Zacharakis 1

John-Andrew Zacharakis

Mrs. Lounnas

CAA Plus II

Period 1

Mirrors: How Art Has Helped Me Thrive.

I recall watching my favorite childrens television programming as a young child, such as

Blues Clues, Dora the Explorer, and Spongebob Squarepants. Upon watching the same episodes

multiple times, I would begin to imitate the material I saw on-screen, which included

memorizing specific lines and re-creating it during playtime. This would begin the pathway for

my passion for drama and the cinematic arts, and deciding to pursue this career path at age 6.

Throughout the years, especially for the duration of my high school career, I have learned to

develop my skills through the perspective of art whenever possible. In my junior year, I took a

video production course in order to perfect my filmmaking capabilities. In this class, I learned

how to convey a message to my audiences through the techniques and storyline seen through a

camera lens.

Therefore, my journey as an artist led me to discovering how to utilize comprehensive

storytelling in order to bring awareness to the flaws of humanity or spreading a message that I

feel must be addressed. However, it was not until I joined the Arts Academy in my senior year

that I have discovered how to utilize dramatic performance in order to understand the various

perspectives of people. As an actor, I have realized the dedication to comprehending the mindset

and goals of various characters is critical to captivating an audience and gaining their empathy.

Academically, I have spent all four years progressing in my abilities to analyze deeper meanings

behind certain texts and utilizing my findings in argumentative or research-based writing. In

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addition, I have developed teaching skills in certain projects and a sense of directly completing

tasks in a timely manner. Finally, I have learned how to bring awareness to socio-political issues

from an objective and moderate point of view, and using the power of film to bring about this

objective to a mass-scale audience.

Part I: Mastery in the Arts

From a creative and artistic standpoint, I have learned how to use effective storytelling

and the characterizations in dramatic performances to captivate an audiences attention towards a

specific message. The artistic project that has allowed me to thrive in that regard was the All-

Academy Project at the beginning of second semester, where I played a dictator in a seemingly

perfect society. It allowed me to encapsulate my characters personality, improve my blocking,

and provide sub-text for my audience clearly. In addition, this is the first piece that I performed

without making it appear unnatural or overacted, while still providing a theatrical performance as

a character in the middle of an unfortunate circumstance.

In order to complete the artistic project effectively and proficiently, I was required to

know how to write an engaging story with believable characters and dialogue, direct a group of

fellow actors and actresses constructively, and be able to convey the character of a villain that is

manipulative and remorseless, while still being likeable for the audience. Upon completing the

piece, I have learned how to improve my writing by writing lines in short and to the point

sentences. In addition, I have learned to refine my directing skills by pointing out specific

mechanics that could improve the overall performance of the actors, as well as to bring the story

to life.

In order to complete the drama scene in the All-Academy project, I needed to understand

the original theme of the art pieces my group was selected to base our skits off of. From there,
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we took those ideas and implemented them into a premise that would do the artwork justice in

our adaptations. Our premise, a dystopian society with an outcast attempting to expose the leader

and his sinister intentions, was written into a script that incorporated some of the arts meaning,

as well as our own interpretation. Upon approval by the drama teachers, we diligently rehearsed

our skit every period and sometimes after school, improving all flaws that we encountered, such

as prolonged monologuing, performance mechanics, and story flow. After weeks of rehearsing,

we finally performed our skit on the final day of presentation. Consequently. I know how to

collaborate with fellow actors, I can now utilize teamwork in order to complete a project

efficiently.

What went incredibly well in completing the project was the readiness of all of my group

members. Every day we met, we knew what particular goal had to be met by everyone, and the

sense of teamwork was present. This made for quick and efficient work, and an overall

remarkable performance on the final presentation day. Moreover, I feel that the final performance

of the dramatic piece was received positively by fellow Arts Academy students and their

interactions with the antagonist emphasized that to me. However, better communications

between our supporting actors could have been improved, as they had their own obligations in

their own specialties in addition to acting for our scenes. This situation could have been resolved

by planning out their schedule and forming it to fit with our rehearsal schedule. Therefore, it

would be possible for every cast member to be prepared without the prospect of losing class time

to rehearse the skit.

I have demonstrated growth in my knowledge and skills as a student and as an actor by

developing my skills to think quickly under pressure and maintain backup plans in the instances

that certain actors are unavailable. I also learned how to memorize other actors lines for these
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occasions, as well as for run-through purposes when a line is dropped. However, the most critical

lesson I have learned through this experience in the spring All-Academy Project was the ability

to contribute proficiently to my group, as well as providing leadership for it at some instances. I

provided my own costumes, co-wrote the script, and helped planned out the blocking.

This particular project was impactful on my tenure as an Arts Academy student, as it

allowed me to fully demonstrate my creative talent in my specialty. Prior to this, my capabilities

as an actor was limited to what I did in individual classes, particularly English IV and Drama.

Now, with this project completed, I have been able to fully express a character and emotion to a

wider audience, which truly gratifies me.

Another artistic project that exemplified my abilities in storytelling through

visual/performing arts was my performance as Ezekiel Cheever in the 2016 high school

adaptation of The Crucible by Arthur Miller, which is currently my most significant

extracurricular activity in my scholarly career. The aim was to provide a retelling of the events of

the Salem Witch Trials in the late 1600s, and to bring across the message regarding the downfall

of gullibility, deception, and manipulation. I sincerely believe that I have met that goal by

portraying a character that contributed to these traits, where he used his position as a clerk of the

courts to bring about the tragic end of the protagonist via circumstantial evidence, and by

understanding his motives I contributed to telling a story that spoke to the audience in a

meaningful manner.

For me to effectively contribute my behalf to the production, I needed to delve deeper

into the mindset of Ezekiel Cheever, including his backstory, relationships, and role in the trials.

I also needed to be aware of how his presence was to be received by the audience and the manner

in which his overall character comes across on the stage. With successfully accomplishing these
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goals with complete satisfaction, I discovered what it means to be a catalyst in retelling real life

incidents and how it contributes to ensuring that it is never forgotten by society.

First, I was required to read and memorize my lines in the script. Being that in the

previous year I read the play in my English class outside the Academy, I already had an initial

familiarity to the source material. However, by actually acting and blocking out the play, I was

able to grasp the full intent of the play and understand the story even further. By having this

mindset as an actor, I was then able to have room to absorb myself into character while taking

special note of the intent of the directors. With that, I performed a character live on stage that

was a pawn of a series of events, and he contributed to the false accusations with evidence taken

out of context. Due to the experience, I could transform into a character in my dramatic

performances, and I have now acquired more knowledge in this medium by thoroughly studying

the perspective of a person who has existed in early American history, and replicating his essence

in a renowned work.

Skills that improved because of this production of The Crucible included developing my

ability to collaborate with fellow actors by understanding their characters and their relationship

to mine, as well as strengthening my basic knowledge of stage work and what goes into creating

a quality performance. Furthermore, the aspects of rehearsing the play that went incredibly well

were the emotional build up and pay off of acting out the scenes during rehearsals and the actual

performances themselves. Every individual involved knew their roles and what to do with them

in each changing environment. However, the blocking and memorizing of lines in some of these

scenes could have greatly improved for most of the rehearsals. In order to solve this, it was

necessary for the directors to go over the particular moments we had the most difficulties in until

it was done effectively.

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As a student and a person in general, this experience has made me understand the

importance of collaborative effort and putting your best work out in front of an entire room of

spectators. The use of teamwork has come to great use while pursuing this art form when

rehearsing skits for the class, as well as for assignments in other artistic endeavors, particularly

in the production of my independently-made films in my spare time, where this gained

knowledge comes to its greatest use. This project was also impactful to my short tenure as an

Arts Academy student, as it allowed me to learn about my peers better and further develop a

relationship with them. It also gave me insight in their artistic talents and how their influence can

assist me in making my craft even better. In addition to gaining knowledge through creative

storytelling in correlation with understanding the essence of drama, the Arts Academy has also

contributed to academic applications, especially those where artistic opportunity is available to

be implemented.

Part II: Academic Development

Over the four years in the learning environment, I have increased my perception in

analyzing the deeper meanings behind certain works by different individuals, as well as

beginning to grasp the nature of teaching my fellow peers, especially in a manner that would

gain their full attention. The latter of which is most apparent in the final project I created for my

Algebra II class, where my creative mindset was utilized to inform students of a specific lesson

in the trigonometric unit second semester, while simultaneously providing them entertainment

value. The overall objective of Algebra II was to enrich our education with learning how to solve

complex algebraic problems. In the second semester of the 2015-16 year, my final project was to

create a piece of work (paper, poster, video, etc) that highlighted one lesson we had learned from

class. I chose to shoot an educational film that served as a tutorial on how to solve for
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trigonometric expressions for right triangles. It met the courses goal by walking through the

steps in a detailed, simple-to-understand manner, which further strengthened my ability to excel

in Algebra.

In order to effectively complete the project, I needed to be familiar with the lesson in

question. It was also necessary to be aware of how detailed my explanations are when solving

the examples. Finally, I had to be able to do all of these in an entertaining manner, while

simultaneously not losing the focus of the video. When I finished the project, I had issues with

files that could not export due to their size, which eliminated the amount of valuable time I had.

Thus, I learned how to manage my time effectively and convert files sizes from large to small.

To begin work on my project, I first needed to select what topic I wanted to cover.

Ultimately, I chose to teach solving for right triangles using trigonometry. Next, I wrote down

several examples for different situations that I would use for the video. I then planned out the

production itself, which included creating a storyline, characters, how how the material itself

would be presented from a filmmaking perspective. When pre-production was completed, I

chose a day to shoot, and went through the process. During shooting, I found myself doing

several takes for every problem, as I had to ensure that every problem I solved was accurate, and

the camera captured every detail. Afterwards, I edited the clips in Hitfilm 3 Express, and

attempted to export the film several times, however the file sizes for the clips were too large. I

then downloaded conversion software that reduced the size to a doable amount. When I re-edited

the new clips and exported it, I was successful and was able to turn it in on time. Since I know

how to convert files, I can now do films with many shots and not be concerned about how much

time is wasted on failed exports.

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The new technology used, as mentioned previously, is a file converter program known as

Handbrake. This allowed to complete the film by turning unusable files into MP4 files, which is

acceptable in the video editing program I use. New skills that I acquired were teaching other

people, how to make an entertaining educational film that was entertaining, and I improved my

ability in solving trig problems. As I worked through this project, I found myself progressing in

my academic career, and furthering understanding critical subjects that may prove useful in my

future.

The initial pre-production process was the simplest portion of the project that did not

meet with difficulty. I was able to accomplish much progress by finding my topic, examples, and

the presentation method (being that the material was still fresh in my mind), and I enjoyed

filmmaking. The difficulty first revealed itself during production, where I had made mistakes on

three of my four examples, which required me to re-shoot the clips, which showed as some shots

were somewhat inconsistent. Afterwards, my trouble in post-production merely made the

situation worse, and thus dwindled the amount of time I had left. I could have improved my

project by managing my time better and paying more attention to detail to the shots.

Furthermore, I could have planned the entire video better by writing an actual script, being that I

only wrote an outline.

In regards to growth in my knowledge and skills as a student and in the subject, I believe

that I have demonstrated that I am capable of solving these complex algebraic equations, while

also teaching it to other people in a simple, comprehensive manner. In any future math

assessments, I believe that I can find the solution with no difficulty, being that the examples I

created are forever serving as reference for study. This project has also made me realize how

important planning it out is to creating a well-thought out, organized finished product. I now
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keep close tabs on all deadlines I intend to meet, and create scripts for every forthcoming project

that involves a visual or performing art. I quickly find that they are often of much better quality

upon completion, and therefore I can truly have something I can be proud of creating. This

particular project was also impactful on my tenure as an Arts Academy student, as it gave me the

realization that I am fully capable of transforming curriculum into an expression of creativity.

From then on, whether it was through dramatic or cinematic form, I found a passion for taking a

main idea or message of a topic, and making it into a work of art that can heighten its meaning

and entertain the observer.

Another instance that proved my excellence in the academic field was an assignment that

was given to my English III class, once again in the second semester of my junior year. The

assignment in question was observing a series of photographs taken during the Vietnam War and

analyzing potential meanings behind the works. This was part of pursuing the primary objective

of the course, which was to enrich our minds with American literature in order to assist us in

answering the question of what it means to be an American.

First, every table was to take turns and look closely at some of the most notorious

photographs taken of the Vietnam War and select one to write about. We were then tasked with

filling out a piece of paper that inquired our thoughts on the photos and to pursue what potential

meanings are behind them. For myself, I selected a photo that depicted a girl and several U.S

soldiers in the aftermath of a napalm burning. Based on my thorough observations, I found that

the soldiers in the foreground appeared to be towering over the scarred young child, almost

making her vulnerable and at their mercy. I therefore wrote an essay about that particular picture

and came to the conclusion that the photographer wanted to convey the message of the

overpowering nature of America meddling in the affairs of innocent Vietnamese civilians.

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Skills that I acquired during this assignment were an acute eye for discovering moods or

themes in different works and understanding a sense of subtext from within. This would prove to

be useful when I created a film for my video production class, as well as later on when I became

a drama student the following year, as in both mediums it is critical to identify such techniques in

order to present a message to audiences. Being that I have grown to use such a perspective on

certain works, I can now interpret other works, such as poems or even mathematical word

problems, with ease. Such accomplishments have therefore contributed to me receiving honor

roll awards and other recognition of academic excellence. This idea of going deeper into a topic

would also transition into my duty as an agent of change for my senior project, which drove my

desire to use my art to spark discussion.

Part III: An Agent of Change and Social Activism

In my mission of bringing about positive reformations in our society, I felt it was my duty

to do so in a way that was based on merely bringing awareness and not having a bias towards

one perspective. This objective, moderate approach was especially critical with the public safety

issue I wanted to address, which came in the form of gun-free zones in schools. Throughout, I

have grown to understand both sides of this particular topic, and incorporated both elements in

my potential solution based on my research. With it, I hoped to address the pros and cons of this

policy, and propose a plan that would fix the flaws while providing a compromise for both gun

rights and gun control advocates, and ultimately safety for individuals in the school and nearby

communities. This, ultimately, came in the form of implementing school resource officers on K-

12 campuses nationwide.

Initially, I was aware of the general topic of guns in the United States, as it has been a

topic that always fascinated me since childhood. I often heard multiple perspectives and found
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validity on both sides. However, I was less familiar with gun-free zones and the specifics of the

original law from 1990. After embarking on my journey for research, I quickly found that there

are many opinionated pages on the issue, which would prove to be difficult for the objective

perspective that I planned to use to avoid controversy. Eventually, however, I utilized a variety of

sources that would prove to be vital to driving my art piece and research paper forward and

garner the attention I intended. These sources included the National Crime Prevention Council,

the official Congress website, and the Firearms Coalition. Essentially, according to the Crime

Control Bill in 1990, the Gun-Free Zone Act imposes criminal charges on anyone in possession

of a firearm or any weapon if it is not for law enforcement or educational purposes (101st

Congress, law number 101-647). One of the pieces of evidence that spoke to me particularly

came from the first of these sources, where it addressed a concerning issue with expelling

students that come within the parameters of the school with a weapon. It reads, Local

policymakers in some communities worry that expulsion of students caught with guns just

releases dangerous students into the community and removes them from educational

opportunities (Strategy: Gun-Free School Zones). This was a piece of information that sparked

my interest in maintaining a middle ground, possible solution to the issue at hand, as well as my

own concern for the well being for people in a community near a school. Furthermore, according

to the Firearms Coalition, a gun-rights organization, the law was struck down in 1995 for being

an extreme use of federal power (Knox). Upon looking into this claim, I quickly found it to be

validated, as the Supreme Court did indeed find the act to be unconstitutional, therefore Congress

added affecting interstate commerce to the revised version. The author that also cites that such

gun-free zones did not deter future school shooters from committing their atrocities on innocent

students and teachers. He claims, Does anyone honestly believe that the Columbine murderers
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were deterred in the slightest by the law against bringing guns within 1000 feet of a school?

(Knox). Upon reading this particular argument, I found it to be a valid point on behalf of the pro-

gun perspective. Being that most criminals already ignore laws, the gun-free zone policy, as it

currently stands, cannot be enforced.

As a result, I looked into the flaws addressed, as well as the pros, most notably the reports

from school districts, citing that they claim violence decreased at schools, reduced gun-related

crime (Strategy: Gun-Free School Zones). Once I collected valid information, I began to write

the script for my film, incorporating my central questions and the research that answers them into

it. After two days of writing the film, I then conducted the interview and observation process.

Although the interview was not filmed, the content was eventually used in the final film. The

observation, on the other hand, was captured on camera. The photos and video clips shot were

meticulously recorded and captured nearly every part of the location selected. Meanwhile, I

recorded the voiceovers and completed the necessary non-location shots for completing the

project, as well as consulting my mentor for suggestions. Finally, I began to edit the documentary

and spent careful time perfecting it to the quality I desired, and the final film was uploaded to

YouTube upon exporting. With the knowledge of how to shoot a cinematic work of art, I can now

create a specific type of film that can utilize reality in a way that could spread my message to the

audience in an impactful manner.

The perspective of an actual school employee also provided the type of information I

needed to maintain the equal balance of viewpoints in the film. When I conducted my interview

with Patty Crespo, a noon supervisor at Delta View Elementary school, she gave a response to

the continued school shootings in a manner that made sense. She proclaimed that that enforcing

stricter gun regulations is only one attribute of the flaws. Theres a lack of mental resources,
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she says, For example, sometimes I see a kid that has issues, and those problems need to be

addressed, in addition to gun regulations and security measures. It then struck me that in my

research, I did not consider child psychology playing a role, nor more than one attribute for

school shootings occurring. I intend to expand my ideas upon this revelation, and could

potentially be part of my proposed solution, which was the school resource officers.

Furthermore, this piece of information spoke to me on a personal level. As a former student at

Delta View Elementary, I did often find that fellow pupils suffered from a variety of mental

disabilities, including ADHD, anger management issues, and bipolar disorder. Such unfortunate

conditions did not personally affect me, but it did occasionally change the atmosphere of the

school environment. Continuing on this path, I looked into the use of school resource officers to

see if it truly was an appropriate solution. Based on my findings from the Center for Problem-

Oriented Policing, I discovered the following:

SROs play a unique role in preserving order and promoting safety on campus by, for

example...Serving as hall monitors, truancy enforcers, crossing guards, and operators of metal

detectors and other security devicesresolving these [emotional/mental] problems frequently

requires the officer to act as a resource liaison, referring students to professional services within

both the school (guidance counselors, social workers) and the community (youth and family

service organizations) (Raymond).

From this excerpt, it immediately became clear to me that this would be the bipartisan

answer that I sought after. In addition to being the type of security that would surely resolve any

potential school shootings, they also act as informal counselors, mentors, and overall guides for

students learning about public safety awareness. Therefore, it was without reservation that I

found this to be my perfect solution, and that it would be the highlight in my film.
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The aspects of the project that were most effective were creating a piece of art that is

impactful to an audience intellectually and emotionally, while still refraining from forcing my

personal views on the topic, which would introduce unneeded bias to the work. In addition,

discovering information to use for the project seemed to come easily to me, and it directly served

as the basis for the documentary. It also perfectly answered the guiding questions, which allowed

for a more effective result. However, my timing and schedule for completing certain tasks could

have most definitely been improved upon, as oftentimes I found that deadlines had conflicted

with my initial planning for completing the art piece. A possible solution to this particular issue

would have been to be mindful of the Senior Project calendar provided, and to form deadlines

around those specific days.

Working through the project, I have demonstrated growth both as an artist and as a

student--as a student in the way that I have vastly improved the way that I research topics and

write papers based upon it, and as an artist in the manner that I have found a new medium of art,

particularly a form of filmmaking, that allows me to proficiently express my ideas to the masses.

As an agent of change, I had the desire to address public safety issues that are often not spoken

about openly due to mere controversy. I also wanted to contribute to this type of topic in an

objective manner, which I have failed to observe in other works. I often found bias towards one

particular view, which alienates certain individuals and continuing the debate. Through this

documentary, I hope to provide unique insight on the topic that can find agreement with both

perspectives of the argument. I have effectively met my projects objectives, as I ensured that

every fact and point given in the film was based upon the best interests of school staff and

students, members of the community, and advocates for both gun rights and gun control. With

that, the intention for the film is positive and not meant to be an attack on either perspective, and
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instead uniting them with a solution that both may find appeal in. I believe that the project will

produce the intended impact on those who engage with it, being that there is information within

the documentary that satisfies the views of all who see it. In addition, because the film is meant

to simply bring awareness to the issue, I feel that it will spark discussion between viewers and

introduce other viable outcomes for improving the safety of the public. This idealistic result

would successfully accomplish the goals that I had in mind for this project. I will continue to be

the change I want to see in the world by promoting a non-biased, moderate solution to all of the

problems plaguing humanity today through writing, performance, and the cinematic lens. I hope

that by doing so, I will rouse discussion between two conflicting viewpoints and hopefully

finding a solution that satisfies them both. Only then will we step closer to becoming a closer and

united world. Thus, by completing my mission to bring awareness to an issue and proposing a

compromising course of action though the power of film, I have grown as not only an artist, but

also as a proactive citizen of my country.

By using creative storytelling, being a teacher and analytical mind, as well as using

moderate standpoints to bring about social change, I feel that I am eligible for graduation from

high school. As a student ready for such an event, I feel that the most important element that I

have gathered from my experiences in the arts and academic field is being a productive part of a

team. Such skillsets are not only applicable for my career choice in entertainment, but also for

general usage for social interactions and being united as human beings. In addition, in a post-

educational environment, my abilities to teach others my craft and demonstrating my expertise

with it is critical to introducing a new generation of artists and thinkers. Thus, I perceive both as

two of the key elements of myself, and reflecting this mindset has set me on the path of success.