3. Goals and What I Want to do With This

I love talking about, interpreting, and breaking down films. I'm fascinated by all of the subtle touches directors put into their projects to express their story. A good movie can leave such a powerful imprint on you, in a way unique to the medium - in a way different from the stories in books and the like (although I love to read as well). But, to be honest, I lack the technical skills to make the effective stories I love to watch myself. I know only the most basic concepts of lighting and shooting, and have extremely limited knowledge of controlling and influencing the images we capture on camera. In TCF 312, I hope to understand the techniques and equipment of filmmaking in a very real way - not just enough to pass a quiz, but to be completely comfortable with the realities of shooting firsthand. Do I know what I'm going to do with this knowledge? Not really. At 19, I'm not too sure what I want to do after I graduate. Editing, with the power to transform images into storylines and emotions, intrigues me. With my other major being Marketing, using film to create fun and effective commercials also seems like a wonderful job. Maybe I won't end up in the media field at all, and film will simply become a hobby and an enduring interest to me. No matter how I apply the things I take from this class, I'm glad to have the opportunity to understand how people make the things I like and to make them myself.

Also, on a completely different note, I secretly hope to find a way to acquire all of the movies I want to watch. Having Netflix, but only with "Instant Watch", is like being a kid in a candy store. Except all of the good candy is locked up in glass cases and the only treats they have out is old, crappy candy and the cheap, generic candy that you get in those coin machines.

2. Inspiration

1. Let me tell you about my boat...

The Life Aquatic is one of my favorite movies, and this scene is representative of it's style as a whole. The whimsical romp through his boat shows us a world that maintains a fantastical, heightened reality yet feels completely lived-in and used. The fourth wall is boldly broken down as our protagonist Steve Zissou shows gives us a documentary tour of his boat - but the cross-section cutaway is of course impossible in real life. I am inspired by how the lines of reality are blurred. The Life Aquatic is a film about a filmmaker making a film while trying to avenge a friend's death caused by one of his films. This scene's documentary style reflects and confuses the layers of the film to create a completely magical world, and that's just the way I like it.

2. The Dark Tower

Although books are not an extremely visual form of inspiration, I'll include Stephen King's The Dark Tower series on this list. Despite King's reputation as a contract writer who produces mindless, repetitive horror stories for quick cash (and maybe that reputation is earned, I've never read any other books by him), this series was amazing. What struck me the most was how long the distance traveled in the novels seemed. By the end of the series, I felt as if I had journeyed for thousands of miles and many months with the characters - a sure sign of an immersive experience.

3. Three Re-imagined Movie Posters

Artist Olly Moss re-imagined these movie posters for the original Star Wars trilogy. What inspires me is how he created such a striking effect with such a minimal style. By using the silhouettes of three iconic characters from the movies, he focuses of the relationships and interactions that have always been the basis of good storytelling. The out of focus, almost "misty" scenes contained by these characters evoke a sense of mystery and drama that we never got with the original posters. Overall, these posters suggest a much more involved, character-driven world than the original "space rock opera" posters ever did (Original).

4. Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bumblebee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening

This Dalí painting inspires me because it depicts a dream world so realistically. Here, the simple act of a bee sting explodes through layers of subconsciousness to become the insane sequence of events in the painting: pomegranate releasing fish releasing tigers releasing a rifle. What I find interesting is how, just like in one's own dreams, this explosion does not seem out of place because of the setting. The spindly-legged elephant and subtly sexual naked body of the dreamer herself placed in the indeterminate landscape of the painting makes the "awakening" seem normal. This is similar to how in dreams, the faces and places change without us ever noticing the impossibility of it all.

5. Up in the Air: Wedding Reception Scene

Up in the Air is undoubtedly one of the most complete movies I have ever seen. Each time I watch it, I notice more and more subtle cues and hints that are part of every scene. One scene in particular jumped to mind when I thought of the movie: the wedding reception. What inspires me here is how certain decisions with how this scene was presented adds to the meaning of the scene. In it, our main character Ryan Bingham is alienated from human connection and at home in the world of travel. He never stops to create relationships, choosing to rather "drop in" at most and focus on his work. But in this scene he attends his sister's wedding reception with the woman he has fallen in love with (although eh may not admit that to himself). For once, we do not hear him talking business or discussing downsizing. The soft music covers up whatever is actually said because it doesn't matter to us - it's between him and her. The scene is so powerful because their closeness is depicted in a way their words could never show. In addition, the warm color tones provide a stark contrast to the rest of the film: the reception seems so distant from the cold fluorescent blues and flat office and airport lighting that Bingham is used to. Finally, "home" - a place of people and warmth - is redefined for him in this once scene.

1. Ten Things I Like

1. Sailing

I started sailing eight years ago for a summer school class, kept on coming back and soon became involved in the local competitive scene. Practice and regattas quickly consumed the majority of my time. Before long, I started my first job at the yacht club teaching in the junior sailing program where I am still employed in the summers. Incidentally, this experience put children on my list of Ten things I Like But Only In Very Small Doses. I even wrote my clichéd college application essay on sailing (look how the lessons I learned from this sport can also be applied to life!)

2. Guthrie's

One of the first things I ate when when I came to Alabama was a plate of Guthrie's. For those of you who have never experienced the warm embrace of their golden fried chicken fingers, this is an experience akin to being introduced to smoking crack at the age of three. A couple of years later I find myself hopelessly addicted, and the only thing keeping me from a diet consisting of 100% Guthrie's is money. And maybe scurvy.

3. This Movie That Hasn't Come Out Yet

I am a sucker for sci-fi movies - especially ones dealing with space travel or aliens. Add in Ridley Scott's return to the world of Alien, an enormous budget, and a frustratingly cryptic trailer and you might as well take the money out of my pocket now. I would do terrible, terrible things to see that movie before release.

4. ... And This One That Came Out In 1971

I don't think I could do the "favorite movie" question. However, this is the movie that I re-watched last night and it is certainly one of my favorites. If Harold and Maude doesn't make you laugh (or cry), perhaps nothing can. Prepare to have Cat Stevens stuck in your head for the next week after viewing.

5. Hawaii

I was born and raised on the island of O'ahu in Hawaii. People often ask me why I left and if I miss home, but Alabama is a great place to be and Hawaii isn't going anywhere soon.

6. Wallace & Gromit

Cracking Toast

I probably spent at least a week of time in total watching Wallace & Gromit as a kid. No regrets.

7, 8, 9. Some Songs

Atlantic City - the Band

Good to Go - Yelawolf

If There Was No You - Brandi Carlile

These are a few of my favorite songs right now.

10. Starcraft

In Korea, people play the computer game Starcraft against each other professionally in tournaments for tens of thousands of dollars. When I have some free time, I watch these tournaments. There's really no way around this one guys, we're gonna have to keep it on the down low. Tell no one.