"A senior finding his style"
The senior year of High-School for many is a time for learning more about themselves and beginning their adult life. My senior year was exactly that, in which I experimented with different creative styles to find my own creative voice. I created short films, promos, and creative writing to find that creative voice and eventually found it. Through this, I became a leader.
Directing
Style in directing clicked with me this year. It began with a segment for our school's broadcast, Bolt TV, promoting a western-themed homecoming. I immersed myself in Western films, creating a shot list and script that captured the essence of the genre. The segment turned out to be one of my best, inspiring me to explore other genres. I delved into old horror movies like Night of the Living Dead, fascinated by the zombies and cinematography. This led to my next project, When The Dead Rise…, an homage to cheesy zombie films. It all clicked for me then—I discovered my style and started creating projects that embraced this way of thinking. From a fairytale film called The Stupendous Story of Steve the Slouch to an untitled film paying tribute to old-school wuxia and martial arts, I finally found my creative style after years of trial and error.
Leadership
When being thrust into a position of leadership, it can be a daunting task. I was thrown into the deep end this year being a producer for Bolt TV as our teacher was put on leave during the 2nd quarter. I had to lead and teach the new students what the expectations were and how to properly create segments for Bolt.