Land of Living Skies

Here in Saskatchewan the provincial license plates declare that this place is the Land of Living Skies. It may sound a bit generic, but it's actually true. One of the notable features of Saskatchewan (it's kind of a stereotype too) is how flat it is.  It's easy to take the landscape for granted, but it does make for some epic views.

From the roof of the university residence you can literally see from flat horizon to flat horizon. If you find yourself driving on the Trans Canada highway into Regina you'll also find that you can see the downtown buildings about 30 minutes before you're even in the city. The natural landscape can easily be described as bland because there's just so much of the same thing, but the more I've traveled (even just to other parts of the prairies) you really do notice that this place is unique. 

Perspective is an important part of filmmaking and something that's discussed at length in film school, but it's also an important part of appreciating the things that you didn't even realize were so defining.  These are a couple shots of a sunset that I snapped from the roof of the residence a couple weeks ago. Pretty incredible.

Dorm Xmas Tree

I'm a Christmas junkie, so as soon as Halloween ends the holiday season starts for me. The ritual has usually been pretty simple. I'll throw on a Christmas movie, this year it was Christmas Vacation, and I'll put up my plastic tree. It'll be up until mid-December when I take it down and head back to my parents house for Christmas. A tree is a great decoration though, and it certainly sets my dorm apart by making it feel more comfortable, relaxed, and home-like.

Here is a quick little video of me putting up my tree last year. There was really no sense in making a new video because the process and the look are pretty much the same every year anyway. It may only be me and the department stores setting up this early, but here's a little dose of Xmas to get you counting down too.

For A Degree

I recently started to seriously question whether or not I still wanted to pursue my degree in film production. This wasn't just a random thought, but instead the culmination of doubt, frustration and serious questioning about the actual worth of an already lengthy university experience. I'm not about to dissect the importance of a degree because it seems pretty obvious. What I went through in the last week, I understand now, has been about rediscovering and redefining my goals.

I'm on a break until next semester now, and with this time I plan on doing a few more personal projects, making some money, and setting some realistic goals for myself. I'm smart enough to know that no one just finds motivation or inspiration, it's something that you have to work for; something that you have to pursue. Being a student has a lot of positives and negatives, but it's temporary. I'll be working now to remind myself that what I do here will have more worth when I actually start my 'real' life. Motivation doesn't come easy on the path to a degree.

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it." 

-Goethe

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." 

-Oliver Wendell Holmes

"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves." 

-Thomas Edison