To the rest, this post is about what I learned from acting in the short film "Elle Qui Pleure" directed by my wonderful friend Isa. Since I was working on this film at the same time as a good like 3 or 4 others, the lessons I learned here mostly bleed into the ones I'll go into more depth on in future posts. For example, I learned some real good time management when scheduling shoots (because I /had/ to), I generally upped my level of promptness and professionalism, and blah blah blah enough about me.
I kind of lied to you. This post is actually about what I learned from watching *Isa* make her short film. In the beginning of the year, we had a brand identity project that I had written about in earlier posts. Isa's brand identity was sweet, with a focus on art and love. Through the creation of this short film I noticed not only the way this piece continued to authentically build her original brand identity, but also her growth as an artist.
Okay, I really did lie to you. This is just an Isa appreciation post. In the beginning of the year, Isabella Coronel's brand was drawn around neutral colors, a welcoming ambience, and an appreciation for art. When asked to describe the purpose of her brand, she responded "to love." I think this project well encompasses that brand identity from multiple fronts. Aesthetically, the soft classical music and clean minimal design of the film and it's postcard carry forward the original brand. When it comes to subject matter, creating a story about a girl who learns self love through art hits the nail on the head of what she wanted her brand to be all about. These are both connections she made in a blog post of hers. Where her analysis falls short, however, is something I want to address myself. The film may have solidified the brand's theme of self love with it's story, but I also think that it's creation was able to solidify a bit of self acceptance within its creator herself.
When explaining her brand's relationship to an audience, Isa carried herself as a Friend, a Helper, and a Good Listener. In the beginning of the project, she would always mention how she liked to *help* me and some of our other friends with projects she thought were really cool. This time, though, the project was all her own. Through the production process, I could see when Isa was stressed about getting it done, when she was unsure of what to do on set, when she wasn't confident that her ideas were good or would come to fruition. By our last day of filming, though, I saw her quickly problem solving, asking for less advice, and giving me directions with more confidence. In the end, she planned and executed a film not only on time but to a level on par with the work of the peers she looked up to months prior.
We're all real proud of you, Isa. Don't doubt yourself for a second.
