Raindance MA in Film: Learning Contract
I’ve always said that I want to be as transparent – warts and all – about my progress through the Raindance MA in Film. This includes doing my bi-weekly or so video blog “I Wanna Be A Producer” (available on YouTube) and posting my assignments. Below you will find my complete ‘Learning Contract’. We write…
Every Story Ever Told – My take on the Hero’s Journey
[ What follows is the script for my Toastmasters Speech #2, given in Sendai, Japan] Introduction What if I told you that stories as diverse as the ancient Chinese fable ‘Journey to the West’, the life of Jesus as written in the New Testament, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, the 12th Century Japanese work Heike Monogatari, the…
What I learned from writing my presentation
I just wanted to go through some points about doing my presentation of my learning contract. Doing the presentation clarified my mind! This is the most important, for me. Having to distill my learning contract down into a presentation really showed some holes in my learning contract. It got me thinking about the overall ‘arch’…
Favourite Film Book(s)
We all know the situation. Someone asks you to recommend your favourite xyz… movie, book, song, band, vacation spot, etc etc. It’s impossible. So, when we were asked to write about our favourite book on filmmaking, I knew that it too was impossible. Filmmaking is such a wide term, that the best I could do…
Woody Allen: Director
I remember sitting in the basement, what must have been late at night, in the early/mid 1970s. The TV was on, I was alone, and enthralled in the work of a man who’s career now spans 50 years and an incredible 60+ films: Woody Allen. The movies of Woody Allen have always spoken to me. I…
What goes around, comes around – life lessons and comedy in Groundhog Day
Yes. ‘Groundhog Day’. It is perhaps not the coolest, hippest film choice I could have made, but, in all honesty, it is a film that has rarely been equalled in it’s combination of profundity and humour. The Story I am sure I don’t need to tell you the basic outline of this plot, as the…
The state of Canadian race mentality
Racism is a refuge for the ignorant. It seeks to divide and to destroy. It is the enemy of freedom, and deserves to be met head-on and stamped out. Pierre Burton I never, ever thought that I would be in a position to write such a post as this. I am, after all, on what…
Death By Perfection
Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it. Salvador Dali Perfection is one of the great things about Japan. Its something that, as a foreigner here I really admire. But, perfection is also stifling the Japanese. Not Everything Can Be Done Perfectly One of the great things about Japanese culture is the…
Top 5 Ways to Be Mediocre
Some people are born mediocre, some people achieve mediocrity, and some people have mediocrity thrust upon them. Joseph Heller I’m tired of trying to be exceptional. Let’s face it. I am mediocre. But, since I always strive to be good at something, I want to be the best mediocre person I can be. Here is…
I got a personal email from Mr. Bernanke – head of the Federal Reserve
It’s the price of success: people start to think you’re omnipotent. Ben Bernanke How special do I feel??? Today I received a personal email from the head of the US Federal Reserve, none other than Ben Bernanke himself! Now, I found the following things a little strange about the email He uses hotmail. Come on,…