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Action Plan

  Complete the Project Overview.   Synopsis   Rationale   Aims and Objectives   Target Audience   Skill Development   Video Editing   Audio Editing   Voice Overs   Visual Content   Complete the Assignment Presentation on the overview.   Assess the overview and form a Project Breakdown and action list.   Study and research the philosophers that will make up a large part of the script .   Original book   Thoreau and Emerson   Transcendentalism   The writings of Chris McCandless   Poetry ( Lord Byron, Sharon Olds)   Contact the writer of the original book for comments or remarks.    Compose this research into bullet points.   Begin writing the script for an audio recording – focus on phrasing, make it sound conversational and natural.   Search for, record, and catalogue a library of visual-audio clips from the film for Educational Purposes.    Begin to piece together the visual and audio segments of the video essay in Premiere Pro or HitFilm Express.   Form a first draft copy of the audi

Skill Development

  In choosing to create a video essay, I have undertaken the opportunity to develop an array of skills in digital media and content creation.   Video Editing   Video editing has been something that I have worked on in the past as a hobby, but not something that I have devoted any great time towards recently. Working on a ten minute, fully-edited audio-visual video essay has been something I have wanted to do for a long time now, and I am looking forward to doing it.    Getting familiar with the editing software will be my main goal. P remiere Pro and HitFilm Express are two forms of software that I have used in the past, and I am keen on developing my skill with them to a greater extent.   Audio Editing   Audio editing is something that I have a fair bit of experience in. Using Reaper, I will record and edit the narration of this piece so as to form a basis for the video and keen direction on where the visuals will lead. I expect to record and re-record numerous times for

Target Audience

  This video essay is , at its core, targeted towards those that enjoy film philosophy and a certain level of theory-crafting. While these criteria alone are very broad and difficult to relate to specific demographics, the way in which the video is created will provide me with a means of breaking the target audience down more precisely.   T he video essay will be a persuasive and, ultimately, personal take on the philosophies found in Into the Wild . It will be my outlooks, my perspectives, and what I see when I watch the film that stands out to me and makes it into the final script. As such, it is people my age that the video essay will likely appeal to. 17-30 would be a rough age demographic.   Alongside this, the video essay will likely only appeal to those within my own societal “class” or norms. I am not extremely wealth y. I have grown up on a philosophy of being cautious with money and reasonable in how I spend it. While assessing a film and philosophies that do not hold materi

Aims and Objectives

  Through the creation of this video-essay, I aim to research the film’s source material and all its accompanying media (philosophers’ writings, the poetry, the books and locations) in order to fully understand and appreciate the film.    Not only that, but I aim to share what I find in a way that’s accessible, persuasive and, ultimately, enjoyable to engage with and consume. I appreciate the film and the work put into it greatly, and it is that appreciation that I would like to share.   I aim to explore both the good and the bad in reference to the ramifications of a lifestyle under transcendentalism and the writings of both Thoreau and Emerson. I will use these two men and their influence on the protagonist , providing my video essay with both in-film references as well as outside context .    The insightful design when transitioning between the spaces created by the film’s soundscape, and how these changes impact you emotionally when linked with the visuals, is something I ai

Rationale

  I have chosen to tackle this video essay for numerous reasons.   Firstly, the film had a major impact on my worldview and the way in which I prioritize what is important to me. There are not many films that have touched me in the way that Into the Wild ha s.   Secondly, the real-life application of transcendentalism – the belief that people and nature are inherently good , and that industrial society and institutions are corrupting their purity – has become a point of great contention.    Into the Wild is unique in that it highlights both the tremendous good and terrible contradictions of a lifestyle that subscribes to the ideals of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson.    Thirdly , I believe that the cinematography and musical accompaniment of the film directly benefit the way in which an audience interprets and emotionally responds to the philosophy. The soundscape of the film is incredibly creative, particularly when crafting spaces.  

Synopsis

  The Philosophy of Into the Wild is a persuasive and explorative piece taking the form of a vi sual-audio essay . I will critically assess the philosophies that are found in the film ‘Into the Wild’ , particularly transcendentalism , and further explore how effectively these philosophies are portrayed through the cinematography and soundscape of the film. The video essay will also highlight the efficacy of these philosophies, their importance, and the consequences of actualizing them in modern society.   It will be a 10-minute audio-visual essay with a flowing, progressive format. This means there will be no segmentation or chapters in the essay. It will include video and audio clips from the film itself, as well as a range of created media that will support and further the information found in the script.