Who am I?
My name is Valerie Vega. I am a bilingual (speaking English and Spanish fluently) senior at Santa Susana High School, and this is my fourth and final year here now. I’ve taken some AP classes such as AP 3D Studio Art as well as AP English 11 and AP English Lit 12. Some other notable classes I have taken include Jazz Dance I & II, Digital Photo & Graphics, and French I & II amongst many others you can view in my resume under the “Resume” tab. I also very much enjoy partaking in some hobbies and activities such as baking, watching films and tv shows, reading, writing, and art, all of which took part in the making of this musical.
Why I Selected This Topic
I selected this topic because of how much of what I like to do is involved in the creation process of the show, and also to certify in the School of Visual & Performing Arts. With my four years required for the Fine Art Pathway, taking Basic Design, Drawing & Painting, Advanced Drawing & Painting, and AP 3D Studio Art, I decided to certify under the Academy of Visual Arts with High Honors because it’s what I enjoy. The way I will tie in all of those artistic aspects (posters, costuming, backgrounds, props, etc.) is not only by managing all of the art going into to show, but producing some of pieces for it as well. Not every piece of art in the musical will be produced by me, but those that are not will be supervised and approved by me. I just felt like the allowance of multiple people to collaborate on this one project and to create a piece of art whether it be creating a background or something for the props can be so special. Getting different people to allow their creativity to flow and form something to contribute to this one show gives a sense of something personal and of community. It’s taking multiple people to come together to produce an overall mood and impression, scene by scene for this musical. Another thing to note about the style we are going for for the backgrounds is to make it look like something out of a comic book, because after all, the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies are based off of the Marvel characters and stories from the comics. There is a vision I’ve constructed which combines both the contents of the MCU as well as the comics to give the musical a unique touch in art form which can be often overlooked or not considered as deeply. The goal is to use the different art in the musical to transport the audience members to wherever the scene before them is taking place, whether that be a park in New York City or a fictional planet far far away.
Hypothesis
I think I will learn more about time management, making connections, and leadership. There are deadlines and because of that, we must work efficiently in every aspect of the show so that everything comes out to the best of its ability on the final show day, and you can’t have that without time management. Making connections is important because we have to rely on others to keep this show afloat and approved. Plus, it’s always nice to get advice from professionals, or those who have had a little more experience in the area than you. I’ve also learned more about teamwork and leadership. Usually I'm good with at working alone, and to be honest, I was a little nervous to start to work and direct the cast, excited, but nervous. However, after spending much time with them all and working with each of them, I’ve learned how much I love to do this and I have found I’ve gained the ability to take the lead and to be able to work well with others, strongly too. This is something I did not expect from the start, but it has allowed me to open myself up both personally and to new opportunities as well.