When things go bad... go shopping
My student film is officially late - and frankly, I don't care. There was a mix-up with the staff this semester when a prof went on medical leave, so as a result, I have not received a single grade on any of the many assignments of my production class. As a result, I feel like I am entitled to a few extra days. The truth of the matter is that the film stems from a decent idea (it's a Structural film) with a rigid pattern of sound-effects layered in, architecturally - but the product is pretty slip-shod. I am using existing footage and I could have demanded more from myself as a cinematographer. I also got lazy on the sound-effects and recorded them from the "sound effects" library instead of recording things like my own footsteps, running water, hairdryer. It's going to be a late night anyway, but this final cut pro stuff can be very tedious, especially when I already know that the final product is going to be mediocre. Well, I suppose that one filmmaker in the household is sufficient and I'll just stick to the words and let Patrick deal with the images.
We went to see
Good-Bye Lenin last night - a German film by Wolfgang Becker. If you have a chance to see this one, do it. Contemporary German cinema isn't exactly the most fertile or exciting thing going, but this is a very touching story that is executed with a light hand - it never quite pushes you to tears, but it's a well-crafted story, looks pretty, good music, and it has some very clever gags that pay-off big. Patrick thinks it might be his favorite film of year, thus far...
My students have their exam later today, but before it begins, I am going outlet shopping with Laura for some new spring-y things for my upcoming vacation and for the summer in general. Shopping is something i don't do enough of in Wisconsin, but I am excited to put other things on hold for today and just scratch my capitalist itch. We're starting with outlets, but depending on the results, we'll either go to a mall in Milwaukee or come back to go shopping in Madison.
Tomorrow night Patrick and I are hosting our first dinner party... details to follow about the delightful, spicy menu he's planned, centered around his signature orange-beef faijitas. I am not a beef eater, but he's sufficiently impressed me in the kitchen, so he can make our carnivorous guests happy and I can fill up on a chunky avocado salsa he's also preparing. Laura is making pina colada ice cream for dessert and I hope Eric comes through with a big batch of sangria, This is what life should be like all the time...
instead... I still have 30 exams to evaluate, final grades to calculate, a movie to make, a production test to ace, laundry, packing... a dinner party, Jordis's going away party on Friday night and then, oh yes, a trip to LA beginning Saturday.
posted by lmjasinski at 10:41 AM
