Cinemaker - 5 years later

We went to Victoria's last night for dinner and her bi-annual salon. Those present included: Me, Andre, Jodie Keeling, Travis Weller, Chris Immel, John and Deanna Finley, Mary Smiley, my sister Diana, Vic and her son Jack. We started out the night on the deck with appetizers and pasta and salad - all food amazing! After, we headed indoors (as the weather was hitting a nippy Texas 50) for a belated 40th B-day cake for our hostess spectacular. Then...the screening began.

It was absolutely stunning to see the different routes all of us have taken in our work. Chris, now attending the School of Visual Art in New York, has put down Super 8 temporarily and made his first video piece. The title escapes me right now, but appropriately, it is a piece that is both calculated (literally using some program he designed) and organic in its imagery and movement. Andre has now moved far into his own world of mixing computer generated animation, video and film with his obsession of all things absurd. His sense of humor, always present in his work, now has happily become the heart of his work. My work, once almost entirely hand manipulation and image driven, has stayed true to its Super 8 roots, but now is more experience/story driven, focusing on my domestic life and personal concerns. And Travis has just completed a score for Aaron Valdez's "Life and Times of RFK." I've seen this film at least 10 times with a temporary Phillip Glass score and always felt it was a powerful film, but seeing it with Travis' score made it feel complete in a way I had never experienced before. It finally seemed "done" and just knocked my socks off.

Beyond the film and music-makers, other cinemakers were present and have life changing experiences happening right now too.

The Finley's first baby is due in March. No word on the sex - and none will be coming until the big day!

Jodie, Kidney transplant successfully complete and happily certified/teaching Yoga at Yoga Yoga, is starting to plan her next life step - most likely graduate school!

Victoria (not an official Cinemaker, but a supporter and judge of many screenings) has just acquired her first mortgage and her house (located in South Austin) already has the Vic touch with amazing paintings, drawings and sculptures for decoration and an entire wall lined with austin flavored CD choices.

My sister Diana, once one of our youngest cinemaker's, has just announced her engagement to her long-time boyfriend Bruce and is planning a wedding for next July.

Jack, now almost as tall as Vic, is about to wrap up his tour of duty at Bryker Woods elementary and move over to 7th grade at the magnet school Filmore on south congress.

And

Mary, firmly settled in her new house, with roomate and two kitties is contemplating a new life that involves rock climbing!

And that is why I love Austin. When we visit, everyone is up to so many new things. The world is always changing and art is always being made in some way or another.

Needless to say, Boi and I went to bed full and happy with smiles on our faces. Such sweetness cannot be forced...it just happens sometimes.

Shindigs and Hootinannies

We're still in Texas and realising why we love visiting so much. Last night we went to my young cousins birthday out in Bastrop. Tons of family and star gazing and Shiner beer. Gotta love it.

On the thesis front, I've hit a snag on my sound that I wanted to pick up here. I have the quiet box and mic that I need, but my parents camera does not have the mic input that our GL2 does. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to borrow a camera from a friend once everyone is back in town, but right now the weather is so similar to when I shot last Dec. that its killing me not to be able to record. I also want to pick up two interview questions with my mom and step-dad while I'm here, but figure that can wait for a little while.

I also had sort of a relief last night when I realised that much of my written thesis can be done at work next semester. Things get slow in the office and they encourage us to stay busy with course work. I find it difficult to write for my workshop classes when I'm not at home alone, but I think the written thesis will be doable in the office space.

Also, just as a teaser, we have interviews in early Feb. for teaching positions! A really amazing program on the east coast is flying us out to interview for two open assistant professorships. I can say no more for fear of jinxing the whole thing, but I will say we are very excited to have made it this far...and together...sort of against everything we were told was possible.

Beyond that, things are moving along as usual. Enjoying the holidays, reading and working only a little (promise) and getting in some much earned sleep time. For New Years we are going to mix it up at a country dance (or is it a shindig, or a hootinanny - where's Oz when you need him?) in Kyle with the Grandparents, and then back to my mom and dad's place for fireworks and mixed drink consuming with the fam and many friends. Hope any who read this have had a wonderful holiday so far and that it continues into the new year.

To Make Boi Happy

All through the day, I, Me, Mine, I, Me, Mine, I, Me, Mine...

It has been requested by Boi that I get this blog spot rolling. No word on where his blog is, but that apparently is not the point. (He's the darlingest so he can get away with such things).

Currently it is about 20 degrees in Iowa and we (me and Boi) are three days away from hopping a greyhound to Texas. In Texas I plan to hug all the new babies, cheer up our Margo who has moved there but feels quite overwhelmed as a stranger in a strange land, and wrack up some serious sister/mom time.

For the next three days we will be scrambling to wrap up finals week, handling interviews with UNCW, and x-mas shopping.

Tomorrow I have to get up at 6:45am and go out into the bitter morning freeze for a production meeting at Carla's (director of film I'm production managing). Everytime this occurs to me, I scowl.

Why on earth you would care about any this I do not know. But there's my blog for today.