Year in review

Last post: “An Angel Returned” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o' auld lang syne"

11:00 pm, December 31. Alone at home. Seems like a good time to consider everything.

I have discussed this with a few people; this should have been a great year. Between school and work, I've had some great experiences. I've been to Jasper for work, and Athabasca for part of a school project. I've met some minor celebrities and seen some incredible and inspiring speakers all while being paid to run camera for Sharps. Both work and school have sent me to some interesting locations in and around Edmonton, including the Shaw Conference Center, the Agricom, the Jubilee Auditorium, all four MacEwan campuses, and even the Ukrainian Cultural Village.

I have also made some new friends at school, work, and as part of my network of friends. In addition, I met the some of the fantastic volunteers from the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society. I produced two videos for them that they have already put to good use. I also produced a music video for a great local band, Automata. I hope to become more involved with both groups over the next year.

Between school, work, and friends, I have been to all kinds of parties. From countless Friday Feasts to a drunken college party, I've been more social than ever. Sharps has been great for the parties, what with the golf tournament, the dinner at the SCC, and the Christmas party. I even played videographer for a friend's wedding, and DJ at another party.

The experience at school proved quite useful for my summer job at Sharps. I was on camera (and in Jasper) a week after I started and proved my worth. In return, the experience at Sharps has proven invaluable at school. I have, by far, the most technical experience of any of my classmates and put it to good use in several shoots including organizing a shooting blitz in studio 1 over the Remembrance Day long weekend.

" We twa hae paidl’d in the burn,
frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
sin’ auld lang syne."

Amongst all that, I was dealt a crushing blow. A major change to my life that radically altered my intentions for the future, as well as leaving me lonely. I hate the fact that I feel lonely even though I have so many good friends. As I enter the new year, I know I have to leave that all behind. I know it has been for the best. Already lives are changing and getting better, and this is a good thing.

"And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere!
And gies a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll tak a right gude-willie-waught,
for auld lang syne."

2007: 2 stars out of 5. It should have been 5, though.

Remember the good, forget the bad. No regrets.

Christmas Time is Here

Last post: “Mr. Roboto” by Styx

“An angel returned
That night through the sky
But time it was short
He had to decide

And so as he flew
Back over the land
A gift for his Lord
Was there in his hand”

So with Christmas comes a break in the insane routine. I managed to get everything done with, at least, some competence. I guess I’ll always think I could’ve done more, but at the time it was about getting stuff done. I must admit, I admire the resolve of some of my classmates who managed to complete projects within hours, or even minutes, of them being due. Of course, I didn’t lose nearly as much sleep as they did.

“Listen to the bells as they ring
Listen to the message they bring
Listen to the sound
As they sing as one voice in the night

Hoping that we'll all understand
Every dream we have's in our hands
And for every bell
May they ring all through the night”

I haven’t put a lot of thought into Christmas this year, as I haven’t had much time. I have no decorations, no tree (no room), no presents anyway, and no one to share it with. This isn’t exactly new as my family weren’t ideal Christmas companions. I’ll spend some extra time with my Dad and try to hang out with any friends who are around.

“Kyrie among nations
Kyrie among nations
Kyrie among nations
Hear the bells ring through the night”

At least I’ve regained my appreciation of Christmas music. I got rather sick of it during my tenure at Wal-Mart.

Just a Geek?

Last post: "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot
(But you knew that one already)

"I've got a secret I've been hiding under my skin
My heart is human, my blood is boiling, my brain I.B.M.
So if you see me acting strangely, don't be surprised
I'm just a man who needed someone, and somewhere to hide
To keep me alive"

My geekness is increasing, which is pretty impressive when you think about it. Current examples are:

I'm using Star Wars and Monty Python for a couple of projects at school.
My current desktop wallpaper is Final Fantasy VII.
I've been playing both the Star Wars RPG and the Star Wars Pocketmodels game.

There's more, but suffice it to say I've become quite the geek. A good friend of mine worries that girls would not like his geekness. I have not previously been too concerned about that, mostly because I was firmly attached. Things change.

"I'm not a robot without emotions-I'm not what you see
I've come to help you with your problems, so we can be free
I'm not a hero, I'm not a saviour, forget what you know
I'm just a man whose circumstances went beyond his control"

I suppose I shouldn't worry. Chances are I'm not going to meet anyone anytime soon. Should I be so fortunate, she'll just have to learn to understand my geekness. Or better yet, maybe I can meet a geek girl. It has been known to happen.

Although, chances are...

There is a lot to enjoy about being a geek. It's mostly about the games, though. Despite my constant time crunch, I am managing to get some gaming time in. Not video games, though. I kinda miss them, but lately there haven't been a lot of new games I would actually want. Of course, I don't really have the time or the money for new games, not to mention the new game systems. Still, it would be nice to indulge again.

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings

Last post: "Have You Ever Needed Someone so Bad?" by Def Leppard

"The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called 'Gitche Gumee'
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty.
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early."

32 years ago today.

"In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral.
The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call 'Gitche Gumee'.
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early!"

I mean, when else would I be able to post these lyrics?

I used to hear this song at least once a day over Wal-Mart radio. I sure don't miss that. Wal-Mart radio made me hate Christmas music for a long time.

Time, Love, and The Big Mall

Last post: “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” by Fall Out Boy

“Have you ever needed someone so bad, yeah
Have you ever wanted someone
You just couldn't have
Did you ever try so hard
That your world just fell apart
Have you ever needed someone so bad”

10 begin painful rant:

Why, why, why why why why why? Why? Why do I do this?
Why do I always fall in love with a girl I have absolutely no chance with?

Would it really be so much to ask that I fall for someone who is actually within my reach? I feel like I’m back in high school again. I hated myself then. Grrr.

20 pause painful rant

I’ve found myself looking at the clock when I’m home in the evening. If it’s before 9:00pm, I can still go to the mall. It’s not that I want to shop, exactly, it’s just a good place to go for a walk and look and stuff. A lot of people dislike that mall, but when it’s a block away it doesn’t seem so bad. Part of the issue for most people is that you have to drive, park, walk a few kilometers to get the stores you want, then drive home. Without that drive, it seems so much nicer even during the busy days.

“And if my time don't ever come
For me you're still the one
Damned if I don't, damned if I do
I gotta get a fix on you”

30 bang head on desk

I’ll figure it out, or do something stupid, whichever.

Inappropriate conduct

Last post: “E-Bow the Letter” by REM

“I am an arms dealer.
Fitting you with weapons in the form of words
And don't really care, which side wins
As long as the room keeps singing
That's just the business I'm in.”

Some of you may have heard about a recent event that occurred in a class last week. A well respected, and somewhat feared, instructor broke into a major rant against our class. Critiques are an important aspect of our design instruction. It allows our instructors and our classmates to provide constructive criticism and advice on our work. This has always been an important part of the process as it is the best way to learn.

He had us critique each other’s projects without other comments. He didn’t like our critiques or our projects and really let us have it. His rant was insulting, rude, and completely inappropriate. I admit I was angry, I think we all were, but I’ve had a few days to think about it and now I’m just disappointed. We all heard stories about the guy; He’s scary, but knows his stuff. I was looking forward to a studio class with him and was open to any critiques. The personal insult was not appreciated.

I’m not scared of him, or intimidated, just disappointed. I’ve gotten too old and been through too much crap already in my life to put up with this kind of attitude.

“This ain't a scene, it’s a god damn arms race
I'm not a shoulder to cry on, but I digress.”

The life Eclectic

Last post: "Prey" by Syntax

"Look up, what do you see?
All of you and all of me
Fluorescent and starry
Some of them, they surprise."

My friend Katie asked me what kind of music I listen to. I've found this question harder to answer because my music collection seems to make little sense. iTunes tells me I have 386 different artists ranging from classical to hard rock, and to everything in-between and sideways. The simplest answer is I like a little of everything, but that isn't quite true. I have little to no interest in hip-hop, rap, death metal, and country. I've had musical periods where I've listened to a lot of dance, alternative, pop, rock, etc. In the end, I like what I like, but my bizarre taste knows no bounds.

I found myself at HMV this evening examining their selection of 2/$30, 2/$20, and 2/$10. I found a two pack of American Beauty and The Virgin Suicides as a 2/$20, but was then forced to consider what other title to get? I suppose I could've just paid the $12.99 but a deal's a deal, so I kept looking. Finding little else I ended up with another two-pack...The Mortal Kombat movies! Talk about diametrically opposed. Now, a deal's a deal but I really could've done without Mortal Kombat Annihilation. This is quite possibly the worst movie ever made.

I guess I have the next movie night covered.

"The bus ride, I went to write this, 4:00 a.m.
This letter."

There was a letter once, written for me. Its contents could've changed my life. I never got to read it, though. It was torn up before I even got it, to protect someone else. I often wonder if it was worth the sacrifice. I so often wonder what my life would be like if I had received that letter.

Inspiration

Last post: "Tomcat Prowl" by Doug and the Slugs

"Now do you see the feeling in your eyes?
Do you know the things that make you cry?
There are things that money just won't buy.
Wake up now you've got to trust and try."

I've come up with a concept for my Senior Independent Project. For those who don't know, this is the one big project/class that is worth 6 credits. The way my teachers have set it up is that we propose the project, and depending on length and difficulty, they will assign a percentage that it will be worth in the class between 20-50%. The rest will come from working with classmates on their projects as well as other work.

"I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else."
- Pablo Picasso

My concept began with a single image of a girl standing in an open, snow-covered field. It has greatly expanded from there.

"No I don't advocate god.
And you don't seem to find love.
Don't waste time praying.
Get on with finding."

Now the real question is can I make this not only a viable concept, but be able to express it? This will be a mostly visual experience with the dialog building upon the imagery. I already have a "script" in that I know what the voiceover will be. I also have an idea of what I want the visuals to be, but they will be difficult to explain.

Last year a classmate suggested a technology wherein a filmmaker could just plug a cable into his brain and a device would simply read the sound and images and turn it into a movie. Suddenly, this is not a bad idea.

I'm already assumine my concept will be difficult, but not lenghty. I would not expect it to go over 3 minutes, and even at that it might be longer than I'm thinking. Nonetheless it will involve shooting in at least 6 locations, including green screen.

One image turns into an idea, which turns into a concept. Can I turn this into a movie?

Epic first post

"Been working like a dog gone crazy,
Been giving everything I've got,
I need something short and sweet to save me.
A little something that can hit the spot.
I've been living like a man in a prison.
I've been living like a monk in a cave.
I need a woman with a good position.
I start searching at the end of the day."

Greetings, and welcome to the first post of my new blog. I'm your host, Michael Ali. As with most blogs, this will be about stuff going on in my life with particular attention to gaming, school, design and production, and some other random stuff. First off, to answer a few questions:

How's school?
The water is getting choppy and the wind is picking up. The hurricane should hit next week. The eye should be here in December.

I've got about 10-12 projects on the go right now. Most are in the initial stages of forming ideas, but people have started shooting. I should be doing my own shooting within the next week. There was a delay in setting up for my PSA project, which was unfortunate.

How are you?
Okay. I hit a rough patch after I moved out and another about one week into school. I'm better now after talking to a few people who, unfortunately, are in the same boat. It seems design school is bad for relationships. There were a lot of broken hearts over the summer.

What are you doing now?
I have had some time on my hands, but this will soon change. I spend most of my extra time playing video games, watching movies, and occasionally hanging out with friends (which usually involves gaming). Sharp's has not kept me busy only giving me two shifts since school started. This will be welcome once the hurricane does hit, though.