Authentic

FUN FACT: 

All the track props included in the film opening are authentic to really illustrate her career in track! Other props were created by us using what we had available. 

Medals

Above is the clip of the shot of the medals mostly shown to emphasize the quantity and range of medals Elena has. The unique thing about these medals is that they really are track medals that a member of the group has collected. The medals also have some positive sayings that can just be glimpsed, also another aspect of Elena's personality. Her personality also comes with her positivity that she embraces to get through hard competitions. The video is made to seem as in slow motion so the audience is really able to capture some of the individual medals. 

FAFSA Form 

The FAFSA form is a component of the film opening that works to establish the low-class (socioeconomic) Elena is in. Of course, this means that to pay for college she will have to rely on financial aid and scholarships. Since FAFSA is very widely known in the U.S. for helping students we decide that will be the best option to include. In the photo, the background shows the second page of the form, but as incomplete. This was done to emphasize the stress and heavy thinking Elena has to fill out the form. This is also because FAFSA is only given to some students that apply and not all, therefore she is nervous about the fate of the aid. 

Participant number 

These signs are what participants put on in a race for advertising and to just show their participation in the race. We put them in this way to show the variety of races she's been and the numbers she has been in those races. This is just an overview of the signs, but the videos are closer to show the depth and movement that is needed is a good opening. Again, like the medals, they are authentic which also adds to the authenticity that is Elena's hard work for track. Of course, since Elena is a character (not real) we blacked out the old names on the signs. 

Bills 

We are not fans of wasting paper so we knew if we just printed out bills they just go to waste!! Instead, we improvised we grabbed so old letters we had and just wrote PAST DUE on them to emphasize that the situation Elena is in is not very stable in terms of moneywise. This prop overlaps with the FAFSA form as one leads to another. Because Elena comes from a low-income household she seeks assistance because she has no other way to pay for college.