trailer since the book was very emotionally fatal. I'm glad that we share that same similarity.

Diana Tran, Period 5

10/18/2014 04:46:07 am

Before completing this project, I did not realize how difficult it was to create a trailer that will really set a mood that would draw the audience into watching our movie. While I was working along with my group during literature circle discussions, we all discussed about our book in a variety of perspectives but ultimately came to many similarites on what we believed was right or wrong within the story. While we all read our book each day, we were drawn into the middle and ending chapters and much of that information was our main topic during literature circle discussions. As we created our trailer, we found it difficult for ourselves to act amongst each other, as the book portrays each character with a specific personality. We pushed through the laughter and really tried to set the mood for the audience.

After reading the book, "Panic" by Sharon M. Draper, I have seen the issue of abduction and rape in a new light. We are taught not to judge a book by it's cover but yet within this story, the main character goes along with a complete stranger due to the fact that he looks like he would not do the things that he has done to her. The power of appearance and words affected her actions of leaving with him. Also, this scenario was based on a true story. This frightens me how common and realistic these type of things could be. Regarding this book to human nature, I believe that individuals in this world are all sick and twisted. Watching the world as an adolescent reaching adulthood, I am amazed by how much the world gets increasingly selfish and immoral as the years go by. This book gives me a sense of fear that no one can be trusted because the faith in humanity is down to it's last bit.

Samantha Wong P1

10/18/2014 06:32:52 am

Since completing this project, I learned that communication and time management is extremely important in producing a good product.

Working with my group was a little stressful because at times, it was hard to stay on task and get the work done. We weren't always on the same page when it came to the production. I enjoyed reading our books every day because I liked our book, and I enjoy reading. Sometimes it was hard for me to stop reading when the alarm went off. None of us really knew how to edit and there were a lot of disagreements about editing. When the trailer was shared, I was very unhappy with it.

I learned that sometimes people are used as tools and have their feelings put to the side for a greater purpose. I learned that you can't fight who you really are, you just have to accept it and keep moving on and getting better.

Kimberly T., Period 2

10/19/2014 05:53:02 am

I had some of the same problems as you, Samantha. I also really liked my book and it was hard to stop reading when I always wanted to keep going.

David V., Period 2

10/19/2014 09:15:39 am

I agree that time management is really important. My group also had a hard time focusing on taping the trailer because we couldn't stay on task.

Marcus R., Period 1

10/19/2014 09:22:47 am

I am glad you finished your film on time. It was very nice.

Dicky(Jianchao) Huang Per.5

10/19/2014 05:27:46 am

The project was interesting. Before doing this project, I thought making a trailer was very difficult and it took a lot of efforts and time. True, shooting is very difficult, because we are not professional directors and actors, and we needed to perform naturally. However, while we were shooting more and more different scenes, we became increasingly good at it and felt more comfortable with acting, without feeling too much weird. This project helped me better corporate with my group mates, and we had a lot of fun while shooting. Although sometimes we had different opinions toward the project, we still could discuss the problem and get agreement in the end.

I was mainly responsible for editing the video, and I found that it was not that hard. With music, everything seemed natural and could influence and audience. I was pleased that learn the skill of editing.

Our book is "the secret life of bees". It was an interesting and easy book to read, and the theme is about civil right and equality. I had read about civil right in my USH text book, but I found this novel was more interesting, because I could everything could be reflected throughout the story and conversation. More than a novel, it's a lively text book! Through reading, I learned the importance of family and the need to respect people." that all men are created equal".

Bianca L. Per.5

10/19/2014 06:54:40 am

I'm glad you had an easy time with editing. It's a useful skill to have in the future.

Kimberly T., Period 2

10/19/2014 05:51:36 am

The “Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” is about a 15-year-old boy who has social behavior issues but excels in math and science. He tries to solve a murder case in his small town and ends up uncovering a web of secrets. Reading this book brought new light into my life. It taught me to never prejudge or assume anything of a person. There are many layers to a person and everyone has a different story in their life. It also became very relatable to me because I have a cousin with autism. Trying to interact with him is sometimes difficult but this book has helped me understand him better. Working with my group was a great experience. We all get along very easily and always have a good time. We also bonded and found out new talents and traits about each other. Though the book seems to be a slow and boring, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Filming and editing the trailer was also faster than I thought. We managed to finish everything in one afternoon. The trailer came out better than I imagined, and everyone in my group is satisfied with the result.

Genan Hamideh, period 1

10/19/2014 06:06:13 am

We did our trailer on the book called "13 reasons why". I liked working with my group because i liked how everyone took this project seriously. We were all mature and i think we did pretty well on team work. Although our video did not have subtitles or voice overs, i liked how we put it together. We could definitely use the experience for future book trailers we'll make.

Reading everyday is definitely what i look forward to in this class period because i love reading. Especially, this book is very captivating because the plot took me in. It was a great book and i couldn't wait to read more.

The filming and the editing was my favorite because everyone contributed in something and i enjoyed that. i liked how everone shouted ideas out on what we should do on each scene. All in all, i liked how it turned out, especially for us first timers. I liked sharing with the class because our video was dramatic (mostly just the music).

I learned that sometimes someone needs a friend or at least someone to listen to them and pay attention to them because you can never know when someone is feeling lonely or suicidal. Just be friendly and nice and you could easily save someones life without even knowing.

Marcus Monserrat P2

10/19/2014 07:14:17 am

The thing I know now that I didn't know before completing the project is how difficult it was to do the trailer. Working with my group was stressful, but fun to do the video. I liked reading our book everyday because it was interesting to learn something new about book. The thing liked about filming, editing, and sharing is that I was alright with the outcome of our trailer. The thing I have learned from the book is that how much racism is in that book and how that people shouldn't judge people by their skin color and race. The thing I learned about human nature is that people should accept everyone equal and not differently.

Arthur Tran

10/20/2014 01:12:22 am

Yeah, it's too bad that there are always people who have some bias against others, resulting in misunderstandings.

Belinda C. Period 2

10/19/2014 07:59:39 am

After reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and completing this project, I widened my perspective on autism. Those who are autistic are different, but are much like anyone else. They can have great learning capabilities and great insight. I learned that we, everyone, should not judge others based on if they are "special needs" or generally, unique. Autism is not necessarily a bad thing or something that limits a person's capabilities. Christopher himself excelled in maths and science. He had special ways of doing things, but he was completely normal. This book allowed me to see the complexity of his mind that may also link to others with autism.

I very much enjoyed reading the book. Everything Christopher thought or said intrigued me into reading more pages than I was supposed to in a week. As for the project, working with my group was absolutely wonderful. We get along very well and laugh a lot. I believe that this project brought us closer together as we frustrated in shooting the movie scenes. Making the trailer was fun yet a bit difficult. Trying to get the scenes to connect and flow was the hardest part, but it worked out wonderfully in the end! We managed to finish everything in one afternoon and were quite surprised with the outcome! We were all quite satisfied with the end product and were happy to share it with the class!

Marcus R., Period 1

10/19/2014 09:18:45 am

What I now know that i didn't know before is how well my group and I work together. I thought that we wouldn't finish in time since everyone had such busy schedules, but we managed our time well, and got it done. I personally looked forward to reading everyday because the story line was very interesting and the bad language was very humorous. The filming was a lot of fun because we all were pretending we were big time movie stars and enjoyed each others company. Editing was critically thought out and planned by each individual member, causing us to put our minds together to get our film accomplished. The new found knowledge about the content was that Alaska had died on her journey through the labyrinth. What I learned about human nature is that many people in the world seem to see black and white, and when you die that is it.

Brian Y. Period 5

10/19/2014 12:46:16 pm

I really envy that your group critically thought out the editing process. :)

Desiree Ha Period 2

10/19/2014 12:50:02 pm

Wow that's so cool! Glad to hear that your group got along well and worked together so quickly! Your trailer sounds great !

Bailey K. Period 1

10/20/2014 01:28:24 am

Well said, I'm glad you enjoyed your group time.

Brian V., period 1

10/19/2014 09:51:19 am

Reading Looking for Alaska was a joy on its own. The author wrote in a way that we as teenagers were able to connect with it on a personal basis or know of people that dealt with similar problems. As a group we discussed the many misfortunes and hilarious outcomes that happened throughout the riveting story. This transfered directly into the making of our project. We were all deeply affected by the outcome of the book. We all had our mixed opinions on how and what should go into the video. For this very reason, it was really hard as a group, to come down to one vote on what scene we should have reenact. Along with that, our group members are in many different extra curricular activities, so deciding on a film date was really difficult. Overall, this process was an eye opening one. We learned a lot through this project, whether it be time management, or team work.

Sinan N., Period 5

10/19/2014 04:15:27 pm

I am glad that you could have connected to the book Brian, I feel like it is needed for someone to be able to connect to the book on a level that makes them interested. I liked your trailer as well, looked like you had a lot of fun filming it.

Kristin Koga, period 2

10/20/2014 01:20:20 am

I'm glad you enjoyed the book! It looks like our groups had similar ideas for the video !

Christian R. Per. 2

10/20/2014 02:38:01 am

I am glad you enjoyed the book just as much as I did; It is amazing how both of our groups share such similar ideas, yet expressed them in different ways.

Lauren Ng Period 1

10/19/2014 10:49:20 am

While I greatly enjoyed reading Sold, I also learned many things. Before I did not know how many girls, not only in India, but also in the United States, were forced into prostitution.
I really enjoyed working with my group as everyone worked hard and was fun to discuss with. Reading the book everyday became tedious as we all finished the book at different times and would often accidentally spoil some parts to each other.
Filming was the best part as we were able to accomplish a lot in the short time we had to film. Justin took one for the team and ended up being a girl, because none of us wanted to be raped by Calvin. Editing was difficult without an advanced editing software that our group plans on somehow getting so we can use it for the next trailer. It was fun watching others videos because it made me curious to now read these books.

Joyce Win Per. 1

10/19/2014 02:02:21 pm

You guys did a great job on your movie trailer! Next time, I will give "Sold" a try for literature circles.

Lily T., Period 1

10/19/2014 11:32:19 am

Something that I know now that I did not know before this project was that everything seemed easier planned in my head rather than actually completing it. I had also learned that human trafficking is taken place in both developed and undeveloped countries. Working with my group was a great experience for me, because we worked together greatly as a team and was even able to easily put together our ideas wholly. I thought that our book was intense because some things were hard to picture in my head because it felt quite graphical. All in all, we were able to finish the book together even though some of us read at a slow and fast pace. Filming the trailer was quite exhausting but it was definitely a fun experience. We were able to assign everyone a role in the trailer, and we successfully finished filming in one day.

Vivian Quach, Period 1

10/19/2014 02:42:53 pm

Your movie trailer came out great! I can't believe you guys did that all in one day. I agree, making the movie trailer seems easier when you think about it but when we actually try to film and edit, it's a lot harder.

Jenny L. (Period 5)

10/19/2014 12:08:23 pm

Overall, I enjoy working with my group. We got along well and I felt comfortable around them! Working with my group was a very pleasant experience and I wouldn't mind doing another project with them. Everyone in the group puts a lot of effort into contributing, and they each have a quality that helps them stand out and shine. Surprisingly, not everyone in the group is similar to one another in terms of personalities, opinions, or values, yet we are able to accept such differences(as long as they aren't harmful nor toxic).

Reading the book was quite the experience. I had days where I was completely absorbed in the book and days where I was constantly distracted by my surroundings. Moving on, the content in "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd is rather dark. The book covers racism, child abuse, abandonment, etc. The main issue, however, is racism. The book takes place in the 1960s, and despite African Americans gaining the right to vote, there was still a long way to go. I learned that gaining a right is not equivalent to equality. The same goes for the present. Many of us believe that racism is history, but that is untrue. Racism still exists today. People of color continue to face discrimination through stereotyping, police brutality, and much more. It is also we who have a long way to go.

Our group created a trailer for "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd. It was not an easy job, but our group still had a lot of fun filming. There were times we got nervous over being recorded and fell into a fit of giggles, yet the laughter also helped calm us down somehow and we managed to do a decent job on acting. It was a slow process but the final product was a success! One of our group members did a stellar job at editing, we are very grateful to have worked with him and each other.

Desiree Ha Period 2

10/19/2014 12:40:17 pm

After doing this project on John Green's "Looking for Alaska", I learned that friends can leave a lasting impression on you, even when they cease to exist. This is because no matter who they are or what they've done, whether they know it or not, their actions can influence everyone around them. It shows that human nature naturally forgets people once they die, they only act as if they care for the moment. But for closer friends, the impact of one friend can touch many. Just as how Alaska touched the Colonel, Pudge, and Takumi, friends can influence each other in many unforgettable ways.

Although my group had busy schedules, we managed to find time to work together. Not only that, but everyone participated and contributed to the project equally. This helped the whole project process flow smoothly since there were no major problems.

Setting aside time to read our book each day was a nice adjustment to the usual strict curriculum I was used to. It gave me time to actually enjoy reading and made sure I was on track with our reading schedule. It's been years since I had time to read a non-mandatory school book!

My group worked well together, filming the entire trailer quickly since we had already planned out each shot beforehand. Everyone was willing to act out different roles without hesitation, which made filming much easier. The only problem was that our plot had more male roles, while our group had more females. Therefore, we had to have the help of an outside actor. But besides that, all else worked out well.

Christopher T. Period.2

10/19/2014 05:00:38 pm

I am rap god. It was fun filming at your house and driving you guys around. Sorry I had to leave early. Im looking forward to our next project.

Brian Y. Period 5

10/19/2014 12:44:49 pm

What I know now and that I didn't know before is that having everyone in the group to work together and focus on on the important aspects of the story for the video. In our group only three members were hard working while the other three didn't care as much as we did. When we read the book each day, we made sure to check up on each other in the story to ensure that we know what the story is really about and that we don't get the wrong information from the story. When we were filming, only two people had an editing software and they both had to take the SATs on the weekend before the video was due, so we came to an negotiation and came to a solution and we pushed hard and finished the video right on time before it was due. What I now know is that we need way more time to do the editing because editing takes over hours and hours just to edit one part of the video.

Calvin Huang P1

10/19/2014 01:06:59 pm

Before completing this project I did not know how big prostitution was in other countries. One of the countries that really surprised me was the United States. I was also surprised at how there could be people that are able to run prostitution rings without a guilty conscience.
Working with my group was really fun, but it was pretty tiring during the filming, especially with me having a hard time keeping a straight face and tripping all over the place. I felt that it was great that we were all able to agree on ideas when it came to what we should be doing during each scene. I was glad that we did not have any conflicting schedules so were able to just meet up and film.
I think reading the book everyday in class was great, but it also got pretty boring. It was great because being able to read everyday kept me from forgetting what I read before. I thought it got pretty boring because I'm a slower reader than the rest of my group and sometimes when they discuss a little bit after reading, it spoils a little bit of what I did not read yet.

Natalie Y. Period 5

10/19/2014 02:03:00 pm

I also have the same thing because it is hard for me to keep a straight face. Every time I try to keep a straight face I forget what my line is and I stand there like an idiot.

Beth Amare, Period 5

10/19/2014 01:17:13 pm

Working with my group to make the movie trailer for the book "The Secret Life of Bees” by Sue Monk Kidd was fun and tiring at the same time. I really enjoyed working with my group as everyone worked hard and was fun to discuss with. Everyone in the group puts effort into contributing and helped each other. We also had a lot fun while shooting. Although we sometimes argue on different opinions.

What I learned from reading the Secret Life of Bees was that racism still exists everywhere today. Most of us only see what we want to see whether it is good or bad. Either way, we respond to what society does. Society then in turn has a huge influence on our behaviors, thoughts and actions.

Joyce Win Per. 1

10/19/2014 01:59:56 pm

　　Before completing this project, I did not know what this novel was going to be about. “The Secret Life of Bees” by Sue Monk Kidd included many themes and topic such as racism, power of women, forgiveness, and mothers. The book revolves around Lily’s life after her mother passed away. Her story begins when she she sets out to find out about her mother’s life and her yearning questions.
　　 The process of making this movie trailer had it ups and downs. Everyone in the group worked and contributed to the project. There were not many problems working with the group. Reading the book each day was interesting and the book itself was interesting. There were many compelling parts in the book during its climax, but there were parts and sections in it that became bland and stale. Filming was kind of a a struggle because of the lack of members in our literature circle due to the amount of characters that were present in the book. The editing was easy, but it took kind of a long process to edit every single part to make sure all the objectives to a movie trailer were included.

Natalie Y.

10/19/2014 02:01:02 pm

working in my group is a very interesting experience compared to other groups I work in the past. Reading the book everyday is a happy thing because I like the book and the topic that I am reading. Filming, editing, and sharing my movie trailer is a gift to the class because during the filming process, we stressed on how to put things together. Editing was not my job however I gave some advice for editing the movie trailer. Lastly sharing my movie trailer with the class makes me feel very accomplished and proud of the work we have done and how we put things together. It showed us how to work together and corporate in the form of team work.

Vivian Quach, Period 1

10/19/2014 02:40:53 pm

Before reading and making a movie trailer of "The Secret Life of Bees," I thought the book was going to be boring. However, now I know it is much more than a story about a girl working on a bee farm. I learned that this book is about racism, child abuse, and finding your identity. This book taught me the meaning and effects of racism and child abuse. I also learned how important it is to be brave and find out who you truly are.
At first, it was hard to work with my group. We didn't know where to begin. We all had different ideas which made it even harder to compromise. The more we worked on the project, however, the more fun it became. It was fun to film the scenes and edit the trailer. Sharing the movie trailer was hard for me because I was embarrassed and scared about what my peers would say. Although making the movie trailer was fun, reading the book became an issue. Sometimes we didn't have time to read in class and I couldn't finish reading in time.

Alex Dea

10/19/2014 02:52:02 pm

Working with my group was very fun. I knew everyone in the group, and after working with them i feel like I have gotten closer to them than before. Reading the book was very interesting. The book was a bit sad and depressing. I feel like the book really opened our eyes to bullying in ways that we did not understand. Everyday was a new adventure in the eyes of Clay. Overall, it was a very good book. Filiming the project was a bit stressful, but at the end of the day, everyone had a good time and we completed a very nice trailer for the book. And I also learned so many things on how to edit a video. I had never edited a video before, so this was all new to me. All in all, 13 reasons why was a very interesting book to read. It also teaches about life lessons and how to handle these kind of situations.

Kevin Tang Period 2

10/19/2014 02:52:53 pm

Working on the trailer was really fun, despite the stress that came along with it. Shooting scenes was really difficult due to our story's setting. It was hard to find a good place to shoot a scene. Also our schedules got in the way with filming, some of us had to wait for others or they could not come. Despite all that I had fun filming it, so much fun that we messed around a lot.

Reading The Secret Life of Bees enlightened me about life. The message the book was trying to say is to live life to the fullest, no matter what happens. People forget this, they decide to dwell in the past and hardships. The important thing is not the past but the future, you are alive so live life to the fullest so you have no regrets later on.

Sinan N. Period 5

10/19/2014 04:12:17 pm

Working on the trailer was a very fun experience, although at times we believed that the results we would have produced would not have been satisfying, we still kept going. It was a fun project to work on because my group were familiar with each other, therefore, we were not shy when we were filming the trailer, which should produce better results.

Reading Panic opened my eyes to the reality of the real world, even though I know myself not to do dumb things like what Diamond did, I realize that there are those types of people in the world that get abducted and fooled. The message of the book was very clear to me, it will keep me aware no matter how much I think I know about the situation.

Brenda T, Period 5

10/20/2014 02:57:40 pm

I agree with you Sinan. Panic did open my eyes to life and my surroundings. I also understand the message of Panic.

Christopher Tang

10/19/2014 04:38:08 pm

I had a really great time both reading and filming this book, Looking For Alaska. I was really surprised what I was reading in class because of the explicit use of imagery and language in the contexts. Other than that, this is a great book. However, I wasn't quiet satisfy with the ending. I thought there would be a more definite answer of what happened to Alaska and why she did it. ( no spoiler)

During the filming process, I also had a lot of fun. Our group filmed at Desire's house, and we worked pretty smoothly. I was Takumi and my rapping was epic. I really enjoy working with my group, I am friends with all of them and I am glad I met Viviana Garcia this year. I look forward to my next book and to work with our new group members Lauren Saki and Kellie Benson.

Justin T P2

10/20/2014 02:04:50 am

Hi Christopher, I thought your group's trailer was the best and it looked like you guys had a lot of fun making it. Your trailer was pretty funny yet serious at the same time!

Kellie B. Period 2

10/19/2014 07:06:47 pm

Working with my group was an interesting experience because we all had a lot of ideas that we wanted to use in the trailer. We worked together to make sure that we all agreed upon what was going to be included in the video and what was not.

I love reading books so being able to read Panic everyday was great! I wasn't too thrilled about not being able to take it home and finish the story in one night however. Having to read only a couple minutes every day was a new thing to me. Nevertheless the book was very intense and I was rushing everyday during the class reading time to find out what happened next and I was happy that the group decided to read such a good book.

Filming was tough because we did not have enough people in our group to play all of the characters we needed for the trailer. However, since there were two main story plots, it was difficult to incorporate both of them into the trailer without any confusion. Together we made the decision to choose the most important topic of the book and the trailer came out well. This allowed us to cut down on the amount of people needed to play characters so we did not need extra people. Although we did not all get to edit it physically ourselves, we all had a say as to how the video was edited. Thomas showed us his progress with the video and we were able to give our opinions and advice about how he should proceed with the video. This allowed us to create a trailer we were all happy with.

From the book, it made me realize how common child abduction really is. It is such a dangerous world with so many child predators you really can't be too safe. Child abduction is scary because Diamond didn't even know what she was getting into she just trusted the nice man with the big smile. It made me realize how we really need to be more protective of ourselves because child abduction can happen to anyone. The book also talked about abusive relationships and this taught me that it is human nature to want to be loved and be blind to the negative parts of someone who we think shows us "love". Layla wanted to be loved by Donovan and she was too blind to see how terrible he was treating her until someone snapped her out of it.

Anthony W., Period 1

10/20/2014 01:17:59 am

I'm so glad you enjoyed reading Panic! You should borrow it from the library so you can read it at home too instead of anxiously waiting to find out what happens next in the book the next day. Making tough calls on what to put in the trailer is hard but I'm glad you guys came to a conclusion on what to incorporate in the trailer and what to cut out to fit the resources you guys have.

Preston Wong, Period 5

10/19/2014 07:11:01 pm

In conclusion, I think that working with my group was an constructive experience in improving my editing skills. In the future, I can use these improvements to further enhance my video processing skills and produce a more overall better video. One thing I noted while working with my group is that creating the video requires teamwork and encouragement. If one of our members fails to do a task, then the other group members are discouraged to their tasks too, creating a huge downgrade to the production of the video and to the bonds of the group. Reading the book every day was worthwhile, because the book was enjoyable and humorous. Discussing the topics and aspects of the book was also fun because we argued, with amity, over what we liked and least liked about it. We exchanged opinions, and took them into account. Filming, editing, and sharing our trailer was a step by step process. Filming was the hardest part of the three, because we had to make a storyboard to create the scenes of the trailer. However, once that was figured out, the rest of the ride was easygoing. Editing, although easy, took a prodigious amount of time to do, and sharing the trailer, although somewhat embarrassing, was humorous, and enjoyable, to look at.

Jack G.

10/20/2014 12:57:53 am

Working with my group a second time was a significant improvement over the first time. When working on the film, I was not surprised when my all group members had various ideas on approaches to film the trailer. The process itself was the rough part, not the editing. During filimg, when not all individuals were involved I found that some group members would become distracted and stray from the topic. Eventually, we were able to get it done, which taught me all about the tedious film-making process.
What I learned from the book was that the concept of manipulation for the greater good as well as the idea of war and games.

Bertram M.

10/20/2014 01:21:54 am

It feels great to have such a group that has learned from the beginning and able to produce work that is twice as good as the first. Group members will definitely be distracted due to the number of people that are around them. It will affect their work and how much effort they have put into it.

Vicky Kwong

10/20/2014 01:24:15 am

I agree with you that the second video was a significant improvement compare to the first time we had to record.

Arthur Tran Period 1

10/20/2014 01:09:47 am

Working with my group went smoothly, since we always filmed on campus; we never had to deal with conflicting schedules. Plus, we all got along pretty well, so we never had any arguments among the group as well. However, there were some ideas that conflicted occasionally, but not much beyond that. The filming was pretty fun, since the scenes we picked were fun to do.

What I've learned about the main issue in this book, was that humans will go to the extreme to ensure their own survival, as a race. That leads to a branch of other topics, such as paranoia, misinterpretation, etc. And that all leads to war eventually.

Anthony W., Period 1

10/20/2014 01:12:55 am

After we finished filming the trailer, I learned how hard it was to find a time and place to shoot the film because every one in the group had their own schedule and when some people were free that day, some people weren't and it was very difficult to work around and find a time that would fit everyone. We had a lot of discussion on what to film and what not to film to not give away the whole book. We all had our own ideas but at the end we all reached an agreement on what to film and not to film. When we were working on finding out what to put in our trailer and what not to put on our trailer, we went back into the book to find some precise details to reenact in our trailer and look up Looking for Alaska trailers on youtube to see how others did their trailers. Working on this trailer with my group gave me skills that would come in handy in the future when I film. I enjoyed filming part of the trailer and learning how to film at different angles and different lightings. Editing was the funniest part because we get to see the small fragments being put together into a whole with all the captions, quotes, music, voice overs, scenes to make it into a complete trailer. While filming this, we had a lot of fun. We all knew the book inside out so we would know what parts to film and how to reenact it like how we would see it in the book. I found out that the bond between Alaska and Pudge was very special which finally answered my question about why it was so hard for Pudge to find closure to Alaska's death.

Monica Au, Period 1

10/20/2014 01:20:57 am

I agree with you Anthony!

Kristin Koga

10/20/2014 01:13:47 am

I learned that my group can produce quality work and work efficiently in a short amount of time. We were able to work around our busy schedules and complete the project on time. We all have creative ideas and we collaborate well with each other. Reading the book everyday was a little difficult for me because I'm not used to reading books so often, but it was really interesting and it made me want to keep reading. I think we had a lot of good ideas in the filming of our trailer. I didn't know that there was and iMovie app on the new iPads. It makes editing much more simple.

The book, "Looking for Alaska", a very relatable to most teenagers. It touches upon the ideas of teenage drinking, smoking, and suicide. It showed that even though things may seem all right, some people can mask their problems and could truly be dying inside. Alaska seemed like such a happy, free spirit. But in reality, she was dealing with so much emotional baggage. The book also displays the contemporary issue of drinking and smoking to escape life's problems.

Kristin Koga, period 2

10/20/2014 01:18:48 am

Bertram M.

10/20/2014 01:19:39 am

This was a great way to connect to my group and learning how to work together. It Was fun working with my group because I was able to learn more about each individual. How all of us were able to accomplish the main task of finishing the film. The different personalities that we have outside of school. I think that reading everyday is great. It warms up your brain in the early morning and sets you on the right path to start school. Also actually reading. It has been a while since I have read and I'm starting to like it again. Reading is actually fun now and you are able to learn more as you read. Filming was pretty fun because we all turned into someone else. Some of us were women, dogs, policemen. The editing part was extremely fun because we were able to make the film more interesting and more dramatic. The added music and transitions that would make the film even pretty.

Monica Au, Period 1

10/20/2014 01:19:56 am

What I learned now that I did not know before is how hard it is to make a movie trailer. It is so difficult to narrow down the movie trailer to only the significant parts when you feel like everything in the book is significant! It was also hard to decide what to put in the trailer because there were parts that we did not want to give away but we felt like would make the audience so much more interested if we did include it.
Due to certain people it my group, I would say that working with my group was tolerable, but I have worked with better groups. However, it was fun hanging out with them because we were always laughing. Reading my book everyday was pretty fun because I actually got really into my book which made me love reading it. However, I hated doing the literature circle jobs. Filming the video was my favorite part of the whole literature circle experience. I love acting which is why I thought it was so fun.
From my book “Looking for Alaska” by John Green, I learned about friendship. Their friendship was so special because they all cared for each other so much. They were all so comfortable doing certain things that even people who had been friends for 5 years probably would not be comfortable doing. That is what I really admired about them because I wish I had a friendship like that. In addition, although Alaska’s death changed Miles and the Colonel’s relationship, in the end, it made them stronger. Even though they were having troubles for a while after her death, they learned to accept each other’s feelings and communicate. I admire the friendship of Miles, Colonel, and Alaska because they shared a bond that very few people will ever have.

Vicky Kwong, Per 1

10/20/2014 01:22:50 am

Before working on a video trailer with my group, I didn't know how it was going to turn out or would we be able to complete on time. When we were working with to complete the assignment, I realized that I was worrying for nothing and we were on tracking when filming the trailer.
1)Working with the members in my group was a fun experience. At first we had some minor complication on some things but otherwise once we have everything in order and everyone is cooperating with each others we were able to get what we need done, done.
2) We read our book everyday and we all worked together to decide which scene was important in the book and add that to the trailer.
3)Throughout the whole filming process, we'd have to record some scene over because it didn't turn out how we want it, add more to that specific scene, or it didn't look great. There were some issue during the recording because some person in our group was missing.
I learned that working with other people in your group won't turn out the way you want them to be because there are times in which they are unwilling to working with others or get serious and generally be out of focus. Some part of the book was unable to be filmed because it was either we are lacking something or it just couldn't be recorded.

Alisia (Ali) Guzman Per:1

10/20/2014 01:24:09 am

Q: What do I now know that I did not know before completing this project?

A: After working with my group on this project it was a good chance to see in our group who was the take charge kind of person. It was really fun getting to film just around school. I also got to look threw some of my dads old stuff to find some tapes for it and everything was just an really fun process. Im looking forward to our next one.

Q: Explain the PROCESS: what it was like?
1) working with your group,
2) reading your book each day,
3) filming, editing, and sharing your trailer.

A: When we first started it felt lengthy just having to read the book I had a feeling it would take longer but, as the weeks went by I got more into our book and I think It went the same for my group. I absolutely loved working with my group because most of us agreed on things when it came to our Lit Circles every week and had some great discussions about the book from every chapter. When it came down to the end (the trailer) none of us had really ever filmed anything really like this ever and it really felt like we were filming a movie while doing it. I really liked it and just hope b¥ the end of the year we all get better and are able to make a really great one at the end of the year!

Q:AND the CONTENT: the newfound knowledge about the most prominent issue in your book, plus what you learned about human nature.

A: This was a really good book about very real problems that happen sadly everyday in the world. Suiside is never a very popular topic to discuss in any situation. I learned that most people ignore or can't tell the signs of crying out for help. While I was reading this I really felt sorry for Hannah Baker (main Character) who really never seemed to do anything wrong but still had so manny bad things happen to her in such a short time. I feel if people did know there was some thing wrong a person would have helped. It's a hard topic just even thinking about it.

Kirk H. P1

10/20/2014 01:24:15 am

While reading Looking For Alaska with my group, we found it very engaging and interesting, since it is more of a modern and teen-oriented style of writing and plot. We worked very well together during our literature discussions on Fridays and had a lot of communication as the story progressed. Some of us started to read ahead of the scheduled amount of pages, and explaining the story to the rest of the group helped us understand the storyline even more for ourselves. Filming was some of the most fun times that we all experienced. Although it was very difficult to find times for us to film while we were outside of school, when we did come together we definitely had great deals of interaction, communication, and bonding. Recreating the scenes from the book helped us to understand Mile's struggle even more.

Editing the trailer was the most difficult step in the entire process. We had many scenes and ideas but not that much time allotted for us to show our trailer. It was also very hard to film and edit the trailer in a way so that it was engaging to the audience, suspenseful, but at the same time did not give away too much of the story.

The suffering and small fights within our group helped us all to realize that forgiveness is the true way out of hard times. Just as Miles discovered that by himself, we seemed to discover it as a group. It relates very significantly to human nature due to the fact that everybody in the entire world experiences some type of suffering. No matter what, who, or where you are, you are currently experiencing suffering in one shape or form. And it is only an act of forgiveness that can help relieve that suffering, to end the pain, and to find your way out of your labyrinth.

Bailey K. Period 1

10/20/2014 01:25:50 am

I learned that our group is capable of doing well when we try. We are able to work efficiently and produce a lot of work. We all get along, which makes it easier for each of us to enjoy working together. This project helped us get closer to each other. This book was interesting in which it had a nice story line that had me thinking throughout it all. I was not expecting the ending that it had, making it even more interesting. I would tell others to read it, too.

The filming was a fun and difficult task for us. It was a good way for our group to get together and bond, while being productive. We all pitched our part in the filming and editing. The editing was well made, and everybody in our group was able to participate in the filming. As a group, we worked hard and learned how to better socialize in a group.

Christopher Chu Period 1

10/20/2014 01:25:55 am

From this project, l learned how to edit films better than before. I realized how much work and effort you need to put in the project to make a film look good. Not just filming it, but editing it and reorganizing the film is really complicated. Overall, my group did a pretty descent job, I just thought that the book we did was a little complicated to act out since it was a sic-fi genre. This placed us at a disadvantage due to lack of ships and other space equipments. I am sure that our group could do better if we had the right things to film with.

In the book, "Ender's Game", I learned that things don't happen miraculously, one must work for it. I also realized that being special can put you at a disadvantage. Knowing this, one must make sure to never make enemies and try to avoid ones that dislikes you because you want to have the least amount of conflicts.

Thomas De La Torre

10/20/2014 01:51:40 am

The trailer was a great overall experience, I feel that we have made a great improvement in terms of time management and communication. I was also able to hone my skills as a video editor as well. the book gave us a great creative opportunity as well, as we had to depict the very controversial topic of child abduction, and rape in sensible terms which were suitable for class viewing. I hope to further hone my skills in later productions, and appear on screen next time.

Dylan Quintero, Period 2

10/20/2014 01:57:35 am

It was an overall fun and good experience working with my group. Of course, sometimes we ran into roadblocks, but we quickly came together and moved past them. Reading our book every day went smoothly. We always did our literature circles and had interesting, fun discussions on the book. The movie trailer was a very challenging, yet super fun project. We wrote the storyboard and filmed for a week. Then, I edited the video and it was ready on Wednesday. We worked together well and had a great time doing it.

Samuel T. Period 2

10/20/2014 01:59:36 am

This trailer project was much harder and complex than our first video project, but I learned a lot about editing in the process. Working with my group was enjoyable, although we each had a slightly different vision about how our trailer should turn out. The hardest part in editing the trailer was finding music that suited the book, and timing the scenes we shot to fit the music. We shot all the scenes in one day, and the few settings necessary allowed us to film all in one place, which was extremely convenient.

Reading "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" everyday give me some insight to how people with autism think and act. Many people tend to judge others based on how they act on the outside, but many people, like Christopher, are extremely creative and logical thinkers. Reading tiny portions of his life everyday fascinated me and kept me wanting to read more the next day.

Justin T P2

10/20/2014 02:02:29 am

During the first quarter, working with my group was hard yet fun. Whenever we decided to meet up to record the trailer, not all of us could meet at the same time since we had conflicting schedules. We decided that we would film separately and then collaborate what we had. Our book was interesting so reading it every day was a joy. I read ahead of the intended schedule because I thought it was really interesting. Filming, editing, and sharing our trailer was quite nerve-racking. I didn't think that out trailer was that great because we weren't given that many opportunities to meet up nor does anyone else in my group have a creative/artistic mindset.

Dawson Wu, Period 2

10/20/2014 02:08:11 am

What I learned from this project that I didn't learn before was editing. I learned a lot of new things that I think will be interesting that I can use later in my life whenever I need to edit a trailer or create another movie. The book I chose for this quarter was "Thirteen Reasons Why". I found it to be a book that can make you feel a little uncomfortable, because it talks about a girl who suicides and before she did she records tapes to tell people why or what happen.
I would have say that working with my group has been really fun and even though we don't always agree on things we still figure it out somehow and make it work. Each of us has our own personality and that what i like about this group, it makes us unique.
Reading the book wasn't as difficult since we all finished the book before the deadline so we were on task most of the time, it was good book I think people will like it, but thats my opinion.
Filming process, was pretty easy actually we finished filming everything in one day which was surprising. One thing that took a while was editing that was a difficult thing we had to deal with since we only did the editing on one computer and then all of us were trying to work on it. Overall the filming process was productive.
What I learned from this book is that suicide is something that is very serious and people shouldn't joke around about it. The things you say in life can impact people, people shouldn't go around even friends sometime say "you should die" or "just kill yourself" because some people take it literal and the aftermath is horrible. It opens a new perspective for people that read this book let the know things that they thought they knew, gain more information about it.

Tammi Matsukiyo

10/20/2014 02:15:46 am

I now know that teen drinking and smoking is a much more influential and prevalent issue in this day and age than I thought. I also now realize that we shouldn't have used real props in our video, even though they were empty. Working with my group was really easy and fun because we are all compatible people. Everybody was willing to work and do their jobs equally and punctually. Reading with my group was fine for the most part because I read relatively fast, but sometimes it was bad because I knew what was going to happen next and the rest didn't. Filming was a lot of fun because the people in my group were fun! Most of the laughing and smiling in our video was authentic because we were actually having a good time. Editing and sharing wasn't bad either, even though other groups that posted their video after us kind of borrowed some parts.

Overall, what I learned from this book that it is always important to forgive others and more important to forgive yourself for things that are out of your control. It is also extremely important that we step back and take an objective view of things. Looking for Alaska also taught me that it is human nature for teenagers to want to rebel and be different, but I know we should be wary of it at the same time.

Christian R. Per. 2

10/20/2014 02:33:56 am

I really enjoyed working with my group. We have worked together before so we already know each other's working habits. I do not doubt that we will be in the same group for the next book. Reading everyday was actually pretty enjoyable; it reminded me of grade school when we had to read for 20 minutes after lunch. It is nice to be able to sit down and just read and think about realistic-fictional situations. The trailer was actually quite enjoyable to make. Tammi of course did the editing because I have no editing skilled-bone in my body. But playing the roles of the characters and living through their views was fun.
The most prominent issues would have to be teen drinking and driving. Alaska Young passed away because of a drunk driving accident. Underage drinking is not the ideal way to die. However, Green brings in a plot twist, having us think if it was an intended death, but we will never know for sure. I also do not think there is something that I know now that I did not know before I finished reading this book. I suppose that I learned that not everything is as it seems because we thought it was an accidental death, but it is possible that it was suicide.

Diana S. Per1

10/20/2014 06:45:07 am

Working with my group was quite fun (: but it was also difficult because one of the members would always be gone so it was hard figuring out how to manage with out them, over all it was great. Reading the book everyday was awesome Because it was the highlight of my day I very much enjoyed thirteen reasons why. Filming, editing, and sharing the trailer was really hard, I took on the job of being the editor and must i say it was quite difficult because it was my first time editing a video ever but over all it came out pretty good.
Content: the thing I leanr about human nature was that we can work well with another as long as we agree if not there will be arguments, for example in out group some of the group member wouldn't be there so everyone got mad because we weren't able todo the part we needed to finish, but overall even tho that person wasn't there we still managed to pull it off (:

Brenda T. Period 5

10/20/2014 03:03:49 pm

I now know that my group and i have to work on the voice over in the trailer project. We need to make our project more intense and dramatic. So next time we will make it better. I liked working with my group because it was fun; however, it was hard sometimes because certain people didn't want to do specific things, which made it hard. Researching the answer to our question wasn't hard though. Filming was sometimes difficult because we didnt seem to have enough time even though we were given class time. We just didnt wok fast enough. Editing was easy but we need to improve it. And sharing our trailer was embarassing but funny.
I have learned a lot from Panic. It taught me to be aware of my surroundings and life. And that rape is a major contemporary issue that can happen to anybody when you least expect it. I learned to not go anywhere with a stranger even though they are nice. Panic had really taught me a lot and opened my eyes to issues in the world.

Literature Circle Book Trailer, Metacognitive Reflection, Quarter 1

Leave a Reply.

Author

Archives

Categories