Hey,
PART I: INTRO/I'M BACK
Sorry - to my non-existent fans and of course the ones who live in my head (can't forget about you guys!) but after a long and anxiety-inducing junior year in high school - I'm finally posting again after, how long was it?
Oh, yeah. Ten months.
But, I'm back and more movie-savvy than ever so I'm feeling good and have a lot to tell.
First of all - Film class this year was a mixture of disappointments, triumphs and more disappointments.
I made a few films (including what I consider my best one to date), made a few friends and had a pretty good time. Blah blah blah.
Anyway, the film I consider my "best to date" is a little short called "X". It's about four and half minutes in length and was entered into my school's first annual film festival - only to be turned down because, why else, the "content was inappropriate".
Bullshit. Total bullshit.
It was a horror movie with some pretty sadistic undertones and a pretty creepy atmosphere but nothing compared to anything considered remotely "graphic" or "violent". Plus I tried my hardest to keep the profanity to a minimum, which I succeeded at - apparently - because there isn't one word considered "bad" in the English language featured in the film. No fucks, no shits, no cunts, no pricks, not even a fucking hell.
Whatever, fuck my life, I'm starting to rant and become more angry as I type this so I'll stop.
But, continuing on ---
PART II: ELLIS THE ELEPHANT
I started writing my first feature-length screenplay over spring-break (late April, about a month and two weeks ago) it's coming along quite well. The working title was 'Dead Life' at first but I almost immediately changed it to 'The Life and Death of Ellis the Elephant'.
Strange title, I know.
Here's a brief synopsis, if you please: Scott Arcady is a drug-addict who's girlfriend just broke up with him after Scott strolls in one day to find her having sex with Scott's "best-friend". Scott is also the host of the popular children's show 'Ellis's Playground' (playing the title character 'Ellis the Elephant') and is on the brink of true stardom. Will Scott make it big? How will Scott's influence affect those around him? Will Scott's addiction, ultimately bring him down?
I don't know, I thought it was a brilliant idea. Boosting my positive thoughts are the two people I've shown what I've written (my internet buddy from Minnesota, Blake - And my real-life buddy, Johana - both are EXTREME film-buffs, much like myself). Both of them are completely hooked and bothering me daily about finishing it. I've promised them the first draft by the end of summer. That gives me three months.
I'm not very confident :(
PART III: CLOSING
Yeah, just an update of the past couple of months. Hope you guys (if anyone is visiting, since I know I have zero returning readers) enjoyed it and I'll be back soon. I promise.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The Beginning or: How Everyone in School Knows My Name
I've been known throughout my school since my freshman year, two years ago, simply as "John". Of course, most of the kids in my grade know my last name but most other kids in all other grades know me simply by my first name. You might not think this is unusual, because most of your close friends probably don't even know YOUR last name but I'll tell why this is significant.
You see, there's this teacher... Luisi. Mr. Luisi. He's well known throughout the school as the "hardest" teacher in the place. Most kids have a love-hate relationship with the guy. Most people think he has OCD. Which he most probably does and you'd agree with me if you saw what this guy does to his students. Here's an example: A friend of mine had him freshman year. It was January, and therefore winter and very cold outside. But Mr. Luisi insists on keeping atleast one window open at all times no matter the weather. There could be a nuclear freaking holocaust outside but the guy would not let you close the damn window. He's weird like that. Anyway, it was cold so naturally my friend got a little chilly so he asked the teacher if he could close the window. "No." Luisi said blankly. "You have detention." My friend got upset, as most people would in this situation. "For what reason!?" My friend demanded. "Disturbing class. Now go to the dean." And then my friend left the classroom, dusgruntled and partly confused. But that's just one example, I hope I got the point across.
Anyway on to the reason I'm known as simply my first name... Ughhh, I digress.
So, me and my friend Dan, who happened to have Luisi at the time made a video. Spur of the moment, my idea, in my room, just a random little pathetic attempt at a viral video of some sort. Anyway we made it and I wasn't even planning on uploading it at first. "Don't put that onthe internet." Dan said, "It'll make us look stupid." I thought the same thing but then thought that since we weren't the most popular guys in school, what harm could it do? "No, it's just for fun. No one 'ill care." "Fine, whatever, dude." Dan agreed.
So I edited it (with Dan breathing down my neck) and uploaded it to my YouTube account. "It's just for fun." I added. "Yeah whatever, I'll see you in school. I gotta go." Dan left.
Within the next week people, it seemed, would come out of the wood-work with random comments as they passed me in the hall. "John! John! John!" was the most common. But once in a while someone would simply say "Hey, man, I saw your video. Nice." "Thanks," I'd reply and be on my way. Pretty soon, my video, so truthfully entitled "The Blair Bitch Project: Crazy Teacher" was a hit and most everyone I'd talk to would say that they had seen it. Even teachers saw it, but thankfully, no dean visits that year were on the behalf of the video.
So, I hope you enjoyed reading about the very beginning of my filmmmaking career. Even today, two years later, me and Dan both get people coming up to us with a comment on our now famous video.
Well, I hope you enjoyed the read and come back soon to read moreof what I have to see. I still need to cover my entire sophomore year, which I have so humbley entitled"The Boom Year".
So... peac out, nukkahs, I'm outty like an Audi.
Oh, wait! Don't go yet! I have a little "P.S." - I was always an avid film fan before I made the video and I was always a frequent film watcher. Just to clarify. So no one thinks I'm some... film nub. Trust me, I'm the opposite of a film nub.
The Beloved Video
You see, there's this teacher... Luisi. Mr. Luisi. He's well known throughout the school as the "hardest" teacher in the place. Most kids have a love-hate relationship with the guy. Most people think he has OCD. Which he most probably does and you'd agree with me if you saw what this guy does to his students. Here's an example: A friend of mine had him freshman year. It was January, and therefore winter and very cold outside. But Mr. Luisi insists on keeping atleast one window open at all times no matter the weather. There could be a nuclear freaking holocaust outside but the guy would not let you close the damn window. He's weird like that. Anyway, it was cold so naturally my friend got a little chilly so he asked the teacher if he could close the window. "No." Luisi said blankly. "You have detention." My friend got upset, as most people would in this situation. "For what reason!?" My friend demanded. "Disturbing class. Now go to the dean." And then my friend left the classroom, dusgruntled and partly confused. But that's just one example, I hope I got the point across.
Anyway on to the reason I'm known as simply my first name... Ughhh, I digress.
So, me and my friend Dan, who happened to have Luisi at the time made a video. Spur of the moment, my idea, in my room, just a random little pathetic attempt at a viral video of some sort. Anyway we made it and I wasn't even planning on uploading it at first. "Don't put that onthe internet." Dan said, "It'll make us look stupid." I thought the same thing but then thought that since we weren't the most popular guys in school, what harm could it do? "No, it's just for fun. No one 'ill care." "Fine, whatever, dude." Dan agreed.
So I edited it (with Dan breathing down my neck) and uploaded it to my YouTube account. "It's just for fun." I added. "Yeah whatever, I'll see you in school. I gotta go." Dan left.
Within the next week people, it seemed, would come out of the wood-work with random comments as they passed me in the hall. "John! John! John!" was the most common. But once in a while someone would simply say "Hey, man, I saw your video. Nice." "Thanks," I'd reply and be on my way. Pretty soon, my video, so truthfully entitled "The Blair Bitch Project: Crazy Teacher" was a hit and most everyone I'd talk to would say that they had seen it. Even teachers saw it, but thankfully, no dean visits that year were on the behalf of the video.
So, I hope you enjoyed reading about the very beginning of my filmmmaking career. Even today, two years later, me and Dan both get people coming up to us with a comment on our now famous video.
Well, I hope you enjoyed the read and come back soon to read moreof what I have to see. I still need to cover my entire sophomore year, which I have so humbley entitled"The Boom Year".
So... peac out, nukkahs, I'm outty like an Audi.
Oh, wait! Don't go yet! I have a little "P.S." - I was always an avid film fan before I made the video and I was always a frequent film watcher. Just to clarify. So no one thinks I'm some... film nub. Trust me, I'm the opposite of a film nub.
The Beloved Video
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