2nd Semester English PortfolioBy Jordie Guasch

Contents

Introduction

Self-directed Learner

Community Contributor

Complex Thinker

Quality Producer

Effective Communicator

Effective and Ethical User of Technology

Conclusion

Introduction

My Year in MeneMac a. This portfolio is a culmination of all of my hard work in

Menemac. My experiences this past year have pretty much shaped the way I’m going to look at the rest of highschool. That is because my work has slowly evolved; it’s gotten nicer and I feel more comfortable presenting it now than I would’ve last year in Menemac. I also think that I’ve been getting work done faster due to me not procrastinating as much and it’s been a really fun run this year. I hope that the high expectations that had been set in Menemac for me this year will help me next year when I’m out of the core.

Self-directed LearnerTo be able to learn on your own without direct help.

Quadrant D – Pinhole Camera Video

This video is proof that I had to go off on my own to do something. I wasn’t given a direct “do this” kind of direction, so it was a little tough to have had to come up with a subject to shoot, and then the format in which my partners and I had to shoot it in. It wasn’t a heavily supervised project; my partners and I had to do our own research, call the teachers on our own time, and make the pinhole camera on our own to make this happen.

Project Icarus

Project Icarus was an entirely self-driven project; we had to come up with our own passions and try to figure out how to showcase them. I planted a garlic named Chuck and monitored his growth for 2 weeks. I then turned the pictures I took over those two weeks and turned it into a video.

Community Contributor Being able to work with other people and getting the job done.

Risky Business

The Risky Business video was my favorite group project. I got to work with Shaneika, Shannel, and Kristen. During that time, we all had to conform to each other’s schedules to shoot the video footage. I learned that it was essential for all of us to work together, because without each person, the video wouldn’t have gotten done.

Music Video Test

This video was a test in TV production. We had to pick a song (we picked “I want it that way” by Backstreet Boys) and shoot a video for it. I really liked this video because it was the first time I’ve worked with Cody and Troy, and they were such good sports about me making them act. I look forward to working with them again.

Complex Thinker

If there’s a problem, you can brainstorm to solve it.

Allusion Poem & Graphic

Poetry is definitely not my forte. I literally spent days boiling over writing my allusion poem because I simply couldn’t figure out what to write. So I basically went through all of my favorite fairy tales and picked out the best known ones. When I finally figured out what to write, I was very proud of myself! I don’t normally like what I dish out, especially if it’s poetry.

ExploraVision

Exploravision was essentially a big problem on it’s own that my teammates and I had to untangle. We had to create a technology that could possibly be created 20 years ahead from now. My team and I brainstormed for weeks and I finally came up with the idea of a pill that conforms to your body’s needs that you take month/year (ie. If you’re low on iron; it gives you Iron.) This was the toughest project I’ve had in the year and it required a lot of critical thinking because we had to make sure it was viable 20 years from now, that it made sense, and that the packaging was nice (I made the graphics.)

Quality Producer

Being able to separate your good work from your best work and putting it out there.

Science Music Video – Photosynthesis

My science music video, in my opinion, was shot very nicely, the music was audible, and the actors (Kiyo and I) had a great time filming the video. We edited the the video and added our own stock footage, the video was very clear, and I think Mrs. Nishite liked it. Overall, it was a very cute video that we did and I love it because it looks so professional.

Veggie Standoff

The veggie standoff video is a great example of being a Quality Producer because Korie and I tweaked, perfected, and tweaked some more to get the video down perfectly. We were rewarded with the hours of tweaking and finding the best ways to present the video with first place in our category and best in show in the HMSA Teen Video Awards.

Effective Communicator

The ability to communicate effectively.

20’s Music Video

My 20’s music video needed good communication because my talents and I weren’t very experienced in the field of acting. We had to thoroughly describe what we wanted and how we wanted it otherwise we wouldn’t have gotten anything done.

The Martin Luther King Documentary

For this piece, I had to go to people to ask them for their opinion on Martin Luther King Jr. This ties in with being

an effective communicator because I had to ask my interviewee questions that would help my video and that would not be a waste of their time. The video proves it because I have very nice, long, and accurate interview portions in my video.

Effective and Ethical User of Technology

Being able to use different kinds of technology and equipment.

Veggie Standoff

It was the first time I used a jib and I had to set the lighting. I had to arrange the lighting so that it was focused on our talent and the broccoli, and that was a little hard because I am not super good with placing the lights. The video shows my ability to use different pieces of equipment because, though the lighting is armature, the video came out very nicely.

Egg DropMy egg drop project was to use all our knowledge

about how physics works and construct a shock absorbing structure made from straws and tape to protect a delicate chicken egg. This ties into my ability to use different things because… I made a straw structure to protect an egg from a 2nd and 3rd story fall. If that’s not crazy, I don’t know what is.

Conclusion

My possible goals (educational and career)

Summer Internship at Blizzard

I would love more than anything to fly out to California in the summer and intern at my favorite videogame company. I feel that I could learn so much about designing video games, graphic arts, storytelling, and more if I applied next year.

UCLA

Since I doubt that my cumulative GPA for USC will ever be high enough for their standards, I am looking to UCLA to major in Architecture and minor in digital art.

Commissioning in the Navy

After college, I may or may not commission in the Navy. I want to see the world while I’m still physically capable, and the pay is not bad (especially in this economy.) It looks like a very good option for me at this point, and I would not mind sailing for a couple years.