#tmitch

Wow this was definitely one of my favorite classes that I have ever taken. I am a science major and music minor so I have always been interested in the potential intersection between the sciences and the arts. I have never been in a media or film class before and in fact I am notorious in my family for being the one who should NOT take photos or film the family videos on birthdays. 

When searching for a class over IAP, I was looking for something different that would take me out of my comfort zone. This class definitely fit the bill and although it had its challenges, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I have learned a ton. For one, I have a much greater appreciation for film now. It may be a bit naïve of me, but I never realized how much thought and work truly goes in to shooting a mere 10 seconds of film. After having had the opportunity to see the perspective of being behind the camera, I now realize that there are so many angles and ideas that go into making film. I have also come to realize the beauty of peer critiques. The more people who critique and offer different opinions, the better the final product will usually be. Peer critique definitely helped to improve my final project.

Overall, I am very proud of this semester. There are several things that I think I did fairly well with in this class…

1. I am proud of persevering with my project. I definitely struggled a bit with deciding on a topic to make my video on in the beginning. I went through several script ideas before I finally decided on the topic of procrastination. I was a bit frustrated at one point, but I have learned that sticking with something is an extremely important skill to have. The final result of hard work is generally worth it.

2. I am proud of speaking up in class more. I am not exactly the best with public speaking so the day that we had to read a script in front of the class was a bit nerve-wracking for me. Yet, I have come to realize that practice with public speaking is just what I need! The more I speak, the less scary it becomes.

However, if I had had more time, there are many things in my final project that I definitely would have tried to improve.

1. I would have re-written my script so that there was more of a point of making it into a video format as opposed to a blog post. Perhaps I could have explained the biological mechanisms behind procrastination more, creating more visuals/animations in explanation of the biological mechanisms. There was one point in my film that I revised from the draft to show an animation of the neurological mechanisms behind the release of dopamine from the brain. I felt like that point was much better than the mere head shot of me speaking into the camera that I had in my initial draft.

2. I would have altered my script to explain the scientific terminology a bit better and I would have also made the script a bit more exciting. I feel as though parts of my script/film are still too long and are not “snappy” enough. There are many parts of my script, which I could tighten and/or make clearer. For one, I think that I should have explained dopamine in the context of procrastination more. For instance, I could have explained how the “addiction” to the dopamine kick that you receive from doing another task that you would enjoy more (e.g. procrastinating) is what continues to make people want to procrastinate.

3. I would have worked a bit more with the clips of my film. Although I believe that I improved it from the rough cuts, I still think that the transitions between my ideas and scenes are a bit choppy and disjointed. When I was writing and filming my final project, I was trying to get as much information as I could in there, but I should have paid more attention to making each idea flow into the other.  

4. I would have tried to write my script so that it was more “conversational” as opposed to “academic” sounding. I kept slipping back into more textbook rhetoric when writing and filming my script simply because that is how I am used to writing about science.  

5. I also would have taken the time to play around more with the editing and animations. After watching other people’s final videos, I realized that there were a lot of things that I could still learn about not only the scripting and filming process, but also the editing of the video itself. I tried to not make the visuals that I did have too distracting just because we discussed in class that the visuals should not distract from the final project, but I still think that I could have done more.  

6. I also would have reshot several scenes of me speaking just to change the background and visuals and fix the framing/camera shots. I feel as though a lot of my shots are not very aesthetically pleasing, as I am simply talking up against a whiteboard or sitting in a chair. Also, reflecting upon this, there are “distractions” in a lot of my shots that I would like to get rid of. For instance, there was excess writing on the whiteboard in one of my scenes and there was also another person in the background in one of my scenes.

7. I would have also tried to make my script/video a little less generic and more exciting. As we discussed in class, I was trying to make my script easy to understand, as it was mentioned how it is important to “simplify” the scientific information for children. However, I now know that making something more “simple” does not mean making it less exciting.

Overall, this was a very rewarding semester. I learned a ton – as evident above – and I am looking forward to trying to shoot more film on my own. I have left with a much deeper appreciation for the art of film and the time and dedication that goes into scripting and filming.

Today was my turn to read my script aloud. I am really glad that I participated in this exercise. I have definitely struggled a bit with writing my script and I have switched topics a couple of times. However, I have finally decided on my topic of the science behind procrastination. The class gave me some very good suggestions, which I hope to incorporate in my script. A few of them were…

1. To start with “Why do I procrastinate?” and to not take so long to introduce the topic (I may cut a bit of the B-roll at the beginning.)

2. That the explanations I am currently giving may not surprise people very much – that I should make my information more new and exciting

3. To only include a few sentences about the dopamine explanation

4. To not rush so much when I speak

I also found the second half of our class on editing very helpful. I thought it was very interesting how we were shown a video that was not so good and then a video with the same information, but that was made by a different editor. There was a huge discrepancy in the quality of the video, which just goes to show that even if your script is good that the final result can still be poor if you do not edit well.

(Sit down at the computer. Turn to look at the camera.)

It’s 6 pm. Time to start my essay. It’s due tomorrow so I really hope I can get it done on time. (Type “Essay #1” on the computer on a word document. Have an animated clock on the screen fast forward to 6 pm.) (Next cut to a scene where I am surfing the Internet reading the news while the animated clock fast forwards more.) (Then show a new clip of me playing a game on my cellphone – perhaps Angry Birds – while the clock fast-forwards even more.) (Finally cut to a scene where I google “how to stop procrastinating” while the clock continues to run. Next cut the scene back to the word document where all I have written is “Essay #1” and “Why can’t I stop procrastinating???” The time is now 11 pm.)

(Next change the scene.)

Does this situation seem familiar to you? If it does don’t worry. You are not alone. In fact, almost everyone has struggled with procrastination at some point in his or her life. Procrastination, which basically means putting off a task until later, can affect everyone. Yet, some people still procrastinate more so than others. (Move camera to person right next to me who has finished his entire essay and then back to mine.) What is going on in people’s brains when they procrastinate? How was “Sam” able to finish his whole entire essay before I even wrote a sentence? Let’s take a look at the brain science behind procrastination.

(Change the scene again.)

Whenever you do something that you enjoy or find pleasurable your brain releases a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine makes you feel good and can be released after exercise, sex, and food. For instance, I love doughnuts. When I bite into a doughnut, my brain releases dopamine, because I have satisfied a craving. (Bite into the doughnut and rub stomach.) Yum.

So what do dopamine and feeling good have to do with procrastination? Well when we have two options… 1) to do the work that we need to get done such as writing the essay or 2) to do a more pleasurable activity such as playing Angry Birds… our brain is in conflict. An area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex is responsible for taking in information and making decisions. (Point to the prefrontal cortex on a brain.) So when we procrastinate, our brain’s prefrontal cortex is basically in a state of tug-of-war. Should I do this or should I do that? (Hold up hands on both sides.)

Most of the time we tend to give in to what feels better in the immediate moment. We give in to that kick of dopamine when we procrastinate. Overtime this dopamine kick modifies our brain cells and we become more and more likely to repeat this behavior. In my case, I play Angry Birds instead of writing my essay.

So to me feeling better meant playing Angry Birds instead of writing my essay. But Sam wrote his essay and did not even think about doing something else. What is his brain doing differently than mine? Well some people, such as myself, may be genetically more likely to be distracted by new temptations. Impulsive people may also be more easily distracted by choices that they think will be more enjoyable in the short term. Because of this they often put off their long-term goals, such as writing an essay, until later. People with poorer self-control may also be more likely to procrastinate.

But don’t worry! Procrastination can be prevented. After all it is entirely your choice to make the best long-term decision.

For instance, it may be helpful to imagine yourself in the future. You may want to “time travel”, thinking of how much better you will feel after finishing a task. How might you feel in the future if you still did not finish writing your essay? You may also want to reward yourself in intervals. Why not try writing your essay for 30 minutes and then eating a chocolate bar as a reward?

Although I am presenting my script today I greatly enjoyed yesterday’s table read. I appreciated the class discussion and how positive everyone was as they offered critiques of each other’s work. I also found it particularly interesting how people would sometimes disagree with what one person said about another person’s work. In my opinion, having multiple conflicting opinions about something is one of the best ways to improve, as it allows for seeing something from more angles than just your own.

After listening to today’s table read, I have realized that I still have quite a lot left to do. In fact, I have decided to change the topic of my script. My current topic of brain differences between males and females may generalize males and females too much, which I certainly do not want to do.

I decided to switch my topic to that of the science behind procrastination. I choose this topic, because I think that it is something that can be applicable to everyone, as I believe that everyone has procrastinated at some point or another. Although there are videos about procrastination up on YouTube, a lot of them are very fact oriented and are not as engaging as I hope my video will be.

(Open scene with a stereotypical scene from a fictional movie about the differences between boys and girls, e.g. a boy and a girl fighting and a girl saying that the boy is being insensitive)

(Then turn to look at the camera.)

These are all stereotypical statements that a girl might say about a boy or that a boy might say about a girl. Boys and girls clearly have different ways of dealing with people. Why might this be? Why is it that boys and girls think so differently?  

(Switch scene/camera view)

The answer lies in the fact that the brains of boys and girls are different. The brain, one of the biggest organs in our body, affects our perception of the world. Because boys and girls have such different brains, it is no surprise that they see the world so differently! So how do the brains of boys and girls differ?

One of the main differences in male and female brains is that male brains have nearly seven times more GRAY matter while female brains have nearly ten times more WHITE matter.

Gray matter? White matter? What is all this?  

Well gray matter and white matter refer to the two main types of brain tissue, a type of material that is found in your brain. These two types of tissue are literally gray or white. (Hold up colors) This difference in coloring has to do with something called myelination, which is found only in white matter. Myelination is basically fat, which wraps around the axon, which is a long nerve cell. (Show an animation or schematic) Yes, it’s kind of like a pig in a blanket!

So what do these differences in gray and white matter mean for girls and boys?

Well first off, gray matter areas of the brain process information. White matter, on the other hand, connects these gray matter areas together with other information areas of the brain.

This difference in the amount of gray versus white matter may explain why girls tend to be better at multitasking whereas boys tend to be better at task-focused projects. Isn’t that interesting? Girls, in fact, also tend to be more able to transition quickly between tasks than boys.

The second reason is that the brains of boys and girls differ in terms of their chemistry (e.g. what types of chemicals are in their brains). Males tend to have higher amounts of testosterone, a hormone that is involved when you are angry. Females tend to have higher amounts of estrogen and oxytocin, a chemical, which is involved in making someone feel happy.

So what do these differences in the amount of chemicals in the brain mean? Well for one, males tend to be more physically aggressive. This means that they are more likely to get angry more quickly. Females on the other hand are also more likely than males to want to take care of a baby.  

Okay, now we know some of the differences, but how do the brains of males and females differ in how they are built?

Well, females generally have a larger hippocampus than males. What is a hippocampus? It is a brain region involved in memory. Females also have more brain areas that connect into the hippocampus than males. This means that they are able to absorb more information than males from all 5 senses.

In fact, the brains of males and females even differ before they are born! Females tend to have verbal centers on both sides of the brain, while males only have verbal centers on the left hemisphere. This means that girls tend to enjoy talking about emotions and feelings more so than boys. So the stereotypical statement of girls being more emotional than boys may in fact be true!

The 4th main difference between males and females is that the amount of blood flowing into the brain and the brain activity may differ. Females tend to have greater blood flow throughout the brain and in an area of the brain called the cingulate gyrus. (Point to the cingulate gyrus on a brain.) Because of this, they tend to think about memories that are emotional more so than do males.