Scratch Game Design

My GT teacher wanted us to critique other classmates' games that we had been working on. We used the sandwich style method- a compliment, the constructive criticism, and another compliment. The comments my classmates left for me were really helpful. They had kindly pointed out the flaws and told me how to make my game even better. Before, there was this glitch were the score would jump from 23 to a number like 46. But someone pointed that out and I fixed it. Another thing was to make the sprites (characters) smaller so there was more room. That definitely improved my game. Several things changed and improved in my game all because of my friends.


Of all of the games I made, I can't choose a favorite. They are all so different and unique and fun! For example, in both the Chase game and the Platformer, there was story line to go with it. But the Operation Freedom is just a bunch of craziness and fun! I feel like Operation Freedom represents me the most because its just a jumble of the internet in one game! Lastly, all of them are so different and are most definitely not perfect! All of them could use some fixing up. I think my Chase game and my Platformer game are the easiest. The Freedom game is really challenging: WARNING!

My best code would have to have been in Operation Freedom. I managed to get my frog to jump and look realistic using a special gravity engine. Of course, I had copied my teachers code to get it to jump that way but when I tested it out, it looked really smooth and I was really proud of myself since I got a complicated code to actually work! Making a game is not easy. Nothing is perfect, especially if it's your first time doing such, so I had many bugs that had to be fixed. One of the hardest ones was getting my score and time to work correctly in my Chase game. What had happened is that I would get my time to work perfectly, but it would throw off my score and vice versa. Eventually, I had gotten it to work by basing them off of different signals.

Invention Commercial

My teammates for the commercial were the same ones from the Composition Scavenger Hunt- Kyllie and Cara. We had a lot of fun filming this video but we also had goals to reach. Our main goals were to get all the clips filmed in time, edited, and turned in before our critique.  We also wanted to make our commercial funny! Who doesn't love a good laugh when you are waiting for The Hunger Games to come back on? Anyways, not only did our commercial have to be funny, but we also wanted to keep a clear focus on the actual product. Lastly, our most important goal to reach was a well edited, smooth flowing commercial that was intriguing and caught the eye. We tried to edit it as well as we could but are only 7th graders! I still think that it was a good video and it somehow managed to make the top 3 best commercials! Success guys!

My teammates and I planned a sleepover so that we could film and during that time, we got to know each other a little better. It was so much fun because as you can see, in the video, we were all wearing lip stick but when Kyllie tried to take hers off, it smudged everywhere and made her look like a clown! And it stayed like that the entire day! It must have been so embarrassing! But I think the best team moment of them all were the videos we took in between shots. We pretended like we were vloggers (video bloggers)! It was so funny (and yet so cringe worthy) watching it back! We would be talking into the camera saying dumb stuff like "Hey guys. Welcome back to Alina, Cara, and Kyllie's daily vlog!" or  "So today we have to film a video for GT!" It was like we thought there were people actually watching us! And we were taking videos that were just plain nonsense. Like Cara would be filming me and I wouldn't know it, so I'd be dancing really weirdly and she had it all recorded! I wish we had time to put bloopers in our video- that would've totally made the class laugh! It was so much fun. Then after we finished filming, we played on her trampoline. It was a crazy (yet eventful) Friday.

When we were editing this incredible video, we had certain things that we did. Cara looked for sound effects because that was a job that could be done on a separate computer. I did most of the cutting, moving, and touching up of all the clips since it was on my computer. Kyllie found music to go in the background (another job that could be done on a different computer). But then, once we had all the sound effects and music in place, we all listened to it and looked for parts that needed a small fixer upper. We all had major jobs (especially since we had to come in during lunch break to finish the video) and all had to participate. Sometimes Kyllie didn't come in for lunch, sometimes I didn't, and sometimes Cara didn't. But in the end, we all worked hard on this project and I think we did a good job of accomplishing our goals.

Composition Scavenger Hunt

Hey my people! I just recently learned about composition techniques and their meaning. I found out that there are so many different techniques and angles to film with but I personally think that the Rule of Thirds technique (scenery or subject) would be the most significant because it makes the shot look even and balanced. It gives a feeling that there is asymmetry in the shot. I don't know about you guys but whenever something looks uneven or looks messy it bugs me down to the core, just like what I was saying in my comedic monologue (go check that out on one of my previous posts titled "My Humorous Monologue"). Anyways, back to composition techniques- there are so many unique and useful techniques but I personally think Rule of Thirds would be the most useful and the most important. But that's just me! What do you think?

Some of these techniques were easy to film and some were not. The most difficult composition technique to film was probably macro. It was very hard to get close to the subject and have the camera focus on the correct spot. Plus, we energetic, hyper middle schoolers are just constantly moving so it was hard to keep the camera still in general! I'm pretty sure its not the candy... Anyways, I might start using it more because when you finally get the camera to focus, it looks very interesting. You can see tons of little details like the pollen on a bee, or the little ants crawling on a flower. Plus, with the right lighting it'd be a great Instagram picture. I'm just kidding (not really)!

My teammates for this project were two of my closest friends Cara Griffin and Kyllie Belmonte (Kyllie is the one in the screenshot to the right -------->)! In our composition technique video, we all rotated positions. In some shots, Cara and I were the subjects, with Kyllie being the camera person. Other shots, were of Kyllie and i was the camera person. Cara and I did most of the voice overs but Kyllie was good at being quiet while we were doing that. Then, the time came to edit it. Cara managed the cutting, moving, and editing of all the clips. Kyllie and I helped pick and type the labels, chose the music, and the transitions! I think it was pretty fair. It was fun to work with all these incredible people and the video turned out pretty cool. Bye bye for now and I'll see you soon!

Cracking the Code

Hello fellow citizens of Earth! In Gt, we've been talking about coding. Some people are professionals at coding, some people have never heard of it. Either way, I think coding is something that is really good to know but not 100% necessary for everything. It would be really cool to know because you can make your own games for your phone or make an app that would help you or others with struggling topics. Or you can help friends that are trying to create an app or game or whatever they are making. Not to mention, if you have an emergency where you need to use coding then you will know how to solve it. Those are the main reasons I think would make the knowledge of coding would come in handy.

A few days ago in GT, we began working with the Hour of CODE program and completed two of several lessons offered. For most people in my class, it was their first time working with Hour of CODE but a few classmates and I did it a few years before. Of course those classmates were people that had gone to my previous school with me. Anyways, I think it was about one or two years ago that our computer teacher introduced us to coding. Though we have done two lessons here at Kapa'a Middle School, we only did the first lesson at my old school. When we first got started on the Code lesson last year, I found it really easy and continued thinking that through out the 20 levels of the first lesson. A few times I had to actually use my body to help me (I'm a hands on/auditory learner) like I was in the game and I had to turn or move a certain way. Anywho, I found Hour of CODE pretty easy.

If I could design any program or game, it would be a program where you can play games to earn free credit on iTunes or whatever game/music seller you have. It would be completely free, and every time you got a higher score than, say, one of your friends on Game Center, then you earned one dollar worth of iTunes credit to buy games or music. That way, you don't have to waste money on iTunes cards that get thrown away right after you redeem it. I would try to get some certified people to supervise the gaming and the additions to the winners account. It would save the manufacturing of gift cards and it makes it fun and easy to get music and games! Win win! Alrighty, well bye bye for now and I'll see you soon!

My Humorous Monologue

Hey guys! So recently in GT, we finished our comedic monologues. I've learned so much from this project. One thing I've learned is how to work with iMovie. I don't have a Mac computer at home so I've never had the chance to mess around with it and experiment with things. But this project has also introduced me to the importing process, making new events and projects, editing, and other technical iMovie terms I've never heard of! Another thing I've learned is what B-Roll is and the difference between A-Roll and B-Roll. But one of the most important things I've learned is how to brainstorm and write a humorous narrative. It can be tricky if you don't know how to correctly link ideas and revise your jokes to make sure they are suitable to share with an audience. Lastly, I've learned what a good movie or video should look and sound like.

Pad is a term used in filming and is very significant. It is a few seconds of extra film at the beginning and end of your video. When filming, you should say "rolling" when you start the recording then count to three in your head. Then say "action" after the three seconds. This will help because there is usually a two second delay after hitting the record button. Also, when you are editing, and you don't have pad, then it may cut off the beginning of your sentence. If you do have pad, you'll have loads of extra film that you could easily cut out and still be able to hear the beginning or end of your sentence. As you can see, pad is extremely necessary in the filming process.

Yesterday (Tuesday 29, 2015) we watched everyone's videos and rated them using the system of a 4 being Exemplary work, a 3 being Accomplished work, 2 as Developing, and a 1 as Beginning video. As you can see in the picture below,24 people in my class (including me)voted my video as a 4/ Exemplary video. The other 4 voted it as a 3/ Accomplished video. I'm happy with this, even though it isn't a major impact on our overall quarter grade (speaking of which, we have two more days until 1st Quarter is over. Then it's Fall Break!). Anyways,we also voted for the funniest over all video and surprisingly, I got two votes! I wasn't expecting it! I didn't win though- it was a tie between my friends Wailana Marvin and Kacie Burns (go check out their blogs in the links on the side bar!). They definitely deserved it! I have to say, the hardest part of this project would have been having the class watch my video! So cringe worthy! It was kind of awkward because only a few people laughed when the goal was to make the entire class laugh. But I wasn't expecting the whole class to laugh. A strength I discovered about myself is that I am really good at editing. I always expected it to be really hard but I surprised myself. Cutting, shortening/extending the clips, adjusting the speed and volume of the clips, etc. I think if I ever did this project again, my number one priority would be to make sure it is actually funny! Even with all these mistakes and flaws I'm noticing, I had so much fun doing this project and Mr. Sanderl will do it next year! Anywho, bye bye for now and I'll see you soon! 

Comedy Writing

In GT, we've been talking about humor. Having a good sense of humor is important because it builds confidence and it shows your personality. It also is a common trait that most people find attractive. I believe that laughing is just as healthy as eating healthy. It releases stress and makes memories. Laughing could be the start of a successful life! You never know! My point is to try to have fun and make the best in life! Just laugh- it's important!

Writing a humorous monologue may seem hard at first but once you get the main things first, its a breeze. For example, the first thing you must have is an idea set in your mind. Once you have this, just be creative. Try to make it as relatable as possible. It's also required that it is revised so that you are positive that it is appropriate for everyone (if that is your target)! Kids, adults, elderly, different races, things like that! Before performing, you should probably have a bunch of different close family members or friends listen to it. Also, make sure you know the tone that you are going to use. But most importantly... ENJOY IT! Comedy is for entertainment and the entertainer should also get something out of it. 

My comedic monologue was about me having a life threatening case of... perfectionism. I think its funny because you can see how real the struggle is for me daily. Sometimes it comes in handy, helping me get good grades and all. But sometimes, it is the worst thing ever! I will have five minutes to do something and it'll take me fifteen minutes for me to get it perfect. And I know, you may be saying "Why don't you just ignore it?" But unless you have perfectionism as well, THEN YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND!!!! It's like a completely different person that is stronger than you! It always wins! It is also a trait that gets passed down through the family tree. Almost everyone on my dad's side are perfectionists. Anyways, my monologue will be attached in my nest post so please please go check it out! I hope you think it's funny and if you don't then that's cool! So bye bye for now and I'll see you soon!

Motivational Poster

Hey- Alina here! In GT, we are creating Motivational Posters in PhotoShop. One requirement in this project is that you must have six layers in your PhotoShop document: two text layers and four image layers. One of the text layers is of your Personal Manifesto and the other are your Personal Quotes. Three of the four image layers are your three symbolic images that represent you and  the last one is a portrait of your face. The other requirement you must include in this project are design requirements. These are using the kerning tool, using your chosen triadic color scheme, using blending options and adjustment layers, and finally, creating visual balance. When you are kerning, you should make the words fill in all the blank spaces, whether it making the spacing between the words larger or making the font bigger. To make your Personal Manifesto and Personal Quotes easier to read, you must find your triadic color scheme, and apply it to the chosen text layer. Blending options and adjustment layers are to add some color and to make sure you are able to read all the words. And lastly, visual balance is just to make this project appealing to the eye. Those are the requirements for the Motivational Poster in GT class.

To make the Motivational Poster, I first had to write a personal manifesto and quotes. Once that has been completed, I had to make a new PhotoShop document and title it "Motivational Poster". Then, I made two text layers: one for my personal quotes and one for my personal manifesto. I copy and pasted each text item from Google Docs (you can use anything) into your matching text layers. Then, I inserted four pictures- #gtsym1, #gtsym2, #gtsym3, and a portrait of ourselves. Once they are in, we had to arrange them in a unique way. At this point, everything we needed to do with our pictures was complete so we took them off of the document temporarily by clicking the eye next to each layer. Then, I began working on the text layers again. Since I finished putting the personal manifesto and personal quotes in, I needed to start kerning. It looks best if there are not blank spaces and its just a blanket of text. Before this next step, you must find your own customized triadic color scheme. Once that is complete, you can open up PhotoShop again and apply it to your letters. This makes them more visible when the pictures are behind them. You can also add Stroke, Bevel and Emboss, Outer Glow, and other cool textures. You must also apply Color Balance, Levels, Curves, and Exposure to your pictures. I had to make sure that I stayed very close within my Triadic Color scheme. That is the last step! That is how I made my Motivational Poster.

I must say that the hardest step in this project for me was kerning my text. It took a long time to do and you had to adjust font sizes along with it to make it work. You have to make sure there were no holes or blank patches; it had to be one big blanket of text. Since there were two different text layers, you had to adjust each layer to fit and then edit them together so they didn't overlap. To have an easier time with this, I would advise making sure you have both the Personal Manifesto and your Personal Quotes done before you start. I had the wrong idea of what my teacher meant by Personal Quotes so I had to rewrite them after I started the document. You should make lots of time to spend on kerning. Since I only had 45-60 minutes a day to work on this, it took me a long time but if you have more time, you should definitely work on the kerning! Adding color and textures to your text is also hard but it is more based off of what you like and what you think looks good. Its all yours! Bye bye for now and I'll see you soon!

Personal Manifesto

Hi everyone- my name is Alina Puig. I am new to Blogger so I thought I'd tell you some interesting facts about me. I have peacock blue hair and do Ballet and Hip Hop with Kauai Dance Center and EXCEL! Dance Studio. I was born and raised on Kauai, Hawaii and I am going to be on a dance show called Mokan Nokan. It's a show for younger kids but I am in the opening scene and the show pilot. Its world premier will be released this Sunday at 4 o'clock. An INCREDIBLY weird fact abut me is that I make myself laugh everyday for a total of 3 hours because I feel that laughing is just as healthy as eating an apple a day. Lastly, I am a very weird, happy person and I embrace it.

Here is my Personal Manifesto: Perfection is overrated, just be yourself! Hopes and dreams are just previews of what you can do if you believe in yourself. If you find yourself in front of a hurtle, take a chance and try to jump it. Love more, live more, enjoy more. You are the best you anyone can ever be! Do what you want and don't let anyone say otherwise. Have fun, all day, everyday. Search for the good in everyday instead of pointing out the bad. Don't compare yourself to others. If people say you are weird, embrace it. Eat healthier. Set goals that you couldn't dream of completing, that's what gets you there. Life is an empty paper, you have to draw your own life. Sleep more. Dream more. See more. Feel more. THINK more.

I feel that my manifesto can apply to you because we all like to be happy- its a great feeling! And I am always trying to keep a smile on my face, and I tell others to as well. Everyone finds someone who doesn't really like them, if they don't then that's fine. It's their opinion so don't change yourself. Stay the person you are and were meant to be. YOU have to choose what you want to do, don't do what others say. I want everyone who is reading this to make their own decisions. Healthy eating makes you feel great and look great and I know that I like to feel good and energized! If you are feeling down, it always better to look for the good thing in life. Thinking good makes you feel good. Being you is all anyone wants from you, and if they want otherwise, they are incorrect. YOU are YOU! Embrace it because it feels good to be open and free instead of trapped. I want every single one of you to be the happiest you can be. My manifesto is just to make you all feel EXTRAORDINARY! Bye bye for now and I'll see you soon!

P.S.

The class that I use this blog for is called GT Media, which is Gifted and Talented and we work with computers and technology. So for future reference, whenever I say GT, I'm talking about my favorite class of all, Gifted and Talented.