My story in 4 minutes.
It only took 7962 days to create.
#connectthedots
Film & Music: Sandro Luna
Director’s Note(s)
This film was released on Friday, July 28, 2017 at 6:00 p.m.
On the way to the hospital, my mom asked my dad to pick up film for their video camera.
The red dots are a representation of all the places I have lived.
I enjoy making entertaining videos with my brother and sisters whenever I am home on break.
The family.
Spinning out of control, but ultimately making a 180° to change my life.
The empty barbell rolls forward to the right, signifying a necessity for change.
Two weight plates representing a doubling of my weight.
“Sandro,” short for “Alessandro.” I shortened my name after a very difficult day at kindergarten trying to spell my full name.
Lead, follow, become: I gave a high school graduation speech encouraging my peers to surround themselves with people
They aspire to lead, follow, or become. I also reminded them not to forget where they started (i.e. family).
Yes, the audio clips in these beach scenes are dubbed.
Upon investigation, I realized my college acceptance letter arrived via email on Friday, the 28th (of March 2014) at exactly 6:00 p.m.
“BIO 107: Human Physiology Laboratory
This laboratory course is active and inquiry based. Aspects of exercise and temperature are explored; however, the specific questions the class tackles differ each quarter. Samples of past questions: Does lactic acid accumulation correlate with exercise fatigue at different exercise and body temperatures? Does palm cooling during exercise mitigate the effect of body temperature on fatigue with or without evaporative cooling? Students participate both as experimenters and as subjects of the experiments in two-person teams.” The object taped into my nose is a two-foot thermocouple heat sensor that is measuring internal body temperature. Science!
“TAPS 21: StoryCraft
StoryCraft is a hands-on, experiential workshop offering participants the opportunity, structure, and guidance to craft compelling personal stories to be shared in front of a live audience. The class will focus on several areas of storytelling: Mining (how do you find your stories and extract the richest details?); Crafting (how do you structure the content and shape the language?); and Performing (how do you share your stories with presence, authenticity, and connection?).” This was my final presentation.
I filmed an international documentary, Ippon.
The Stanford Medicine X Conference and community. This was my first job in the summer following freshman year, and it shaped the trajectory of my college career.
The essay question comes from Stanford’s undergraduate admission secondary (evidently, it is also one of the questions the Graduate School of Business asks its applicants).
After exploring and experimenting, I found my purpose in college.
Submitting my AMCAS application to medical schools.
The Copyright © at the bottom of the web page starts on 1995. My birth year is also 1995. I guess I am © 1995 – Present.
This scene is an edited reversal of all the footage before it, bringing us back to the start (Don’t forget where you started . . .)
It also plays with the idea that you cannot go back and edit your past. I am proud of all my memories and experiences, as they have strengthened my soul.
This is my dad’s favorite pen.
This is also my brother’s shirt.
This video glitch, and the other glitches scattered throughout the video are actually artifacts on home videos that were transferred from VHS to DVD to MP4.
The diary contains the release date of this video and the opening quote. The right page puts into words different aspects of my life.
No diaries were harmed in the making of this film.
My signature, the website domain name, and the nickname that started in kindergarten.
The film’s end. 4 minutes for 4 years of my undergraduate career completed in June 2018.
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Medicine X Footage: Paul Shepherd
Select Audio Samples: Converse Rubber Tracks Sample Library