Blog 26: Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your 2-Hour Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

I am most proud of my answers, activities, product, and EQ posters because it took me a while to get all of those done. For my answers I did a lot of research, analyzed many zombie films, and interviewed several zombie authors to maintain these answers. As for my activities, it took several revisions to make sure it was an interesting one and make sure it applied what I had taught throughout my lesson. I am also very proud of my product. Since I had put so much effort into my mentorship by going out of my own way to contact several authors, I had made a couple connections along the way- Max Brooks, Steve Hockensmith, Don Roff, Jonathan Maberry, and John Joseph Adams. They all are willing to help me when I need it and provide the best advice as to what steps I need to take in order to accomplish my goals. The EQ posters I made also came out looking very good after I designed them to say my EQ as well as all three of my answers. I had received so many compliments on them that it made me feel real proud of myself. 

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your 2-Hour Presentation (self-assessment)?

I would give myself an AE for my 2 Hour-Presentation. 

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

On my overall senior project, I would give myself an AE.    

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

My mentorship, Science project, Independent component 2, presentations (including my 2 hour) really worked for me. Because I had an amazing mentor, Matt Mogk, who would constantly help me with absolutely everything, I was able to complete all of these tasks without any problems along the way. 

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would have you done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time? 

I would have made sure to turn in my first interview in on time. I also would have improved the research I collected at the beginning of the year. I feel like I should have brought in better quality research. Another thing I would have done would have been to ask Ogden for additional help with the 3 Column Chart. After he had explained it a couple of times I still did not understand it which caused me to do mine completely wrong. I could have asked for more help to get mine done the correct way. 

(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?  Be specific and use examples. 

My senior project has been very helpful in getting me to start talking to people I didn't really know at first but eventually had to get to know in order to get help for something that I needed help in.  For example, I myself had to go up to Matt Mogk and talk to him to ask him for an internship at Zombie Research Society. I had to prove myself to him and show that I was indeed serious about this job so I put lots of effort into the projects he had assigned me. I would even do more than what was originally asked. I also got better at communicating which could be a great benefit in the future for when I am in search of a job or career that requires that skill. This senior project has also given me lots of experience in research after all of the research checks that we had to complete through out the year. It has also made me a better note taker, making more quick than before and more able to gather more information within a short amount of time. This senior project has also allowed me to make connections with professionals within the field I was studying- Zombie Culture. This gave me the opportunity to use them as a resource for when I actually want to join the field that I am interested in. 

June 6, 2013

I have rehearsed my presentation about 6 times today. I made sure to review my PowerPoint and look over all of the slides to make sure there weren't any mistakes present. I want to make sure that I'm for sure all good to go for tomorrow. I really love the look of my PowerPoint. At first I was worried that I had too many slides but Jared told me he had around 50 so mine isn't as much but it'll have to do. I have gotten all of my materials and decoration packed so I can leave early in the morning and have more time to set up.

June 5, 2013

Today during lunch I went to go talk to Ogden about my lesson plan for my two hour presentation.  Luckily, all that I had on my lesson plan was fine and he told me that at first he was a bit worried about mine. So, it was such a relief to be told that everything was perfect and was set to go on Friday. I'm a bit nervous about it, but I'm sure I'll do fine since I know a lot about my topic and I can talk about it for hours. I have practiced several times so I know that I'll be able to present confidently.

June 3, 2013

Today I created cards for all the students within my presentation. I have created them these cards to keep and help them find their seats for my presentation. On the card there is a barcode that reads "When  hell is full, the dead will rise." I chose this quote because it is a common quote that represents many zombie films and because I thought it would be interesting. Here is a sample of the cards I have made for everyone:

May 26, 2013

Today I printed out 3 posters that I will use for my 2 Hour Presentation. Each poster has my essential question written on it, along with an answer on each. There is one for central message, characters, and conflict. To be honest, I'm very happy on how they turned out. They look really nice. I hope many others like them as well. Here are the pictures of them. I'm not sure on which my favorite is.

May 24, 2013

Today I found a great example of a zombie short film that contains a powerful central message. The name of the short film is Cargo and it is about this man who gets bitten by his wife and after they get into a car accident, he escapes with a baby girl. The man, afraid of turning into a zombie and wanting to attack his child, straps the baby onto his back, ties his arms, and attaches a bag full of guts in front of him to help distract him so he won't attack the child. As he seeks for a safe place to take his daughter, he gets shot and another group of survivors find the baby and take care of her. I believe this is a great short film to show due to the fact that the film itself does not use any dialogue but is still able to send a point across: A father is willing to do anything to ensure the safety of his child.

May 21, 2013

After school today, Lucas and I worked on creating our props and decorations for our two hour presentations. We went to Walmart to buy plastic, spray paint, and liquid foam insulation. We made guts out of the liquid foam insulation and fake blood along with the red spray paint. It was pretty easy creating our props, the only problem was that they took a while to dry and when the liquid foam got on something it wasn't supposed to, it took a while to get off. Other than that, the task was simple and we were able to make it look disgusting which was exactly what we were going for.

Blog 25: Mentorship

Literal 

• Mentorship Log
• Contact Info: Matt Mogk  Phone: 310-266-1868  email: mogk@zrs.me

Interpretive 

The most important thing I have gained from this experience was the ability to communicate with others. For example, I had to communicate with all of the radio show hosts, zombie fans and authors, my partner Luke Boyd and mentor Matt Mogk in order to raise money for the once existing George Romero Star Campaign, get the interviews/ interview proposals done, and update the ZRS blog. Another important thing I gained from this experience was the ability to understand what it is that zombie fanatics like to see. I have learned that zombie fans would rather prefer to see articles that they could connect with through humor and those about a popular zombie film, book or video game. Most of the fans on the ZRS page absolutely adore George Romero for Night of the Living Dead, Max Brooks for his book World War Z,  Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg for their film Shaun of the Dead. I have also learned to be patient when it comes to setting up meetings with other people because often the people I'd work with would often have a busy schedule. 

Applied

My experience has helped me answer my essential question,"What is the most important factor for successful zombie fiction?" by allowing me to view for myself what it is that interests zombie fanatics. Helping Luke Boyd and Matt Mogk run the Zombie Research Society blog allowed me to see which movies and books were most popular and why. For example, when the novel World War Z was adapted into a film, Max Brooks himself admitted that he wasn't too sure that the film would fulfill World War Z fans. He even claimed that the only similarity between his book and the film was the name and that he had practically no involvement with the making of the movie so he can't guarantee that it'd be good enough to live up to his fan's expectations. This helped me realize that if an author isn't involved with the making of a film adaptation, then the entire story behind it will be distorted and may have a less chance of becoming as successful as the novel due to the different interpretations. 

May 19, 2013

Here is the first ZRS blog update I helped contribute to:

High-End Zombie Baby Dolls

May 15, 2013

Today I received my ZRS membership shirt and ID card through the mail. I can honestly say that these shirts look really amazing. I'm excited to wear it for my presentation. It feels great to officially be known as a member. 

Blog 24: Exit Interview Questions

1. What is your essential question? What is the best answer to your question and why?
My essential question is "What is the most important factor for successful zombie fiction?" My best answer is central message and theme. The reason why a work of fiction's central message is important is because it is what defines our society and culture. The things we find interesting in media are those that we can relate to as a society. For fiction to be successful, it must contain a central message we all understand and value.

2. What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
At the beginning of senior project my essential question was originally, "What makes zombie culture so popular in today's society?" Upon performing days of research, I came across various answers that were just too general and in all honesty quite obvious. Then I realized I had to change my essential question so that it could pinpoint to just one solid answer. From then on out I didn't really know what to do, so I asked my mentor Matt Mogk (head of Zombie Research Society) and he told me I should research cultural anxieties. I wondered why cultural anxieties, and after doing what I was told, I realized that was what zombie fiction was all about. Then I figured that there must be more to what makes zombie culture popular. I thought that in order for zombies to become popular in society, they must be portrayed throughout some sort of media such as cinema, literature, and gaming. This finally led me to my current essential question, "What is the most important factor for successful zombie fiction?" Since most successful works of fiction aren't those simply about zombies but about something more meaningful as my mentor said, cultural anxieties, it has become my best answer.

3. What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?
Some problems I faced were getting the first interview done on time. My mentor was out of town at the time to go speak on behalf of Zombie Research Society at a convention known as Infect Scranton which takes place in Pennsylvania. In order to resolve that issue, I contacted Matt multiple times to remind him about the interview and followed up on the day he was actually able to be interviewed. Although it was a bit complicated to get done at first, I eventually got it turned in so I'm proud to say that I managed to make it through. Another problem I faced was figuring out what to do for Independent Component 1. I asked my mentor once again for advice and to my surprise he had a project set for me to work on. He assigned me the George Romero Star Project in which I was to help raise money to try to get George Romero a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I was to have this done by contacting thousands of zombie fanatics and spreading the word of this campaign. All had been going well, the Zombie Research Society and I raised around $17,000 out of the $45,000 that was required. I had even gotten an article published on the LA Times Hero Complex to support our campaign but unfortunately the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce weren't too happy that the price to maintain the star was announced. So the project had to be called off and we are as of now trying to come up with a new way to honor George Romero for all of his great work in advancing the zombie genre into what it is now.

4. What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
Two of the most significant sources I have used to answer my essential question were
-First Interview with Matt Mogk because it helped me find my first answer and get everything to fall in place.
-The Living Dead by John Joseph Adams because it helped support two of my answers: central message and characters.

5. What is your product and why?
My product is the ability to communicate with others more effectively. I can now arrange interviews very easily due to the fact that's practically what I did the majority of the time during my mentorship. Besides having to set up interviews for senior project, I also had to set up interviews for Matt on radioshows. I was required to contact every talk show host on a specific list to set up an interview regarding the month of May- Zombie Awareness Month. I have also gained connections with a few zombie authors (Matt Mogk, Jonathan Maberry,Don Roff, John Joseph Adams, Steve Hockensmith).

Blog 23: 2014 Interview

1. I interviewed Cesar Lopez, a student in South House.

2. Cesar: I am thinking along the lines of "what it takes to run a successful business"..Something like that. I've always kind of wanted to own my own little business of anything. Or like go into some kind of business area.

3. Cesar: Well, for career day they had someone come in to Pang's room and I was going to ask to see if he could be my mentor. I haven't kept in touch with him but he gave us a card and everything, so I'll get in contact with him as soon as I can.

4. Cesar: Well I'd like to see something in the architecture parts, business parts, engineering maybe, something along those lines. Maybe even culinary arts.

5. Cesar: Do you actually have time to complete your mentor hours and take young scholar classes?
My response: Well, I don't take college classes but my friend Amanda does and she said she's taken two classes and yeah, it was a bit stressful but it wasn't that bad. So you have time for that.You can take classes, but you just have to manage your time wisely.

Blog 22: 3 Column Chart

3 Column Chart

Blog 21: Independent Component 2

Literal 
a. I, Leslie Lopez, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
b. In order to complete my film analysis, I used the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) to find out who the films' directors were and when the films were released. I also used Box Office Mojo to provide the amount of money the films have made in total. I referred to "Considering Blackness in George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead: An Historical Exploration", a thesis written by Jennifer Whitney Dotson to justify the central message within Night of the Living Dead and provide a clear example on what a successful film contains. I also used this article within the Los Angeles Times Hero Complex in order to gain an idea as to which films I could watch and analyze: Top 10 zombie movies at the box office: Zombies not a monster draw.
c. Independent Component 2: Log of Hours
d. In this Independent Component I watched a list of several different zombie films in which I believed were well known and successful enough to evaluate and analyze. These films were:

• The Evil Dead
• Resident Evil
• 28 Days Later
• Dawn of the Dead
• Shaun of the Dead 
• 28 Weeks Later
• Planet Terror
• Return of the Living Dead
• Zombieland
• Night of the Living Dead 
• Land of the Dead 
• Rec 3 
• Aah! Zombies!! 
• Fido
• The Crazies 
• Warm Bodies
• Diary of the Dead 
• I am Legend
• The Horde 

The film analysis I completed for each film asked for the title of the film, director and producer, release date, genre, important moments within the film, the atmosphere of the film, mood and look of the film as well as many other factors. This form could be viewed below. 

Interpretive

Everyday beginning March 31st up until April 18th, I have watched and analyzed one zombie film a day on the list above. I made a blog to post my opinion and analysis of each film I had watched along with its theatrical trailer. I also made sure to spend the majority of the time watching the film and researching the ways different camera angles, lighting and music could be used to establish a certain mood or look for a scene. Adding onto that, I've researched several different types of central messages films provide such as the racial and war commentary in George Romero's Night of the Living Dead.  

Here is the link to all of the film analysis I have completed: http://lesliesblogofthelivingdead.blogspot.com/

Applied

This component really helped me support my first answer, central message, for my essential question: What is the most important factor for successful zombie fiction? Upon completing an analysis for each film, the results showed me how important it is for a film to contain a meaningful message that everyone will remember. I have learned that if a film lacks a central message, such as the films Planet Terror, Aah! Zombies!!, and The Horde, then the film will not be as great as all of the others because the film 's ability to be easily forgotten. Films like 28 Days Later, Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, and  Land of the Dead, on the other hand, are memorable due to the fact that they send a strong central message. For example, in 28 Days Later the inhumanity in man is highlighted along with the increase in violence in our media. The central message in both Dawn of the Dead and Land of the Dead criticize our consumer culture and our need to take advantage of the products around us. "The central theme of Dawn of the Dead is shifted from the evils of consumerism to the issues of trust and goodwill between men." (Dawn of the Dead, Then and Now). In Night of the Living Dead, the central message relies on racial conflict and the conflict of a group being unable to work together which causes them twice as much trouble and even their lives.  This component has also made it easy for me to pinpoint the factors these films all have in common and differ with one another. Using what I know about the successful and well written zombie films, I could apply those same factors to the least successful films in order to improve them.

Blog 20: Three Column Logic Chart First Draft

Three Column Logic Chart First Draft

Blog 19: Senior Project and ESLRS

1. I feel as if I have mainly excelled mostly in the Effective Communicator category in my senior project.
2. I feel like I've excelled mainly on this ESLR because I have connected with many people in order to gain a better understanding of my topic. For example, I've talked to popular zombie authors such as Steve Hockensmith, Jonathan Maberry,  Max Brooks, John Joseph Adams and my mentor Matt Mogk and asked them questions regarding what it takes to write zombie fiction. As part of my 1st independent component as well, I got into contact with Steve Hockensmith and he allowed me to get an article up on the LA Times Hero Complex because of it. I have also contacted radio stations to propose an interview with the ZRS and was able to get Arrianna Nichols from 1069 The Eagle to cooperate.
3. Evidence:

Connecting with Steve:

The actual article: 

http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/george-romero-walk-of-fame-star-for-zombie-godfather/#/0

Connecting with Arrianna:

Working with my mentor Matt Mogk has also allowed me to work with many other beneficial aids. If I ever need to interview someone again I could just ask him for advice and he'd gladly be willing to help in appointing me in that direction. 

Blog 18: 2 Hour Meeting Answer #3

1. What is the most important factor for successful zombie fiction?
2. An important factor for successful zombie fiction would be conflict whether it be between people, people and themselves, people and zombies, or people and their environment.
3. Three examples to help justify this answer would be that conflict helps drive the story. In a typical storyline this appears as: set up, story builds, climax, the final outcome. Michael Crichton's novel Disclosure happens to be a great example of the continuous use of one conflict right after another. In some cases in Crichton's work, one climax follows the other fast and sudden, leaving the reader breathless and wanting to read more.
The Walking Dead series also provides another example of multiple layers of conflict being used well and done so realistically and naturally that we do not notice them. Lori and Shane have a conflict in that Shane is in love with her. Rick and Shane have a conflict in which Shane wants to do anything it takes to survive while Rick wants to do the right thing to have something to live for, even if it risks survival. The best conflicts are between real people who simply want different things.
4. The source that helped me prove that this answer is justified was Craig DiLouie's article: Writing the Zombie Novel.
5. I plan to study the cultural anxieties of our time as of right now in order to come up with the base of a possible zombie story. By studying our cultural anxieties, I could try to figure out some metaphors that I could use to represent them within my story. I could also use the conflict technique that I had stated above to add onto my plan.

February 26, 2013

I have currently been contacting various radio stations in order to pitch interviews with the Zombie Research Society for May which is also known as Zombie Awareness Month. I have also been updating the Zombie Research Society webpage and blog with current zombie news and other fascinating articles and entries. It has been tedious but very beneficial for me to contact these radio stations. It takes quite a while for the hosts to come through, but eventually they do contact me back and schedule an interview with the Zombie Research Society. As of now Arianna Nichols host of the 106.9 The Eagle will be interviewing us soon which is really good news for us.

Blog 17: Fourth Interview Questions

1. What main aspect makes zombie culture popular in today's society?
2. What is the most important factor for successful zombie fiction?
3.  In your opinion, what does a zombie signify? 
4. Which film do you believe best represents the zombie genre overall? Why?
5. What central message do you believe most zombie films send?
6. Out of all the zombie fiction you have read, which one is your favorite? Why?
7. In your opinion, what makes zombie fiction amazing?
8. What inspired you to write zombie fiction?
9. Do you believe that there is one special ingredient as to what makes a zombie story good?
10. What are the different types of metaphors you've heard of within zombie fiction?
11. Which metaphor do you think worked the best?
12. Do the characters matter in zombie fiction?
13. Which other genre would you compare zombie fiction to?
14. Are there any difficulties in writing stories about zombies?
15. Do you have any advice to give to someone like myself who would want to write a zombie novel?
16. What makes you want to read a zombie novel or watch a zombie film?
17. Which zombie film do you think is the worst? Why?
18. How can a writer make their zombie fiction not the same as all of the others?
19. Are there any works of zombie fiction that you recommend I read?
20. What do you personally like about the zombie genre? Do you prefer zombies rather than any other monster?

Blog 16: 2 Hour Meeting Answer #2

1. What is the most important factor for successful zombie fiction?
2. Another important factor for successful zombie fiction would be its characters.
3. The readers have to relate to at least one character in order to empathize with them and actually become interested in the story. For example, if someone feels the same way as a character does within a story, there is a strong chance that they will enjoy the story since it will make them feel as if they're the ones in trouble. This also helps make the story more realistic. Along with developing a relationship with one of the characters, if the story is driven with conflict happening right after another, it will force the character to go through a change. This would allow the readers to experience a variety of emotions which will help them want to read on further. The characters could also be used to represent something based on their actions and characteristics sort of like the Wizard of Oz.
4. The source(s) that have helped me prove this answer is justified are the articles "Humans in the Foreground: 11 Writers on Writing Zombie Fiction", "Writing the Zombie Novel", and "Zombies can bring your fiction back to life."
5. I plan to continue my study of answer 2 by researching far more on it and taking a class that allows me to practice writing zombie fiction. I also plan on reading the best selling zombie novels to take note of what their characters are like in order to compare them to see what the basic characteristics are for successful zombie fiction.

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Plan Approval

(1) For my second independent component, I plan on taking a literature or reading class up at Cal Poly.
(2) I plan to meet the 30 hours of work by attending each class and writing what I had learned each day in that class.
(3) This would relate to my working EQ by helping me figure out more factors that create successful fiction.

Blog 14: Independent Component 1

Literal
(a) I, Leslie Lopez, affirm that I have completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
(b) Matt Mogk
310-266-1868
mogk@zrs.me
(c) Log of Independent Component Hours (Begun Oct 1)
(d) I worked on getting George A. Romero the recognition that he deserves. The Zombie Research Society and I had launched a campaign to get Romero a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I contacted various celebrities, authors, and fans who shared the same interest in zombies as I. (Quentin Tarantino, Simon Pegg, Steve Hockensmith, Max Brooks, Jonathan Maberry..) However, the project was unfortunately shut down by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce due to the fact that we were advertising that the star costs so much money. Before the project was shut down I did however get to put together an article within the Hero Complex of the LA Times with the help of Steve Hockensmith and Gina McIntyre.

Interpretive
These 30 hours of work were significant for this independent component because I had to go out of my own way to contact MANY zombie fans including the famous ones and it was extremely difficult to get a hold of them. Surprisingly they were enthusiastic in helping out with the project due to the fact that it was for a great cause (getting George Romero a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame since he was the one who started it all). Alone, I had helped the Zombie Research Society raise a bit over $7,000 out of the $45,000 goal. Unfortunately the project couldn't be proceeded due to The Chamber of Commerce not enjoying our announcement of how much the star would cost. However, these hours and this project really helped me learn how to contact various people in a professional way and also allowed me to make connections with some of the most helpful people who are actually successful. For example, I have contacted various successful authors and or writers who specifically write under the zombie genre and know much about zombie culture that I have easily provided myself with future interviewees that are willing to help me. I have also made a connection with someone who works within the Hero Complex of the Los Angeles Times which will benefit me later in the future for when I want to have a message sent out to a large audience regarding something I believe that matters and this really comes in handy.
Hero Complex Article

Applied
This independent component helped me understand my senior topic better by showing me that zombie culture is indeed popular and how George Romero pretty much revolutionized the idea of zombies with his films (adding a deep central theme to them) to the point that many people believe he deserves an award for it - a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This proves that our society or a huge part of our society has great respect for a man like George who provided that form of message. This component also made me realize that by working together, you can get so much done within a short amount of time. For example, if you contact people and ask for their help with something, you will get it done quicker such as for fundraising for a great cause. People will be willing to help as long as you have an explanation for what you are doing and are willing to cooperate. They are also willing to get as many other people involved as well in order to add on to the aid.

January 27, 2013

Today I set up an interview with John Joseph Adams, editor of the anthology, The Living Dead as part of Interview 3. The Living Dead is a compilation of short stories regarding zombies. I'm excited about this interview because I'm pretty sure that since he has read a lot of zombie fiction, he could help me figure out an answer for my essential question: What is the most important factor for successful zombie fiction?

Blog 13: Rough Draft of 30 Minute Presentation

30 Minute Presentation Rough Draft

Blog 12: Third Interview Questions

1. What main aspect makes zombie culture so popular in today's society?
2. In your opinion, what does a zombie signify?
3. Which film do you believe best represents the zombie genre overall? Why?
4. What central message do you believe most zombie films send?
5. Out of your book, The Living Dead, which story would you say was your favorite?
6. What makes zombie fiction amazing?
7. What is your favorite zombie book? Why?
8. What is your favorite zombie film? Why?
9. What is the most important factor for successful zombie fiction?
10. What do you personally like about the zombie genre? Do you prefer zombies rather than any other monster?

Blog 11: Mentorship 10 Hours Check

1. I am doing my mentorship at Zombie Research Society.
2. Matt Mogk Phone Number: 310-266-1868 Email: mogk@zrs.me
3. 30 hours and 15 minutes https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Akw9-202dQLGdC1CSHlsTFllWkhjS28yX2hNelBRWFE
4. On October 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 21, 22, 23, and 25 I spent the minimum of 2 hours each day contacting several famous zombie authors, fans, and LA Times writers in order to let them know of the campaign that was launched by the Zombie Research Society. I also helped fundraise money for the George Romero Star Project which was needed to be brought up to $45,000.