Friday, February 27, 2009

A Letter to my Blog

Hey Blog,

What's up? Sorry we haven't hung out that much lately.

It's not that I don't have things I want to tell you. In fact it's quite the opposite. I have lots that I want to tell you - to discuss with you. Just the other day I was thinking about Tasers - an interesting topic by almost any standard - and wanted desperately to rant for at least a minute. Probably longer.

The thing is, Blog, I just don't have as much free time as I used to. I know you know, but I'm doing a lot right now. I've got my weekly webseries, school work, work work, and preparations for a very full summer.

But I will come back to you, my blog. I'm hoping I'll get to spend a lot more time with you this summer. Even April should see a drastic improvement in our relationship. I'll be in the frenzy, sure, but as screen writing becomes serious work, you will be my refuge. My safe haven. My sole source of true procrastination. And knowing you'll be there comforts me. Perhaps more than you can know.

But for now, I must bid you adieu. Wish you a fond farewell. See you soon. In my absence of indeterminate length I wish you well.

I'll miss you.

Sincerely,

Ian McEachern

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Bloopers

Cross-posting this here because a) I'm too lazy to edit html tonight, but I want to share this with you, my very good friends; b) because I enjoy these two videos (which I made) immensely.

Anyways, enjoy:



Sunday, February 1, 2009

Film Theory

In the midst of preparing to write a paper for film class I am reminded of why, about two years ago, I threw my hands up in disgust and left university for the promise of a brighter future in the real world. Of course, that future never materialized, so about 7 months ago I threw my hands up in disgust and headed back to school.

I started off with a class in Environmental Ethics, where we sat around and discussed - in a room isolated from the world - issues of arguably global importance. This lulled me into a false sense of actually enjoying university again, luring me back to university for the year to finish my degree.

My Film Studies degree. This bears some resemblance to my summer class - in that it takes place in a room isolated from the world. But to makes things more interesting we're now discussing things which aren't of any importance except inside that classroom.

Without devolving into an overly long, esoteric discussion about my renewed disillusionment with university education, suffice it to say that my disillusionment with university education has been renewed. I am tired of reading self-important tangental tirades about comparable, contrasting and opposed binaries. I am tired of being told by one person how millions of audience members from around the world will and already have responded to very specific details in a given film. I am sick and tired of reading flawed searches for a mathematical formula to film analysis which does not exist. 2 + 2 = 4, but a blue filter and a quick pan do not objectively equal anything. Arguments can be made for authorial intention, and audience interpretation, but it will never be definitive and never can be. And even if it could, should I, or anyone else care?

No film has, to the best of my knowledge, ever had a significant, lasting impact on the world. I would love to be corrected on this. I'm not holding my breath.



Of course, ultimately, these objections don't matter. It's too late for me to drop out without losing $3500. B.A. Film Studies, minors History and Philosophy, here I come.

Only 8 weeks of class left.

I need a new plan.