The End

This day was always imminent. The end of my blog.

I began this experimental project as a way to immortalize my senior year and my transition into college. But I often got busy and neglected it. Lately, I just lack the motivation to write about stuff. So, I'm cutting the cord and moving on.

I graduated a week and a half ago, and I already feel different. I didn't feel it at first, but I think it hit me last night. High school is already fading away, and college, which is something I always just talked about, is finally starting to become real.

I had a pretty great senior year filled with a ton of movie-worthy moments. Now I'm ready for a summer full of adventure. I basically want to spend as much time as I can with my family, friends, and Alaina. Not seeing them everyday will be the biggest adjustment that I have to make. But I'm going to school for something I love, so what can be better than that?

I want to take a quick moment to thank the five people who actually read this thing, including my amazing Aunt Brenda who passed away a month ago.

I finished reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower last night. I really liked it because it was filled with beautiful imagery and captured the feeling of growing up. In the novel, Charlie experiences the feeling of being infinite. I guess that's what I want to feel this summer.

To all my seniors, good luck in college. And good luck in life to everyone. All I can say is fill it with love... and joy. I think that's most important. Peace out.

Bye Bye Musical

After three months of Conrad Birdie influencing my every move, running from place to place, and living off of ham and cheese sandwiches, I woke up this morning and it was all gone.

The last performance of Bye Bye Birdie was yesterday. Although the whole ordeal got off to a rough start, I really enjoyed the whole experience and wish I would have gotten involved in a musical sooner. It was nice to bond with the cast and make some new friends. Plus, I just like creative endeavors. Putting on a show was rewarding.

At the cast party afterward, I finally realized that I'

m headed to college in five months and that I'm going to miss everyone. I filled out my housing application for Chapman last night, and it felt weird. I hope I make college friends quickly.

Oh well. I'm on to other things already. Track is in full swing, and I still have some end-of-the-year projects to finish. I can't think of anything huge I'm looking forward to other than graduation and prom (I suppose). I guess I should come up with a "cute" way to ask Alaina.

Hello World.

I've been gone for quite awhile. I know I said I wouldn't blog again until Monday, but a friend brought me out of hibernation a little early.

I've been busy trying to fill my days with both track workouts and musical practice. In fact, I'm leaving my house in about five minutes for our last rehearsal. Opening night for Bye Bye Birdie is tomorrow. I'm excited for musical weekend and my first track meet next week.

The time is flying by. I have made my final college decision: Chapman. I wasn't accepted into USC. I can't say I was surprised. In fact, I think I might have been leaning toward Chapman all along. I don't know what it is - I just know it's the school for me.

Enough about me. What brings me here today is my friend Sara. Like myself, she is still working on scholarships. She wrote an essay about the importance of free speech and individuality. Both Sara and I have found these essential during our senior year as we prepare for college. Our generation needs to fight for our beliefs. After all, no one wants to live in a world where Big Brother limits your every move. Individuality is a beautiful thing.

To Sara, good luck. And to everyone else, have a nice weekend.

Check this out:

"Thousands of people stand around me, angrily shouting and thrusting their signs into the air. As the mass marches toward the Capital, I realize that these people are all standing in the frigid January temperatures in order for their voices to be heard and to exercise their rights under the first amendment. In response to the video, “Lukianoff on Free Speech,” censorship on college campuses is wrong; higher education should be promoting the education and dissemination of serious topics to further prepare students for life after school. Both national and international issues need to be discussed because younger generations will not learn to have a voice about serious issues facing our world in the coming years.
In my senior year of high school, I am taking a morality class in which we often get into debates about heavy moral issues such as abortion, capital punishment, and marriage. Before the year had begun, I had somewhat understood my views on these subjects, but was unable to fully defend my beliefs. As the year has progressed, my eyes were opened to the views of others who actually understand their views entirely and have defended them up until the end of each class. Through free speech, others have helped me to further formulate my personal views on global issues of importance, and I have found that I have become a well-rounded person. Instead of only speaking to those of my own generation about the hottest fashions and the newest songs, I can now speak to anyone; I am better able to understand and discuss my views. It is vital that we instill the values of open discussion and debate in our young adults before they enter the working world without ever having expressed themselves. Debating in classrooms and helping young adults to understand the various views of the world needs to be a higher priority for colleges. Colleges should be encouraging debates that allow students to express themselves and explore their own opinions. Without the right to free speech, students will come to believe that having a voice is inconsequential, along with the idea that one cannot be an individual. Everyone should have an opinion, along with the liberty to express that opinion, especially in a college setting where one is taught to question, examine, and discern.
In conclusion, censorship on campuses is a problem; one should be able to freely express his or her views and practice the use of his or her voice like the people I witnessed marching toward the Capitol. If students can engage in an open debate with the guidance of a professor, it may help some of the students to refine their own opinions. Colleges should stop ignoring and making light of the first amendment and start educating the future of the world, because without it the nation’s voice will become obsolete. Society needs to break the silence and make some noise to prevent a lackluster future for the land of the free."

Temporary Break-Up

Please don't be alarmed. Alaina and I are still going strong. Rather, I am breaking up with this blog... just for awhile.

You see, we just need to take some time off. I know that I've had to do this before. Between all of the commotion going on this month - musical, track, homework, scholarships, and random film projects - I'm having trouble finding the time to blog. And blog about things that are actually interesting.

The last performance of McCort's Bye Bye Birdie is on April 3rd. So on April 4th, I promise I'll be back.

Until then, I am going to try to get some work done. Spring is pretty much here, and a lot of exciting things are going on. Next month will be a big month for me. In less than two months, my college decision will be complete. Scary.

All you seniors out there, get it together. See you soon!

The Waiting Game

You're waiting for a train. A train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you, but you can't be sure. But it doesn't matter. How can it not matter to you where this train will take you?

I excitedly drove home from school the other day, parked in front of my house, jumped out of the car, and headed to the mailbox. The lid was open a little bit. My heart jumped. Something large must be inside the mailbox - something like a college acceptance letter. I darted up the steps and threw open the mailbox to reveal... two small postcards.

I'm playing the waiting game. My letter from Chapman still hasn't arrived. Really, I'm more relaxed than I thought I would be. I've reached the point where I'll be comfortable with whatever happens. Still, any time my thoughts drift in school, I find they drift to that mysterious letter that is floating around somewhere in the world at this very moment.

It's sort of a strange feeling. But I know that other people are experiencing the same thing. We may not know each other, but we are all united by the waiting.


I'm excited for the weekend. Alaina and I are having a movie night this evening. And the Super Bowl is on Sunday.

I have a confession. I live in the heart of Steeler Country, and I haven't watched one football game all year. I don't know what it is - there are just many other things that I'd rather do than watch football.


However, I'll watch the Super Bowl because it is somewhat exciting. Plus, there's always the commercials.

I'm Not Applying Anymore

As of two hours ago, I am officially done applying for college. Just in time for Christmas. It feels good.

For the first time in a long time, I had some downtime tonight. So I finished watching a documentary I started a week ago. It's called Tales From the Script. Anyone not interested in filmmaking would most likely be bored to tears.


Basically, the screenwriters who were interviewed talked about how cutthroat the industry is and how no one knows what they're doing. It was really funny and yet horrifying at the same time.

At the end of the movie, one of the writers talked about writing the film My Life. It starred Nicole Kidman and Michael Keaton and had to do with cancer. The movie got awful reviews and the writer was mortified and embarrassed.

However nine months after the release, a woman came up to him at a party and shared her story. Her husband had died of cancer, and her twelve-year-old son never talked about it. Then, she was diagnosed with cancer and had six months to live. She took her son to see the movie, and on the way home afterward, he sobbed. At home, he crawled into bed with her, and they had the conversation that she needed to have in order to leave the world.

So in retrospect, the writer wrote the movie for her. Unknowingly. And it was enough.

I think that's cool. And as I worked on my college essays about my passion in film, etc., it was easy to become a little discouraged. I made the short film A Dance in Time. It was a high school film - nothing extraordinary. But many friends of my grandparents, whom I would never have talked to otherwise, have approached me. Many older couples tell me how much they enjoyed the film. So I guess that is enough.

It still hasn't sunk in. But only three days until Christmas.

Recovery Evening

I had a blast this weekend! And now I'm recovering.

Alaina celebrated her birthday and officially became an adult too. I went on a lot of adventures, partied with Alaina, and ate a bunch of yummy food. I really want to talk about all of it, but I've decided to wait until Alaina gets her pictures developed.

Until then, I have a special announcement. If I've calculated correctly, this summer marks the 5th Anniversary of Pine Street Productions. The summer before I entered high school, my family bought a video camera, and I began making silly videos with my siblings and neighbors.


To celebrate the anniversary in conjunction with my leaving for college, Ryan and I were discussing throwing a huge block party - complete with food, Chinese lanterns, loud music, tents, everyone we know, and maybe even fireworks. We could watch all of the movies consecutively on a huge sheet. Ryan, Adam, and I could even make a short documentary on our history together. That would be fun.

Until then, I'm thinking about launching a mini-series entitled Pine Street Productions: Five Years of Violence, Sex, and Love.

Lately, we've been watching some of our old projects and laughing our heads off. You get a certain satisfaction when you watch your pre-puberty self acting like an idiot. We've also been surprised to find a staggering amount of violence and a number of sexual innuendos throughout the Pine Street films. Oh goodness.

USC wanted me to upload a video sample online, so I created a Vimeo account. Eventually, I'm going to post clips from the past films on there. However, it will have to be after I finish my LMU application - probably sometime over Christmas break. I'll announce the official release date when I figure it out.

Moving on. Thirteen days til Christmas! Unfortunately, most of the Christmas music on the radio is annoying. So I set out to create the ultimate holiday soundtrack entitled A Very Hipster Christmas. Good Christmas songs are out there.

One of the cool ones is Happy Birthday Guadalupe by the Killers. I haven't had a chance to watch the video until tonight.

Blue Jean Baby, LA Lady...

I have not blogged in forever. In fact, I've forgotten what this feels like.

I want to start by apologizing. I've been very busy lately. Most of my college applications are due on December 1st. So is my research paper... I'm writing about interracial couples. And I'm in A Christmas Carol, which will be performed on December 2nd and 3rd. Come December, I will be a free man!

Until then, I probably won't have much blogging time. But I wanted to stop in and think about what I've been doing.

First of all, I am officially applied to Florida State University. It feels good. Now, I'm working on Chapman. I have to make a two minute video describing me, but I can't be in. Brainstorming time.

I've also spent the last two weeks of my life sitting in front of this computer, editing the short film. I'm happy to report that it is finished (sort of). I'm still not sure of the name. Right now, it's A Dance in Time. Any ideas? Somebody please!

Bishop McCort is having a scholarship luncheon on Friday, and the movie will be shown there. Dealing with the administration has given me a taste of what directors have to face when dealing with studio executives. I'm also sending it to the YoungArts Scholarship program and a couple festivals. We'll see what happens. More on this later.

And today was the LHAC Conference Crosss Country meet. I was scared and nervous because this season has been sort of weird. But everyone ran well, and I managed to somehow pull ahead for the win at the end. We still have work to do. Districts is 10 days away. But I said early on that one of my goals was to achieve Cross Country success, and showtime is approaching.

As stressful as things have been, I'm having fun. I can't help but be excited.

Before I head to bed, I wanted to share this article I came across the other day. It talks about movie soundtracks. It also highlights Cameron Crowe and Almost Famous.

http://www.film.com/features/story/five-directors-seamlessly-integrate-music/41746778?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+film/kEcE+(Film.com+Movie+Blog)&_r=true

While I was in LA, the trio of Brad, Danielle, and Erica was shocked that I hadn't seen Almost Famous. I watched it, and it has since become one of my favorites. Kate Hudson may be the only blonde I ever love. And I like Cameron Crowe. He writes and directs from the heart.

And I was thinking about this movie the other day. I've been waiting for its release in America for a long time.

In Love Again

My sister Addison turned ten about three weeks ago. Unfortunately, her party was canceled because she had pneumonia. So, we had the party tonight.

My brothers headed to the high school football game, but I stayed behind because I have adult things to do now.

Just kidding.
I actually had to lead musical chairs and finalize some college essays. I boycott football anyway.

I have to get to bed early because I have a cross country invitational tomorrow. So, I don't have time for any in-depth blogging although I need some right now.
On Sunday, I'm going to attmept to write three essays and read Hamlet among other things. (Yeah... right.)

For now, I want to do something I should have done awhile ago: introduce my latest girlfriend.

Meet Florence Welch.

She's from England. She is in a band called Florence + the Machine. I recently bought the album Lungs.

The music is good. She's cool. And best of all, she is real. I want to drive around town with her in strange outfits and drink tea (which I don't even like).

She has officially been added to the"People Chad Wants to See in Concert" List.(along with Coldplay, OK GO, Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, and Lady Gaga)

Check out "Heavy in Your Arms". Yes, it's from Eclipse - told you it had good music.

The video actually creeps me out (and it's edited down), but I like the black and white. Watch any of her other videos. They are all Certified White Boy Fresh.

Hi There.

I am a man now. So suck it. Just kidding. I shouldn't talk like that on here.

As an adult, I have discovered two things:
1. I am officially addicted to coffee.
2. I miss blogging.

Lately, other commitments have been sucking my life away. But tomorrow, that changes. I promise. I have things I want to talk about.

Tonight I am up late working on homework and finalizing a college essay. If you ever feel down in the dumps. Stay up late and work on stuff with the aid of an iPod, coffee, and frozen yogurt.

See you tomorrow! Until then... watch this. I'm so excited!

Entering the Cocoon

I can't wait to curl up in my blankets and go to sleep. As I do, I will be entering a cocoon. Tomorrow when I wake up, I will legally be considered an adult. I will be eighteen.

Will I suddenly become a man? Will my friends and family recognize me?
In reality, I will eat some Oreo Blizzard cake from DQ (yum) at some point and life will go on as usual. I've been so busy with college applications and such lately that I haven't had time to reflect on this adulthood thing. By the way, a few minutes ago I officially began editing the short film - I pieced two clips together. Whoot! Whoot!

Turning eighteen isn't really a big deal. I'm not in to dirty movies. However, it has served as a gentle reminder that high school is going to end. Which is weird but cool. The rest of my life is going to start in a year, and I need to get ready. My mom will no longer be available to tie my ties for me! (Don't worry - I'm learning.)

Anyway, I should get some sleep, but first...

I like fall. One of my favorite things about my birthday season is the movies! Besides Toy Story 3, Inception, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, the summer films kind of sucked. Autumn seems like it is going to come to the cinematic rescue!

So really quickly, here's Chad's fall movie preview:

1. Never Let Me Go
September 15th


During my sophomore year, I read an online interview with my girlfriend Keira Knightley. She talked about a movie she was working on based on an awesome book - Never Let Me Go. I borrowed the book from my teacher and read it in a week. I thought it was beautiful. Plus, Keira and Carey Mulligan are involved in the movie: heaven. It will probably be depressing... I'm excited.

2. 127 Hours
November 5th

I mentioned earlier that I have a love obsession with Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire). So naturally, I have to check out his new movie. I just saw the teaser trailer yesterday. It's based on a true story and stars James Franco as a dude who gets stuck in a Utah canyon. Looks cool.

3.The Social Network
October 1st

Alright, I've been hearing buzz about this movie for forever. Apparently the script is really good. And David Fincher is brilliant. Plus, I think Jesse Eisenberg is funny (Alaina thinks he is cute... eww). The Social Network has already been called a classic and generation defining. Ever since I read The Great Gatsby, I have been waiting to watch a moody film. This is it.

4. Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows (Part One)
November 19th

I'm a big fan of the crew that made the last two Potter films. From the looks of things, they outdid themselves on the finale. I could pee myself just thinking about it. Nothing else needs to be said. (Except that Emma Watson will be wearing a red dress)

5. Tron Legacy
December 17th

I don't really know much about this one. But I've been reading about it for the past two years... seriously. Tron was an eighties movie with Jeff Bridges (I never saw it). It sort of started the whole CGI animation thing that led to Pixar and everything else. It's a certified nerd classic. The new one has Jeff Bridges too and is apparently going to be awesome. I'll have to rent the original and then go see this one with my boys.

Alright... it's late! I need sleep for my big day. This is minor Chad signing off for the last time. Night!

Bonjour Fall.

So... I'm up later than I wanted to be tonight.

But I'm sick of not getting stuff done. It's only the second week of school, yet as I lie in bed each night, I have mini brain freakouts. How am I going to get this short film finished? How in the world will I get all of my applications completed on time? If things don't work out, I won't land my dream career, I won't have a cool pregnant wife, and I won't have a beard.

And then I'll have to gouge my eyes out like Oedipus (which I took a test on today - yuck). Oh well. I am trusting that things will fall into place somehow.

Fall is officially here. Today was cold - cold as in my cross country hoodie isn't enough, I need a freaking blanket cold.

I sort of like it.

After having a fun Labor Day weekend, I was reluctant to start school again. But this week has been pretty cool. It wasn't nearly as rough as the first week of school. After having AP Chem last year, I decided not to take a science course this year. I wanted to squeeze in some creative classes that would help me with film. That means that I get to start my day with Acting and Art. I love it!

Yesterday, the XC team experienced our first meet of the season. It wasn't a bad start. The boys won the meet, but we still have work to do. Like a dumbo, I forgot that my spikes give me blisters the first time I wear them each season. Now I have to deal with having holes of absent skin on my ankles. We have an Invitational on Saturday morning, so hopefully I can come up with a comfortable solution by then.

Yesterday was also Ryan's birthday. We had some family members over and feasted on some amazing ice cream cake from the creamery. My family is now entering "Birthday Time." Addison turned ten last week. Countdown to my birthday/adult time = five days. Holy crap. (Tyler is the late one. He won't turn twelve until October.)

Today I celebrated a new birthday. The Great Pine Street Adventure turned one year old. GPSA is my first movie (I need nerd glasses). We premiered it on September 9th last year, so today will always hold a special place in my heart. I don't have a baby yet (and won't for a long time), so for now my movies will be my children. It seems like only yesterday when he was just a tiny storyboard... Sniffle. Sniffle.

Haha! Looking at this poster, I realized that the special date was September 5th - not the 9th. Oh well. It's the thought that counts.

Anyway, to celebrate I wanted to post some "teaser posters" from the long awaited short film. Ryan and I cheesed them up earlier. I haven't actually started editing yet. I'm considering locking myself in my house after the race on Saturday. This movie needs to start coming together!


Good night!

Dawn is Breaking

I don't remember all of the events of last week. It was sort of a dizzy haze of parties, running, school shopping, and phone conversations.

But today, the sun broke through the clouds. After failing to find an actor in the past week, I was feeling defeated. Then, Randy called me. I had gotten Randy's number because he is a local actor. He's going to try to fit my short film into his schedule. I really hope everything works out. I have a ton of work to do in order to get this project done.

I also finished Snow Falling on Cedars. I really liked it. Now, I have to read Hamlet and The Awakening. Hopefully, I can read at least one of them before school starts.

Countdown to school: one week.

And finally, I have completed the list of colleges I am applying to:
1. University of Southern California
2. Chapman University
3. Loyola Marymount University
4. Florida State University
5. Temple University
6. DeSales University.

I will do everything in my power to attend one of the first three, but I can make any of them work.

I also found out today that I might be going to New Orleans in November. My cousin Danielle landed a job as assistant to director Scott Hicks. He is the director of the latest Nicholas Sparks adaptation The Lucky One starring Zac Efron. Hopefully, I will be able to visit the set with my brother Ryan and my cousin McKenzie.

In other news...
I watched two Michael Cera flicks this weekend. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was crazy and hilarious. It really feels like a video game/comic book and makes for an interesting night. Youth in Revolt was also really funny. I loved seeing Michael act as Francois. It was different from every other character that he as ever played... which is always the same:himself. I also decided that I am a badass.

I had a lot of fun adventuring with Alaina this week. It's been weird because I've been sleep deprived. Plus I'm still gowing through that growing phase, so I can't stop eating (thus the stash of pretzels sitting next to me) and my hormones continue to rage.

I am going to be really busy this week, but I hope to write a little about Chapman University sometime soon.

Oh... I turn eighteen in less than a month. What am I doing for my birthday?

LMU

Today, I want to write a quick review of Loyola Marymount University, but first a few recent happenings:

After Wednesday night practices in the summer, the cross country team hangs out at Eat'n Park - a chain of family friendly diner-like restaurants that are famous for its Smiley cookies. Last night was our last Eat'n Park adventure. It was fun. A few friends and past runners dropped by to say goodbye before they left for college. That will be me in a short year.

Speaking of college, I am still working on finalizing my list. My parents are worried because I haven't begun to apply yet. They are now clocking my time. Yesterday, my mom yelled at me because I watched America's Next Top Model for twenty minutes while I ate lunch. This means I might have to do some secret blogging.

Finally, I keep hitting dead ends with my short film. On Tuesday, my faithful french teacher gave me a list of possible male actors. Two days later I still haven't found someone. Sigh. Summer feels as if it has been over for awhile.

And now introducing Loyola Marymount University.

I'm pretty sure that Loyola has schools across the country. LMU is a small Jesuit school in LA. My cousin Danielle went there. I'm not sure of the differences between the Jesuit and Catholic faiths. They seem similar.

Danielle and Erica took me on a little tour of LMU on the Saturday after film camp. While there, we got locked outside on a dorm roof. It also rained (drizzled actually). Rained in LA - I told said the weather was weird while I was there.

I went back later that week with Carol Anne, and we got a personal tour of the film building. The student who gave us the tour had some good information, but he also talked a lot of trash about other film schools in the area. He came off as a bit biased and arrogant. He also mentioned that he was attending LMU and his brother was going to attend USC because they had "connections." Which is what it's all about folks.

LMU sits in the middle of LA on top of a mountain. The location really is beautiful. It's in a safe environment - a residential neighborhood. It's also a short drive away from LAX and Manhattan Beach - one of my favorite areas of Los Angeles.

The school seems religious. Each dorm has an in-house priest. Although from what Danielle tells me, that doesn't stop the students from having a good time. As a whole LMU reminds me of a local college - St. Francis University. A ton of kids from my high school, Bishop McCort, go there. It has earned the nickname 13th grade.

After attending a small Catholic school for my whole life, I am anxious to break out. I want a big school in a big city. Just visiting LMU makes me feel chrostophobic, and I worry that I might go crazy there.

The film school itself is a tiny, and I mean tiny, little building. It is pretty hard to get accepted into the school. LMU has a two sound stages, a nice theater, and a cool editing suite. It sits in the heart of the action and seems connected to the industry. A bunch of cool people come to talk to the film students. Advanced film screenings are sometimes held. Plus, students can break out and explore opportunities in the city.

All in all, LMU is not my top choice. But the campus is very nice. LMU just got a brand new library that was probably one of the nicest buildings I have ever been in. The film school is reputable and connected to the industry. It serves as a good backup school if USC and Chapman don't work out.

I want to end by introducing you to Pratley. I know it's random, but my good friend Christina introduced me to his music. He's a student at USC. Listen to Fall Wind. After all, Autumn is around the corner.

http://pratleyproject.com/

UCLA

I just got back from a super nice twilight run. Literally 15 people beeped/screamed/waved at me. I'm not sure who all of you were, but "Hi! I love you!"

I'm about to go lock myself in my room and work on my summer reading. Right now I'm reading Snow Falling on Cedars, and I'm pretty hooked. It's suspenseful, sexy, tragic, and beautiful. Check it out. (Alaina, don't comment on this.)

Before I return to San Piedro Island via my too-small-for-my-growing-body bed, I wanted to write my review of UCLA.

Having spent two weeks at the University of California, Los Angeles, I feel like I know the place inside and out.

First of all, the campus is actually like a small city. In fact, it was overwhelmingly huge at first. Coming from a small town and a history of small schools, I loved this aspect.

The campus has plenty to offer - many places to study, eat, exercise, whatever. UCLA had nice cafeterias and an awesome central hub with a cool bookstore and some nice places to eat including Panda Express and Jamba Juice. Woot! Woot!

The campus is really pretty beautiful. Everything is well kept and perfect. It doesn't feel like you're in California. UCLA almost had an east coast feel. The athletic area was cool too. I liked running on the track, and the gym was huge - complete with a rock wall inside.

Believe it or not, you will most likely start to feel the grasp of the black hole at some point. In that case, you can escape to Westwood - the neato neighborhood outside of UCLA. It's fun even thought it's not as hoppin' as it used to be.

Unlike USC, UCLA is in a very safe neighborhood: Beverly Hills. The Sunset Blvd. strip is only a 30 or 40 minute drive away. UCLA is in the perfect spot for internships and access to studios.

The dorms at UCLA looked like hotels from the outside. The rooms were pretty nice inside too.

As for the film building...

It was a little run down. The equipment we used had a few issues. The hallways were white and small and made me feel like I was in an insane asylum. Compared to USC and Chapman, the facilities at UCLA needed work. But that's because unlike the other two, UCLA is a state school. California is broke.

Still, UCLA had everything you needed. What I did like was the emphasis on story. It seemed like the school focused a lot of attention and writing and creating truly worthwhile stories. The techanical stuff came last. Some of the teachers we met were cool. UCLA is definitely more of an independent film school. It felt very different from USC. The two are bitter rivals.

UCLA's film school is actually combined with the theater school. This guy is in charge: Myrl Schreibman. I actually met him last summer when I was walking through the school with Carol Anne and Danny. He told us about the U.S. Performing Arts camps. No doubt, he is an influential and helpful dude.

However, there was some negative talk about him at the film camp. From what I can gather, he lacks a welcoming and warm attitude, but his heart is in the right place.

Finally, UCLA is extremely hard to get into. And you can't apply to the film school until your junior year in college. It's a gamble.

The junior year risk, the rundown facilities, and the negativity around Myrl were enough for me to cross UCLA off of my list. But it may work for other people and is definitely worth looking into.

A Pressing Matter

So... after my adventure to WixPix, my weekend turned out to be much busier than I expected - complete with the grand opening of a new building at my school, a meteor shower, a trip to no where Pennsylvania, and a flaming car. I also ran into some dead ends on my short film and had a few college freak outs with my parents.

I want to talk about all of this, but for once in my life I am tired of filmmaking and college. In fact, if someone were to approach me at this particular moment and mention those two words, I would probably hurl my blueberry yogurt at them.

Right now, I want to talk about a much more pressing matter...

The Homosexual Tension between Edward and Jacob in Eclipse.

Normally, I completely boycott all things Twilight, but we had the chance to go to the Westwood theater on Friday at film camp. The theater was really cool, and Carol Anne tells me that a bunch of premieres were held there back in the day.

Eclipse was the only thing playing and surprisingly most of the film students who went were guys. We were really desperate to get off campus.

Eclipse played out as expected. I soon realized that girls like Twilight because it's basically soft porn. Seriously. Jacob was always shirtless - for no reason. Bella was cool but behaved like a whore. She made out with Jacob. Then Edward. Then Jacob again in a neverending cycle. And she tried to get in Edward's pants.

I found all of the violence and sexual stuff to be disturbing since many ten-old-girls are into the series. Girls like my little sister. I quickly called my mom to make sure my sister did not go see Eclipse, but it was too late. Dun. Dun. Dun.

Anyway, the most interesting part of Eclipse was the tent scene. Apparently Twilight fans were anticipating this scene because I found a whole blog devoted to it. The basic jist is that the famous trio are on top of a mountain during a snow storm. Bella is freezing and needs warmed up. Edward can't keep her warm because he's a vampire.

This gives Jacob the chance to say the line, "Let's face it, I'm hotter than you." So, werewolf boy crawls into a sleeping bag with a shivering Kristen Stewart and proceeds to think dirty thoughts that Edward can read.

God, I would hate to know what Stephanie Meyer is like in person.

And what was most disturbing was the fact that every guy in the theater turned to look at each other. We all felt it. The homosexual tension. It was awkward and weird. I can't explain it, but it was like both Jacob and Edward were thinking about ditching Bella, and running away with each other.

Still, not all things were awful. I have to admit... the movie was pretty sexy. At a couple steamy moments, we all squirmed in our seats. Afterwards, everyone admitted how much Eclipse made them miss their significant others back home, myself included.

Plus, Eclipse had really good music. Like this song...

And then there was...

THE TRAILER FOR HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS.

The trailer was greeted with a standing ovation. Being a Harry Potter fan since I read The Chamber of Secrets in second grade, I cannot wait!

Coming Soon

I am getting older. I can feel it.

I don't know, but I feel like I'm on the verge of something. I look at my brother Ryan who is just about to start his high school career, and then I look at myself who is ready to move on.

I just feel like things are changing this summer. There has to be other people that feel this way. In two short months, I will turn eighteen. I will cease to be a kid in the legal sense, but that won't change anything to me.

Even with things changing and college looming around the corner, I feel at complete peace. I'm where I want to be, and I'm happy. I like my class, and I'm super stoked for senior year.

Anyway, I'm leaving for Camp Z tomorrow morning, but with so much to write about, I wanted to make a list so I don't forget anything.

COMING SOON:
The Black Hole of Film Camp
The Making of Lemonopoly
V-Necks and Being a Hipster
The Homosexual Tension between Edward and Jacob in Eclipse
Sneaking Out/Saying Goodbye to Filmmaking Friends
College Reviews of UCLA, LMU, and Chapman
Why I Get Addicted to Teenage Girl Shows such as Glee and Pretty Little Liars
The Awesomeness of Inception and Almost Famous
Thunder Storms and Earthquakes
Dancing to Lady Gaga's Bad Romance
Funerals and Weddings
The Sweet Hilairousness of Troll 2
XC Camp
Girls and Forbidden Love
Tampons and Periods
Frat Boys, Hipsters, Skaters and Beyond
Making Out while Angry
and Skinny Dipping

Geeze. I'm going to be busy.

Toy Story 3!

For a late Father's Day gift, I decided to treat the family to a movie-going experience. The outing came with a price tag of $53 which is ridiculous, but it was probably only the second time that my whole family went to the movies together.

Anyway, Toy Story 3 was awesome! The movie opened up with an exciting reintroduction to the characters. I couldn't help but smile because I can still remember going to see Toy Story 2. Seeing Woody and other characters I grew up with on the screen was like a rebirth of my childhood.

The new Toy Story was interesting because I am now in the same boat as Andy as he heads off to college. I guess it's not all bad though. I started to gather together things for my California trip tonight, and I'm pretty excited. The message of Toy Story 3 was being able to move onto the the next chapter in your life. It also had a strong sense of family (which may bring a tear to your eye). I don't know what lies ahead, but I have my friends and family who will always be there for me, which is exciting in itself. Summer adventures, here I come.

Expositon! (Part Five)

College.

Okay. Now that all you teenagers have put on a fresh pair of underwear, let's talk higher education.

Really, I'm scared too. I know I eventually want to go to film school. Right now, I'm thinking graduate for film, undergraduate for something else. Don't ask me where.

There are days when I think I don't need to go to college. After all, most great directors either dropped out of film school or didn't go at all. I can take some acid and make art. Not really. College is probably necessary. It's the final step before I become completely independent. It's a new adventure. It will be fun.

So this is college summer. In eleven days, I will hop on a plane and head to L.A. for the second time. While there, I'm going to a two-week digital film camp at UCLA and embarking on college visits. I'm going to have a lot more to say about this trip later.

Until then, if you are currently in college mode as well, good luck! The best advice I have is to explore the wonderful world of Google as well as your local Barnes and Noble. Read up on your possible colleges and major.