Final class evaluation

1. Why did you take this class?
I took this class as a way to learn more about many of the skills film has to offer, and in a way, learn a medium that can blend into my chosen career.  This was also suggested for me as a way to learn more skills.

2. In general, what did you like most about this class?
Learning new things is always something that makes me very excited, and in the end I really did learn a lot here. Some things that when first introduced seemed so intimidating, but after getting a chance to try it, these things became really fun to work with.

3. In general, what did you like least about this class?
The stress in this class is a lot higher in this class then in Animation last year, and as a result, this class was in the long run less enjoyable then Animation. Not to say that I didn't enjoy this year, as it did have its moments, but there was also enough to make Video less enjoyable.

4. What was your most favorite project and why?
The independent study was my favorite project. The creativity that could come from such an open ended project really shows here, because you have the creative freedom to do what you want, and experiment with new techniques you haven't tried before. I also feel like this was the project that turned out the best overall in my opinion.

5. What was your least favorite project and why?
The PSA projects. The fact that we had three of them was really to much in my opinion, and as we got more of them, I started to get bored of them really fast. They left room for a little creativity, but to me, it still felt constraining and left me with little motivation to do them. It didn't help that these were paired with other projects that seemed more important and fun in the moment at times.

6. Discuss the overall effectiveness of the instructor (for example: preparation, availability, interest, content knowledge, expectations, etc.).
Ms.Licata was once again really one of the better teachers I had this school year. She really is willing to help in any way she can with issues that pop up, and her teaching is very effective, and easy to understand for both a vocal and visual learner. She gave plenty of chances to improve grades through revisions, and would extend some deadlines if needed, something most teachers don't do. This year was really awful for keeping things on track with all the power outages and snow days, and schools being all around frustrating, but Ms.Licata did the best she could to keep things going.

7. What are the most valuable things you learned in the class?
Honestly, I learned two really important lessons in this years class, that will be really important for my future after high school ends.

The first thing is that things will not always turn out the way you want them to. This is having that vision for something in your mind, be it a drawing, animation, or film, and not being able to replicate it on paper perfectly so you think it's awful. I've always struggled with this, mostly with drawings, but a lot of my video projects hit that sore spot to. You need to realize that the idea in your mind is different then what you will create.

The second thing is that you aren't always going to get along with everyone. I've lost track of the amount of times I've left here angry because someone rubbed me the wrong way, and I found myself ranting about it to my friends and family, and I just let it ruin my day. By now, I've reached the point where I just let it out and move on, acceptance in a way. Not everyone will share the same views. Teacher, student, whatever, we're all still human. It's human nature for someone to do something you don't agree with, but it's up to you in the end to be the better person, and not just let yourself fall into bitterness over something lots of people do. As I've been told many times before, that's life, and you better get use to it.

8. Do you feel that this class will help you achieve your future academic or career goals? How or why (or why not)?
This class, while not as important to me as some in the way of major, has taught me a lot of useful things that can carry over into the future. Many of the principles of film can be carried over to animation, and vice versa. Knowing how to use equipment and edit, as well as animation, helps me stand out and may make it easier to get my foot in the door.

9. How could this class be improved?
I feel as thought Animation and Video share one very glaring issue between them. This issue is once again, I'm walking out of this class knowing so much about Premiere, but the things I learned in After Effects are already slipped away. I opened After Effects again after not using it for awhile, only to stare at it blankly, before shutting it down. It feels like After Effects became an after thought after all the exercises we did, and as I result, I feel it may need to be expanded on more in the future.

10. What would you tell incoming students to help them be more prepared for the class?
Once again, procrastination is a huge killer in this class, but in and even worse way the Animation. You getting up and actually doing your project proper can make a huge difference to the quality of your projects overall. Also, make sure you have enough footage to meet the proper specs of each project, in the end, over shooting is better then struggling to make up the lost seconds you need.

11. Additional Comments:
This year many have had some bumpy patches that I had to go through, however, that didn't stop me from getting here and doing my best to end this last year as strong as I can. College is just around the corner already, that's really hard to believe at the moment, but I feel I am ready to move on and take that challenge. I wish all of you the best of luck in your futures, and as always, I hope everything turns out the way you hope it will.