Articulation.

Apologies, another 'these are my feelings' post. I'm very antsy and stressed, I've got to get it out somehow.

After this long haul of two semesters draws to an uncomfortably hasty close, I'm disappointed, exhausted and anxiety ridden. As much as I am ready for this hell-child to be delivered, there's still tons of work to do on our short film for this semester. Trying to tie up the lose ends while job hunting like a fiend, prepping end of semester assignments, battling colds (seemingly all the time?) and getting some shut eye every so often has been difficult. But we're screening May 1st, 2012. So save the date. Save it good. If you love seeing blood, sweat and tears shot on super 16mm film, this screening sure as hell is for you.

I've got a couple sewing projects in tow, just paper plans at the moment. But in the mean time check out this totally normal looking, sort of kitch felt pear I made! To tell you the truth, this pear did have a goofy face. But due to the unlikelihood of people enjoying pears with weird faces as much as myself, I removed it. I mean, I enjoy creating monsters so much more, but I think there is more of a 'market' for classier felties with less of my own brand of psychotic flair.

I am now one of those idiots with one of everything on the internet. Mubi, GoodReads, Pinterest. No wonder I find myself wasting so much time doing things that don't really amount to anything.

The library continues to be a dear friend, I'm now waist deep in Herzog on Herzog by Paul Cronin and it's just absolutely fantastic. Herzog's attitude about, not only filmmaking, but life in general is an absolute gem. I'm really quite enjoying these filmmaker and cinematographer interviews. Although they provide no technical know-how, they instill a certain set of personal values - a sort of code of living, communicating and creating with one's self and others. I find the interviews absolutely enthralling. I've got Scorsese, Leigh, Wilder, Wenders and Tarkovsky lined up for April.

I've spent a lot of time worrying about what other people think of me lately. All this has been so distracting, I could be putting my brain power to something useful! Something that doesn't cause a self-consciousness collapse mid-conversation with an acquaintance. I can identify these short comings with insane accuracy, but it's as if my brain decides that no, it doesn't want to fix it's problems, and I continue in a particularly misconstrued fashion and no progress is made. My brain and I have what I like to call a 'working relationship'.

I am experiencing a feeling of unease these past few days. Past the end of semester stresses, past the always-present anxious sort of nervousness I experience on a daily basis. But I think I just pushed the unease and found this strange, exhilarating space in my consciousness. After dunking myself in a vat of responsibility and new experiences this past weekend on a certain short film, I think I tore open a small corner of the giant tarp suffocating my brain with fear and doubt and all of those wonderful feelings. I deserve a little corner of satisfaction, and I think to remain in a cold, dark corner only to maintain a sense of security is an excuse that I should not be making. The world is a very, very large place. There's room to wander, to change direction, to broaden one's horizons.

So there it is. Onwards, if not upwards.

Anyways, some things you should look at:

Cinnamon Bun. A legitimate song my roommate and I wrote while procrastinating one evening.

The Virtual Stage - a Vancouver based organization combining theater with new media, be sure to check out the Cruel and Unusual short film updates!

The Hobbit Production Blogs - they make my day, every day

Les Blank's documentary Werner Herzog Eats his Shoe, in lieu of Errol Morris' success.

March. March. March.

 Ooh, and it's March already. I've got a pile of things on the ol' "TO DO" list this month - most of that pile are things I'd like to get over with sooner rather than later.

Asides from discovering a voracious affinity for avocado spread on toast (so heavenly - go try it), not a whole lot is new. I'm currently searching high and low for a shiny new job to acquaint myself with. I'm convinced that a new job is my answer to everything. Money woes, boredom woes, getting out and meeting new people woes, all of those woes that haven't let up since sometime mid-2011. I'd really like to get back into the business of books. Bookstores are the most zen place in the world for me, and I would like nothing better than to just be immersed in those paperback labyrinths - dealing with other humans who also enjoy finding those literary gems in the stacks. Girl's gotta dream.

I made peace with the university library recently, and now I have a gigantic stack of film books I'm chugging through. I'm really getting a kick out of these interview-type books on filmmaking. I finished Principal Photography the other day, which is a series of interviews with fifteen cinematographers. It's fascinating the methods of the greats - many things are so similar, yet stylistically and biographically, there are these wonderful differences that are responsible for the immense spread of cinematography methods we see in film today. Two interviews that I found particularly enlightening were those of Gordon Willis (The Godfather, Manhattan) and Allen Daviau (E.T, The Color Purple, Empire of the Sun). The interviews contained some technical jargon, but a lot of what they had to say was concerned with how people work on set together, the responsibilities of their post before, during and after production, and some good mantras to remember as a student (and I'm sure, as a professional as well). It also had a great interview with Garret Brown, who developed the Steadicam, "...the moving camera lets you break into the medium itself- the screen stops being a wall and becomes a space you can play in." Next on my list are a large stack of 'director on director' books, more interview-type things. I'm looking forward to exploring some Tarkovsky films in the near future, so I can read his books. I was also just lent two 35mm still photography books (and cameras!) from my friend, Aerlan - which I am pretty jazzed to get my paws on.

I started sewing again yesterday, having freshly cleaned and organized my perpetually filthy desk. Here's a sneak peak of a purple beast I'm about half done. I have a feeling his jowls are subconsciously inspired by dear old Jake from one of my all time favorite cartoons, Adventure Time. Which is a show I think everyone should watch. Everyone. Ever.

I'm finding with my feltie designs in the past two years, although the faces are changing - becoming more complex and expressive - the body shapes are not. In fact, many are just the same base shape. I think once I finish this purple fella, I'm going to try and branch out shape-wise and see what can happen. I'm looking forward to, what I hope is, a long trend of super-felt beasties!

Not too much else to say today! Just make sure you all have MAY 2nd booked on your calendar for the Simon Fraser University 2nd year film screenings! It'll be an evening comprised of a mixed-bag of adventure and super 16mm! Who could ask for more?! I sure couldn't. I would also highly recommend checking out the SFU 3rd year screenings on April 12th AND the SFU Grad screenings on May 3rd, 4th and 5th. All of these are being shown at the Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema at SFU Woodwards!

Things to look at!

     Cool kiddie crafts over at Kids Craft!

     Check out 2011's National Geographic Photo Contest!

     Watch a jewel wasp zombify a cockroach! Science!

     Plus, I was super thrilled to find this documentary on YouTube. After reading a book about all of George Roy Hill's films, I got relatively stoked about finding out how Hill works. This 1970 documentary on the making of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is so superb. I love it. So much. Watch it. As soon as humanly possible.

     People of a Feather

I saw People of a Feather this past year at VIFF and was impressed by the fact that it was an environmental film that did not preach that the sky was falling. It was able to explain, in simple terms, one specific problem that was causing deaths in the Eider ducks in Canada. What was even better is it's ability to introduce ideas to solve this problem, all while giving a unique historical comparison to the natives of that area, hundreds of years ago to the present.

Please check it out if you have the opportunity! It won best Environmental film at VIFF and was made by three SFU graduate students, two of which stemmed from the film production program.

VANCOUVER DATES:
March 2nd-5th, Vancity Theater
March 6th-9th, Denman Cinema
March 10th-13th, RIO Theater * Cancelled due to BCLC restrictions

     And, thanks to my roommate, I have spent an unreasonable amount of time watching these two brothers be adorable, intelligent and awesome back and forth over YouTube. EXAMPLE:

     Community is back NEXT WEEK.

I hope everyone is having a peachy start to the month. It's going to fly by, I am sure of it.

     If you're not too tired hearing about this Kony business... READ ON.