So, i watched the old Oscars tonight. It was a good time. We had a little party at the Center (where we have classes). It was pretty enjoyable, except the people annoyed me a little, some always rooting for Passion, soley because the liked it, not because they thought it was the best. That caused a small arguement when I called someone on it. He was right to some extent, I was stereotyping him, but to my thoughts, he was acting the part. He called me a cynic. Whatever that means. Then i told him i like conflict. And he said that being a cynic that was part of my nature. That makes me laugh a little. because its ridiculous. Chris Rock was funny at the old oscars. I got third place in the little guess who will win thing. I got 13 out of i don't know how many. the best was 15. So i got a copy of Garden State. i was happy about that.

So, in other news, I am doing well. Papers and films to do. my next film is due next tuesday. not the close tuesday coming, but rather the tuesday in about 9 days. I have the idea all ready, i need a crew, actors and locations. I have helped a lot of people with their films, so i'm thinking i feel more comfortable asking for help. I am serious considering asking luke schel, and laura groe.n. i wonder if i'll be able to get a hold of them.

so that's what's going on with me. my favorite oscar acceptance speach was the guy who wrote the motorcycle diaries song, he sang, and said, "ciao!" it was great. my second favorite was morgan freeman.

Posted by jack. |

today was crazy. i have a hard time saying no to people when they ask me to be in or shoot their films. so today, i worked on three. first, was alison, hers was about this guy beating a park bench with a bag. and then i was in chris', i shot the his last film, i played a bum. i got really dirty for it. and then i shot dan's. his was about a girl who sees some scary people and then runs away, only to be surprised. that was a horrible description. i like dping or camera operating--whichever you will call it. it's enjoyable. you don't have to direct, but you can make suggestions. it's also good that i know what i'm doing with the camera.

i was double booked for some of today, but it all worked out in the end.

i slept on the couch this afternoon because i went to a midnight showing of The Big Lebowski last night. it was great. i was so happy it was on film. then i went to chipotle, which is basically q'doba, but with a different name. which was tasty. then i watched Slingblade. i really liked it. it was grand. billy bob thorton is awesome. mmmhmmm.

i really like the font that this is in. i hope it stays this way.

well, that was today. the past few days have been fairly normal. i drove to santa monica on friday. a total of 30 mi there and back, and it took me 2.5 hours. yay for traffic!

the same trip later that night took forty min. yay for traffic!

i have to do a big paper on a film, analysing and interpreting it and theology of it. i think it may be interesting. i'm thinking of doing Dogville. it may be a little much, Dogville is really long and heavy, but really good. all is well over here.

well. that is all.

Posted by jack. |

there i am.

Posted by jack. |

hair, originally uploaded by enokwons.

um, this was on my face.

Posted by jack. |

The only reason i know it's presidents day is because i have today off. at the lafsc, the know that week six can be a real hard week, so they built a break into the program a while ago. so, i had friday and monday off. it was nice. friday i was on a shoot, it was raining. a camping proposal film. i think it could be pretty good/funny. i'm going bowling tonight. on saturday i didn't do too much. i acted in another film, i was a continuity killer. that movie could be really funny. sunday i went to the chinese mann theatre and saw constantine. which was a lot better than i thought it would be.

today has been really relaxed. i got up late. chilled out for a while. used my computer. wrote some online. then i went with some friends around town. we went to ameoba records. which is like the biggest record store ever. and we scouted some locations and went to a staples to buy a wireless network card for chris. then we went and ate some food. chipotle. good food. a lot like q'doba. if you've eaten there you've basically eaten at chipotle. so i bought four cds today. i will list them:

--Kaki King - everybody loves you

--Kaki King - legs to make us longer

--Bright Eyes - i'm wide awake it's morning

--frou frou - details

i like them all. i found out about kaki last night i think. she's amazing. here's a link to her music video, you have to check it out if you like guitar stuff.

kaki king!

it's great i think.

well. like i said, bowling tonight. and, class starts up tomorrow. that is that.

Posted by jack. |

So, i'm in screenwriting. The first day of screenwriting he told us that we would get to go to this writer's guild thing in february. So, that thing, event was last night. And the event was a panel discussion with almost all the writers who were nominated for adapted and original screenplay academy awards. amazing. So, last night, i was in the audience listening to, Julie Delpy, who co-wrote before sunset, the guy who wrote million dollar baby, Alexander Payne, who wrote sideways (and about schimt), the guy who wrote aviator, the guy who wrote motorcycle diaries, Charlie Kaufman, who wrote eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, Zach Braff who wrote, directed and starred in garden state, and john kier, who wrote hotel rawanda. i think that was everybody. crazy. it was so fun. all men except for julie delpy. so fun. charlie kaufman is a really funny man. and zach braff was a character too, both very entertaining. afterwords they had desert, and free wine, which i couldn't drink--no alcohol on lafsc, it was frustrating. but the desert was fantastic. the writers mingled a little with the crowd too. it was fun to watch. Julie delpy stood behind me for a while. it was funny interesting. i really couldn't think of anyway to talk to her without sounding like every other fan, so i just watched out of the corner of my eye.

showing my film went well. the comments, critique was good. it's always this battle between what you write, and what you shoot. and what i wrote would have lived up to the critique, what i mean is that what i wrote, was what they told me to do to make it better in the critique. so, i need to be a better producer. or get someone who is a good producer.

i am in "mini-break" right now. we have friday and monday off. i guess they've found over the many years of this program, that students need some time off at about week six. and week six it is. it's nice for me, because the only thing i have to do over the break is work on a story idea. which is work, but not that much. i don't have to film or edit this week.

i was the dp (director of photography) for another film. that is a weird job. because i always am so tempted to give direction to the actors. but i'm not the director, i'm the guy running the camera, and making the f/stop right and setting all the settings.

i'm helping out with a shoot today, but it's raining, so i'm not sure how dry it'll be.

i'm excited to get working on my next idea, if i could just come up with it. i want to create something, that's a good feeling.

Posted by jack. |

is the title of my first lafsc film. it doesn't have anything to do with the gift at dordt. so there. joshua. punk. it's about this guy who is living by this book his parents gave him, i think i've written about this before. anywho. i think, unless someone i respect tells me different, that i'm done with it. i have to show it tomorrow morning at 9 am. i'm actually a little surprised that i'm done already. i think i only spent like 6 hours on this film. probably a little more, but about that. 6-8. and i like it. i really do. the colors, sound, and music all fit together really well. i'm pleased. i wonder what everyone else will say. i wonder if they'll like it.

i have heard bits and peices about the TX, but nothing substantial or engrossing. i hope it went well. i wished i could have been there.

today at work was a lot better than friday. something about the rainy ness of friday that made me uncomfortable or something. it was nice to have everyone at work again. not that i don't enjoy ryan's presence, but it's more interesting and fun when there are more people there. i got to learn some of after effects today. i like it a lot. it's like live type combined with all the effects in final cut, and it rocks. i sense that there is so much you can do with that program. i'm eager to learn it more and more. now, i just need something to do with it.

it's all about controlling everything and not using any presets. or at least obvious presets. that seems to be the thing to do. interesting.

the voice over on my film could be better quality, but there isn't much i can do about that now.

i watched the graduate yesterday. i liked it. it's great. i love the way that the parsley sage rose-mary and thime song is used like three different times, and it evokes different emotions each time.

peter engel the producer of "saved by the bell" and other such tv shows is going to come and talk with/to us tomorrow. i'm thinking it'll be interesting. i didn't know he was a christian.

had a great conversation about truth and God and truth yesterday. it was fantastic. a little frustrating, but fantastic.

welll. i'm done.

Posted by jack. |

is when i woke up this morning. on a saturday. wowzer. i say. i don't usually do that. i played god in a movie on the beach. it was fun. i was type cast again. it's this story about this guy who can't get past his ex girlfriend, and the beach is kinda a parellel universe where he doesn't want to enter the water, and god is watching on. and i was god.

i feel better today than yesterday. yesterday was rainy and just all around dreary. i may have been dehydrated as well. i'm not sure. either way, today is better. i'm filming my movie tomorrow. i got an actor. one of the lafsc people. i think it'll work out ok. i'm kinda stressing over the shots right now. i want them to look really good.

i'm going to see bright eyes tomorrow as well. at night. i'm excited. it ought to be good. and depressing i guess.

my movie is about a guy who lives by a book that was given to him by his parents, the complete life's little instruction book and how it haunts him. i'm using lots of long takes and long shots, and lots of extreme close-ups. we'll see it goes.

and a touch of music. a touch.

hopefully it will look and sound good in the end.

i think i'm going to go fix another computer. i hope those of you that go to the tx, enjoy it. i wish i could be there.

later.

Posted by jack. |

supposed to film this week.

need an actor.

good thing half of my shots don't require an actor.

working on developing character and story for screenwriting.

had a sneak preview of slumlord the short the company i'm working for is working on. it was interesting cool. good comments.

i have a presentation in Faith Film and Culture today. about the film "on the waterfront". i think it'll be good.

work is good. classes are good. i wish i had an actor.

doing well. busy, i think. weekends are filled with people shooting film. makes for lack of leasure time.

fragmented today.

Posted by jack. |

whenever i'm around a lot of creative people i wonder about this, is art subjective? or is there a absolute when it comes to art? what about taste, where does that fit in. because i find myself disagreeing with people about movies. all the time. i like mystic river, this person hates it. or musical tastes. like i like modest mouse and flaming lips, and my roommate mutters under his breathe that they suck. i don't know.

my day was good. i worked on finishing the festival stuff for tandem fellas. and i made a questionairre for their screenings. and i did more computer hard drive swapping. i learned that complaining over the phone to people like newegg will get rush shipping. nice. i learned that on friday, and the drive came today. i also read a script, one of theirs. it was good. i liked it. really interesting visuals and ideas. i also did some simple editing things. captured a concert, and put it on dvd...but idvd was being a pain.

i'm working on the script and storyboards for my first film here at lafsc. i think it will be good. or i hope so at least. if i can find a good actor, i'll be happy. i need subtle.

ok. that's all.

(i was in three movies this weekend. i played, two thugs and a homeless man. am i being typecast? i think so.)

Posted by jack. |

still alive and kickin'.

pitched my idea on tuesday, well recieved it was. i wrote it out some more on tuesday afternoon, may rewrite again before next tuesday.

i helped a friend here shoot his first film yesterday. it was interesting and fun. he's got a lot of great ideas, but he's never really touched a camera before.

it was called "Solidarity" he made his closet into a cell.

my internship is still going well. i am doing some data entry about festivals--so they can decide where they are going to submit to. they watched "Penny Fiasco" on wednesday. it was well recieved i think. they liked the music and the tone and the general feeling of it. ryan said, "it's understated, and i think that's way better than over stating something. but it may be too understated."

i had a bunch of iowa people call me on wednesday night, that was really cool. i was getting kind of lonely for friends, and then joshua is calling me on my cellular telephone. amazing. and then i got passed around the room.

this weekend brings me being in someone elses movie, and helping chris finish "Solidarity." i'm not sure what else it brings. watching another movie that we have to present on in class. that's another thing.

i'm doing well. kinda anxious to start making my first lafsc project.

alright. i'm going to eat breakfast, and make lunch (for later).

jack.

Posted by jack. |