School of Box

Today in class for our final exam we watched School of Rock. Yeah, that's right, our final involved watching Jack Black skid around on the floor in circles going, "dit-dit-dit-dit-dee-deedle-deedle-deedle-dit-dit-dit". Sometimes movie school is awesome.

So the prof is talking about how when we finish our take-home exams, we have to bring them in and put in the TA's box. "Yep, just put it in my box," she says. [and there is snickering]

"Where is your box?" someone asks. "------, tell them where your box is," prof prompts. [and there is more snickering] She tells us it's in the writing office.

"Yep, just put them in her box," the prof continues. "Actually, ------ would love to have anything you put in her box. Whatever you can fit in there. Just go ahead and.." [by now, the snickering has become has become ungated laughter and the TA is hiding her face in her elbow]

"MAILbox!" she screams.

"Oh," says prof, "I get it now. Well, there goes my job."

Best Moment On Set

Riding down the dirt track at dusk at the end of the day sitting in the bed of a pickup truck. Light hitting the tops of the grassy hills to the east, the blackened elegant structures of burnt trees from the forest fires in the purple and green magic hour twilight. So exhausted I feel hot and glowy, but it's the last part of the last day and the evening is cool on my face.

Great Moments On Set: Part Two

We're shooting from this dirt track in Calabasas parkland with beautiful rolling hills of dead yellow grass on all sides. We have all of our gear on the track (including pickup and techno crane and grip gear and all of the etcetera that makes a film set so crazy). Two people on horseback approach and it doesn't look like they'll be able to navigate horses past all our gear with much ease. One rider just rides up along the grassy ridge. The second rider follows the first, although she seems pretty pissed off about it.

Rider: This is totally ridiculous! I can't believe you people! Your SHIT is all over the road!

Her Horse: [shits]

Great Moments On Set: Part One

Super-cute Boom Operator lowers the boom and waits for some technical thing to be fixed.

Key Grip: Is that a gold calculator watch?

Super-cute Boom Op: Yep.

Key Grip thinks.

Key Grip: Are you seeing anyone right now?

News

I like reading the news. You get edges of stories, beginnings and endings that are really beginnings. The best part is, you don't get the whole story, you don't get to know what people really think, just what they say they think and sometimes you don't even get to know the people at all, you just see the strange things someone did and you wonder about what the rest of the story looked like.

See?

On Writing

It's terrible, I hate it, it's painful, it's almost five and I'm dizzy and squinting and trying to get the words down and yet when I think of all the things I'd like to spend my life doing, it's unavoidably necessary to admit to myself that it's probably this.

You Got It, You Got It

Tonight I was talking to my dad and he told me they invented a car that will parallel park for you, via sensors and computers.

There's a great Talking Heads song on the album Naked called Nothing But Flowers about life in a post-apocalyptic world wherein old crap is reinvented into pastoral delight (This was a Pizza Hut/Now it's all covered with daisies) and we all miss our microwaves.

To the automatic-parallel parkers, I say: You must develop your post-apocalyptic skills! You need to understand basic physics and small engine repair! You need to know how to tie knots and pasteurize milk! You need to be able to walk long distances over uneven ground! And figure out which way north lies from the moss on a tree, and what root to chew to keep your teeth clean, and how to lance a blister so you don't get an infection!

You need to be ready to parallel park all on your own.

(You should also know I am an absolutely splendid parallel-parker.)