Cha creates a moving memory
Soccer pictures and slideshows made by her father planted the seed that grew into senior Alexa Cha’s interest in video production and photography. She began to show an interest in watching YouTube videos and eventually began to make short Instagram videos. Cha taught herself how to take videos and photographs by trial and error in order to gain the video production and photography skills that she has today.
She took her video production interest to the next level when she produced her first professional video, the Peninsula People Project, for her ASB Commissioner of Technology application. The video, posted on Apr. 9, has more than 1.5K views on YouTube.
“When I did not get the ASB position that I tried out for I felt like that was a failure and it was really disappointing and I was heartbroken,” senior Alexa Cha said. “The experience of the Peninsula People Project helped me realize my passion so ultimately what I thought was a failure was a huge success.”
More recently, Cha has produced a video this September to enter into the America’s Most Spirited High School Contest, a national contest in which high schools compete and display their school spirit. After her lacrosse coach, Paula Borstel, forwarded an email to Cha about the contest, Cha met with Principal Mitzi Cress to share her ideas. She proceeded to receive permission from Link Crew to film during Freshman Orientation, and Associated Student Body members Adam Reece and Jag Whitten, aided her in organizing a crowd of students at lunch to add to the video. ASB Zookeepers Dale Pyoun and Kyle Adams used their influence to hype up the Zoo, a cheering section at Peninsula High, to show school spirit at the first home football game, while Sogigie Sherfa wrote an essay about Peninsula’s school spirit for the contest application. Cha made a video that was about one minute and twenty-six seconds long to enter into the contest. The video has accumulated nearly 2.6K views on YouTube after being posted on Sept. 6.
“It was really fun because I feel like it really brought the school together and it was a great way to start off the year and show off our spirit,” Cha said.
Her lacrosse teammates, her parents, her teachers, and Principal Mitzi Cress have all supported Cha in her video production and photography.
“Sometimes we do not pay as much attention to the arts as we should,” junior Camryn Bush, one of Cha’s supporters, said. “It is really great when someone like Alexa comes and helps show how powerful creativity can be.”
Her website, alexacha.org, is an outlet where she displays photographs, offers photography sessions and posts prices for these sessions.
Inspired by the quotation, “Do what you love, love what you do,” Cha also produces videos for her YouTube channel and for programs at school, such as Link Crew and the broadcast journalism program, Eye of the Panther.
“I think the primary reason why I like to make videos and take photos is because I feel like it creates a memory,” Cha said. “I hope to share that memory with other people and hopefully they can feel the same way that I was feeling when I was in the moment.”
