Sep 1, 2007

Back to Film School

It's officially September now, and a final year of classes is but days away. If I'd have gone home for the summer I would've moved back into College West (residence) yesterday (Aug. 31). I was lucky to escape moving, not just between home and school this time around, but within residence itself. 

I put up with a headache back in April when the residence office had me move ONE room over. Still no good reason for that decision. After another ordeal about a week ago (proof that the squeaky wheel gets the grease) I was allowed to keep my current room. It wasn't so much that I put up a huge fuss, I just begged and pleaded. Pitiful that I have to fight to NOT move when I'm already living here, but at least it worked.

To some extent there is a lot that I could say about how I'm feeling at the start of this year, but mostly it's just the same feelings I've had every year at this time. I'm excited, anxious . . . really I'm used to it all. School is still several days away so it's too early to say what's good and what's bad, but I will share with you my back to film school tradition.

Back in September 2002 I came to the University of Regina to start my first year of post-secondary education. The Buick (which wasn't mine yet) was packed to the brim with my stuff, and I was incredibly nervous. I didn't know anyone in Regina, but it felt great to finally be stepping out on my own. 

The first thing I did when I got to my dorm room was set up my TV and DVD player to watch a flick while I unpacked. September '07 marks the 6th year in a row (ya, time to graduate I know) that I've started off by watching (what has now become) my back to school movie: Dazed and Confused (1993).

To be honest, I think I chose to play this movie when I first moved in because I figured it would make me feel less nervous to realize that there was no way things were going to be as bad for me as they were for Mitch Kramer (one of the incoming freshmen). Dazed and Confused is a comedy about "the last day of school at a high school in a small town in Texas in 1976. The upperclassmen are hazing the incoming freshmen, and everyone is trying to get stoned, drunk, or laid, even the football players that signed a pledge not to". -IMDb

What can I say? Another year of school can leave you pretty damn Dazed and Confused, so I figured I might as well just start out that way. That movie helped me with my educational transition at the beginning, now it's helping me at the end. It's great for a laugh, and no, it's probably not the best message to live by. But, it is a good time and that's what I'll be looking for in my final year of university!


Aug 30, 2007

Universal Studios Hollywood: Video Postcard

I ended up editing a new video postcard and thought it would be nice to share it before school starts.  This is old footage of Universal Studios Hollywood (originally shot in 2004) but the edit is new. Check out 'My Travel Edits' tag to see more of my video postcards, or check my YouTube channel. Anyway, here's one more send up to the end of summer. I'll pretend that heading back to film classes will be just as exciting as this.

Aug 21, 2007

Summer School Ends & Memory Almost Full

Summer school has officially wrapped and once again I'm feeling great about what I did and worse about what I didn't. It's in the past now though and I'm ready to move forward. 

More than ever I feel motivated for my final year.  I've had this anxious feeling before, but this is actually the beginning of the end. To be fair, I really don't have anything to say here that I haven't said before . . . or at least I'm not in the mood to write myself a pep-talk. 

I'm tired of not caring about my classes, and I'm tired of questioning all of the things that I don't like doing as an excuse not to do them. I have one last year, and with a bit of extra effort I know it's going to be great.

I went out and bought Paul McCartney's Memory Almost Full today which seems relevant given my current thoughts about school again. I'll never tire of learning, and even if for some odd reason I did how could a person ever really stop? I think I'm ready to start rethinking some things, preparing myself, and amp myself up about university one more time. Things are going to change again. For now it's time to celebrate, relax, and maybe just Dance Tonight: