Dear Readers,
I recently started this blog in an attempt to practice writting. Its supposed to be a fun way for me to write every day. I've never been a journal type of girl (mostly because I'm paranoid. I don't want people looking at my journal years in the future, knowing about the guy I liked during the holocaust...or something.) It's hard doing this blog though because so often I'm typing and I want to use it as a Youtube video.
Today is one of those days.
Unfortunately, I'm so late for my own personal deadline, that I hate to restart. Again. So I'm going to let you guys have a preview of my script. It's not like anyone's reading anyway. ;)
Dear Youtube,
You remeber that time where you were at that place and you randomly stopped and were like "Cheese!" to an invisible person standing in front of you?
No?
Oh, that's because no one does that. My bad.
So if pictures are supposed to be capturing memories, why is it I don't ever remeber stopping somewhere and randomly saying "Cheese!"?
No. One. Does. That.
Don't get me wrong, I like pictures. They are great for triggering memories. But it's so much work to get them right! And you have to get them right, because before you can blink, you're tagged on facebook, staring at some horrible version of you, with squinty eyes and hair standing up in all directions while your friends look like goddesses next you.
Dang technology.
Pictures like that are painfully awkward. Everyone keeps telling you to smile, while the person takes a million years to press the dang button, and you are completely sure you must look like you're on crack because you can feel your mouth twitching from staying in the "Cheese!" position for so long, or because you are looking in the direction of one camera when there are ten taking pictures at the same time, so you probably look like you're staring off into space for the other nine pictures.
It's torture!
For me its particuraly annoying because I can always tell what pictures I was forced to take. Somethings is always wrong. My eye is twitching, my smile is fake. My eyes have that "Is it over?" look to them.
But in pictures where I was having fun a few seconds ago, or someone made me laugh before the picture was taken, I don't look like she-monster. In those pictures I can remember the joke that person made, or what we were doing before the flash of the camera.
Because laughing with my friends, hanging out, goofing off, these are true memories.
Saying "Cheese" is not.
Sincerely,
Elle
As soon as the video is up you can see all the ways I altered it. (Like you care lol)
Sincerely,
Elle
Friday, July 1, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Facebook Official You Twit
Dear Readers,
Today we are going talk about the high and mighty getting off of their high horse.
In other words, we’re talking about Alex Day.
But for those who don’t know who Alex Day I’m going to rename him Mr. Pretentious so you can imagine him as whoever you want who acts like him.
First of all, lets get the disclaimer out of the way: I like Mr. Pretentious. That being said, I'm opinionated and so I'm going to talk about him like he will never find this (which he probably won't).
Mr. Pretentious has been talking about the silliness of social media for years, about how he doesn’t think it’s worth the trouble. He’s basically that grandma, (not necessarily your grandma but the grandma) who is always complaining about how she doesn’t understand that Internet nonsense and why can’t you just go over to your friend's house like she did back in her day.
The catch: Mr. Pretentious has just signed up for facebook and twitter.
I almost dropped dead from laughing so hard.
Now, Mr. Pretentious doesn't have a problem with the Internet or social media sites. . He just believes that social media has the ability to consume your time and hinder you from doing something productive and that it's not a real viable way to connect with people.
He’s basically that parent who is always complaining about you being on facebook when you should be doing your homework. Meaning, he has a valid point, but you wish he would shut up, because it's not like he's ever tried it.
Social media can, and has been used for so many great things! My first post, Don’t 4get 2 Vote talked about ways to use it for the political process. Facebook was a critical factor in the pre-production of my short film. Without twitter I would have missed John’s live show. Yeah, it has the ability for great evils procrastination, brain crack and developing antisocial tendecies among them, but it also the ability to just be great, bringing unlikely people together and exposing talented people.
And it annoyed me that he wouldn’t even try it first. Not enough to fight him over the Internet, because it's his life and its not like we're friends. But enough where I rolled my eyes every time his superiority complex popped up, by way of him letting everyone know he did not own a twitter or facebook account and he had no intention of getting one.
But now he has one. It's official.
Facebook official in fact.
Okay, now that I've sufficiently made fun of Mr. Pretentious, I will mention that I am impressed.
He allowed himself to consider a different opinion, and was willing to change his mind over something he felt strongly about out of respect for his fans.
That's very cool.
It's kind of like we're that friend who forces you to try their favorite food, even though you told them nine zillion times you don’t need to try it to know you don’t like it.
Maybe he’s gonna be that friend that admits he was wrong and the snack is as awesome as we claimed. Or maybe he'll be the one who goes “HA! I WAS RIGHT!”.
I'm hoping for the former, but only time will tell.
Sincerely,
Elle
Today we are going talk about the high and mighty getting off of their high horse.
In other words, we’re talking about Alex Day.
But for those who don’t know who Alex Day I’m going to rename him Mr. Pretentious so you can imagine him as whoever you want who acts like him.
First of all, lets get the disclaimer out of the way: I like Mr. Pretentious. That being said, I'm opinionated and so I'm going to talk about him like he will never find this (which he probably won't).
Mr. Pretentious has been talking about the silliness of social media for years, about how he doesn’t think it’s worth the trouble. He’s basically that grandma, (not necessarily your grandma but the grandma) who is always complaining about how she doesn’t understand that Internet nonsense and why can’t you just go over to your friend's house like she did back in her day.
The catch: Mr. Pretentious has just signed up for facebook and twitter.
I almost dropped dead from laughing so hard.
Now, Mr. Pretentious doesn't have a problem with the Internet or social media sites. . He just believes that social media has the ability to consume your time and hinder you from doing something productive and that it's not a real viable way to connect with people.
He’s basically that parent who is always complaining about you being on facebook when you should be doing your homework. Meaning, he has a valid point, but you wish he would shut up, because it's not like he's ever tried it.
Social media can, and has been used for so many great things! My first post, Don’t 4get 2 Vote talked about ways to use it for the political process. Facebook was a critical factor in the pre-production of my short film. Without twitter I would have missed John’s live show. Yeah, it has the ability for great evils procrastination, brain crack and developing antisocial tendecies among them, but it also the ability to just be great, bringing unlikely people together and exposing talented people.
And it annoyed me that he wouldn’t even try it first. Not enough to fight him over the Internet, because it's his life and its not like we're friends. But enough where I rolled my eyes every time his superiority complex popped up, by way of him letting everyone know he did not own a twitter or facebook account and he had no intention of getting one.
But now he has one. It's official.
Facebook official in fact.
Okay, now that I've sufficiently made fun of Mr. Pretentious, I will mention that I am impressed.
He allowed himself to consider a different opinion, and was willing to change his mind over something he felt strongly about out of respect for his fans.
That's very cool.
It's kind of like we're that friend who forces you to try their favorite food, even though you told them nine zillion times you don’t need to try it to know you don’t like it.
Maybe he’s gonna be that friend that admits he was wrong and the snack is as awesome as we claimed. Or maybe he'll be the one who goes “HA! I WAS RIGHT!”.
I'm hoping for the former, but only time will tell.
Sincerely,
Elle
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Spoilers
Dear Readers,
Okay Doctor Who fanatics, match the quote with the quoted:
"Spoilers."
If your answer is the ever wonderful River Song, then you are correct. If not, you're incorrect. If you don't know what I'm talking about, pass go and collect an imaginary 200 dollars (translation: skim to the part of the blog where I'm not geeking out. I'll be there in a second).
I bring up River not to talk about Doctor Who (though I probably should one day) but because every time River says spoilers, I suddenly get this intense urge to strangle her. I am pretty sure my face mirrors The Doctor's every time. I desperately want to know what she is stopping me from knowing, but I know its for my own good that I don't know.
Still with me? If you need to read over that a few times, I can wait.
All good? Okay.
Yesterday John Green did a live show where he read the first chapter of his new book, The Fault In Our Stars, as a teaser for his eager fans.
And a voice in my head that sounded strangely like River Song whispered "Spoilers."
When John reached the end of his chapter, I swear, I had my "Shut up River!" face on, complete with "Why would you do that to me!" groan. Especially when he said it could be as late as NEXT MAY before I would get my pre-order. >_<
Now here is where the monopoly players can come back.
The point of the little geekfest above was to explain why I simotanously love and hate pre-reads or any kind of good teaser.
I love them because of the obvious: I get to finally hear at least a little about something I was waiting for. I love watching/hearing/reading these things because I can make a sort of judgement on whether I'm going to like it or not.
At the same time I was really sad/annoyed when John finished reading the first chapter of his book. Because it was good. Really good. Great in fact.
And I hate it when something great is not available immediately.
It's so easy for me, especially with books, to become invested in characters. I want to know what's happening to them, right then. I don't have a lot of bookmakrs because I don't like to stop reading things once I've started. I literally have to check out six books from the library every time I go so that I don't have to return the next day, and even that doesn't work most of the time.
So when a teaser gets me invested in characters or invested in a plot line and then says "Sorry, you'll have to wait to find out what happens." all I hear is the maniacal laughter of someone who knows more than me and isn't sharing.
All I hear is River Song.
And lord knows I'm not patient enough to be The Doctor. -_-
Sincerely,
Elle
Okay Doctor Who fanatics, match the quote with the quoted:
"Spoilers."
If your answer is the ever wonderful River Song, then you are correct. If not, you're incorrect. If you don't know what I'm talking about, pass go and collect an imaginary 200 dollars (translation: skim to the part of the blog where I'm not geeking out. I'll be there in a second).
I bring up River not to talk about Doctor Who (though I probably should one day) but because every time River says spoilers, I suddenly get this intense urge to strangle her. I am pretty sure my face mirrors The Doctor's every time. I desperately want to know what she is stopping me from knowing, but I know its for my own good that I don't know.
Still with me? If you need to read over that a few times, I can wait.
All good? Okay.
Yesterday John Green did a live show where he read the first chapter of his new book, The Fault In Our Stars, as a teaser for his eager fans.
And a voice in my head that sounded strangely like River Song whispered "Spoilers."
When John reached the end of his chapter, I swear, I had my "Shut up River!" face on, complete with "Why would you do that to me!" groan. Especially when he said it could be as late as NEXT MAY before I would get my pre-order. >_<
Now here is where the monopoly players can come back.
The point of the little geekfest above was to explain why I simotanously love and hate pre-reads or any kind of good teaser.
I love them because of the obvious: I get to finally hear at least a little about something I was waiting for. I love watching/hearing/reading these things because I can make a sort of judgement on whether I'm going to like it or not.
At the same time I was really sad/annoyed when John finished reading the first chapter of his book. Because it was good. Really good. Great in fact.
And I hate it when something great is not available immediately.
It's so easy for me, especially with books, to become invested in characters. I want to know what's happening to them, right then. I don't have a lot of bookmakrs because I don't like to stop reading things once I've started. I literally have to check out six books from the library every time I go so that I don't have to return the next day, and even that doesn't work most of the time.
So when a teaser gets me invested in characters or invested in a plot line and then says "Sorry, you'll have to wait to find out what happens." all I hear is the maniacal laughter of someone who knows more than me and isn't sharing.
All I hear is River Song.
And lord knows I'm not patient enough to be The Doctor. -_-
Sincerely,
Elle
Monday, June 27, 2011
All Colleges Look Like Hogwarts
Dear Readers,
Hey guys! Been gone a while and I thought I should explain myself.
I was touring colleges up in the NorthEast: New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington, etc. I'm not going to list them or tell you my favorites, but I will tell one thing.
All colleges look like Hogwarts.
Okay, not all colleges. But all of the old, prestigious college's residential halls look like Harry Potter's room. And that was incredibly cool...the first time.
The fifth time, I realized that they are still muggle schools so it doesn't really make a difference, now does it?
But it did get me thinking: College is going to be a lot like going to wizarding school. You'll be off, in this new place, surrounded by things you don't recognize, discovering who you really are and all of your abilities, and ultimately you have to emerge as the person you were meant to be.
Just a Harry Potter fan's way of looking at it.
Sincerely,
Elle
P.S. I didn't just go to colleges to compare them to J.K. Rowlings masterpiece by the way. If you're thinking about college right now, I strongly suggest you go to the information sessions. You learn a lot about the schools that way.
Hey guys! Been gone a while and I thought I should explain myself.
I was touring colleges up in the NorthEast: New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington, etc. I'm not going to list them or tell you my favorites, but I will tell one thing.
All colleges look like Hogwarts.
Okay, not all colleges. But all of the old, prestigious college's residential halls look like Harry Potter's room. And that was incredibly cool...the first time.
The fifth time, I realized that they are still muggle schools so it doesn't really make a difference, now does it?
But it did get me thinking: College is going to be a lot like going to wizarding school. You'll be off, in this new place, surrounded by things you don't recognize, discovering who you really are and all of your abilities, and ultimately you have to emerge as the person you were meant to be.
Just a Harry Potter fan's way of looking at it.
Sincerely,
Elle
P.S. I didn't just go to colleges to compare them to J.K. Rowlings masterpiece by the way. If you're thinking about college right now, I strongly suggest you go to the information sessions. You learn a lot about the schools that way.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The Good Kind of Stressed
Dear Readers,
You know how when you are counting down to something, a big presentation or a driver's test, and you're stressed out of your mind but it's the good kind of stressed? The stress that has you hyped and happy, even as you complain about being stressed out?
I live in that kind of stress. I never escape that kind of stress. It's thrilling.
But stressful.
I just got done with my first ever short film a few weeks ago. I was really proud of how it turned out and the hours I spent on two Fridays and a Saturdays filming it in the hot sun didn't seem so horrible anymore. My friends liked it, forgave that their appearances were a lot shorter than what they were hoping for, and my life seemed ready to slow down.
But then I had Rat Pack camp (long explanation) and then I was on a trip to Washington to check out schools and then I was introduced to a new film contest that is right up my alley.
So on the ride home from Washington, I spent a good two hours composing yet another script (though this time it has dialogue, something my last script did not, so I kinda like this one better).
Now I am once again the good kind of stressed. It seems I'm determined to truly live up to the phrase "I'll sleep when I'm dead." I like that I'm constantly doing things, but on the other hand...I do enjoy sleeping. Of the not dead variety.
So I tend to wonder, why do I keep throwing myself in these situations?
The answer: I don't.
I truly believe in destiny, that sometimes things fall into your lap for a reason. You find out about things, you are offered opportunities that you were meant to take and that you have to seize immediately. Every single "good stress" inducing activity I've done has bettered me in some way
So if you have something out there that you are afraid will be stressful but are pretty sure might be worth it I say seize the day! Do it, do it, do it! Peerpressurepeerpressurepeerpresure!
After all, stress isn't all bad.
As long as it's the good kind.
Sincerely,
Elle
You know how when you are counting down to something, a big presentation or a driver's test, and you're stressed out of your mind but it's the good kind of stressed? The stress that has you hyped and happy, even as you complain about being stressed out?
I live in that kind of stress. I never escape that kind of stress. It's thrilling.
But stressful.
I just got done with my first ever short film a few weeks ago. I was really proud of how it turned out and the hours I spent on two Fridays and a Saturdays filming it in the hot sun didn't seem so horrible anymore. My friends liked it, forgave that their appearances were a lot shorter than what they were hoping for, and my life seemed ready to slow down.
But then I had Rat Pack camp (long explanation) and then I was on a trip to Washington to check out schools and then I was introduced to a new film contest that is right up my alley.
So on the ride home from Washington, I spent a good two hours composing yet another script (though this time it has dialogue, something my last script did not, so I kinda like this one better).
Now I am once again the good kind of stressed. It seems I'm determined to truly live up to the phrase "I'll sleep when I'm dead." I like that I'm constantly doing things, but on the other hand...I do enjoy sleeping. Of the not dead variety.
So I tend to wonder, why do I keep throwing myself in these situations?
The answer: I don't.
I truly believe in destiny, that sometimes things fall into your lap for a reason. You find out about things, you are offered opportunities that you were meant to take and that you have to seize immediately. Every single "good stress" inducing activity I've done has bettered me in some way
So if you have something out there that you are afraid will be stressful but are pretty sure might be worth it I say seize the day! Do it, do it, do it! Peerpressurepeerpressurepeerpresure!
After all, stress isn't all bad.
As long as it's the good kind.
Sincerely,
Elle
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
My name is Elle, and I'm a Youtubaholic
Dear Readers,
When I first started posting videos to youtube, it was as part of a short lived collab channel whose videos now make me cringe every time I watch them. The only thing I really like about that channel is that through it I found the vlogbrothers.
The vlogbrothers, for those who don't know, are two brothers who vlogged to each other every day, and they are the keepers of the "nerdfighter" community on YouTube. In the nerdfighter community the word "nerd" is loosely defined. The qualifications seem to be only that you are awesome, awesome being defined through wanting to help others by decreasing world suck. It's a long story but really it's because of this community that I love Youtube the way that I do.
And why my friends call me a Youtube Addict.
I'm not going to lie, I spend a lot of time on Youtube. But that's because I personally think it has created this opportunity for people who aren't "famous" to be recognized. It's like how in the medieval age there were peasants and there was the aristocracy and no middle class. Then there was a rise of the middle class. Well I see Youtube as the rise of the middle class in the entertainment industry where status is like money. You have celebrities and then you have youtube celebrities and then you have regular people. Being a youtube celebrity is more of an honor, in my opinion, than being a "real" celebrity, just like being middle class is more impressive than being "rich". The middle class are the backbone of our economy. Youtubers are the regular people who toiled to build a fan base, not through advertisements or movies or blah, but by making their content on a regular basis and being awesome. If you have a real fan base on Youtube, you have loyal fans, Harry Potter fans, fans who will wait anxiously for your videos to come out every week, will beat down any troll who sounds like they are trying to diss you, will buy every button, every t-shirt, every c-d that they can afford. Youtubers don't have to resort to becoming alcoholics or shaving their head to regain the public's attention.
I've seen YouTube raise thousands of dollars for hundreds of charities in a weekend. I've seen YouTube unite hundreds of people at conferences and gatherings. I've seen people get just as excited over meeting Hank Green as they were to see Snookie.
Because really, in the battle between Jershey Shore and the Vlogbrothers, who has the more real reality tv?
Just sayin.
Sincerely,
Elle
When I first started posting videos to youtube, it was as part of a short lived collab channel whose videos now make me cringe every time I watch them. The only thing I really like about that channel is that through it I found the vlogbrothers.
The vlogbrothers, for those who don't know, are two brothers who vlogged to each other every day, and they are the keepers of the "nerdfighter" community on YouTube. In the nerdfighter community the word "nerd" is loosely defined. The qualifications seem to be only that you are awesome, awesome being defined through wanting to help others by decreasing world suck. It's a long story but really it's because of this community that I love Youtube the way that I do.
And why my friends call me a Youtube Addict.
I'm not going to lie, I spend a lot of time on Youtube. But that's because I personally think it has created this opportunity for people who aren't "famous" to be recognized. It's like how in the medieval age there were peasants and there was the aristocracy and no middle class. Then there was a rise of the middle class. Well I see Youtube as the rise of the middle class in the entertainment industry where status is like money. You have celebrities and then you have youtube celebrities and then you have regular people. Being a youtube celebrity is more of an honor, in my opinion, than being a "real" celebrity, just like being middle class is more impressive than being "rich". The middle class are the backbone of our economy. Youtubers are the regular people who toiled to build a fan base, not through advertisements or movies or blah, but by making their content on a regular basis and being awesome. If you have a real fan base on Youtube, you have loyal fans, Harry Potter fans, fans who will wait anxiously for your videos to come out every week, will beat down any troll who sounds like they are trying to diss you, will buy every button, every t-shirt, every c-d that they can afford. Youtubers don't have to resort to becoming alcoholics or shaving their head to regain the public's attention.
I've seen YouTube raise thousands of dollars for hundreds of charities in a weekend. I've seen YouTube unite hundreds of people at conferences and gatherings. I've seen people get just as excited over meeting Hank Green as they were to see Snookie.
Because really, in the battle between Jershey Shore and the Vlogbrothers, who has the more real reality tv?
Just sayin.
Sincerely,
Elle
Monday, June 6, 2011
A Good Mistake
Dear Readers,
This weekend I tried my hand at directing with an impromptu commercial I wanted to enter in a contest. My script was last minute (and turned out to be completely useless because I couldn't make it fit my into timeframe) and my directing style consisted of, "ummm...just do what you do!". I did get a little better when it came to getting the shots I wanted, but I was so unprepared that I really didn't have any direction to give. And when I got home I had a story line that would not, no matter how hard I tried, fit the 15 second deadline that I had been give. So I had to edit the video into a entirely different plot, something that was not really difficult, but not fun because I had to cut out everyone's lines. The end result was a commercial that was nothing like it was supposed to be.
But the commercial is not that bad, something that was surprising to me at first because I thought for sure I wouldn't be able to make the footage work. However with clips that I hadn't really meant to get, extra footage that I would have gotten rid of later, I was able to pull together an okay commercial.
Basically, the mistakes I made while filming saved me from the mistake I made while writing. Because I had left-over film from moving the camera or waiting for someone to get in their places, I had enough film to make a 15 second commercial. It was a mistake, but it was a good mistake.
I wouldn't recommend doing this on a regular basis, but I think its important to remeber making a mistake doesn't always have to be bad.
Sincerely,
Elle
This weekend I tried my hand at directing with an impromptu commercial I wanted to enter in a contest. My script was last minute (and turned out to be completely useless because I couldn't make it fit my into timeframe) and my directing style consisted of, "ummm...just do what you do!". I did get a little better when it came to getting the shots I wanted, but I was so unprepared that I really didn't have any direction to give. And when I got home I had a story line that would not, no matter how hard I tried, fit the 15 second deadline that I had been give. So I had to edit the video into a entirely different plot, something that was not really difficult, but not fun because I had to cut out everyone's lines. The end result was a commercial that was nothing like it was supposed to be.
But the commercial is not that bad, something that was surprising to me at first because I thought for sure I wouldn't be able to make the footage work. However with clips that I hadn't really meant to get, extra footage that I would have gotten rid of later, I was able to pull together an okay commercial.
Basically, the mistakes I made while filming saved me from the mistake I made while writing. Because I had left-over film from moving the camera or waiting for someone to get in their places, I had enough film to make a 15 second commercial. It was a mistake, but it was a good mistake.
I wouldn't recommend doing this on a regular basis, but I think its important to remeber making a mistake doesn't always have to be bad.
Sincerely,
Elle
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