hey. it’s been a bit. it’s been a 43-day bit hiatus. things have been made. movies have been watched. papers have been written. and everything else in between.

i’m back home for four weeks. i’m excited to just have some down time to cook and maybe make some mini movies, but i’m also anxious about getting stir crazy. it’ll be a balance.

speaking of watching, these are some of the things i’ve loved recently:

1. movement

i think i’m a pretty picky music video critic. hozier’s song “movement” in tandem with a very raw dance and dark, shadow-y footage makes for a stunningly beautiful video. i love the side-by-side twins (and eventually triplets) cut together to make a seamless choreography.

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2. where the artists live

me and my friend ana (whose work is awesome !) share art things and design porn frequently. she sent me this new york times video a few days ago about the (kind of) communal space of a few artists. look at those windows. look at the interiors!

“that half door. holy sh*t” - me

“so amazing. the windows>>” - ana

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3. sushi scene from isle of dogs (2018)

it’s well known that i’m a sucker for wes anderson films. isle of dogs was no exception to my obsession. i love this scene so much (and have consequently watched a few more analysis videos than needed on it). can you believe that this is stop motion with mini-figures. the detail is crazy. and this is a time lapse of how it was made.

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4. tom misch medley

misch has never failed to amaze me. his talent live is even more apparent (especially with the slick comps and improvs). wow o wow. i just want to dance in my room. please watch all ~15 minutes of this for your ears’ pleasure.

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5. date and walnut loaf

i love nina montagne’s videos. they’re warm, cozy, inspiring, peaceful. although i don’t eat vegan, i appreciate the simplicity and transparency of her recipes. they’re real. in between videos about food and things, she talks about self love, stress, the joys of being alone, and wellness. it’s really lovely

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hope you like my little update

in case you’ve been wondering what things I have been up to in the past 43 days:

• come home for the first time and realizing i don’t live in NYC anymore

• 2-on-1 lime scooter-ing from koreatown with john

• vote ! !

• win 8 jars of almond butter

• dress up as azumi fujita for halloween (me, for reference)

• fit 6 people in a 4-person car in the rain with the top down

• survive the usc-ucla rose bowl game (loss)

• see toro y moi in concert

• ride home on the bike handlebars with aaron in the pouring rain

• witness a ferris wheel in the middle of campus

• make a short film about an intense dodgeball championship set to '“sicko mode” by travis scott

• rent a casita to live in next year

• ice skate at midnight with like 30 of my friends

• visit casey neistat at 368 (broadway)

• get a christmas tree (not the shrub like last year)

welcome back.

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yeah, i’m a film student now. i watch films. i write essays on them or prompts or whatever. i must consider composition like i plan for it, and map out shots before i see them. it’s a weird and new process.

for class i wrote,

“what are the major elements of composition that the coen brothers employ in fargo (1996) that give the film it’s uniquely thrilling and unsettling feel and atmosphere? more specifically, what aspect of composition—framing, staging, or photography—do they seem to rely on most to achieve this?

personally, what struck me most about fargo’s composition was it style of photography. oftentimes, the coen brothers abruptly switch between perspectives—contrasting extreme long shots with close-ups or medium shots. especially in a place so barren and lifeless as minnesota and north dakota, the prolonged extreme long shots provided the film with an even more eerie and mysterious atmosphere. not only that, but they are strangely and starkingly* beautiful—being my favorite detail of this film.”

i’m a film student now.

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