Hannah's 2 minutes to make a difference final reflection

Topic: Environmental Activism

First version of the movie

Final version of the movie

About the changes made:
Since the first version was pretty rusty, we have made a huge amount of changes into the final cut. We added some background music as suggested. We also added more pictures for the movie to match the time limit. We also put some text into the movie. And of course, recorded our voices. But we made some changes to the script. Before even starting the final cut, we already knew we had a lot of improvisations to make. But the comments and feedback helped us in many ways. First of all, they gave us suggestions. Secondly, basing on their feedback, we are able to tell what our movie is like in their point of view. And lastly, they not only told us what we need to change but also what they liked about it. Which gave us some confidence.

About the expert:
Our expert was found by Razel Abraham through online. Her name is Amanda and she's the community education and outreach coordinator of Manitoba Eco-Network. She suggested that the topic we chose is very broad. Therefore, it would be a great idea to focus on one or two subjects only. For example, climate change/global warming, tar sands, air pollution, etc. She also pointed out that even a small organism can have a great effect to the whole environment. That is because everything in the ecosystem is all connected with each other. Another thing she taught us is that global climate change is a natural occurrence. Because the earth goes through warmer and cooler periods.

What was my greatest success in this project?
Honestly, for me, it was just getting things done on time and actually coming up with a decent movie. We started working on the movie late and by the end, we were cramming. And we didn't have enough time left. But my group still came through. And we ended up with a movie that was better than I expected. Thankfully we created these google documents that organized all the information we have collected.

What frustrated me during the movie project?
Well there were a few things that frustrated me. First of all, some of the programs we used weren't working quite right. For example, Windows Movie Maker kept freezing and shutting down. And at those times, the work I've done wasn't saved so I technically had to work my way from the beginning all over again. Also, what frustrated me was coming up with the whole idea itself. I mean, I know what my goal is. It is to created a two and a half minute long movie about my topic and will somehow make a difference and make people want to change their ways. But coming up with HOW to reach that goal was the hard part. I came through by starting with the basics. I just gathered up some researched information, put some pictures together, and added music to somehow give it some 'dramatic' feel.

Why is the 2 minutes to make a difference project important to grade 8 students?
In our age, our lives mainly revolve on a few things. Everyday is basically a routine. We wake up, go to school, and go back to bed. And our priorities are limited too. But this movie project gave us a greater understanding of the real world and the real problems and are happening day after day. How will I make a difference in the future? Now that I have a better understanding, it will be much easier for me to be able to make a difference. Maybe do some volunteer work over the summer, recycle and reused whatever is possible, all sorts of stuff.