Senioritis

I discussed senioritis a little in my last post, but considering it is the foundation of my senior project, I wanted to find a source that explicitly dealt with senioritis. Though I plan to make a video and most of my research will be based on filmmaking, and I have real life inspiration to draw from, my particular experience might not be the same as others'. Also, many times when senioritis is discussed, it revolves around high school seniors and the truth is that college seniors experience senioritis as well- often times at a worse degree.
Vicki Nelson, Founder of College Parent Central, wrote an article titled "Is Your College Senior Suffering from Senioritis? 13 Reasons Why It May Not Be What You Think". Says Nelson, "We hear less about senioritis during the last year of college, but it exists.  Often, it looks much like high school senioritis.  Your student has been in school now for sixteen or more years, and he is tired of being a student, loses focus and motivation, skips classes, does poorly on assignments, and generally appears unengaged."
This woman gets it. The reasons she lists for possible college senioritis range from debt, to job pressure and even the comfortable "bubble" of college. I had already drawn up a rough outline for my movie but after reading Vicki's reasons (and her explanations for them), I have realized there are several minor details I could add in to make it that much more real and relatable.

Speaking of those "minor details", no details are too minor in my opinion. I love finding "Easter eggs" in the TV shows and videos I watch (an Easter egg is an intentional inside joke, a hidden message, or a secret feature of an interactive work). I enjoy watching advertisements and watching the narrative unfold. I have always been a creative person in that sense. I don't watch things just to be entertained; I live for the story.

David Bordwell, author of Three Dimensions of Film Narrative, says, "Whatever we call it, the study of narrative is very important. Storytelling is a pervasive phenomenon. It seems that no culture or society is without its myths, folktales, and sacred legends. Narrative saturates everyday life too. Our conversations, our work, and our pastimes are steeped in stories. Go to the doctor and try to tell your symptoms without reciting a little tale about how they emerged. The same thing happens when you go to court or take your car to a mechanic or write a blog. Perhaps storytelling is part of human maturation, since it emerges quite early in human development... We share stories with each other, assuring others that we have experiences congruent with theirs. Sometimes we tell a joke... to create a bond..."

Bordwell is right. Though I'll be behind the camera and not in front of it, this is my story. The way I experienced something. And I'll be sharing it with people who may or may not have similar experiences. Perhaps, in turn, it will prompt others to provide their own experiences, tying us together, creating that bond Bordwell speaks of, and building a community (as discussed in previous posts). That in itself gives the film meaning, in my opinion.

Bordwell, David. "Three Dimensions of Film Narrative." Poetics of Cinema (2008): 85-134.

Nelson, Vicki. "Is Your College Senior Suffering from Senioritis? 13 Reasons Why It May Not Be What You Think." College Parent Central, Mar. 2013. Web. 18 Mar. 2017.