One of the things that really struck me after watching so many different movies leading up to the Oscars was how many different types of filmmakers there are. It's a broad field I know, but stick with me. Especially with the speeches you could sense how everyone had been pursuing that moment, to win an Oscar as a form of validation. Somehow things had come together and they'd fulfilled a childhood ambition.
I'm always giving myself a hard time about enjoying where I'm at, while forcing myself to keep an eye on what I want to achieve ahead. It's more frustrating now than it was just a few years ago, because for maybe the second or third time in my entire life I can honestly say that I don't know what I want. I don't know if I want to move, I don't know if I want different jobs, I don't know if I want a serious relationship. All I can say is that I want improvement or growth of some kind. I also really want to feel that sense of achievement again. The kind where you really surprise yourself.
The funny thing is that where I'm at now would've been a dream come true four years ago when I was still in film school. The differences are huge, and I'm proud of that. But I also felt the pressure back then to make something happen. Now it's more a debate over becoming too comfortable.
Reading all of these articles about filmmakers, actors, and editors over the last few weeks, it's not the work I'm envious of - it's the stories. I feel like I need to find myself in the middle of a good one right about now. I need a refresh but I'm not quite sure where to begin.
Last week Andrea and I went to see Chronicle at the Cineplex. We've actually been to the theatre more regularly over the last few weeks than we've been in a long time because we've been checking out Oscar flicks. Chronicle wasn't one them. However, it was actually a lot better than some of the nominees I've seen this year.
What I've actually come to appreciate more over these last few weeks has been the joy of going to the movies during the week again. It's pretty relaxed, not very busy, and it's nice to feel up to date on a few new releases for a change. What's been disappointing is the lack of nominees actually in the theatre though. It seems like a lot of them came and went in a week, and if you weren't glued to the listings you missed them.
You'd think that a lot this could be made up for online, but given the release dates of a lot of these pictures, it seems like they're in limbo between the theatre and DVD. On top of this, there are no video stores around anymore to rent from, which just last year provided an easy way to grab a few movies for the weekend. It's kind of annoying to try and work through a checklist of nominated films that no one can actually see until after the telecast, but I suppose this is nothing new.
Movie nights are still a lot of fun of course, but the Oscars are this weekend and I still have more flicks that I haven't watched on my nominees list than I've ever had in years past. Go figure that it would actually become more challenging to try and see all of these movies with all of the options available.
Have you seen any of the nominees this year? Any favorites? I haven't been that excited about many of them if I'm completely honest.
This week it finally arrived. After a month of casually browsing online I finally found a vintage 16mm projector that was both stunning to look at and in perfect working condition. I purchased this 1952 Revere Model 48 silent film projector for $150. Almost half of that was shipping costs, but even still, given its condition I have to say it was a steal at that price.
You might be thinking that that's a lot to pay for a decoration, but that actually wasn't the motivation behind the purchase. I have a box of 16mm projects that I shot in film school that I haven't seen since they were made. Among these are a couple of animation shorts and a silent film that I shot with my friend Dave - the first thing either of us ever shot on film. For the sake of preservation and my own nostalgia, I wanted to buy a projector so that I could record the footage and make digital copies of some of my early work. I figured if I was going to the trouble anyway, I might as well buy one that would be pretty to look at afterwards.
The Revere projector also shipped with a spare lamp and an original 16mm WWII reel of an American army base and Japanese cities. The film wasn't in great shape, but I was able to watch it along with a few of my own projects and it was a kick to say the least. The sound of the projector, the process of how to load it properly, and the flicker of my film school history projected across the room was a pretty amazing memory to rediscover.
I can't wait to share some of these shorts in the near future, but in the meantime have a look at this cool piece of history that I've added to my collection.
