Final Critical Reflection

The documentary "The Shape Of Stories", developed by Alec Labossiere, is a documentary that explores the different mediums that can be utilized in order to tell a story. The documentary informs and portrays the many different forms that they may take the form of and how that impacts individuals and their lives.

The documentary effectively engages its audience by exploring a relatable and accessible topic for young kids to young adults: the will to express themselves In this particular exert, it highlights how music specifically is a form for telling stories. That individuals can engage in storytelling in unconventional ways in order to get their point across. The documentary targets a broad audience, from young kids to young adults (10-25), by focusing on universal themes of expression and creativity. It incorporates elements like music and visuals that resonate with its viewers, making the content more accessible and appealing. The B-roll footage plays a crucial role in engaging the audience by giving context to certain phrases or giving more relatability them. These elements collectively create an authentic and grounded narrative that viewers can connect with on a personal level.

The documentary's production involved mastering filmmaking techniques like framing subjects using the rule of thirds to create visually engaging shots. This approach elevated the film's professionalism while mirroring its theme of balancing structure and creativity. Sound design was also crucial. Instead of eliminating background noise entirely, I chose to retain some natural sounds during editing. This added realism, grounding the documentary in everyday life. For example, faint keyboard taps during a music composition scene underscored the intimacy of the creative process.

Unlike previous projects, this documentary adopted a "controlled amateurism": a blend of technical discipline and organic imperfection. While transitions were smoother and color grading was warm and inviting, minor flaws like shaky shots were intentionally kept to avoid a sterile feel. This approach aligned with the documentary's message: narratives often resonate more deeply than overly polished ones. Music was a narrative device itself, composed by the interviewee. Each track mirrored their emotional journey—playful melodies for childhood nostalgia, melancholic pieces for self-doubt. This synergy reinforced the documentary's focus on self-representation: the subject wasn't just telling their story; they were scoring it, ensuring every beat aligned with their experience.

The documentary emphasized the universal truth that everyone carries a story worth sharing, a theme brought to life through deliberate mise-en-scene choices. The setting of his home, framed with warm, lighting and earthy tones, created an intimate, inviting atmosphere, mirroring the personal nature of his musical journey. This visual warmth transformed his narrative into a heartfelt moment, being able to draw viewers deeper into the emotional core of his story. The music itself acted as a timeline, evolving from playful, nostalgic melodies reminiscent of childhood video games to introspective, somber compositions reflective of young adulthood. This auditory progression mirrored the documentary’s exploration of storytelling’s transformative power, how creativity matures alongside lived experience. By blending these elements the film achieved a story of crafting stories through sound.

The research that had gone into the documentary was gathered by viewing the documentaries that we had previously gone over earlier in the year and opinions both in person, and online. Because the topic is extremely subjective,I found it easier to ask people what their opinions online were or in person. What makes a story a story? I was able to gather that, if someone's ideas are getting across then they are able to tell a story. Whether that through their voice or even their own hands. The media itself also gave voices to those who's stories needed to be heard. The news itself acts as a shining example to how a single story being heard can flip the likeness and influence a person has. However, most if not all agreed on one thing which was that stories can be told through almost any means. Simply living is telling a story in itself. 

Early in my research, I was unsure how to tell my story. Then, I watched documentaries about novelists and their creative processes. These films taught me that authenticity is key: stories are most powerful when told in your own unique voice. Authors like Neil Gaiman emphasized the importance of emotional truth over strict structure, which inspired me to trust my perspective. This insight guided my documentary. Instead of following a formula, I focused on personal, heartfelt storytelling. I used intimate settings and evolving music to capture my subject's journey authentically. Just as literary documentaries highlight resonant moments, I chose scenes that felt emotionally honest. 

The documentary was the conclusion to all the research, planning, and reading that I put into it.
. While not all parts of it were properly delivered it was truly something I was proud of. My time reading, recording, learning, and making this last Documentary the best it could be. All my hard work gives you this. I know it'll be up to par. The documentary marked the conclusion to all my research, planning, and dedication. It was the final chapter in a journey of discovery and creation, where every moment of reading, recording, and learning contributed to its development. While not every aspect turned out perfectly, I took immense pride in what I had achieved. This pride wasn't just about the end product; it was about the process itself. My time and effort were invested in making this documentary the best it could be, and I knew that all my hard work would pay off. The documentary wasn't just a project; it was a reflection of my growth as a filmmaker and storyteller. I was confident that it would meet expectations because it was crafted with sincerity and passion. In the end, I knew that this documentary would stand a showing of my perseverance. It was more than just a a simple conclusion but a conclusion to my highschool projects. A stepping stone for future projects and a reminder that every story, no matter how imperfect, holds value and beauty.

All content

 Here are the final results!

The Instagram posts:
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGkN_wKYEI/Q6av1z8PB8WLHIjA1WFCMA/edit?utm_content=DAGkN_wKYEI&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton 

Magazine:
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGkM_pO9ks/z1TZjz5q21YI2wVS4EksxQ/edit?utm_content=DAGkM_pO9ks&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton 

Film: 
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KXM6pHUl8JxuarfN_ZSlCmdhMda8Wbw9 

Final Reflection

This is it huh blog, the last two years have been truly eventful in this class. I went from someone who had no idea about the things within the media space to becoming well informed. This truly helped me understand how I live my daily life and how much happens in the world around me. It was honestly a bit humbling how all these different facets of media and it's mediums effected my life in ways I didn't even know. 

Not only that but film making in general. There is so much that goes into creating and making these films that it's honestly impressive how well we have been doing. That is in no small part to Mrs.Stoklosa, our teacher who has helped us along the way. There are a lot of concepts I don't think I would have been able to easily graph if not for her teaching.

 Aice media as a whole has been an incredibly interesting journey. While not fautless, I think I can say with certainty that my time was spent properly and that when I go out into the world, I'll be able to appreciate, understand, and criticize things better. The original goal all the way back in As level was for us to never look at movies and media the same. I know Mrs.Stoklosa will be happy that I will never be able to let my parents just enjoy a movie with me around. 

As for my project reflection, I think there were a lot of things I could have tweaked up but I am satisfied with my work. There are always twists and turns along the road but it's our job to navigate them. I think I found my way. Goodbye Aice Media, stand proud, you were great. 

B roll Rolling

Today I just worked on compiling all the b roll and making sure it makes sense. For the most part I got it right I think. For example, I have a few things happening in his room, which is where he produces a lot of his music or on his piano in his living room which is where he plays when he plays for people in real life. Both are pretty important to him and his expression of music so I thought I’d integrate it properly into the excerpt. Here’s a little sneak peak at it.

Obviously I won’t use all of it for my b roll but some of it in bits would do the trick. And also the audio would help with the transition. Other ones work as a tour of his room, some close up to his work on the computer and other things. I made some own b roll myself using computer effects so that works too. I’m excited this time because I overshot and now I have ample amount of footage to use instead of scurrying to figure out what I should include like last project. I guess I do learn, slowly but surely. That’s about it for today! 
 

Music to my ears

 Welcome back to my blog! We are certainly approaching the end to the project and there is still a bit of stuff to do left. This week I’m finishing up the project, on Wednesday next week, that’ll be the FINAL day we can submit the project. Crazy how it really is almost completely over, so much time passed and so any things have happened regarding the project. One of those things actually is the music for my editing!

While the main video for the project was focused on music, and the main man of the project was a musician, it felt almost perfect to integrate his music into the project. I looked over back at some of the documentaries we watched and though music was integrated, it wasn’t always prevalent. I wanted to use music that would fit the vibe of the documentary, as well as be appropriate for the scenes they were being implemented into. This gave me the chance to go down his catalogue of songs that he has on his YouTube channel! Let’s see what we found!

I felt like the song “Petals of Warmth” would fit the vibe of a good background music when speaking of the more sentimental topics, such as his original reason for starting to create music. It a more nostalgic tone that I feel would be appropriate for looking back at the memories that he had with his brother, playing the piano and learning it to further express himself. I think however that a song like this cannot be intrusive. It needs to be played low. I’ll keep that in mind when further editing and mixing the voice.

I think the song “Sweetened clouds above a candy sky” works super well for the upbeat more hopeful atmosphere of the ending of the exert. It really makes me want feel hopeful. Gasim actually taught me in songs, there are certain core progressions that make people feel certain ways. I feel like you can get that feeling from the dialogue as well as the music. He really wasn’t kidding; music can tell you a whole story without words.

We also utilized a cool effect that goes from the songs playing on the piano, to the actual songs playing themselves. Of course they are all original covers played by Gasim himself so we could avoid the copyright. They are integrated pretty seamlessly so I’m proud of that. Finally of course, I got permission from the artist himself to use the music. He even signed it, the image below shows that.

I’m very happy I got that done! Let’s see how it turns out! Until next time!