Inappropriate Language

Saying that you just raped your final or your final raped you is NOT appropriate under any circumstances. For some reason, this seems to be the new thing to say on Facebook, and I can't even contain my disgust every time I read it. And it's bad when a girl says it, but I get ready to throw my shoes when the words come from a guy.

Discussing rape in such a flippant manner is not okay. Rape is not funny. Rape is not a subject to be taken lightly. Ever.

Whew. Glad I got that off my chest.

Thanksgiving in the Keys

My vacation to Hawks Cay Resort in the Florida Keys was very tropical, very relaxing, and very, very beautiful.

I went with Bryce, his family, his granny Kay (who invited me), his aunt, uncle & 3-yr-old cousin from New York City (that I had dinner with while I was there), and Kay's cousin Jack and his wife Donna (whose son Scott lived on Duck Key Island, where we were staying). It was a big group, and they were all a ton of fun.

Our events included jet-skiing (I saw a six-armed starfish), off-shore fishing (I caught six or seven large fish, including the second largest edible fish), and a sunset cruise (more like a sunset speedboat ride-- my hair was destroyed).

The off-shore fishing excursion was especially fun. Scott, Jack's son-in-law, owned the fishing boat and took us out for the day. He and his shipmate Bill were extremely knowledgeable about how to catch fish, and it probably took us an hour to catch over twenty fish. We then spent the next three or four hours trolling for sailfish (giant "sport" fish). We only saw one the entire time, and it refused to bite. So right before we went in, we had some fun and caught one large kingfish and two giant barracuda (which are inedible because they carry some sort of disease).

During the downtime, I took two naps, read a little, went below deck to make everyone sandwiches (below deck, there were three bedrooms that can sleep up to six people, a bathroom, a washer and dryer, a kitchen/living area, and a giant TV-- talk about traveling in comfort!), and went up to the "tuna tower," a deck at least twenty feet above the upper deck, in which there was an incredible view of the sea all around and a great view all the way down to the bottom of the sea. It wasn't very deep in most areas (never more than 45 ft) and the water was so clear we could see the bigger fish swim around in the depth. And not only was it clear, but it was the most beautiful shade of bright aquamarine blue I've ever seen.

Thanksgiving dinner was at Scott (our boat captain) and his wife's home on the island where we were staying (Duck Key). All the traditional food was there-- turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes-- but the location was anything but normal. We ate outside on the patio and from there we could see the sea (from the empty lot across the street). The weather could not have been more pleasant as well, and later when the sun set, we lit a small fire in one of those little metal fire pits and sat around chatting for another couple hours before heading back to the villa.

And the villa...! The villa was a two-story little condo, with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a large back porch (and upper deck porch). Our backyard was a little grass and then the bay. To our left was the marina, directly across was the long highway (that stretches from mainland Florida all the way down to Key West, the southernmost island), and to our right was the open sea. A long, gorgeous expanse of open sea, which I could stare at for hours. Unfortunately, I never woke up early enough to see the sunrise from there (our back porch faced east), but I'm sure the view would have been breath-taking.

The sunset that we saw from the sunset "cruise" sure was spectacular. But it was most amazing after the sun had already set. There weren't many clouds overhead to reflect the light during the sun's descent, but on the horizon all around were low-lying clouds that kept their pink and blue hues after the sun dipped below the water. With the sun gone, the sea became a icy silver blue-- the most beautiful part of the entire picture.

I'm an extra!

So fun moment... Right now I am an extra in a film shoot. 

Quick Set-Up:

For the final project in one of my film classes, everyone has to create either a short film, write a short screenplay, or write a film research paper. I chose to write a short screenplay, but my friends/classmates Reilly and Jenn are working together and making a short film.

They sent out a call for extras, and since we student filmmakers have to stick together, I of course decided to come (even though I really need to be packing for my Thanksgiving break right now). 

To be honest, being an extra (or even the star) is not very glamorous. There are long stretches of time in which nothing happens and we are left on our own while the crew sets up props and fiddles with lights. Basically, there is a ton of down-time, with brief periods of fun/interesting dialogue interspersed. 

The other fun thing about this particular film shoot is that I don't know what the film's story is about. They either didn't send out a synopsis, or I didn't bother to check. But whichever way, all I know is that there are twelve of us, pretending to be students sitting in a classroom. All the extras have laptops and electronics, and the female protagonist has a book, pencils and a notepad. We are supposed to be paying zero attention to the lecturing professor. 

Since I don't know what this film is actually about, I am having a fun time trying to piece together the story. Sadly, we have not yet gotten to filming the dialogue, so my nuggets of information to go off of is currently very slim. But we'll see. 

Anyway, it's kinda fun to know that I am helping out a fellow student. Although really, I know I always say this but I am way more comfortable on the other side of the camera.

Holiday Ramblings

Fall has finally arrived in Oklahoma. Those of you in Montana will probably be jealous when I tell you that we had 70 degree weather all the way through October. On Halloween, we were in jeans and t-shirts. It was fun while it lasted, since 70 degree weather is quite possibly the most universally pleasant weather. But of course, with November came the cold. And I can't get enough of it.

The air is crisp (a rarity for Oklahoma), the leaves are crunchy (they aren't soggy yet, since there hasn't been too much rain this fall), and I get to wear my awesome wardrobe of sweaters every day (thanks to Evangelina's wonderful donations to me).

And thanks to Pandora (the world's best free online radio), I have been listening to Christmas carols for weeks now. Whenever I get home from class and am in need of a pick-me-up, I just get online and Mariah Carey's cheerful pop version of "All I Want for Christmas (Is You)" greets me with a wave of holiday happiness.

Man, I love Christmas. I love Thanksgiving too... but much less than I love Christmas. I mean, nothing can beat cinnamon pine cones, paper snowflakes, and Christmas carols. *happy sigh*

Update on My Life

I am keeping busy here, planning lots of events for the Student Film Production Club and trying to figure out how to maintain good grades this semester. I'm also starting to plan ahead for the spring... I wish there were two or three of me. Then I could even attempt to start the fun/interesting/resume-building things I would like to accomplish.

One fun thing I just started this semester (a little late to be starting things, I know) is participating in the Language Exchange Program here at OU. I have three international students-- one from Kuwait, one from Africa somewhere (speaks French), and one from Korea (I think)-- and basically we get together for an hour once a week or so and speak English. That's it. So I now have three new friends.

Well, I have only met one so far, but I'm sure the other two will be just as much fun. Yesterday I met Ahmad, an 18-yr-old freshman from Kuwait who has 18 siblings (TEN brothers, EIGHT sisters), two mothers, is a middle child, and is the only one of his brothers to get good grades and to go on to University (and to study in the United States). Fascinating kid. I can't wait to learn more about a different culture and help him make more friends here in the U.S.

Also, I just hosted a Screenwriting Workshop through SFPC this last Friday afternoon. The two panelists were Joel Hulett of Dolphin Bay Films (I interned with him this summer) and Sheryl Fletcher, a Canadian screenwriter who is working with Joel on a couple screenplays (I worked on one of her screenplays--wrote a couple scenes, which they kept!-- while I was there). The workshop covered both the creative and business side of screenwriting, and I was extremely pleased that over FORTY people came! The room was packed, and for students on a Friday afternoon, that was a very impressive turnout.

Except for the fact that the two only did Q&A and didn't lecture at all (which was not what I had in mind), I think the event was a success. Students had a lot of questions, and their questions filled up two hours worth of Q&A, which is a LOT. So overall, I am very happy with the way it went.

And those, as of now, are the new things in my life.

Effective?

If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in the dark with a mosquito.

– Unknown

Bumpersticker Slogan

"People more violently oppose fur than leather because its easier to harass rich women than motorcycle gangs."

Austin Film Festival (part 1)

Since I don't have enough time to describe my entire trip to Austin in detail in one sitting, I'll just start with what I can now and then add more posts later.

THE BEGINNING

Since we knew we wanted to be in Austin early in the day to get as much out of the festival as possible, the eight of us piled into two cars and left Norman at 4 am on Thursday morning to drive down to Austin. It was a long drive... mostly because I tried to stay awake the whole time for our driver's sake and so I only napped for the last hour.

Once in Austin, we checked into our quaint little La Quinta ten minutes from downtown (next time we do this, I think we are all definitely forking over the extra money to stay downtown-- it would save so much time and we'd be able to get more sleep), spruced up a bit, and then headed to the Driskill Hotel, AFF headquarters.

The Driskill is this gorgeous turn-of-the-century hotel with marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and stained glass window. Check-in was downstairs in a small room off the lobby, along with a little cafe that charged too much for a cup of bitterly strong black coffee. At the end of the lobby was a grand staircase, which we got to walk up every day, since most of the convention rooms were upstairs (although a few were in another hotel down the block).

To be continued...

Please Do Not Accept

Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. Ridiculous.

Reasons I feel that this is less than awesome:

1.) The nomination window for Nobel Peace Prize recipients closed only eleven days after Obama was elected President. This means that he was nominated based on his campaign promises, and not anything he has actually accomplished.

2.) There is no way Obama belongs in the same group as Mother Theresa and Nelson Mandela. I'm not saying that he never will. But right now he doesn't.

3.) Being recognized for his peaceful actions could create potential problems for Obama's presidency... when the need arrises for the US government to exercise its force, he may be hindered by his promises for peace, etc.

Hmmm...

"You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think."

-Dorothy Parker when asked to use horticulture in a sentence.

. . .

"Oh you people who dog-ear your papers . . . Thousands on your education but you can't afford a stapler."

-- Professor Metcalf, 20th Century America Through Film prof.

Words of Truth

"You can tell a lot about a fellow's character by his way of eating jellybeans." -Ronald Reagan

More on OU, I Love You

You know how last spring I produced OU, I Love You with my film club? Know how we based it off Paris, je t'aime, an anthology of short films about love set in Paris?

Well, the production company that made Paris, je t'aime made a New York, I Love You (set to come out on Oct. 16th) and they have plans for three more films (set in Rio, Shanghai, and Jerusalem, respectively). The umbrella project is called Cities of Love, and the producer for the projects is Emmanuel Benbihy.

There is an article about him and their projects on MovieMaker's website. The article is really interesting and lays out their plans to continue their project.

The Sphinx in California

So did y'all know that there is a Sphinx in California?

I'm reading this article about how history is subjective and re-tells itself and about how we live in a society where people view themselves as being a part of history. It's fascinating.

But anyway, I'm reading along, plugging through dense sentences with words like "confabulate" and "multifarious," and this entertaining story pops up in the article:

In 1923, Cecil B. DeMille directed the film epic The Ten Commandments outside Guadalupe, California. In order to make his film truly unique and "historically accurate," DeMille built, from scratch, an almost-exact replica of parts of the City of the Pharaoh, complete with walls that "rose 110 feet and sprawled 750 feet in width, its entrance flanked by 21 sphinxes and four 35-foot Pharaoh statues." All this was done in wood and plaster-of-paris at a whopping cost of $1.4 million (the most expensive film set ever built in Hollywood).

The best part of this story, however, is not that DeMille built this spectacular set, although that's really neat. The best part is that he had the city buried after wrapping up filming, supposedly so that no one could come in and film on the set before the release of his film.

And so, after only a few months of sunlight, this giant plaster-of-paris "Egyptian" city was buried from sight, where it remained under the sands of Californial for sixty years... until Peter Brosnan, a screenwriter, teacher and documentary-filmmaker decided to dig it up in 1983. Brosnan had the area declared a federally-protected archeological site (which makes it a felony to take anything from the site without permission) and tried to raise money to hold an official excavation of the land (which requires special chemicals to harden the plaster enough to dig it up).

Apparently after twenty years he is still trying to raise money for the excavation, which is rather a shame. I personally think it would fascinating and fun to get the chance to see this giant city of plaster constructed merely for one movie. Once they dig it up, maybe they can transport the sphinxes to one of the theme parks nearby so they can be enjoyed by all.

Another Weekend Gone

The problem with weekends in college is that they are really only one day long and not two. Sunday doesn't count as a free day, because half of it is spent in the library preparing for the next week and doing the homework due on Monday. 

But anywho... enough complaining. 

Writer's Block

On Saturday, one of my professors held a "Writer's Block" party at his house. He holds these at least three or so times a semester and invites writers, filmmakers and artists (basically anyone with a creative bent) from all over Oklahoma to come to the parties. In short, they are well-structured networking opportunities.

At one point, my professor stopped conversation and had everyone introduce themselves to the group and talk about what projects they are working on. As new people would arrive, we would repeat the process, also showing the short films of some people, etc. It was great fun getting to know all different sorts of people.

For example, there was a writer there who had just gotten his book picked up by a publisher. The book is called Hobo-sapiens, and its a memoir of the two decades of his life that he spent riding the rails as a hobo. He read us the rough draft of the back cover of his book, and the last sentence said, "Not many people can say they went from Yale to rail and from hunk to monk." Basically, if the book is anything like the back cover, it should be an entertaining read. It also sounds like it might be a sort of self-help book. I'd be curious to read it.

[Note: This same fellow also spends his summers driving busses in an Alaskan State Park for $25 an hour -- a small portion of which he spends on room and board per day ($15- less than an hour's wage) at the park.]

I also met a woman who teaches both a film class and a television/broadcasting class at one of the local high schools. I had no idea there were film classes in the high school, or I definitely would have tried to volunteer there earlier. As it is, I got her contact information and I am going to try to come to the high school for an hour a week and talk with her kids about the film program at OU and also critique their projects if they'd like me to. It sounds like great fun... I can't wait!

I am also kicking around the idea of starting a sort of after-school program with the high school kids where we would work on writing and creating quality short films. The only problem with this idea is that it would really require a car-- something I am sadly without.

Film Content Only?

I am considering a shift in content on this blog. I mean, I really enjoy my ramblings, but as long as they remain ramblings, I wont build much more readership than you few faithful. 

And ideally, I'd like at least a few more people to read what I've got to say. Otherwise, this has the potential to turn into a glorified newsletter to keep my family informed of my doings (not good). 

So a shift in content is being considered....

Since I'm a film major, I'd like to talk about movies. Lots of 'em. Unfortunately, of what about them do I talk? There are so many avenues... 

I set up as my ideal (for focused-content blogs) the blog of my fellow FVS major... Read and enjoy! (Robert Ebert even commented on her blog!)

Owl City

I have found a new band to love. Owl City. Here is their amazing music video to their incredible song, "Fireflies."

 Watch it and love it!

Nothing is absolute.

If I come out of school having learned anything, it will be that there are no absolutes in life. Nothing is black and white or crystal clear. Everything comes in different shades and has different faces and can be seen from a different angle. 

"First Day of My Life"

This is an adorable music video to "First Day of My Life," by Bright Eyes. I found the music video on my friend's Facebook page (I tell you, Facebook provides a never-ending source of content), and now I've just finished watching three more of their songs on YouTube. I may have found a new band to love.

Watch this adorably romantic music video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwFS69nA-1w

Tulsa for the Weekend

I just got back from a great weekend in Tulsa. My cousin got married on Friday, so my mom flew down from Montana and my sister flew in from Las Vegas for the wedding. It was such fun to see them both.

All My Single Babies!

CHECK. THIS. OUT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQKYdbhGh0Q

Austin Film Festival

The Student Film Production Club is getting a group together to go down to the Austin Film Festival in October, and I am going! 

The festival spans a number of days, but the conference itself is four days, from Oct. 22-25th. Basically the conference is stuffed full of tons and tons of panels and parties and discussions and roundtables and gah!

We all bought student ticket passes, and many of us have gotten into a roundtable event where we will be able to meet with film executives, including: 

•       Richard Bever, Chill Entertainment 
•       Ashley Brucks, Paramount Pictures 
•       Curtis Burch, President of Latitude Productions 
•       Carlo Eugster, Out of the Blue Entertainment 
•       Juliana Farrell, Jersey Girl Films 
•       Jessica Julius, Disney Animation Studios 
•       Maggie Malone, Disney Animation Studios 
•       Matt Summers, Vice President, 821 Entertainment 

And that is just ONE event! There are so many more events that I haven't had time to look at them all (it's really an overwhelming list). Good thing I still have a few weeks to decide what I want to attend and who I want to meet and what movies I want to see. For a list of all the conference events at the AFF, click HERE! 

*<:)#=8

So I'm totally stealing this from a friend... but the title of this blog is a happy clown! See it? =)

But honey, that's just so... permanent.

I saw on Facebook that some girl I know from class got a GINORMOUS tattoo of a flower all the way across her left shoulder. I mean, it covered the entire left shoulder blade, from top to bottom, with a large grouping of flowers (looking like cherry or apple blossoms) attached to some sort of stem (that actually looked rather like seaweed). 

And this was her FIRST tattoo. It's not like she started small, with some cute little symbol on the inside of her ankle. Nope. She went all out with a huge tattoo that sprawls all over her back. There's no return from something like that. There's no, "Oh, I guess I don't like tattoos after all." There's NOTHING she can do about that huge thing in ten years when she has kids or sixty years when she's a grandma. 

Goodness.

All I can say is that I really hope that science comes up with a way to gracefully remove tattoos (less expensively) so that all these poor girls can get their wrinkly, shapeless tattoos removed when they are eighty.

Well Shoot!

Today I turn in my last paper of the week! Yes!

When most people have test week and spend hours in the library pouring over their books and working out problems, I have paper week. And I also spend hours in the library, clickety-clacking away. 

Today was paper week. I had three papers due:

1.) a 3-pg paper on how the Maasai tribe in Africa is trying, with the help of the World Intellectual Property Organization (part of the UN), to copyright their dances and songs to keep economic control of their cultural heritage

2.) a 5-6 pg paper on the themes of the 1910s and 20s that run through the films The Birth of a Nation (the most racist film on the face of the planet-- and also one of the first feature films, which means that it is black and white, silent, and loooooong), The Kid (starring Charlie Chaplin in his first of many famous roles as the Tramp), and the obscure The Crowd (by King Vidor, which is about some poor guy who gets swallowed in the fast-paced industrial age).

3.) a 3-pg review of a book, Folklore/Cinema: Popular Film as Vernacular Culture, which I didn't read and still had to summarize (in my defense, it was a terrible book full of essays that were ONLY written because some professor somewhere wanted a tenure position)--- Although, one of the essays was fascinating, because it talked about how Leni Riefenstahl, a German actress and director of the famous Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will, first established her career by making mountain films (about the rugged honesty of the high peaks and the peasants that lived on their slopes) and how that brought her the special attention and friendship of none other than Mr. Adolf Hitler. 

Anywho... done and done. I'm so glad that's over. Now I can get back to reading four chapters for class tomorrow, finishing a chapter in my French workbook, and writing four emails to send out for the Student Film Production Club. 

Library + Pandora = Effective Studying

My friends and I spend a lot of time together in the library. A lot. In fact, if it is anywhere between 9 pm and 2 am on an evening Sunday through Thursday, you can be pretty certain that you'll find us there... in the same place, on the same floor. Every time.

Valerie, who I spend particularly the most time with at the library, just sent me this facebook note:

"So this is how much studying i've been doing this month: i was just informed through e-mail by pandora that i am approaching my free forty hour limit this month. there's a limit."

Conflicting Schedules

As a member of a student group, there is no bigger headache than trying to find a time for everyone to meet. Especially if its an officer's meeting.

I mean, if you join a club, you just go to the general meeting time if you can make it (and don't join the club if the time doesn't fit into your schedule).

But if you are a club officer, or in a small group of students, then trying to find a time that fits neatly into everyone's schedule can be crazy and hectic.

Until now... (insert "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" music)...

My friend Andrew found the perfect website for organizing schedules and time. Simply go to www.whenisgood.net, click on every single time that could possibly work for you, and then email that link to whomever is in charge of the schedule. Viola! Magic!

Its a neat little way to make sure you know everyone's available time. Now you have some semblance of a chance of finding a time that works for all.

Boomer Blogging Again

My freshman year of college I was a Boomer Blogger for OU, which means that I blogged for their freshman recruitment weblog. And I'm doing it again!

The Boomer Bloggers page used to be made up of freshman writers (with one token transfer student), but now they've changed it so that older student can also contribute (which will increase the number of blog posts overall). I was one of those older students recruited, so I'll be blogging in two different places this year. Woot!

The problem with the Boomer Blogs is that I can't say just anything I want. For example, Boomer Blogs will not be privy to my Stories from Work blogs (which I plan to be a recurring thread), since they contain inappropriate material-- i.e. alcohol-- not suitable for a recruitment page. And while this stipulation about content makes perfect sense to me (they are trying to put their best foot forward after all), it does feel a trifle stifling. So I am going to be constant in maintaining my VirginiaFilms blog as well.

So if you want, you can also follow me on www.ouboomerblogs.com ... otherwise, you can just keep it here, since this is where you'll be getting ALL my thoughts (and not just the "recruitment appropriate" ones).

Stories from Work

I am a cocktail waitress at one of the bars on Campus Corner (a few square blocks north of campus that has lots of shops, restaurants and bars), and I worked last night (which also happened to be a football game day). So it was a very, very busy night.

One of the things I enjoy about my job is that there is an endless supply of comical moments when it comes to drunk people. They have no censor, and they say/do the stupidest/funniest things. I also have the opportunity to overhear many interesting conversations which actually provide quite a bit of insight into people (after all... a drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts).

For example, as I waited by the bar for one of the bartenders to make a drink order, I happened to eavesdrop on an amusing conversation behind me. Although really, it couldn't be considered eavesdropping, since I was almost forced to listen to the conversation as the girl was standing directly behind me and screaming at full volume. The poor thing was crying hysterically to some guy and could only manage to get out the words, "But I've always loved you, (insert name)! I've always loved you!" It was kinda sad actually. I was torn between wanting to give her a huge hug and slapping some sense into her... The guy was obviously less than quality (he'd been grinding on at least three or four girls that night), and she looked like such a sweet girl. And yet too much alcohol had severely impaired her ability to look at the situation and realize that she was 1) ruining whatever remaining chances she had with the kid and 2) that everyone within a five-foot radius could hear her.

Another entertaining moment came when I went into the women's restroom to pick up the empty cups and bottles that lined the walls (Why do girls insist on carrying their drinks into the bathroom with them and then leaving them there? Leave it outside with a friend.). While I was in there, I happened to notice that there was a guy in the women's restroom. I was just about to make him leave when I realized that the guy was gay. Adorably flaming gay. So I figured that there was no harm done-- none of the girls in there were bothered by him in the least.

Which brings up an interesting issue about male/female restrooms... if you are gay, which restroom do you use? This gentleman obviously felt most comfortable in the women's restroom, and I don't think he would feel comfortable if he used the men's restroom (nor would the other male restroom-users). No wonder large companies have started to designate some bathrooms as unisex. It just makes things to much less complicated for the lesbian woman who really doesn't want to use the women's restroom and the gay man who feels unnatural in the men's room.

Gotta Love Handouts

Before class one day, my friend Madison happened to look down and notice a stray paper sitting on a lonesome desk. Normally unattended papers get tossed without a passing glance, but not this time. Nope. This time, Madison read the handout and saved it to pass on to me. I have no idea what class the handout is from or who wrote any of it, but its contents are so incredible that I feel compelled to share them with you.

The paper is entitled "Movie-A-Minute Summaries."

Brilliant.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
(1980, Directed by Irvin Kershner)

Luke
I have to go to Degobah.

Yoda
You have to use the force.

Luke
I have to go to Cloud City.

Darth Vader
You have to go to the Dark Side.

Luke
No I don't.

Darth Vader
I'm your father.

Luke
No you're not.

Darth Vader
Fine. I'll cut off your hand.

THE END

----------

THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK
(1997, Directed by Steven Spielberg)

Jeff Goldblum
We must never go back to the island.

(Goes back.)

(Everybody dies.)

Jeff Goldblum
I told you we should never go back to the island.

THE END

----------

And my personal favorite...

GREASE
(1978, Directed by Randal Kleiser)

Danny
I like you, but you're not cool enough.

Sandy
What if I dress like a slut?

Danny
Now that you're not who you are, I can love you for who I wanted you to be.

THE END

Sporcle

If you want to waste time, I just found the best website. Ever.

Go to: www.sporcle.com

Another Great Quote

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."

--Albert Einstein

Inspiration

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."

-- Anatole France

Exciting Stuff

Yesterday was an exciting day in the Oklahoma film world.

Jessica Alba has been charged with vandalizing public property in Oklahoma City after pictures surfaced of Alba gluing huge posters of great white sharks on utility boxes, a United Way billboard, and other private property. Alba is in Oklahoma for the filming of "The Killer Inside Me," which also stars Kate Hudson and Casey Affleck.

Also in exciting film news: a couple local Oklahoma filmmakers shooting a film about a mutant frog that terrorizes storm drains left their fake severed lower body (jeans stuffed with chicken wire, bottles, foam, and fake blood) in a storm drain near the interstate. There was also a very large smattering of fake blood on the cement walls. Some poor soul driving by mistook the pants for a real body and called the police.

All in all, very eventful. And the publicity is getting Oklahoma on the map… although, perhaps not in the most positive way.

Interning: Day One

I started my internship at the Oklahoma Film and Music Office today. It's a small internship... I only work two days a week for a total of eight hours. But it is going to be a very enjoyable eight hours a week.

How do I know? Because how can an office with a Constitution like the one below be any less than great fun?

Constitution of the Film and Music Office of Oklahoma

We the People of the Oklahoma Film and Music Office, in Order to form a more perfect Newsletter, establish Enthusiasm, insure state Pride, provide for the essential Film Screening, promote the insanely rockin' Musical Performance, and secure the highest Level of Professionalism to ourselves and our Interns, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Events Calendar of the Website of the Film and Music Office of Oklahoma.

Softball World Series

This weekend is the Women's College World Series (softball). Bryce's parents and sister are in town to watch the games, so naturally, that's what I've been doing to. Actually, since I have work and all, I really have only seen Friday's games. 

On Friday night we watched Washington play Arizona State University and we watched Florida play Missouri. I didn't care much about who won, but Bryce was rooting for ASU because that's where his mother went to school and he was rooting for Missouri both because they are in the Big Twelve conference with us and also because he hates Florida. Unfortunately, both teams we were rooting for lost. 

But they were great games. Both were extremely low-scoring games (0-1 both times), with the one score coming at almost the end of the game. There were also very few hits at all, which means that it was basically a pitcher's duel the entire time. And the teams that won were the teams with the stronger pictures and the teams who had gotten four or five hits during the game. 

I was very impressed with the huge turnout at both games. The bleachers were full all the way around (even in the outfield), and the crowds were always cheering and very into the game.

ESPN was also covering the game (live), which added an extra element of fun for myself, because I enjoyed watching the camera-men work. Covering sporting events means pretty basic work for the cameras-- at least for panning the crowds. Getting the action on camera does take more work, and it was fun to watch the remote-control camera (situated high above home plate) follow the hit balls and girls running. 

Friends

There are some people in this world that I really wish were my friends. But sadly, this is very unlikely to happen, because they either don't know I exist, only know me in a classroom setting, have graduated from college and moved on, or a combination of all three. Sad. There goes a lot of fun we could have had.

I sound like a creeper.

Wednesday

Today is Wednesday. Today is not Tuesday. Today is the day I should have started my internship, not tomorrow, which I thought was Wednesday.

I love long weekends, but they throw me off.

Lobster Shoulders

I just spent the weekend at the lake, and I am now coming to the very painful realization that tanning wont ever happen for me. It's either glaring white or Ouch! red. There is no in-between. 

Living With Guys

This summer, in order to save boatloads of money, I am living in the apartment of my boyfriend's brother free of charge (while he is in California for an internship). This means that I am currently sharing said apartment with two other guys. 

I had never shared a living space with guys before (besides my brother and dad, and that doesn't count because there were balancing female influences in the home), so I came into the situation with some ideas about what it would be like. And let me tell you, I was right. 

These boys are dirty, burp all the time (and never say "excuse me"), play X-Box constantly, and listen to their music so loud that the bass comes through the walls and shakes my toothbrush. They have contests to see who can string the most expletives together in one breath. Their carpet is so abused that there is no way they are getting out of there without paying for it to be replaced. They use a dishtowel to mop up a dirty floor and then two minutes later use the same towel to dry clean dishes. They drink their milk directly out of the jug. In order to even be able to walk into my bathroom, I had to bleach every surface. 

And yet, with all their less refined qualities, living with guys is actually a lot of fun. For example, we played X-Box games for hours last night after I got home from work (with plenty of trash-talking involved), and they were the perfect gentlemen and gave me the best team to play with. I still lost quite solidly at every game we played, but it was still fun.

Oh, and its also really nice to live with guys because they own things like super glue and duct tape and are very handy with a hammer. 

Heart Walk

Here is my newest OU YouTube video... Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TClhFa9ZlTE

The Car Search

I am currently searching for a car. But not just any car. A used car under $5000, under 100K miles, that runs well, and is reliable and safe. This has become a remarkably hard car to come by. 

Well, let me take that back. I did find one... and then the dealership sold it to someone else. Dumb dealership. I left the dealership last night at 8:30 pm, after telling the salesman that yes, I was buying the car and that we'd finalize the finances the next day (today). The dealership closed at 9 pm. 

And wouldn't you know it... sometime between 8:30 and 9 pm last night, this couple came by, slapped down cash, and the dealership sold them my car. Dumb dealership. I understand that cash is a much more tempting (and sure) offer than my financing situation, but still... the guy knew I wanted the car. Really wanted the car. Dumb dealership. I am still angry. Unreasonably angry, I know. 

But angry nonetheless, because this means that my car-searching days are STILL not over. I am so sick of car searching. So, so done with this. I just want the perfect car to fall into my lap. I want someone to say, I have just the car for you. And I want that car to be so perfect that I take one look at it and say, Yes, that's mine. Viola. Finito. Done. 

Why can't it be that easy?

Alone... With Limited Options

So I thought my summer was going to be this great and glorious thing. And I'm sure it will be... in a couple weeks when my friends come back. Right now however, I am lonely and bored. And stuck with the unpleasant task of scouring the internet for used cars that meet my very selective criteria.

My predicament: no Norman friends and no car. Which means that on a day like today, when Bryce has another social engagement for the evening, I am stuck with a very limited range of activities to do by myself. 

I do have a bike, so I can bike to OU or to Campus Corner (thank goodness I live close enough). OU has the library... Campus Corner has a couple coffee shops, restaurants and clothing boutiques. I don't have the funds at the moment for clothes and there'd be no point in going to a restaurant alone (also low funds issue here). Which leaves me with the library and a coffee shop. Today I chose a coffee shop (the only one with free wireless). 

Its much better than staying home alone, where I was going crazy. And its much easier to write in a coffee shop... something about the atmosphere. It was a good choice for today... but what do I do about tomorrow?

Summer

I officially celebrated the beginning of summer by deep-cleaning my new apartment and baking self-rising bread. Aaaaah the joys of summer life. 

My First of Many

I completed my first one-act play today, which means I am officially a playwright!

I am actually very happy with how it turned out. It's a romantic comedy about a girl who is a crazy feminist and a hippie guy who plays guitar who meet in a coffee shop.

Writing comedy is extremely hard to do. I think that's why there are more good dramas out there than good comedies (and by good, I do not mean the Will Ferrel kind). Its all about characters, dialogue, TIMING. 

While I can't say I know a lot about writing comedy yet (this was my first attempt), I have learned romantic comedy structure in class, and it is extremely useful to know.

The key to writing great romantic plays (and screenplays) is having great romantic structure. This structure not only applies to traditional romance films, but also the buddy films. 

Romantic Structure:

1. the characters have to "meet cute"

2. they must reverse roles

3. they then adapt to their new roles

4. they fall in love

5. they must part

6. they must reunite and then continue on together (while retaining their individuality). 

It's a very basic structure, and lots of great films follow it. Tootsie, Kramer vs. Kramer, The Holiday, When Harry Met Sally-- just to name a few. 

Because I Know

I know I am in the right major when I find learning about film fascinating. 

When not studying, I think of this...

I wonder why famous Hollywood people are always putting their names and/or faces on jars of pasta sauce. An odd industry to break into, me thinks.

Finals Week

Finals Week has begun. And what better way to usher in the eventful week than to stay up until five in the morning writing papers! Joy! 

I guess I haven't written much in a while, and this blog only serves to say that I wont be saying much for the next few more days. It's crunch time. 

My List of Things This Week:

1. Write two three-page papers for Film History 1945-present. (one down, one to go)

2. Write another ten pages of my first screenplay. (shouldn't be difficult)

3. Eat lots of fruit snacks, little applesauces, and chocolate-peanut butter granola bars. Drink lots of coffee and tea. (Plan to work out next week.)

4. Finish my thirty-page stage play. (not nearly as finished as I would like)

5. Adapt that stage play into the first ten pages of another screenplay. (almost finished)

6. Get a haircut (Madison, Valerie and I are all going to go together. Haircut date!)

7. Study for French (This test isn't even anywhere on my radar.)

8. Study for Freedom in Rome (which will require a great deal of my attention, but happily, the test is not until Friday)

9. Pack up my entire bedroom and move into my apartment for the summer. 

Integrity

"The highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity. Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for there is never a wrong time to do the right thing."

--Unknown