Success and Sacrifice

Film making is one of the most time consuming things in the world. To do something well, A LOT of time needs to be spent working on it.  It takes months of pre-production, shooting and then all of the post production work to pull it all together. This is all before you have anything to really show to the world. This could even be for a five minute video. So how do you balance this with everything else that needs to be done in life(Laundry, calling mom, paying bills, etc.)?

One of the most important things in my life, besides for film making, has been running. I have been running competitively for almost a decade. Since coming to college it has become a year round commitment. On top of classes and films, I would have practice 4-6 daily and would usually have meets on Saturdays lasting the entire day. I loved every minute of it. I've always been competitive and never minded the strain on my schedule. Even if it meant a much more limited time to make films.

Recently I had to make the decision to leave the cross country team just before the start of my senior year. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. In these past years the team has become my family. We've spent hundreds of hours together pushing our bodies to their limits, joking, and just being together. Running has very much shaped me into the person I am today.

So why quit? If I've been balancing running and everything else since day one why stop now? What makes this year so different? I came to the realization that I wasn't able to give it everything I had. In either direction. I am a strong proprietor of the idea  that "If you aren't going to do it right don't do it at all." Being in my final semester I knew it was time to put my money where my mouth was. Am I going to make a good film or do I want to make something extraordinary? To make this difference I needed time, as much as I could get. It would mean missing meets for productions. So many meets that it was pointless to stay on the team, regardless of how much it means to me.

Life is a series of choices. Some will be easy and others will be extremely difficult. I will always encourage people to make the decisions that will make them happiest in the long run. I will also encourage people to be the best at whatever they do. Sometimes those aren't the same decision. Success is not easy but you have to be willing to work for it. Even if it means making sacrifices.

My Team and I after winning the E8 conference championship

Cinema...Everything But the Kitchen Sink

I have always been interested in learning.  Every subject in school was an adventure with new secrets to learn.  I value knowledge and education highly.  My dreams changed many times throughout my childhood.  When asked what I wanted to be, I replied an architect, marine biologist, professional jazz musician, astronaut, lawyer and an actress.  Because I was interested in so many things, it took me a long time to finally figure out what I wanted to do with my life.  When I finally discovered filmmaking, I was enthralled by the amount of other fields that cinema production encompassed.  Film allows me to practice in other fields that I love such as science, history, writing, and even music.

For one, cinema is both biological and technological science.  One of the main scientific principles behind cinema is Persistence of Vision.  This is the thought that an afterimage remains on your retina for a fraction of a second after you view an image.   Because of this, many pictures shown quickly in succession appear to be moving in real time in the eye of the viewer.  This lag time in the back of our eyes is the reason why it is possible for people to view films.  Technological science and invention have always been an important part of filmmaking as well.  From the first Vitascope to new green screen technology, new ideas in filmmaking are constantly encouraging new technology to be created.  Cinema also crosses into engineering with its use of the 3-D printer in stop motion animation films like Coraline and ParaNorman. 

History is also present in many films.  Not only does cinema have a wonderful technological and cultural history itself, but cinema can also take an audience back in time to an era that we can not currently experience.  Historical heroes (and villains) are brought back to life and put on display for the world to see.  It is almost if filmmakers can raise the dead and travel through time.

 

Since I was young, writing and storytelling have been a huge part of my life.  I am able to transfer my love of storytelling into screenplays.  There is the basic dramatic structure of a story that is similar between novels and screenplays.  It is beneficial to know basic dramatic structure when writing a screenplay.  Many films are also inspired by books which is a wonderful way to meld literature and the art of filmmaking.

Film also incorporates the music field.  Professional musicians, a well composed score, and a well mixed soundscape can add to the power of a film.  As a musician, I get chills from a soundtrack that helps to enhance the mood of the film.  Music is an integral part of film, and without it, movies would be less impactful. 

Film has the ability to incorporate many outside fields.  It is entertaining, intriguing, and let’s you have the best of everything!  Well...Everything, but the kitchen sink.