Summer has arrived

The semester is finally officially over, and I'm gradually settling into the new groove.  I'm working on campus and coaching some swimming over at the Rose Bowl, trying to earn a little money so that I don't slip any further into debt, taking a single class that starts up this week, crewing on whatever projects I can find, catching up on movie watching, spending some time with my wife, and trying to write up a storm.

All of this means that the first year of graduate school is over.  It's difficult to think back and imagine how much life has changed between then and now: how much I've learned and how much I've grown as an artist.  Some of this is due to my program, others to my friends and collaborators, and still others to life experiences.

Last Tuesday Amy hosted a screening of our film READY FOR LOVE for her friends in the Art community, and it was a lovely evening.  The film received a tremendous response, and it really brought home for Amy and I how lucky we are to have been assigned to work with one another.  Amy gave me a wonderful gift: a limited edition book of her artwork.  Having only seen a few of her pieces on her web site, I had only an inkling of an idea of how amazing her work is.  The original paintings themselves are much larger still, but I came home with an even greater appreciation for my artist friend and producing partner.

This weekend I worked on a thesis film entitled LOVING OBSERVATION.  It's kind of a pyschological thriller set in a "Chinatown style" private dective framework.  I served as second AC and had a fun time (shooting on super 16), and learned a bit about the camera, as one is apt to do every time one works on a film regardless of how many times you have done it before. 

I've been doing far too much driving the past few weeks, but it has been made more tolerable by the fact that I'm finally using my credits that I've accumulated over at Audible.com.  I'm currently listening to my old friend Heminway's A MOVEABLE FEAST.  Listening to a book is not as good as reading it: it's not as intimate, nor do you have the same sense of accomplishment or enlightenment when you finish.  Still, it's a nice way to fill the time with something meaningful while driving.