Finally the TAFE year has ended. Actually it ended about two months ago, but I got swamped betweeen the end of the year-start of the summer-holiday madness-new job vortex.
I am taking a year out from film school (time to retitle this blog, much?), which was originally largely to travel but is now going to involve some unpaid film work, a full time job, a heap of baking and hopefully some riding - my knees are pretty screwed. All that aside, the main purpose of the year is to try get my head together and figure out where to go from here.
I had a bunch of other stuff to say but I've decided it's not for internets land. Except for this part, which is, fuck summer, I am going to lie on my bedroom floor and listen to riot grrrl really really loudly, and not talk to anyone until I get bored of that.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
5 things
In things bicycle related, I recently:
i) fell off my bike and broke skin for the first time
ii) learned to skid
iii) got my first puncture
iv) attached reflectors and a bell to make myself legal, with rubber bands because of the oversize tubing - looks horrible.
v) nearly got killed by a woolworths van, somehow came away totally unscathed
In things film related:
i) managed to get permission from Moreland City Council to film in the street
ii) replaced an actress as the very last minute
iii) pissed of one of my friend Gen's neighbours while filming
iv) decided yet again that I am not a director
v) managed to direct a film
In things related to food:
i) made vegan banana ice cream
ii) bought a lunchbox, because for all the tupperware in the house there was no lunch box
iii) made amazing spinach, lemon, cous cous and olive soup
iv) made vegan wellingtons
v) have ruled the food intolerance down to: nuts, rice. Thus, garlic is back on the menu.
Least the vampires won't get me!
i) fell off my bike and broke skin for the first time
ii) learned to skid
iii) got my first puncture
iv) attached reflectors and a bell to make myself legal, with rubber bands because of the oversize tubing - looks horrible.
v) nearly got killed by a woolworths van, somehow came away totally unscathed
In things film related:
i) managed to get permission from Moreland City Council to film in the street
ii) replaced an actress as the very last minute
iii) pissed of one of my friend Gen's neighbours while filming
iv) decided yet again that I am not a director
v) managed to direct a film
In things related to food:
i) made vegan banana ice cream
ii) bought a lunchbox, because for all the tupperware in the house there was no lunch box
iii) made amazing spinach, lemon, cous cous and olive soup
iv) made vegan wellingtons
v) have ruled the food intolerance down to: nuts, rice. Thus, garlic is back on the menu.
Least the vampires won't get me!
Monday, August 31, 2009
total sissy//no pain tolerance
Here is what has been ahiphophappening:
- new subjects for this semester: lighting, sound and VFX. Lighting would be good if Uni didn't foist the same extremely patronising asshole we had for camera last semester upon us again. Sound is good but the 8.30 finish kills it all for me. VFX just gives me amazing headaches, I hate Motion and Photoshop. Keyframes make me want to throw up!
- shoots for this semester: thus far, what stands out is, fun, extreme tiredness and generally being freezing cold anything we shoot outside. Thermals under jeans are the best idea ever.
- knees are good, but have swapped for intense tummy aches which are unexplained after two ultrasounds and lots of blood tests.
- wet weather means I keep having near misses on the bike and I did actually put her down pretty hard this weekend, in front of a bunch of families outside the museum. Bike is fine but my elbow is grazed to all heck and I am wondering why I didn't take up activities which lead to loss of skin about three years ago!
- pre production, nerd city
- don't want to direct actors, leave me alone I jus' wanna be a producer.
- local organic store has lara bars in stock heaps. hell yeeeeeah!
Things are pretty sweet, I guess.
- new subjects for this semester: lighting, sound and VFX. Lighting would be good if Uni didn't foist the same extremely patronising asshole we had for camera last semester upon us again. Sound is good but the 8.30 finish kills it all for me. VFX just gives me amazing headaches, I hate Motion and Photoshop. Keyframes make me want to throw up!
- shoots for this semester: thus far, what stands out is, fun, extreme tiredness and generally being freezing cold anything we shoot outside. Thermals under jeans are the best idea ever.
- knees are good, but have swapped for intense tummy aches which are unexplained after two ultrasounds and lots of blood tests.
- wet weather means I keep having near misses on the bike and I did actually put her down pretty hard this weekend, in front of a bunch of families outside the museum. Bike is fine but my elbow is grazed to all heck and I am wondering why I didn't take up activities which lead to loss of skin about three years ago!
- pre production, nerd city
- don't want to direct actors, leave me alone I jus' wanna be a producer.
- local organic store has lara bars in stock heaps. hell yeeeeeah!
Things are pretty sweet, I guess.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
I would like to give whoever made this a high five. It's hardly genius but I like that it is a little bit tongue in cheek without being too "fuck the police!".
I also really want a pair of these - they look really comfortable and it would mean I could use the green BMX pedals that came with my bike, because my current pedals are really uncomfortable (they have l'il teeth that are slowly digging into and ruining my shoes)!
I do not want these holidays to end, and I still want to ride my bicycle all the time! Classes start again on Monday. I am mentally unprepared and I really need to finish cleaning my room.
I am wondering about studying patisserie instead of film. Or nutrition instead of film. I might just finish my Diploma and stop there... and then go get a diploma in something else. None of these give me options for a career but I really just like learning about them. I am still strangely compelled to get a degree in something.
I lost a bar end but then I found it again and I can't get the Velocity stickers off my wheels!
I also really want a pair of these - they look really comfortable and it would mean I could use the green BMX pedals that came with my bike, because my current pedals are really uncomfortable (they have l'il teeth that are slowly digging into and ruining my shoes)!
I do not want these holidays to end, and I still want to ride my bicycle all the time! Classes start again on Monday. I am mentally unprepared and I really need to finish cleaning my room.
I am wondering about studying patisserie instead of film. Or nutrition instead of film. I might just finish my Diploma and stop there... and then go get a diploma in something else. None of these give me options for a career but I really just like learning about them. I am still strangely compelled to get a degree in something.
I lost a bar end but then I found it again and I can't get the Velocity stickers off my wheels!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Know your limits...
So it's semester break, which means I have completely muddled my sleep cycle up and have not used my brain for a week and a half. My days are sleep, sleep, interwebs, read, work, sleep, eat. Everytime I promise I'll get up before midday and spend a good half hour stretching I fail, probably because the threat of stretching properly (ie, other than just my knees) will remind me how tight everything else is (calves, shoulders) or how poorly conditioned (hello, abdominals- apparently the curse of the cyclist). I am at least eating reasonably well, and taking time to try out some new recipes. I made a pretty good veg stock last week, using the pressure cooker for the first time (steam shooting out of it gave me a fright, but according to Dad, it's supposed to do that of it's own accord! whoooo kitchen technology!). And then I made an alright white bean soup- I'll try it again because it wasn't quite what I'd hoped for, but with some tweaking of the recipe it could be much better.
My left knee is heaps better, it twinges after a ride but I can walk on it, bend it, squat, cross my legs like in primary should, put all of my weight on it, jump up and down etc etc... and it doesn't complain. My right knee is not better. It's the problem knee. It is also the knee I slip into my toe clips first and use to push off on, so I think I may try to use my left as the first foot in next time I ride. Anyway, my right knee doesn't like to do anything much at all!
About two months ago I purchased tickets for flights Melbourne to LA and then New York to London for the end of the year, and I was super excited about my trip. I was going to be in London with Bella for Christmas and my birthday, we were going to make tofurkey and pudding for a cold Christmas and then get very very silly for my twentieth. And I was going to get to spend a few weeks in the US, visiting Portland, Olympia, Seattle, Boston and New York. AWESOME!
Then Uni announced next semester we shoot for a month straight, including weekends. Uh oh.
While I could technically afford to still go traveling, last semester was incredibly stressful - to be truthful I was working wayyyy too much and wasn't prioritising well at all.
So I've decided to push my trip back. I'll complete my Diploma this year, take next year off, work for 6 months, travel for three months, come back, work for 3 months and then start my Advanced Dip. Pushing my flights out is expensive, but trying to juggle study and saving up next semester was going to be a different kind of expensive, at a cost to my mental and physical wellbeing. I don't want another semester of having taken on more than I can handle- which truth be told is what I did last semester, and it made me an unpleasant person to be around. I like being cheerful but it's hard to do when you're anxious all the time.
I haven't told Bella this yet- I'm sad about not spending Christmas with her, and waiting a whole year before I see her again, but I know she will (deep down) understand. She'll probably yell at me for a little bit first though (oh well). On the upside, it gives her longer to save up so she can meet me in New York, which she was keen on.
My left knee is heaps better, it twinges after a ride but I can walk on it, bend it, squat, cross my legs like in primary should, put all of my weight on it, jump up and down etc etc... and it doesn't complain. My right knee is not better. It's the problem knee. It is also the knee I slip into my toe clips first and use to push off on, so I think I may try to use my left as the first foot in next time I ride. Anyway, my right knee doesn't like to do anything much at all!
About two months ago I purchased tickets for flights Melbourne to LA and then New York to London for the end of the year, and I was super excited about my trip. I was going to be in London with Bella for Christmas and my birthday, we were going to make tofurkey and pudding for a cold Christmas and then get very very silly for my twentieth. And I was going to get to spend a few weeks in the US, visiting Portland, Olympia, Seattle, Boston and New York. AWESOME!
Then Uni announced next semester we shoot for a month straight, including weekends. Uh oh.
While I could technically afford to still go traveling, last semester was incredibly stressful - to be truthful I was working wayyyy too much and wasn't prioritising well at all.
So I've decided to push my trip back. I'll complete my Diploma this year, take next year off, work for 6 months, travel for three months, come back, work for 3 months and then start my Advanced Dip. Pushing my flights out is expensive, but trying to juggle study and saving up next semester was going to be a different kind of expensive, at a cost to my mental and physical wellbeing. I don't want another semester of having taken on more than I can handle- which truth be told is what I did last semester, and it made me an unpleasant person to be around. I like being cheerful but it's hard to do when you're anxious all the time.
I haven't told Bella this yet- I'm sad about not spending Christmas with her, and waiting a whole year before I see her again, but I know she will (deep down) understand. She'll probably yell at me for a little bit first though (oh well). On the upside, it gives her longer to save up so she can meet me in New York, which she was keen on.
Having sorted out my work and study balance a bit better, I'm really looking forward to next semester- and my stomach, which used to get all anxiety-knotted at the thought... it's just telling me it's lunchtime!
(Dinner at Eat and 2 Veg, London, 2008- if only this was for lunch! Pictured: Amazing pumpkin crumble (veg- but there's a vegan option), greek salad with tofetta (vegan), sweet potato wedges (vegan), awesome fried dumplings (vegan), carrot juice, Bella humoring a moment of my food nerdery)
Friday, May 29, 2009
Nearly there
Today I printed my documentary to video. Labelled the tape with my name and student number. Yet I can't quite heave a sigh of relief- I've still got to get written permission for the song I've used, write an evaluation on the damn thing for my directing class, re-write an essay for genre studies (because my first effort is too terrible to hand in), finish some pre-production (paperwork yay!) for an example script and write a first draft of a script for screenwriting.
By far the scariest task on that list is writing the script.
I'm still not back on the bike often. I now have a constant, low - level pain in my knees.
There are a lot of things I don't say about film school; there are classes, days, weeks when it sucks more than it rules and I start to doubt that I want to work in film, or television, or anything media related which won't have nice, normal, 9-5 hours. The main thing that gets to me is that I don't get to spend time with my friends anywhere near as much as I would like to and instead I feel like I'm surrounded by immature jerks who disrupt classes and make it nigh on impossible to learn. I am not going to wait for you to grow up, I have had my year off and I am at school to learn. And my sacrifice to juggle school and work (so I can go overseas to visit one of the best people I know for such a small amount of time) is that I don't get to see my friends who live on the same continent very often, nor do I get to see any of the amazing local bands, nor do I even get to bake!
So if you wonder why when you're fucking around in class I'm the girl looking like she wants to disembowel you, all that up there is the reason why. Some people had to save up for school fees, others had to move in to the city from regional areas, some still travel over an hour to get it, almost everyone has given something up to be here. Don't be that kid who ruins it- please.
The worst part is knowing that it's not likely to get any easier when I do actually start to work 'in the industry'.
Sucks.
By far the scariest task on that list is writing the script.
I'm still not back on the bike often. I now have a constant, low - level pain in my knees.
There are a lot of things I don't say about film school; there are classes, days, weeks when it sucks more than it rules and I start to doubt that I want to work in film, or television, or anything media related which won't have nice, normal, 9-5 hours. The main thing that gets to me is that I don't get to spend time with my friends anywhere near as much as I would like to and instead I feel like I'm surrounded by immature jerks who disrupt classes and make it nigh on impossible to learn. I am not going to wait for you to grow up, I have had my year off and I am at school to learn. And my sacrifice to juggle school and work (so I can go overseas to visit one of the best people I know for such a small amount of time) is that I don't get to see my friends who live on the same continent very often, nor do I get to see any of the amazing local bands, nor do I even get to bake!
So if you wonder why when you're fucking around in class I'm the girl looking like she wants to disembowel you, all that up there is the reason why. Some people had to save up for school fees, others had to move in to the city from regional areas, some still travel over an hour to get it, almost everyone has given something up to be here. Don't be that kid who ruins it- please.
The worst part is knowing that it's not likely to get any easier when I do actually start to work 'in the industry'.
Sucks.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Recently...
Top - The mess in my bag after two days of shoots... included a pair of shoes, my external harddrive, pegs, tape, bike lights and lock, gloves, text book, small umbrella.
Middle - New bike... at last. And yes, those are 650cc wheels (because I am teensy). It rules! 13 km was once boring, commuter territory... and now it is extremely challenging commuter territory, and a lot of fun. (PS I can't trackstand)
End - Books, notes, books, notes. Midway through Semester 1 and the pile is still growing. TAFE kills trees... and I do forget to eat my apples and they end up on my desk.
My arm hurts from holding the boom. The End.
Middle - New bike... at last. And yes, those are 650cc wheels (because I am teensy). It rules! 13 km was once boring, commuter territory... and now it is extremely challenging commuter territory, and a lot of fun. (PS I can't trackstand)
End - Books, notes, books, notes. Midway through Semester 1 and the pile is still growing. TAFE kills trees... and I do forget to eat my apples and they end up on my desk.
My arm hurts from holding the boom. The End.
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