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"The careers advisor used to come to school. He'd tell the kids, 'Look, I advise you to get a career, what can I say?' "

2009-06-26T13:24:00.003-04:00

For the first two years at BSC, I had absolutely no clue what I wanted to do. Before coming here, I took Internet Tech and Web Design in high school, thinking I'd like to be a Computer Science major here.

...Until I discovered the many, many math requirements. Nooooooo~

So I came in undecided. And it was like that for a while. I spaced out my core courses and dabbled in a bit of everything (Psychology, Japanese, even Piano! I didn't get very far though...I don't tend to be musically inclined :P) I had just started leaning towards Early Childhood Education (my love of small children <3) and was looking for something to fulfill one of my communications requirements. I decided on TV Production I, because it sounded fun and I'm a TV addict XD

And...suddenly, I knew which way I wanted to go. Dad had given me advice before when I was fretting over picking a major. He simply told me not to stress, and if I tried a variety of things I'd find something I'd like. "It's like you just know," he told me over the phone. "You will take a course, and you'll think 'this is what I really want to do with my life.' " I didn't believe him at the time (sorry Dad) but that's what happened!

Looking ahead...I'm still not sure what, exactly, I plan to do with a *deep breath* Communications degree with a concentration in Media Studies and Communication Technologies. I only know I want to be deeply involved with television production and such.

I'm heading into my fourth year (cripes, when did THAT happen?!) so I've been thinking about it a lot. I'm still not technically a senior (stupid credits), so I'll have hopefully 3 more semesters at this wonderful school. After that...my roomie and I plan to get an apartment together, and I'll start working hard on my dream. It used to be that you had to live in either California or New York to really be involved in the business, but with Plymouth Rock Studios being built, I may be able to stick around in Massachusetts, which would make me very happy ^^

Wow...that was a lot longer than I intended XD Sorry if I bored you, I just felt like writing about it! If you reply, don't feel pressured to post a damn novel like I did, lol.

Today's quote is from Eddie Izzard's Dress to Kill performance. If you've never heard of him, be ashamed! He's the most hilarious British transvestite comedian you'll ever watch XD

I'm working on trying to update this blog more regularly. I know it's not required anymore, but I just have this feeling that it's good for me...

"She's got a ticket to ride"

2009-06-10T22:46:00.002-04:00

So, after a long discussion with myself, we've decided to keep blogging. Now that it's not required anymore, I can write about whatever I want to...although, my life practically revolves around media anyway, so whatevs XD I may change my screen name, I may not. I'll be sure to let all 5 of you know, lol. Now, on to the post~

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Interesting train ride this afternoon...

I decided to detour to Berklee to check it out before the concert Saturday, and pick a good meeting place etc. While on the Green Line, I spotted a tall, young-looking guy in a suit (you know the type). But what really caught my eye was the ALPHASMART! I hadn't seen one since mine in middle school. For the confused, an AlphaSmart is kinda like a portable, electronic typewriter. I used to use one to take notes in class.

Anyway, I watched him typing busily away. 'Still at the office, eh?' I thought to myself. Curious, I covertly tilted my head to see what he was working on. It wasn't worky stuff, but a STORY! :)

Now I was really interested. I tried my best to stay unnoticed as I upside-down read. From what I saw, it looks exciting! Some things I remember were:

'The dagger hovered before her mind'
' "After all they've done, you're going to just leave them?" '
'The dagger sliced through the coarse fabric of the coat'
Arguing about whether justice was served
Sweat that wasn't sweat

Since we both got off at Park Street, I had a good half hour to watch him create his masterpiece (and hopefully not look like a total creeper). He appeared a little stressed, and kept changing the previous sentences and pausing to think. I don't think he paid any particular attention to me.

Then, something odd happened. I was suddenly gripped with this feeling, this need to wish him good luck. This author-to-be I didn't even know. It was the strangest thing! The doors opened for Park Street, and we both got off. We were both headed in the same direction, but I didn't know for how long. The feeling increased, like a weird, wild anxiety. It was now or never!

I took a couple quick steps until I was next to him, took a deep breath, looked him in the face and said "Good luck with your story!" with a big smile. He looked confused, then pleased, and thanked me. I walked ahead through a gap in people, feeling exhilarated.

As I took my seat on the Red Line, it occurred to me I would most likely never see him again. I've already forgotten his face, but I really was being sincere. I hope he gets published! Most of all, I really hope that someday I'll randomly pick up a book in a bookstore, flip through it, and discover that it's his book. If that happens, I'll find a way to contact him to say congratulations! :D

~Saki

"Just whistle while you work!"

2009-05-11T20:59:00.002-04:00

I sit here on the couch, listening to *consults iTunes* MouseWorld Radio, a 24-hour station devoted to playing music from the Walt Disney World parks. Currently, I'm enjoying the preshow music for Epcot's IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth fireworks show. The time is accurate too - right now, in Florida, hundreds of families are crowding around the waterfront to get a good spot for the amazing spectacle.

Ah, it's just started! As I listen, memories of my family's trip to Disney World this past summer surface. Armed with my beloved camera, I had left my family behind in search of a better, closer spot to watch the fireworks. I found it - next to the ashcan, a trash barrel with an ashtray on top for smokers (who were crowded around it like cubicle-dwellers at a watercooler). The smell was noxious but the view great, so I kept breathing to a minimum and snapped some great shots. I'm not a professional photographer, but I love taking pictures, especially of memorable events. I flick over to my Facebook to find the fireworks photos. In my opinion, they're fantastic.

Aw, I desperately want to go to Disney World now! I love these Internet radio stations. No matter what kind of mood I'm in, I can find music that will match it, or cheer me up. Ain't technology great? When I'm trying to study or concentrate on something, I can always count on Cryosleep for my spacey zero-beat fix. If I'm angry, I tune to Theatrically Challenged and belt out some show tunes until I'm smiling. And if, like today, I'm feeling a little melancholy, I have four Disney stations that will inevitably give me waffy feelings. (That's Warm And Fuzzy for you non-anime club members.)

I also love Internet radio because it gives me access to stations I wouldn't be able to listen to in Bridgewater, or at all. For example, WERS from Emerson College! I practically live for their weekend programming, but can't get the station on my crappy little radio. Ah, who am I kidding? That radio barely gets anything. Anyway, since WERS started broadcasting online, I never have to worry about missing Standing Room Only again. Around Christmastime, I put on the Oldies 103.3 stream for classic Christmas carols that evoke childhood nostalgia.

As technology evolves, it's getting easier for everyone to find music they enjoy - even eclectic types such as myself who typically shun the radio in favor of zero-beat space music, children's music, video game/TV/movie music, and even old-time 40's WWII-era music. I used to feel embarrassed that I was practically clueless about popular tastes in music, but now I don't care anymore. When stress looms, I just select a few tracks from one of my favorite relaxing-music artists, Liquid Mind, lay on my bed, and just float away into space. I wonder if it's a form of hypnotism? Depending on the song, I'm always in space or among the clouds. Eventually, I can't even feel my body anymore - I'm millions of miles away, slowly moving just inches above the surface of the moon. Sometimes, hours will pass me by before I return to Earth - usually because of a noise from the outside world. Honestly, it's almost as good - sometimes better - than sleeping! I always "wake up" feeling calmer, very refreshed and alert.

Whoops, I rambled on there for a bit. It started off as media-esque...tell ya what, Bjorn - I'll go make a bunch of comments on everyone's blogs to make up for it. And thanks for the nice email - it really cheered me up :D

“We form a party, go to the Dark Lord’s place, kill him, save the land—give or take a few steps.”

2009-04-28T14:12:00.003-04:00

First of all, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who commented on my last post! It really helped to have all those comments for my video, and I appreciate it!! :D

...That was sarcasm, by the way. None of you left me any comments, but whatever. It was going to be too difficult to do that sort of video when I also couldn't speak (how would you interview people?!) XD

I know normally I'd jump right into a topic, but I'm really frazzled lately. Two of my friends just broke up after 2 years of adorable, nauseating, stupid-in-love-ness. Having never had that kind of relationship myself, I'm at a loss for comforting them and have no friggin' clue what to say. They're both miserable; he stays in his dorm pretty much all the time and is neglecting classwork, and she's an emotional mess. I love them both very much, and it breaks my heart to see them hurting so badly, but I just don't know what, if anything, I can do for them :(

*sigh*...anyway. About a year-ish ago, my friend Quyen wrote a short story about our anime club called Fourteen (after the original 14 members). Initially he stopped after the first chapter, but after we begged and pleaded for him to continue, he turned it into an epic, 85-chapter, 135-page story. I love it and reread it all the time, and with his permission, decided to adapt it into a screenplay.

Now, don't get me wrong. I haven't the slightest idea if I'm doing it right, and it's just for fun. But I've read many screenplays in my spare time, and I've always wanted to try my hand at one. Besides, every time I read Fourteen I become more convinced it should be an anime, so that's the treatment I'm giving it. So far, it's lots of fun! I can visualize the scenes in my head and work them into the script, and use the fan art that a few of our members have drawn for the story to help with character/clothing design.

Have any of you guys done something like this? I could use some tips, as I'm only copying the way I've seen them written.

P.S. Bjorn, this counts as a media-related post, right? ;)

P.P.S. Has anyone seen Bjorn's cheese fez? I wore it all last Tuesday's class, then put it on the desk in front of me before I left, thinking Bjorn'd see it and take it with him, but it's apparently vanished. If you know where it is, please speak up!! :(

"You are sixteen, going on seventeen / Baby, it's time to think..."

2009-04-13T13:19:00.004-04:00

Wow, I haven't posted anything in a while :( I've been really busy lately, and I feel rather terrible just now, so I'll probably be napping soon after this. Anyway:

I saw The Sound of Music for the first time last night! It was a wonderful movie with fantastic songs, but thanks to ABC Family's use of WAY TOO MANY commercial breaks, it ran for four hours!! I should've timed it, but I'm fairly certain that for every five minutes of movie, there were 2 minutes of commercials. Yuck! on the other hand, it was nice to see Julie Andrews in a mostly different light than I've always seen her (Mary Poppins), and Christopher Plummer has a lovely singing voice :) I'd heard some of the songs before, so it was nice to finally learn where they came from!

In unrelated news...I need to ask a favor of all of you. I work at the TV Studios in Moakley, and am currently working on a series of podcasts about happenings and such around the school. I've done one on the anime club and one on the Holocaust exhibit, and I literally just got the idea for the next one. BSC's GLBTA has announced the annual Day of Silence to raise awareness about anti-GLBT violence and bullying. Basically, you take a vow of silence for the entire day to represent the voices silenced by these hateful activities. I will be participating, and would like to know what your thoughts are on the violence and/or the event. I'll be typing up your responses and putting them in the video, so please post with your first name and last initial so I can identify you :) Thanks very much!!

"Happiness is not a warm scalpel."

2009-03-17T12:57:00.006-04:00

As you can see, my header image changed again. It tends to reflect my current obsession, although funnily enough, I never even SAW Watchmen...I had been planning to, until a friend described to me the amount of nudity in the movie. I am not gonna sit through a movie with full-frontal (blue) nekkidness!!

On Sunday night, a wonderful thing happened. I was introduced to the sheer, sheer brilliance and madness of Repo! The Genetic Opera. Thus the banner change XD This is not my first foray into the world of rock opera - I went with my mom to see Jesus Christ Superstar on stage a few years ago. (It was very...loud. But also very good!) Anyway, the movie stars Anthony Stewart Head, Alexa Vega, Paul Sorvino, and even Paris Hilton! Intrigued by the casting, I couldn't help but look up the plot. And I was drawn in even more...

"In the not-too-distant future" (that's straight from the movie, I swear. Anyone who starts singing "next Sunday A.D./somewhere in time and space"...yay for you, you MSTies!!) ...organ failure has become an epidemic. People are dying because no one can afford a transplant, and it's become a fatal problem. But suddenly, a shining light emerges: GeneCo! They've devised a clever strategy - offer financing options for organ transplants. Suddenly, GeneCo is on top of the world. The CEO, Rotti Largo (Sorvino), successfully pushes a law that makes organ repossession legal. So if you miss your payment on that transplanted kidney, beware...or the Repo Man will come for you!

Here's a song from the movie. It concerns Zydrate, the highly addictive painkiller GeneCo developed in response to the world's obsession with surgery. View with discretion. Video contains potty language, gore, and loud music:

Zydrate comes in a little glass vial.
A little glass vial? (A little glass vial!)
And the little glass vial goes into the
Gun like a battery. (Hah, hah!)
And the Zydrate gun goes somewhere
Against your anatomy. (Hah, hah!)
And when the gun goes off, it sparks
And you're ready for surgery, surgery!

"I'm gonna need a bigger allowance if I have to keep bailing you out."

2009-03-09T23:23:00.002-04:00

Just finished watching the pilot of ABC's new show, Castle, and I must say, Nathan Fillion is ADORABLE. Not to mention a brilliant actor :D I had already loved him in Firefly and most recently, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and it seems that he's really in his element when playing a smooth-talking, lady-charming, heart-melting...jerk.

His character on Castle is Richard Castle, a murder-mystery author millionaire. He is implied as being on par with such greats as James Patterson and Stephen J. Cannell (they're even seen playing poker with him - cheeky!) and has recently killed off his major character, Derek Storm...for kicks. The brilliant author is bored out of his mind, but he's soon got a full plate when someone starts committing copycat murders that mimic the deaths in his books.

He soon meets Detective Kate Beckett, who's one of those no-nonsense, hard-cop-with-the-troubling-past types I've been seeing rather a lot of lately. She is, of course, unfazed by Castle's attempts to woo her, despite being a huge fan of his work. Really, TV. This character type is getting a bit old, don't you think? Why can't we see a female cop who joined the force without some sort of emotional, life-changing reason for once??

If you're tired of C.S.I. (it's not been the same since Grissom left) and looking to sink your teeth into something lighter, I heartily recommend this show! If you're like me, it'll be love at first smirk!!

"Today on 'beep, beep, beeeeeeeeeeeeeeep'...with Hugh Hefner..."

2009-03-02T21:50:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting here, while my roommate snoozes away in bed (yeah she has weird sleeping habits, don't ask) listening to my suitemates watching "The Bachelor," and a thought just occurred to me. What we call 'reality TV' is really not that close to reality at all. Personally, I can't stand the stuff - the only reason I know about them is because every Friday, I watch the wonderfully talented Joel McHale mercilessly rip them to shreds on "The Soup." (That's where this blog's title quote comes from!)

Let's take "The Bachelor." Are men really so desperate for a mate that they're willing to put their ENTIRE personal lives on TV?? The whole thing is ridiculous and I don't know why anyone would want to watch these people humiliate themselves! Not to mention, the "marriages" never really last, do they?

(I dunno, just felt a quick bursting rant come on. Not all of my blog posts have to be 4 paragraphs long!! :P)

"Memo to myself: do the dumb things I gotta do...touch the puppet head..."

2009-02-24T20:44:00.002-05:00

Since I don't really have anything to talk about, I'm gonna write about They Might Be Giants! They are my very favorite band, and they've been around for so long (since '82!) that YOU'VE probably heard them before and don't even know it! Recognize this commercial?

Yeah, that's They Might Be Giants singing! They also did all the other Dunkin' Donuts commercials of that same theme.

So...how to describe them? They have a very unique sound, and their lyrics are almost always nonsensical. In fact, if you read some of the lyrics without having heard the music, some of them seem like really dark, disturbing songs (i.e. 'Hall of Heads'). But once you've actually heard the music, it'll be stuck in your head because it's so catchy! One of my personal favorites is 'I Can Hear You,' which consists of lyrics about places where you have trouble hearing the other party (a drive-thru, airplane phone, an apartment buzzer, etc.) The icing on the cake is that the song was recorded on a 100-year-old Edison wax cylinder recorder, thus making the song itself poor quality.

Although they have a full backup band now, TMBG still consists of 'the two Johns,' John Flansburgh and John Linnell. Although they are both nearly 50, they're still going strong! Their new kids album, "Here Comes Science," is the third in their series, the first being "Here Come the ABCs," and the second being "Here Come the 123s" (which just won a Grammy for best children's album!) It's due to release later this year, and their next 'rock' album has a rough release date for early next year. Here's their single 'The Mesopotamians" from their last grown-up album, "The Else":

"How gratifying for once to know / That those above will serve those down below!"

2009-02-12T19:50:00.002-05:00

Branching off from my previous post (and more of today's discussion), who you market your film to also determines its success. For instance, when Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street came out during Christmas '07, I noticed that a lot of guys were going to see it but were leaving looking annoyed/disappointed. I didn't understand why until I saw one of the TV spots advertising the movie:

Did I mention it's a musical? Ah, well; neither did the commercial. Apparently, many of the TV ads for Sweeney left out that rather important bit. As a result, many guys had seen the commercial and thought it was a regular horror film. I'm not being stereotypical here, just stating the facts; we don't get a lot of Y chromosomes at musicals. I can understand why Dreamworks and WB would want to keep the musical part toned down: if you market it as a horror movie, you're bound to get more people, as musicals are...an acquired taste.

Although most of the men who left the theater were let down, there were a few who discovered that, wonder of wonders, THEY LIKED IT! HEY MIKEY! See, guys? It's not all sequins and feathers!!

"Experience the Difference." (AMC slogan)

2009-02-12T19:07:00.004-05:00

First of all, thank you, Bjorn, for emotionally traumatizing me with those movies. I may never watch TV again...HA!! That's a good one. Anyway, thanks SO MUCH! Please never assign scary movies again :(

Today's discussion of genre as an industrial strategy really clicked with me. As a four-year vet of the movie theater business, I've seen firsthand how different types of movies attract different demographics. Let's break it down:

-Your typical slasher film (say, Saw XVII) (PG-13 to R): Tends to get packed on opening weekend but see very little business thereafter. Almost ALL teenagers, except for the occasional adult couple who go out of curiosity and end up leaving partway through, disgusted looks plainly etched on their faces. Aggravating to clean because teenagers are MESSY.

-ANY kids' movie (PG or under only): Packed for at least the first two weekends (depending on the quality of the movie), with intermittent business during the week. Children with parents, sometimes teenagers, and the occasional creepy older guy. Wearing a trenchcoat. I need not say more. Always as messy as humanly possible, not only because of the children, but also due to LAZY PARENTS!

And of course...

-Family blockbusters: Any highly anticipated superhero/pirate/chocolate factory/boy wizard/whip-cracking archaeologist/etc. ...movie (always PG to PG-13, with the exception of WALL-E). Also Pixar because they are so amazing they don't fit into the kids' movie demographic. Can run as long as 2-3 months, and expect it to sell out a few showings the first few weekends. Will be packed nearly every weekend. Does pretty well during the week as well. There's a mixed demographic here, but it's mostly families, followed by young couples (usually in their twenties or so), groups of teenage girls (AVOID), and finally adult/older couples. As far as messiness...BRING OUT THE BIG GUNS!!

"You think this world is a dream come true, don't you?"

2009-02-07T19:42:00.003-05:00

Last night, I braved the freezing cold and ventured out to Randolph to see Coraline. In 3D, no less! Let me tell you; if you have the extra $4, go see it in 3D. It's the most realistic, beautiful, Oh-my-God-I-can-reach-out-and-touch-it 3D I've ever seen. Every so often during the film, I'd just be astounded by the knowledge that everything on screen was painstakingly made by hand!! The end result is amazing.

The plot of Coraline centers around a girl (named Coraline) who has just moved with her parents from Michigan to Oregon. Between working and unpacking, her mother and father have no time to play with, or even pay attention to Coraline. She adventures around the apartment and outside, meeting a grungy-looking cat and a friend/slight stalker named Wybie. Eventually, she finds a small door in her living room wall that leads to a parallel version of her world-complete with an "Other" Mother and Father, who are much more attentive and interesting than Coraline's real parents. In fact, everything in the other world seems much better. The only difference? Everyone in the other world has buttons instead of eyes.

That's where the reeeeeally creepy stuff starts. As Coraline goes to visit the other world more and more often, she's finding it harder and harder to get back to her own world. Eventually, her Other parents give her a present to try to convince her to stay; a spool of thread, a needle...and a pair of shiny black buttons.

I won't give the rest away, but it is amazing. The voice cast is varied (from Teri Hatcher to Ian McShane and everything in between), and each actor plays their role perfectly. The soundtrack (by the talented Bruno Coulais) is truly, truly beautiful and features a song by my favorite band, They Might Be Giants. Best of all, it's directed by the wonderfully imaginative Henry Selick. (Tim Burton fanatics will recognize him as the director of the brilliant stop-motion film, The Nightmare Before Christmas.) My only complaint? It's too short!! D:

And if you love the movie, make sure to check out the original novella by Neil Gaiman. It's also wonderfully disturbing! :D

TEST

2009-01-30T14:55:00.001-05:00

Testing, 1-2-3. Stay tuned for a real post ^^