Producing Independent Films

Christine Walker, co-founder of {Werc Werk Works}, a Minneapolis-based production company (what up, home town) and an alumni of the Univeristy of Utah Film Department, talked about the struggles and rewards of producing independent films.

"Some films simply deserve to be made because they are art, for their social value...the world is a better place because of it."

Walker organized the lecture into 3 sections based on her core values - art, money, and community - but they were so intertwined she kept jumping back and forth between sections.

Here's the poster I made for a class in response to her talk. Her favorite artist is Leonardo DaVinci because he "would have been a film-maker", thus the Mona Lisa. It may be too small to see on here but I've filled in the gaps between letters with her ideas, teachings, and quotes. I'm teaching myself Adobe Illustrator - let me know your thoughts.

Click on the image for full-size.

Expensive Hobbies + Poor College Student = Wish List

I'm picking up some expensive hobbies. Dang it. Here's a list of them and the things they recquire. This is really just a list for me to flesh out priorities and decide what to get and when.

Also, if anyone has tips on where to find these things cheap, speak up.

1. Photography + Design Work
• MacBook: my PC is seeing its last days and with graduation soon approaching, I'll no longer have free use of the University's library... :(
• Photoshop/Illustrator
• Studio Light Set up (for dance photog): a strobe, backdrop + stands and crossbar, strobe stand, umbrella, 2 pocketwizards
• awesome lenses
2. Travelling cool places to have great adventures
• a car that's not broken + good tires: I like driving.
• gas $$
• flexible job + free time
3. Music
• $$: concerts, festivals
4. Skiing
• skis + poles: duh
• boots
• goggles
• helmet
• season pass
5. Pretty shoes
• Yea, I'm a girl.

So, uh, that'll about do it. Sheesh. Donations to the Chelsea Having Fun Fund are accepted.

The Search for Two Photographers

Ok, number 2 in my list of awesome things found in the span of a couple days. I am constantly amazed and inspired by the creativity that lies within people.

Take this guy, for example. He came across a roll of film in the middle of an NYC park and, having made it a resolution to add more adventure to his life, decided to find the owners. So he made this video.

Since posting the video, several news organizations have written stories on his quest and he's received countless emails from people all over the world; some offering clues, and others simply offering a place to stay if ever he finds himself in their neck of the woods. People were going so far as to study the jaw structure of the men, suggesting they may be from Poland. Or to zoom in on these pictures to determine the backpack brands - one claimed to only be available in France (a fact negated by yet another viewer).

Talk about the power of the collective conscious.

No luck yet, however. He's still in search of the owners of these pictures.