It's been an amazing summer, filming weddings and finally getting more responsibilities at work. But alas I desperately need to take a break. My favorite vacation destination is, of course, DISNEYLAND and boy do I miss the happiest place on earth. So thankfully there is time at the beginning of the year to get away to my very favorite place. I have been spending alot of time on the Disneyland blog, which has different fun facts and info about the parks. It gives me a little fix of fun stuff to keep me patiently waiting until we can leave on the 30th of this month. I'm really excited because I haven't really seen the park in Halloween mode, so it will be a different experience than I've had in the past. I'll definitely post pictures when we're back!
And please let me know if you know any fun secrets about the park or have any suggestions of where to go or what to do!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Patience is a virtue...but not mine.
I tend to do things as quickly as possible. That's not to say that I rush to complete things, but I like to think of myself as efficient. I know that this is not the way that everyone operates and I try to remain focused on my goals, even as I see other things not happening quickly. Right now though, I am in the midst of a waiting game that might just drive me crazy... Some friends and I have entered a contest on POPTENT together and the results are not announced until the 24th of August. So in the meantime, all I can do is fantasize about a much needed Disneyland vacation with no real way of being able to go without the much needed windfall of this prize money (it is a very good chunk of change).
A related personal problem of mine is that I tend to think about all incomplete tasks at once. Shooting weddings, working full time, and doing poptent commercials on the side tends to get my head spinning a little bit at times. Fantasizing about Disneyland is a nice way to calm myself; there have been studies that show that one of the most relaxing things about a vacation is the anticipation of going. However, that only serves to remind me that there are 170 entries and ours is but 1. I think it is pretty good, especially considering some people didn't even use the proper end slate, or the correct font. Which isn't really a big deal, but when its a contest with rules and you are trying to represent a brand these things alone can disqualify your entry. Also, introducing a brand to a group that has absolutely no idea about it is also no easy feat. So here is our ad for netflix. Please take the time to like our video or comment on it. We would really appreciate the attention. Netflix will ultimately pick 5 videos to award 8000 dollars each, which we would split between the people who helped us make the video.
Until I know what the end result is with Netflix, I will just have to fantasize and try to remain focused at the same time. All the while hoping and praying that it will all work out. This is only one of about a million things I am excited for right now so I'm just full to the top with energy right now. A few of my coworkers have informed me that my excess energy can get a little stressful, so this is something I can work on as well :-). Enthusiasm is just pumping through my veins right now and I want all the awesome stuff I'm waiting for (including a few unmentioned things) to be well worth the torturous wait.
How do you keep anticipation from killing you? Any and all suggestions are welcome!
A related personal problem of mine is that I tend to think about all incomplete tasks at once. Shooting weddings, working full time, and doing poptent commercials on the side tends to get my head spinning a little bit at times. Fantasizing about Disneyland is a nice way to calm myself; there have been studies that show that one of the most relaxing things about a vacation is the anticipation of going. However, that only serves to remind me that there are 170 entries and ours is but 1. I think it is pretty good, especially considering some people didn't even use the proper end slate, or the correct font. Which isn't really a big deal, but when its a contest with rules and you are trying to represent a brand these things alone can disqualify your entry. Also, introducing a brand to a group that has absolutely no idea about it is also no easy feat. So here is our ad for netflix. Please take the time to like our video or comment on it. We would really appreciate the attention. Netflix will ultimately pick 5 videos to award 8000 dollars each, which we would split between the people who helped us make the video.
Until I know what the end result is with Netflix, I will just have to fantasize and try to remain focused at the same time. All the while hoping and praying that it will all work out. This is only one of about a million things I am excited for right now so I'm just full to the top with energy right now. A few of my coworkers have informed me that my excess energy can get a little stressful, so this is something I can work on as well :-). Enthusiasm is just pumping through my veins right now and I want all the awesome stuff I'm waiting for (including a few unmentioned things) to be well worth the torturous wait.
How do you keep anticipation from killing you? Any and all suggestions are welcome!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Problems with Female Characters
I recently saw Cowboys and Aliens (midnight showing Bitches!) and I love Jon Favreau's work. But as I get closer to arriving in LA and hitting the streets to find myself a job on set that I can be proud of, I wonder what the place is for women in Hollywood. This interview with Olivia Wilde had me stoked on the film and the idea that they were portraying a woman from the time period as the strong and independent woman she would have had to be in order to survive the cowboy old west days. However (and this is probably because I was unfamiliar with the comic on which the movie is based) I was disappointed in the film when SPOILER ALERT BIG TIME: she was revealed to be an alien. This is probably written into the comic, as I said, but it still made me sad that the strong bad ass woman was literally from another planet. ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT: I was also really peeved that for her to save the day she had to martyr herself. Can a woman save the day? Yes, if she explodes.
Here is the interview that got me so psyched on the film. Watch it. I don't think the SPOILER ALERT: alieness and martyrdom were things she is really thinking about in this interview, but they are still worth noting.
I saw a post by a friend who is always psyched about comicon on facebook and it was a link to a batgirl who apparently faced quite alot of negativity for questions relating to the inequality of female to male main characters in comic books, as well as in the creative aspects of comics. Read it. I was really shocked, as I'm sure "batgirl" herself was, by the clear hostility in the executive's voice when asked about women in DC. Comics have long been associated with lonely male nerds, but that's simply not by a long shot the whole demographic of people who read comics. That in itself is an awful stereotype and I think it is a problem that is compounded (when you read the blog interview you will understand) by hostility from the people who are in control of the brand. Comics can be about women, as well as men. Comics can be MADE by women, as well as men. I used to think that this inequality was probably due to less women wanting to be involved in comic books, but after reading this blog, I feel like even though there are fewer women interested in comics it doesn't justify the 1% female creative staff noted by one male fan of the DC universe.
I guess what it boils down to is that women are still "the weaker sex" in movies and comics. I want to fix this, but it is not something to be done (as some female film theorists would have it) in an alternative art cinema. Women should be superheroes too; women should be movie heroes too. I was so excited to see Kickass because of Hitgirl's insane action sequences and strength. Ultimately though, she was reliant on a male superhero (one less experienced and more beat up throughout the film) to ultimately save her.
Unfortunately, this is how I see things. Do you have any inspiring female characters not reliant on male companionship? Did I majorly miss something in my ideas that I should be aware of? Tell me how you see it because this is one thing I would like to see differently and I know the things I discussed are just the tip of the iceberg.
Here is the interview that got me so psyched on the film. Watch it. I don't think the SPOILER ALERT: alieness and martyrdom were things she is really thinking about in this interview, but they are still worth noting.
I saw a post by a friend who is always psyched about comicon on facebook and it was a link to a batgirl who apparently faced quite alot of negativity for questions relating to the inequality of female to male main characters in comic books, as well as in the creative aspects of comics. Read it. I was really shocked, as I'm sure "batgirl" herself was, by the clear hostility in the executive's voice when asked about women in DC. Comics have long been associated with lonely male nerds, but that's simply not by a long shot the whole demographic of people who read comics. That in itself is an awful stereotype and I think it is a problem that is compounded (when you read the blog interview you will understand) by hostility from the people who are in control of the brand. Comics can be about women, as well as men. Comics can be MADE by women, as well as men. I used to think that this inequality was probably due to less women wanting to be involved in comic books, but after reading this blog, I feel like even though there are fewer women interested in comics it doesn't justify the 1% female creative staff noted by one male fan of the DC universe.
I guess what it boils down to is that women are still "the weaker sex" in movies and comics. I want to fix this, but it is not something to be done (as some female film theorists would have it) in an alternative art cinema. Women should be superheroes too; women should be movie heroes too. I was so excited to see Kickass because of Hitgirl's insane action sequences and strength. Ultimately though, she was reliant on a male superhero (one less experienced and more beat up throughout the film) to ultimately save her.
Unfortunately, this is how I see things. Do you have any inspiring female characters not reliant on male companionship? Did I majorly miss something in my ideas that I should be aware of? Tell me how you see it because this is one thing I would like to see differently and I know the things I discussed are just the tip of the iceberg.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Paranormals
I was lucky enough to find my niche in college early winter quarter of my freshman year. FPC has always been my group of friends and collaborators. This year, we selected and made the film Paranormals. Watch the epic trailer HERE. Every year we strive to improve our technical skills and teach people new skills at the same time. Every year we succeed, but I think this year we deserve to pat ourselves on the backs a little.
We anticipated many of the major problems we have encountered in the past, and this forward thinking allowed us to avoid several disasters (knock on wood). Even a very delirious incident of dropping the hard-drive containing our footage, and unfortunately a very large amount of Anthony's personal files, did not set us back on our timeline.
Not only technically did we advance, but (this may just be my bias) this project is hilarious and very fun to watch. I am proud to have been a part of it and this has been a superb way to end my career as president of this club.
If you are interested in attending our premiere, you can RSVP HERE. Please come out tomorrow at 5:30pm to the Media Theater and show your support of all the film students who have worked so hard to make this movie the glorious masterpiece it is!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Healing
So although I followed the doctor's orders and didn't move for a week, then continued to take it easy and ice my back every chance I got, I have not really gotten better. In fact, my leg and foot have started hurting as well. I decided to go to another doctor and she had xrays done, as well as prescribing me muscle relaxants. she also referred me to a chiropractor. Just a few days later a chiropractor came into the Capitola mall location of Super Silver and said he just joined a practice and was giving out coupons for free sessions with him at his new location. Well what are the odds!?!
Today I took up Mark Tenenbaum's offer and was amazingly thrilled with my first ever experience with a chiropractor. He was very gentle and explained everything he was doing so I understood the process. Also the coupon was for a free 25 minute session and I started my session no later than 3 and was finished at 3:45 so you do the math...woo hoo extra time! The best part is that its actually not really expensive. 45 dollars for 45 minutes and with my health insurance, I only pay 20 dollars. A really positive turn in the extremely stressful week I've had.
I have embarked on the journey of providing the Film Production Coalition with their first ever club tshirt. It is proving to be no simple task. First was the complicated task of getting everyone to agree on a design and color, as well as getting the color of the shirt to work well with the design people wanted. Once that was taken care of, I submitted a purchase order to get the company their money for printing the shirts, however, this also proved challenging, as several of the colleges that provided our club money have not gotten the paperwork taken care of to give us the money. One road block after another...don't you just love bureaucracy...it's the most efficient way to get things done. That's just how I see it.
Is anyone out there frustrated about the inefficient methods of some organizations?
Today I took up Mark Tenenbaum's offer and was amazingly thrilled with my first ever experience with a chiropractor. He was very gentle and explained everything he was doing so I understood the process. Also the coupon was for a free 25 minute session and I started my session no later than 3 and was finished at 3:45 so you do the math...woo hoo extra time! The best part is that its actually not really expensive. 45 dollars for 45 minutes and with my health insurance, I only pay 20 dollars. A really positive turn in the extremely stressful week I've had.
I have embarked on the journey of providing the Film Production Coalition with their first ever club tshirt. It is proving to be no simple task. First was the complicated task of getting everyone to agree on a design and color, as well as getting the color of the shirt to work well with the design people wanted. Once that was taken care of, I submitted a purchase order to get the company their money for printing the shirts, however, this also proved challenging, as several of the colleges that provided our club money have not gotten the paperwork taken care of to give us the money. One road block after another...don't you just love bureaucracy...it's the most efficient way to get things done. That's just how I see it.
Is anyone out there frustrated about the inefficient methods of some organizations?
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Busy once again...
I just received a notice in my email box that I had a new comment on one of my posts and realized I have completely been neglecting my blog. Time has gotten away from me lately; work has been hectic, we've nearly finished shooting Paranormals, and I have managed to injure my back to add complication to everything else.
My schedule started to get hectic when one of the stores I work at was flooded in Capitola Village. Not only did that turn schedules upside down, it presented the dilemma of how do we sell things there while construction occurs to replace all of the damaged flooring and walls. Well the mayor of Capitola had a tent set up and that has been the solution for the time being. While carrying one of the many boxes of jewelry from my car to the tent, as we do every morning to make sure our jewelry is safe overnight, I managed to bend over too far while trying to lift and voila, pulled a muscle in my back. I missed a week of work and school laying in bed, as the doctor told me laying down and icing my muscle would help me recover faster. It was an absolutely torturous time to do absolutely nothing, I used to think how glorious it would be, but no...it's insanely boring and made me kind of crazy to be honest. I thought of all the things I needed to do and literally couldn't move to do. Driving is apparently the worst posture for your back when injured and the break from sitting in the car actually did make a difference I think because I am starting to feel improvement. However, since returning to school and work, my muscles continue to seize up every now and then as I'm walking around and I end up frozen in my tracks till it passes.
In other news: I am nearly a college graduate! Holy C*&^, I'm actually almost done. When I think about being done, its panicking, where do I go from here and will I be able to accomplish what I want to accomplish. We'll see what the end of the school year brings. Is anyone else busy and crazy right now? Any good tips for relieving my lower back pain?
My schedule started to get hectic when one of the stores I work at was flooded in Capitola Village. Not only did that turn schedules upside down, it presented the dilemma of how do we sell things there while construction occurs to replace all of the damaged flooring and walls. Well the mayor of Capitola had a tent set up and that has been the solution for the time being. While carrying one of the many boxes of jewelry from my car to the tent, as we do every morning to make sure our jewelry is safe overnight, I managed to bend over too far while trying to lift and voila, pulled a muscle in my back. I missed a week of work and school laying in bed, as the doctor told me laying down and icing my muscle would help me recover faster. It was an absolutely torturous time to do absolutely nothing, I used to think how glorious it would be, but no...it's insanely boring and made me kind of crazy to be honest. I thought of all the things I needed to do and literally couldn't move to do. Driving is apparently the worst posture for your back when injured and the break from sitting in the car actually did make a difference I think because I am starting to feel improvement. However, since returning to school and work, my muscles continue to seize up every now and then as I'm walking around and I end up frozen in my tracks till it passes.
In other news: I am nearly a college graduate! Holy C*&^, I'm actually almost done. When I think about being done, its panicking, where do I go from here and will I be able to accomplish what I want to accomplish. We'll see what the end of the school year brings. Is anyone else busy and crazy right now? Any good tips for relieving my lower back pain?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Stiff
No, this is not about the book Stiff, although I am enjoying it quite a bit. This is about my back. Chronic back problems run in my family and I just had my first lasting run in with our health issues. While lifting and moving a box at work, I pinched a nerve in my lower back. It was agonizing and I could barely sit up in my car to drive home. Yesterday was filled with ice packs, Tiger Balm (no, not the energy drink...its like Icy Hot), and laying down with my feet in the air. After an extremely painful night of trying to find a comfortable way to sleep, I am feeling much better and can lay in most positions comfortably. I guess sleep fixes anything, even if it's extremely fitful sleep.
There were some good things about yesterday though. I went to Oakes College Senate and they awarded Film Production Coalition 100 dollars for our ongoing project Paranormals. It was not an easy meeting to sit through, but it was well worth the discomfort to know that we will be able to host our film premiere at the media theater on May 28th.
The other good thing about yesterday was helping Anthony with his film assignment. In film directing, they were asked to film someone for 3 minutes without the camera moving and without the actor talking. After the senate meeting this was easy for me. I was in a semi-raw emotional state because of my back pain and I was also feeling reflective after the senate meeting because everyone there seemed really nice and there are times when I'm mad that I felt so alienated from my college freshman year. My teacher for the required Oakes intro writing course continuously made a point to focus on the only two "white" students in the class and try to highlight the ways in which our life growing up was different from other students in the class. I found this hurtful and inappropriate, especially considering he was making many assumptions about every student, purely based on the way they looked, about the way they grew up. I felt very withdrawn and embarrassed to be picked on in this way. He continuously insinuated that I was "part of the problem" and never listened when I tried to tell him about how and where I grew up. This drove me away from involvement with my college, even though I picked Oakes because of its diversity and focus on equality and human rights.
So when Anthony turned the camera on, I just cried. There was too much going on for me to contemplate inside my head everything that I was thinking. Questions about every step ring in my head and usually I just ignore them because I am really happy with my life, but yesterday was just not a good day overall and I was extremely frustrated with my inability to move. I think the shot actually came out really nice because just when I start to really cry, my dog came to my rescue and licked my face. Its an up and down static shot and I wonder what people will see in me when they see it.
I often find myself asking if I made the right choices, picked the right path; even though I love everything I am doing right now, I always see a million different directions I could have gone in. I guess that's the consequence of taking, "you can do anything you want to" to heart. Never wanting to limit myself has time and again led to me spreading my time thin, but I always come through things thankful that I did more than I thought I could. What it all comes down to though is being proud of the path you did choose instead of dwelling on the ones you could have taken. Who knows maybe some of those paths will swing back around again. At least that's how I see it. How do you tackle college and career choices, and please, if you have any tips for my nerve problem, message me!
There were some good things about yesterday though. I went to Oakes College Senate and they awarded Film Production Coalition 100 dollars for our ongoing project Paranormals. It was not an easy meeting to sit through, but it was well worth the discomfort to know that we will be able to host our film premiere at the media theater on May 28th.
The other good thing about yesterday was helping Anthony with his film assignment. In film directing, they were asked to film someone for 3 minutes without the camera moving and without the actor talking. After the senate meeting this was easy for me. I was in a semi-raw emotional state because of my back pain and I was also feeling reflective after the senate meeting because everyone there seemed really nice and there are times when I'm mad that I felt so alienated from my college freshman year. My teacher for the required Oakes intro writing course continuously made a point to focus on the only two "white" students in the class and try to highlight the ways in which our life growing up was different from other students in the class. I found this hurtful and inappropriate, especially considering he was making many assumptions about every student, purely based on the way they looked, about the way they grew up. I felt very withdrawn and embarrassed to be picked on in this way. He continuously insinuated that I was "part of the problem" and never listened when I tried to tell him about how and where I grew up. This drove me away from involvement with my college, even though I picked Oakes because of its diversity and focus on equality and human rights.
So when Anthony turned the camera on, I just cried. There was too much going on for me to contemplate inside my head everything that I was thinking. Questions about every step ring in my head and usually I just ignore them because I am really happy with my life, but yesterday was just not a good day overall and I was extremely frustrated with my inability to move. I think the shot actually came out really nice because just when I start to really cry, my dog came to my rescue and licked my face. Its an up and down static shot and I wonder what people will see in me when they see it.
I often find myself asking if I made the right choices, picked the right path; even though I love everything I am doing right now, I always see a million different directions I could have gone in. I guess that's the consequence of taking, "you can do anything you want to" to heart. Never wanting to limit myself has time and again led to me spreading my time thin, but I always come through things thankful that I did more than I thought I could. What it all comes down to though is being proud of the path you did choose instead of dwelling on the ones you could have taken. Who knows maybe some of those paths will swing back around again. At least that's how I see it. How do you tackle college and career choices, and please, if you have any tips for my nerve problem, message me!
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