Film Writing

COVER LETTER

Looking back fondly upon my last semester of my collegiate career, and specifically on this English Course, I have noticed a re-immersion into a teaching philosophy that lay forgotten for a near decade.

What sparked my re-immersion was a somewhat later date during the semester when our earnestly intelligent professor (who also happens to be extremely easy going which I LOVE) shared his experiences growing up in various parts of the country including the Southwest.

I recall his experiences as a young boy in school much like mine growing up in Raleigh, NC. I was a student at one of the largest Montessori schools in the nation and her philosophy—Maria Montessori’s—was to let the child find his or her own way through the academics.

From first grade through sixth grade, I kept an agenda where I kept track of my progress and on some of my weaknesses (don’t we all have them?). Starting off the day typically, my instructor would give me some sort of structure i.e. I had to accomplish a math assignment, history assignment, two language arts assignments, etc… What I chose before or after I accomplished those tasks was entirely up to me. It was independent learning. Independent time management. Creating works for personal enjoyment while at the same time finishing other subjects essential to the wholeness of my academia.

Upon leaving this philosophy due to moving on to different schools—a charter school for junior high, and eventually a public high school—my recollections of my elementary days began to fade.

Entering college was a big step, and while there were more chances for independence, the structures of my classes were mostly specific. Then, when applying for my classes during my last semester of college, I was initially involved in ANOTHER English class involving film. The guy was like one hundred years old, and everyone in there weren’t as smart as my peers in 150. So I switched and I was happy.

As the semester wore on, my independence in regards to my learning and my interests began to blossom once again—fueled by my nostalgic feelings of my youth. I feel as if we stray from this independent learning because of fear. Fear of the real world, outside the bubble of the university. Having structure, having a plan makes life a whole lot easier. However, you can still have the safety and comfort knowing that you do have control even if you have to make your own decisions about an assignment.

From the get-go I was thoroughly involved with the open-endedness of Professor Anderson’s course. The first assignment allowed me to bring several of my passions together for one assignment. Kick-ass, if I do say so myself.

Of course, just because you think you have good music taste, doesn’t mean it will always apply to providing a flawless soundtrack to Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. However, I observed and experienced that revision is a large part of ENGL 150 and Dan’s philosophy. Only with change can there be any sort of progress or learning.

Looking over my assignments in this class, there have been numerous versions, and with each revision there have been numerous increases in the effectiveness of the work. I look forward to applying these principles in the real world, and more importantly I hope they assist in my in future endeavors.

My one disability in class was my inability to BLOG. Gaw-lee, it took me forever to even make a post. Unfortunately, I have never been a fan of blogging because most of my friends who had one, I resented them for it. ANYWAY, what I’m really trying to say is that because of the nature of the course ( I remember Kate telling me, “Alex, you do know this is a course involving blogging, right?”), I have decided to start my own blog! Yes, on my journey Westward (probably the most frightening/exciting experience I’ll undertake)

Better still, I hope to be able to use my blog as a means to update people that I love with out calling them all the damn time. I’m really grateful that this course was able to give me something that I can take with me Westward.

My Blog

Soundtrack:

In terms of the soundtrack, my initial post was something of which I was very proud. Specifically, the blending of a classic—but polarizing novel—with alternative music was what I essentially was trying to do. Of course there are some pitfalls because some of my selections didn’t really match up to several of the literary selections that I chose from the novel.

The novel is a little bit hard to use in the soundtrack because of the many seemingly random descriptions of events. While there is dialogue, it is few and far between. Therefore, it was an easier task to match up Kerouac’s longer descriptions of his journeys with songs that exuded an epic feel such as New Order’s Age of Consent or Home by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.

Some songs in my initial posting unfortunately did not fit in the grand scheme of things. Looking back, the changes I made in the revisions were certainly well-deserved. The Human League song--while so absolutely brilliant and still can make me jump up and run out to any dancefloor, living room, courtyard—just sounded too, well, eighties. It’s opening seconds are so ingrained in our minds when thinking about classic eighties music.

SO, the song is iconic and would really detract from the viewer’s experience in the hypothetical film. Its replacement—by the Australian band, the Presets—provides for a connected viewing for the audience between the story and the music.

Initial Draft Revisions Final Draft

Web Essay:

The longest and hardest I worked in this class was with my three other fantastic group members that presented an interesting dilemma: the failure of Billy Bob Thornton to adapt Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses into a barely competent (if that) film.

On the outset our paper had it all: wit, evidence, history, film analysis… But we fell short in our organization. Through several drafts we managed to churn out a copy that was organized, coherent, and said exactly what we wanted to say: the book was better.

After turning the essay in, we had the honor and pleasure in being selected to present in the PIT conference. After much more preparation and an added power point, our group successfully (and a tad nervously) presented our project to classmates and strangers.

I felt as if the presentation went swimmingly. We proposed our point, supported it with our research, and we even got a few laughs with our charm. All in all it was a great experience.

The changes from draft to draft were mostly organizational. Since we broke up our assignment amongst each other, we all brought something different to the presentation. This made it a little tricky to organize, but after much effort, the essay and presentation became just as cohesive as our relationships to one another in the group!

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Initial Draft Revisions PIT Version Prezi Version

Print Essay:

After the large group projects we undertook during the middle of the semester, it was time to go at it alone and attempt critical essays on subjects of our own choosing. How marvelous! Yet again, we have our own free will in choosing our topic. Very Montessori, very nostalgic indeed. I chose the subject of James Bond films/novels because of that very reason.

Throughout much of my childhood in elementary, I was obsesses with the superspy. I had all the films on VHS—my first purchase was Roger Moore’s Octopussy. I also had an interest in reading, so as a youngster finding out these movies were based on novels, I immediately had to read these books.

Going to a local used-book store, I found purchasing first edition paper backs of these relatively old novels to be quite cheap: fifty cents a copy. I still own them and still cherish them. The prospect of writing a comparison between Fleming’s first novel and the reboot of the franchise was an exciting task.

Running into some obstacles, my finalized version expands several arguments I presented over misogyny in the films as well the homoerotic nature of a torture sequence and finally the failure of a climactic ending.

Moreover, I added several youtube clips to the essay to flesh out my points and to make the essay that much more interesting.

Initial Draft Revisions Final Draft