Week 11: The Curtain Falls (Reflection)

So, this is it. This eighteen-minute documentary features historical case studies, an “insider” perspective, variations performed by beloved prima ballerinas, classical music as background noise—the list goes on! I think the evidence speaks for itself when I say the learning curve for DaVinci Resolve wasn’t so bad.

Unfortunately, YouTube took down my documentary within 30 seconds of uploading for containing multiple copyrighted musical works. I will update this post if my appeals (for all eight violations…) are fruitful!

The question everyone wants to know in a reflection is what was the most valuable takeaway. I promised in my literature review that my project’s novelty came from performance analysis. Halfway through, I had to let go of my ambitious “aha!” product to conduct a more academic evaluation. It’s okay to change the methodology’s course knee-deep into the project if prior research suggests a better path. To me, seeing the “dead end” sign before turning onto the street is better than reaching the dead end and having to U-turn. That’s not to say my weekly check-ins with my faculty advisor will not be missed—those coffee runs definitely kept me motivated throughout all twelve weeks of research.

Thank you to Mr. Brady for the weekly encouragement and enthusiasm, Ms. Kitty Xu for guidance and lived experience in the dance world, and Mr. Cunningham for his thoughtful organization and meetings. I truly had a blast throughout the entire research process about an academic topic completely unrelated to my major.

Director Claire out!