To be completely honest, I was really worried during the first week of the studio because I was not sure what this studio is really about after reading its description. In the description, there were many keywords including documentary, fiction, observation, writing, and expression. I wondered how are these words relate to each other and what kind of exercise I will need to do.

After 3 weeks, I finally have a clearer vision of the studio’s purpose and also figure out the skills I could gain. This is my first time learning about observational filmmaking and observational writing. I reckon by analyzing films in class, writing observations, and doing practical exercises simultaneously, it helps me understand observational films better. Throughout this studio, I am eager to dip deeper into the idea development process of observational films, as well as the filmmaking process. I am interested to know how an observational film share both elements of documentaries and fictional films. As I major in Media and minor in Cinema Studies, the knowledge I could gain from this studio is extremely useful for when I learn about other film styles or when I make films. It is also definitely going to be beneficial for me as an aspiring communication professional.

Writing is one of my weakest skills so I was nervous to know it is one of the most crucial exercises in the studio. However, I have found writing Observations to be quite an interesting task. It challenges me to be creative while still following a certain structure. It also demands me to raise my standard as I have to observe and choose the most interesting subject out of all the many things I see every day. I am becoming more aware of my surroundings and starting to notice details that could easily be neglected. By constantly observing, I realize anything could be an inspiration and it is important to seek meanings within the things I see. When I was doing the first exercise, I was really meticulous about every detail in the frame to make sure the shots could deliver my message. Until now, I feel like my writing skills have been improved and more importantly, I have been enjoying writing which usually is not the case in some of my previous courses.