Week 1, fin. Week 2- bring it on.

I feel good right now. The past two days were chill class days, although I know they won't always be like this, its nice for now. On thurs I only had Genres class at 7pm. We watched a film called 'Faces' which kinda made me sick a bit, they had a few many close ups for my taste, also everyone was either drunk or had a hangover which makes for some confusing dialogue in a roundabout sort of way. Friday we had our first writing class and our filmmaking 1 development class. Our writing teacher is brilliant. She would ask us things like: what does this character want right now? what does she really want? and it blew our mind. Things like every scene has a beginning middle and end. the beginning can be better called as introduction, the middle as conflict and the end as resolution. in the conflict you do two things: you pose an obstacle and you raise the stakes. Also: a character is just what they want and how far they'll go to get it. I wish we had more than 6 writing classes this semester but I guess thats enough to get us started. After that we had a lot of time till our Filmmaking 1 Dev class later. So my group from Filmmaking 1 decided to go shoot our weekend projects- the one about loosing something and then finding it again. We shot 3 out of 5 of the projects in that time, including mine. Unfortunately we went to the boy's apartment to shoot so mine didn't turn out the way I would have liked it.

Let me explain: Mine was all about losing that one sock in the wash and then finding it again in the washer. I wanted to have that sock stand out so I wanted to use a colored sock that would stand out, but the boys don't wear bright pink socks- only white and black. Also It was very warm in the laundry room b/c there is no AC so I had to film quickly and efficiently. In this exercise we were supposed to demonstrate framing and depth of the frame. I couldn't get any effective framing to work in the laundry room so I just had depth of field, I'm just hoping that Andrew grades nicely for the first one, because this is defiantly not my best.

So after that filming I walked back to the FS and ate lunch and went to Filmmaking 1 Dev. I kept asking Myranda what Dev meant and I think she told me on three different occasions that it meant development and I just kept thinking that in church Dev meant devotional and that definition was always foremost in my mind. In F1dev we talked about our F1 films and how this session was all to help us develop our ideas and give us deadlines for visualization so we're not shooting in the dark. We watched two F1s and critiqued them and talked about what worked and what didn't work. One was about a fat woman who ate Healthy Choice so she could go out with her boss and the twist at the end was that the boss was actually in love with the other secretary and that the fat woman was actually anorexic, she just saw herself as large. The second was about a woman who experiences flashbacks of her husband while smelling lilac lotion and the twist at the end was that she was actually going to a funeral of her husband. We then did a writing exercise where we had 9 minutes to write out three ideas. It was really tough. Andrew told us that if we were stuck just to write 'i am stuck' over and over again until we came up with something. I wrote I am stuck and then I came up with an idea about a woman who got her foot stuck permantly in a hole and she had to live like that kinda like John Travolta in the plastic bubble. That was the weirdest one, but Andrew gave us Homework to post 3 story ideas on a discussion board by friday, so that way if we couldn't think of anything good then we had the three ones from that exercise.

I drove all the way home and find out that Joshua put the truck driving manual for my BTL lab class in our mailboxes at the FS and that we're going to be tested over the info on monday. thankfully he attached a pdf that I printed out instead of going all the way back to FS.

I am totally freaking out about monday.

But to keep my mind off of it I'm reclusing into a state of inspiration to come up with ideas for my F1. I've acutally come up with quite a few and I'm watching one of my favorite musicals, the German musical Elisabeth on youtube as I type this. It has always been a source of information. But thankfully my rommate Kathryn just came up to my room and asked me if i wanted to go to the dog park with her and Oliver. So I'm going to stop typing now and press pause on Elisabeth because- I really really just want to get out of the house. :D

Day 3

Yesterday was a very long day. I was in class from 9 to 6pm. It was really interesting but just very draining.

It was an entire day of Filmmaking 1 taught by Andrew (the Prof from Genres class). We started out going over the syllabus and he said that next friday we were going to be pitching ideas for our F1s (First film, F1 is short for Filmmaking 1). The fact that he said "F1s" and "next week" in the same sentence set me off in a dizzy whirl. NEXT WEEK!?! I don't even know what I want to do yet! ahhhhh! the pressure!!! so I spaced out for the rest of the time thinking about ideas for my F1. Thankfully everything else on the syllabus were things that other teachers had mentioned before so it wasn't new news. But then we were divided into groups (30 kids into 6 groups= 5 ppl per group) and we were sent to get cameras. You see, in Filmmaking 1 we learn things in class and then on the weekends we take high end digital cameras and film an 'exercise' showing what we've learned this past week. So we get to check out these cameras for 6 weeks (the class only lasts 6 wks), one camera per group. I only really knew one person in my group the other three I had met but had never talked too- but thankfully we get along great! I'm in group four which consists of me a girl named Cameron, Jesse, Idan, and Aaron- so the girls outnumber the guys but thats okay.

After checking out cameras Andrew taught us how to use it by manipulating the focus, iris and the zoom. I just kept thinking that over the summer when I worked at camp I made a point to always have it on Auto because trying to do it manual was too hard for running after campers and I was like "dang I should have been practicing manual all summer!"

But anyways, we had lunch and I ate my ham and cheese sandwich which i brought from home in my disney princess lunchbox and it just reminded me how much I hated sandwiches from home when I was in HS.

After lunch we still had a while until class started at 2 so Myranda and I went up to the resource center (basically a library but if they call it a library then anybody can use it). They have books and scripts and movies, all available for us to check out!! So I was scanning the scripts and found a script called "the wonderful world of the brothers grimm" written in 1961. I love the brothers grimm so I went up to Richard (the most awesome resource center/librarian ever) and asked if I could also rent the movie. Apparently I have the worst luck because that movie was filmed in cinerama which was when they shot three strips of film and then projected them side by side so you had a widescreen effect. Guess how many feature movies were made this way? only 2. I would pick the script that was shot in a special way which means that they dont have it in the center. doh! But Richard said that TCM showed it earlier this year and he recorded it and he said i could borrow it. :D so apparently I have some good luck after all. :D

Afternoon class started at 2 and Andrew focused on the concepts of the frame. For example how to give the illusion of depth of field in a 2d setting and how to frame things out within the frame to draw the audience's eye. Most of this was new news to me and so I struggled with these ideas simply because I had never noticed before. I never thought that those sorts of things were planned out but rather they were the result of clever planning and coincidence. We did exercises to practice this concept and our group took our camera and tried to communicate depth of field in one take and then framing in the other. I struggled with the depth of field shot but my group almost chose my framing shot to show to the class which I was happy about because it meant I was doing something right!

Class ended at 6 and I decided to go to the church cookout that was free. I go to wesley and we normally have wednesday night dinners- but as the first wed of the semester it is free and its a bbq. It was alot of fun and I got to hang out with some of my friends from church- mind you I was drained so I didn't talk much. I ran into my friend Charles who is 22 and in law school and we talked a bit. He's a fun guy to hang around but he's a little goofy and nerdy. He talked alot about how he was sad not to be in a relationship for the past 2 years and i just said "try 19 years and see how you like that." Its true I've never been in a relationship- its a blessing and a curse in that I'm left out but I also get to learn from others mistakes and I provide the best advice simply because I observe. Thankfully Charles didn't ask me out (he reminds me a bit too much of my sisters ex- also by the name Charles) he basically said "I know you don't like me and I know that you know and you know that I know so its okay." Roundabout logic but I'll take it.

I got home about 830 and Kathryn was stressed and crying so Ashley was going to take Oliver on a walk but then it started to rain- I wanted to go and run in the rain with Oliver but I was just so beat I fell asleep around 11 after watching two episodes of 'Beauty and the Beast' that was filmed in 1987- I'm about to go finish the 4th episode.... Class isn't until 7pm today so I have all day to relax.

whew!

First Two days...

End of day 2 and I am so tired- but let me back track.

DAY 1

woke up at 7:30 to shower and to drive to campus and get a parking spot. went to the gym. ran some errands but class isn't until 2:15 so i'll just chill in the AC. I'm so crazy about getting to things early so I get to class at 1:55..... but thankfully my friend Myranda was there waiting for me and so was 1/2 of my track/class/group so we all went into the soundstage where Joshua (Professor for the lab- i guess) basically pointed out the basics of lighting equipment. This class is called BTL Lab aka Below the Line Lab aka most of the technical work in a film class. So we're going to learn how to drive a truck, set up the camera, set up lights, checkout equipment etc. It was the first day and I'm naturally timid at first when I don't know the mood of the group of in- which means I don't ask questions. So this entire lighting demonstration I didn't understand half of but I believe Joshua was just treating it like a "heres the basics and what I expect to see when you're checking out equipment- other than that you'll learn on the job" sort of thing.

It was supposed to last till 6 but he let us out at 4 and I sped home to hang out with my recently engaged roommate and watch Sunday's episode of TrueBlood

Next week in BTL Lab we're going to be registering for truck courses etc.- I am so scared about driving a truck. Reasons: 1. Its Big. 2. If we get into an accident, even if we are blameless, we have to pay for all damages to the truck and the equipment inside it (a $90,000 camera!!) 3. trucks scare me when the drive by or when they're next to me on the road.

But so I called my parents and gabbed all about my first day and I read them out my supply list which has wrenches and screwdrivers and other handy dandy electrical tools that my Dad has in our garage. He said he'd look and see if he could send me doubles- because that would save me alot of money and why buy new when you have perfectly good ones at home? I also asked him for power tools for Christmas (so that I don't have to rent tools to build sets) which I thought was pretty humorous but he didn't laugh..... maybe he was tired.

DAY 2

Today started at the same time as yesterday. 2pm for Edit Lab.

I decided that instead of getting up early to get a parking spot and going to the gym I'd sleep in (plus I was sore from yesterday). But it was tough finding parking- I had to park three blocks away from the stadium- which was bad because I was going to get out of class at 10pm and that area is not well lit. Thankfully when that time came Paige and her BF gave me a ride to my car so I didn't have to walk in the dark. Bless them.

Edit Lab was fun. We're using FCP which I'm used too so Ian (I believe that was our prof's name- he's Alum of the FS) was teaching us the basics of the program so we can edit our weekend projects. I've been using FC Express all summer and three years in High School so this was a boring review for me. Ian went kinda fast and later I learned that some people were really struggling with it so I kinda kicked my ego and told myself to stop boasting and to help others out instead. I mean I helped my neighbors when they asked me but I just kinda felt prideful when I heard that- and thats not too good. Ian then showed us a movie called "The Cutting Edge" which was all about the history and significance of film editing featuring a cameo from my fav filmmaker Tarintino (sarcasm hand raised).

Edit lab was over at 5 (again, it was supposed to end at 6) and we broke for dinner because we had Genres & Filmmakers class at 7 with my History of Film teacher from last semester. I had brought my dinner in my Disney Princess lunchbox as had my friends Paige and Myranda (not and Disney Princess lunchboxes- but theirs were cool too). We also got to eat with one of the transfers into our class who I hadn't met before- her name was Lexa- and yes I did just look at my FBK in order to remember her name. we all just talked about how we got in and that little adventure. Lexa got in on her third try- so she's a year older than me- but Paige told her that we were the social rejects of our film class so hopefully that doesn't discourage Lexa because I'd like to get to know her more- she seems really cool.

Everyone came back around 615 and us four girls were in the screening room by 630ish- and it was COLD!!!

So my Prof from last semester's History class, Andrew, is my teacher for this class. My friend Josh (not Prof Joshua but Josh Smooha and I might refer to him as Smooha...) came and sat down next to me. Josh was in my History class last semester too so when Andrew started his powerpoint we were laughing about how some of the things on his ppt were copied and pasted from his other ppt- which is fine but it was just funny. We're going to focus on American Independent Cinema in this class as we look at historical and present independents to discover what really makes a film 'independent.' we then proceeded to watch a film called 'Medicine for Melancholy' a film about a one night stand that turns into a two night stand. Apparently a boat load of our Alum made it. It was good but Myranda and I agreed that it was a little dry and I came out of it with a large headache because the last shot was so unfocused and moved around so much I was getting sick. But class ended at 945ish and I went straight home because I am beat.

Tomorrow I have two more classes with Prof Andrew all about Production- but the first one starts at 9am and ends at 1245 and the second one starts at 2 and ends at 6 again.

In conclusion: Tomorrow is going to be a LONNNNNGGGG day.

I know I'm going to regret this before I even type it...

... I am really tired of just sitting around.

There- I said it.

I've really enjoyed these last couple of days but i've just been sitting here. In my room. on the left side of my bed, with my macbook on my lap. Thats all I've done. partially because I was too lazy to call people up and ask to do stuff and its been relaxing but in the past three hours when I've been watching TrueBlood and snacking on goldfish contemplating how I need to go to the gym- my roommates have walked by with visitors a couple of times. And I know I've seen them before from the exact place that I am sitting a couple of days ago. Its very hypocritical because I'm bored and kinda lonely but I don't really want to be around anybody else and I don't want to do anything. I just want to sit here and stare at Oliver (the dog) and pet him. Haha.

So I said I'm going to regret this because-school starts tomorrow.

And its not high school or the first day of lecture or anything. FILM SCHOOL STARTS TOMORROW.

AHHHHHH!!!!!

what I've been wanting since freshman year of high school is about to start tomorrow and I know I will have no time to sit around an be bored for a while because of FS boot camp (my affectionate way of referring to the FS just so that people will understand that my major is NOT like theirs [no sarcasm hand raised here])

So I have to get up early tomorrow in order to get a parking spot on campus even though my class doesn't start till 2:15- so I'm getting up at like 7 and then driving to campus and then going to the gym and then I guess just hanging out and eating until 2:15......... must bring something diverting to read.

So in conclusion:

1. I'm bored. And Chad Vader isn't loading which is annoying.

2. FS starts tomorrow.

3. I need something diverting to read and i need to buy GLOVES!!! (read 2 posts back)

4. what am I going to wear????

ENGAGED.

I AM NOT ENGAGED.

Just throw that out there. My roommate did. And although I'm happy that they finally are engaged (she showed me the ring right after they bought it last Nov.), it makes me somewhat depressed. Here is a girl who is just one year older than me and she is engaged! I have never even been in a relationship! Sorry but I'm going to throw a little pity party right now. Kathryn and I had talked the other day when we went to see EPL that we both believed her BF Johnny would pop the question when he was visiting this weekend. And guess what- it happened. And I"m really happy for them. Kat deserves a really good guy like Johnny and I know they'll be awesome.

But back to me. No BF. No EXs. I still have my first kiss in my pocket and I've never had to introduce anyone to my parents. My sister? yes and as far as I know the analysis of that boy is still under works. My eldest sister? No.

I mean the theme of this pity party is: I WANT ONE TOO!!!

But I mean going into film school I hardly think that will happen. I'm going to be around the same 30 + people and dating someone you work with is frowned upon and can hurt the dynamics of the group.

Argh. Life is tough

Eat Pray Love

Current Mood: Excited and Scared

So when I was in LA at the beginning of Aug I was in the process of reading "Eat Pray Love" by Liz Gilbert. I'm always intrigued by stories like hers about traveling and spiritual enlightenment etc. I had just finished "Blue Like Jazz" by Don Miller and I was super excited to start EPL. I'm a bit of a book cheater so I took a peak at the last sentence and the authors bio. The bio stated that she was living with her husband Filipe. So I asked my friend Maggie if Filipe was in the book (I was starting to lax on reading because I was getting kinda bored with India). She told me that he wasn't so I stopped reading.

I went to see the movie two nights ago and damn it he was in it! She LIED to me. or she just didn't remember.

So I've been doing alot of reading lately. I picked up EPL again and picked up where I left off- this morning I finished India and am officially about to get into Bali AKA FILIPE!!! Also I've been reading our FS handbook that we have to read entirely and then sign a piece of paper saying that we've read. I'm learning alot but the material is kinda dry (plus its 150+ pages of internet document). I'm on pg 94 of that and I'm about to read about weapon clearence! Necessary, but soooo invigorating (as one of my fav bloggers Dan Bergstein says: Sarcasm hand raised).

Also recent development: I have medicine for my allergies now and I am feeling alot better (thank god). But I had to go to Club Wal (Wal-Mart) and it was super crowded so I missed alot of things that I need to buy :( but everyone is moving in this weekend so it makes sense. But I've been trying to recuperate so I've picked up playing Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for PS2 (oh yeah. released in 2002 and I'm just now finishing it). But I got through the entire game in like three days here.

Maybe I'll move on to HP and the Chamber of Secrets today.

So I'm Orientated...

Okay before I write about my orientation yesterday I just thought I'd share some exciting news:

THEY'RE CUTTING THE 7th HP MOVIE WHEN VOLDY GETS THE ELDER WAND FROM DUMBLEDORE'S TOMB WHICH IS WHAT I PREDICTED!!! ALSO IT LOOKS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-harry-potter-deathly-hallows-split.html

Okay so orientation was from 9am to 6pm. A loonnnnnnngggg time. I couldn't remember if they served food so I brought a makeshift lunch comprised of goldfish, an apple, gum, and a camelback water bottle. Brought it all in a Kavu rope bag and even though they did serve us on the border for lunch I was snacking on those goldfish all day. So anyway. We get to orientation and they start talking to us about the history, the curriculum, the staff etc of the film school for two hours. Victims advocate and the PD come and talk to us too that way we're not filming a robbery scene and some civillian walks by and thinks its a real robbery and calls the cops and things get ugly etc.

They told us about our 'organic' schedules and how every week we get a different call sheet that tells each track where they need to be and when. For example, I am BFA Track 2 so I need to be in sound stage A on Monday at 2:15 pm. But not every monday just the monday that school starts. eventually we'll get a schedule detailing the whole week but for right now we only have one day.

They say that they teach us craft as a way to art. Kinda like how you need to know how to use a paintbrush and mix color before you can actually paint well (I mean you can paint without mixing color or using a paintbrush but It might be a little reminiscent of childhood finger painting). So basically we will have 6 weeks of 12 hr days where we learn how to use the equipment and then we learn on the job. NOTE TO SELF: NEED TO GET GLOVES AND WEAR CLOSE-TOED SHOES (my digits are very important- or so they tell us).

We break for lunch in sound stage B which is the smaller one and also the colder one so I started sneezing my head off- I think I might be coming down with something. I just kinda hang around with the girls who I'm really close too because I don't really know anybody else and I figured that I'm going to get to know them on the job so spare the awkward interactions till then.

After that we go on an extended walking tour of the film school which is like the two other walking tours I took when I was a junior in HS and when I had my interview. They had alot more to tell us though and we were divided into six small groups in order to go on six different roatations that lasted about 30 mins each. It was really cool. They showed us the sound stages, and the foley room, and the editing bay, and the mixing room (which I'm kinda perplexed on its purpose) and the offices which have no names, and the library (where I'll be spending alot of time) and they used vocab that I have never heard before and I'm sure they'll teach us later but if not- I'm wayyyyyy over my head here.

How I got here...

So heres what you have to do to get into film school:

1. Apply to college

2. Apply directly into the major even if you don't know if you're accepted into the university or not.

3. DO NOT submit any previous work- the F.S. judges judge only on your grades, your involvement in different organizations and a 500 word essay in which you have to spill your life story.

4. Wait. Apps are due in Dec and they probably won't contact you for a while.

5. Wait. There are two cuts and then an interview.

6. You'll get a call if you are scheduled for an interview and a letter if they don't want you.

7. Interview with the associate dean and two of the heads of departments in F.S.

8. Get freaked out and wait.

9. Get a call telling you that you're in or a letter telling you that you're out (its like ANTM right? Wheres Tyra?)

So heres my additions:

Addition to #4 & 5:

I was freaking out about weather or not I'd get accepted so to take my mind off things I decided to help stage manage for our school theatre's production of Willy Wonka the Musical. I had been really involved in theatre all throughout High School and so it was only natural.

Addition to # 6:

I was in tech week rehearsals when they call my house and tell my mother I had an interview. I don't get service in the theatre so when I got out of practice I had fifteen missed calls from my mom and one voicemail saying "call me now." I thought my Dad had fallen off a ladder or something and was in the hospital. So I call her and she says: "Don't leave yet (I have my own car) I'm about to pull into the parking lot." So I'm like OMG my Dad is really badly injured!!! So she pulls up I get into the car, completely freaking out, and she tells me I have an interview. So I scream and get out of the car and tell the first friend I find (who was my friend Jihan and I told her that she'd be the first one I'd tell, good timing).

Addition to # 7:

I was scared shitless. The associate dean reminded me of my english teacher who I'm still intimidated by. It lasted 30 minutes and then afterwards there is a group interview. I still wonder how I made it in, I was so nervous.

Addition to # 9:

I was home for the phone call and I didn't know how to respond when they told me I was in. I mean do you scream for joy or do you politely thank? They told me that originally I was an 'alternate' but someone dropped out so I was in. I guess I need to thank that guy Jose who was in my interview who I didn't like. Hey! Thanks Jose for choosing to go to NYU and not come to FSU!

After all that, 1st year is required courses and 2nd year you start film school classes (PS. they choose your schedule for you, its kinda like middle school or even elementary school.)

So tomorrows my orientation bright and early at 9am. plan on getting a good nights sleep- I feel like a kindergartner again or that I'm about to do ITBS testing for 9 hrs.

About This....

Heres the introduction, the Act 1 in Nerd-Speak:

I am a 19 year old Film Student at FSU and I am going to orientation in two days- and I am scared shit-less. More about that later. I just moved into my apartment which is a little far from campus to the dismay of my parents and for the most part I'm settled. I have two roommates named Ashley, Kathryn and a puppy named Oliver (who is already larger than my 13 year old dog back at home). I want to keep a blog to chronicle my journey through the film school and also remember everything that has happened because lets face it I'm not very good at remembering things long term.

So what you need to know:

I am a Sophomore and part of a Christian sorority (I know right? Good luck with that at F.S.).

I'm a little bit of a nerd as you will see and I love Disney and Harry Potter (probably not good to love two of the biggest franchises to ever suck all of your money out of your pockets). I am also not very knowledgeable about filmmakers and sorts- oops.

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

...Robert Frost