Collecting Wood

On Sunday Clara and I gathered wood in my backwoods and hid it in a dry place, so that we won't be totally out of luck come next Thursday. We got a lot of good footage and had a great time. We're both excited and a little nervous about how soon it's coming up.

I spent the night at Clara's last night and this morning we made a list of all the things we need to bring. We need to buy some things on Amazon for the cameras, such as chargers. Hopefully we can get everything together in time.

Barnsong

Monday in our weekly WISE meeting we watched an old project called, "Barnsong", a documentary on another students WISE project to build a barn. I thought that they did a really good job, however I would have like to see more scenes from later on in the barn project, rather than just the ones from February.

Watching this made me want to make our documentary the next one that they show in classes. I hope it ends up being longer than Barnsong, but if it doesn't that's alright. I want to make something that Clara and I can be proud of, and something that exceeds the standards set by Barnsong. Technology has improved since that project, and I know that our video quality will be better, I just want to make something that's interesting and enjoyable to watch.

Hooray Hooray

Yesterday I met with my coach, and among other things we discussed my absences for the upcoming season. Luckily she was totally fine with us missing the Syracuse Invitational, so that's when we will go on our second trip. This was a total relief.

Spring break is coming up next week, which means it's survival skills week for me and Clara. I can't believe we're going out in two weeks. It's crazy.

Throwing Curveballs

Winter training ends this week, and at the last tanks practice Coach Molly announced a strict new attendance policy that may result in some very sad Ellies and Claras. In addition to a new policy about lateness, Coach Molly has introduced a new policy about absences. The only excused absences are illness, or emergencies. Educational may be excused on a case by case basis. Since Clara and I are aware of when we will miss, and the first set of dates do not interfere with the regatta portion of season. Clara and I also really do not want to suffer the consequences of two unexcused absences (a 10k erg piece!).

However this has thrown a little wrench in Adirondack plans. We can't miss a regatta, and my dad can only go the first few weeks of May. We may be able to work something out, but if not then Clara and I may just have to go somewhere else.

Stills From Filming- Thursday March 12, 2015

A Moment

A couple nights ago I was witness to a very wonderful, albeit brief moment. My dog Ginger is getting older, and doesn't have quite as much mobility to climb stairs and the like, so when I take her out to pee I carry her and then stand by the door waiting for her to come back to the porch.

It was probably some time around 2 AM and Ginger had woken me up to take her outside. I was standing by the open door, waiting for Ginger to come back inside, when in the quiet still of the night I heard the timid vibrato of an owl's hoot, immediately followed by a chorus of coyotes.

There's something so brilliant about the sound of coyotes. It chills me to the chore but also astounds me- it's beautiful. I feel some primal version of myself stir inside and for a brief moment overtake me.

That was just the sensation from the comforts of my screened in porch with a fence, and the sound of the coyotes far in the distance.Imagine what it could be like when Clara and I are out there, and we hear some. Terrifying. Gorgeous.

In Class Entry

Alex Turner is an inspirational figure of mine. Along with the other Arctic Monkeys, Alex Turner took something he loved to do and made a living out of it. The band formed in 2002, but when, "I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor" came out in 2006, Alex Turner and most of the band were just 20 years old. They had already gained popularity in their hometown of Sheffield, and when that first song came onto the scene it exploded. Thirteen years and five studio albums later, the Arctic Monkeys are now worth millions, and have won seven Brit Awards, been nominated for three Grammys, and played at the London 2012 Opening Ceremony. I don't know much about their process for success, or how Alex Turner writes the songs, however all the members of the band are good friends from school, much like Clara and I are. I have no doubt that their personal chemistry plays a major role in their success.

In my final presentation, I'd like to include some hands-on work, as well as presenting some clips from the film.  I think doing these things would make the presentation engaging and enjoyable for the people that go.

First Night of Filming

Although we had originally planned to do it earlier, tonight was actually a beautiful evening to go out and film our planning process. Granted the vast majority of the footage wasn't incredibly riveting, but we did film at a pretty interesting location- the quarry, and we did get some good stuff. We filmed right at Golden Hour, where the sunset provided the gorgeous lighting that reminded me somewhat of the movie Submarine, especially with the industrial setting we were in. When I get the chance to upload and edit, I will put something up.

Another Camera

Last night I got me another camera and I am in love with it. The resolution is absolutely stunning, and the audio is pretty clear. It'll be nice to have two cameras, so that Clara can have one as well. I've also got a GoPro coming my way from a lovely classmate of mine. Life is good.

Test DAF

So I just registered for the Deutsch als Fremdsprache test at NYU this spring. I'm very excited that I've taken another step closer in my university application process. For those of you that are not aware, next year I will hopefully be studying in Germany- not as an exchange student or anything but as an actual international student. I'm really excited but also a bit nervous and scared.

"But what does this have to do with your project?" Well. it gives my project some more meaning. This project is kind of a chance to really get to know the land I'm leaving before I go off to Germany. I want to go to Germany because tuition there is so cheap, it makes it worth it to go. I don't want to be paying off student loans for the rest of my life. I'm choosing what I think is right for me, it wouldn't suit everyone.

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Yesterday after first period I was struck down with the same illness I had on Thursday. I'm feeling a lot better today and will be back in school tomorrow.

I have a camera!

Yes it's true I now have a camera! It's not the Canon, but rather a Nikon. It's resolution is not quite as good, because it's main focus is actually still images but the video quality is still pretty good, something like 1280x720p. I still want to save up I think for the canon though, because it would be nice to have two cameras, and the Canon does have just a little bit better quality. I also have two body cams for action shots.

What I do love about this camera is how well it handles low light settings. Clara and I may be under a somewhat thick canopy or it may be cloudy outside, and it could still do pretty well. The audio is alright, and I don't think I can afford a tascam so this will have to do.

I used the camera at Cabaret Night last night to take some videos. I'm still figuring out how to work the zoom just right so that I can find the balance between the shot that I want and the focus. Tonight I'm meeting with Clara to plan out the dates of our trips and what not. Things are lifting of the ground!

101.9

At around 3:30 AM on Thursday, I awoke to the unpleasant sensation of needing to throw up, and I did. I then slept on an off for another fifteen or so hours. I was in no position to leave the house, let alone the couch. On one of the few occasions where I did, I took my temperature and found I had a fever of 101.9 degrees Fahrenheit. I was too sick to go get my camera, but I probably will go this weekend.

I feel a lot better today, though. I think I could actually eat something.

Equipment

Tomorrow I am getting my camera. At home I have a couple body surveillance cams that will be good for action footage, however for some more still shots I want to get something that has better image and audio quality. Now my dad is paying for the camcorder, so I don't want something that is too expensive, but I also want something that isn't too cheap-looking. I have my sights set on a Canon Vixia HF R500, which shoots 1920x1080 footage, and is fairly cheap. I watched someone's review and use of the camera, and it looks great. There were some weird things going on with the sound while he was zooming, but when he wasn't doing that the audio was pretty crisp. I'd like to maybe get some sort of audio equipment as well but that will take more research before I make a decision on that.

Father Water, Mother Woods

Recently I finished this book by Gary Paulsen, Father Water, Mother Woods. The book is a collection of essays on his time in the North Woods fishing, hunting and camping. The fishing portion is the longest, and I found myself getting hungry while reading it. He describes in detail how they would prepare the fish after catching it, and all the foods they would have with it: trout covered in cornmeal with watermelon for dessert, fresh salmon slowly roasted over an open fire. I want Clara and I to be able to make something good out of something we catch, and we can practice that before we go on the trip.

I am not so sure exactly how much stuff we will actually end up bringing, but I know that it would be really nice to fish for at least some of our food. Yesterday I researched how to get your fishing license in New York, and how much it costs. For an annual pass it is $25, which is not much. A four-day pass is something like $5, so it makes sense to get an annual one. You can get them at sporting goods stores, town clerks, and whatnot. That will be a deadline for a later date.

Going Forward

Yesterday I had my first mentor meeting with Mr. Nelson. It went pretty well; we talked about strategies to keep me on task, and what I could do to keep moving forward. I need to get a physical calendar, and sit down with Clara and plan things out. For myself, I also need to set mini-deadlines. My first mini-deadline is to have sat down with Clara and gotten my camera by next Tuesday, when I have my next mentor meeting. I think that that's how I'd like to set my deadlines- plan them around my mentor meetings, and then bring that work to them. I'm getting my camera on Thursday though so I'll have at least half of that done.