a media assignment...

Ok, my time to whinge! I am a student in a subject called Media. We do a big final piece that we work on the whole year. We can choose what format we want the final to be: short film, video clip, photographic essay, magazine, radio program, digital photography. I chose to do a magazine (before knowing my limitations, though). What I have since found out is that a majority of the final piece has to be done somewhat in front of the teacher so that they can authorise that it is my work, and someone else hasn't done the work for me. This 'checking' by the teacher is particularly important because last year the school was audited in media (basically, important people checked all our year 12 media work to make sure that the teachers had marked correctly and that the work was our own). The only problem with this is that the school has bugger all by way of computer software to create magazines in. I could use Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher - not all that inspiring really... I want to use Adobe InDesign - industry level, I hear. I have started using the program and I love it - so much to play with, so many options!! The images can be good quality because InDesign supports .psd files - beautiful. I made some mock front covers yesterday and I love them! I will put little thumbnails of them up, just for the heck of it. I am infuriated by this software issue! The school won't buy good software because so few people would use it and it costs so much for licensing - grrr! I shall have to try hard to find a laptop, I suppose... Or another solution... Either way - I will overcome this little problem, I damn well will!!

chocolate and the prisoner...

Easter Sunday has come and gone and left me a lovely bounty of delicious chocolate. Hmm..to eat or not to eat everything at once?
Sunday was spent with my mum, sister and step-dad in our pyjamas watching Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and DVD's of an old (maybe 1970s) television series called The Prisoner. The writers of that tv show were either complete symbolic geniuses or were completely insane. I can't even begin to describe the episode that we watched - it was very weird! The show is about a guy who resigns from his highly top secret job for some unknown reason. Something or someone 'capture' him and take him to an island where they try to work out why he resigned - or at least that seems to be the reason. It is all a bit confusing for me, so I just sit and watch in wonder, getting the storyline now and then and laughing at the awesome 'period' clothes and sets - round doorways, lava lamps, awesome haircuts. If you ever get a chance to watch this series do! It is way beyond anything we have on tv nowadays - it is better, more intelligent, and much more interesting.

"Confusion is the welcome mat at the door of creativity." -- Michael J Gelb

inspirationally...

How do friends always know exactly what to say? The comment posted by my good friend on my last entry brought a tear to my eye. Friends can make you feel so special... so loved... and oh so wanted. These friends are jewels and should be grasped with both hands and never put down! So I shall try never to let go - even when we disappear off to Uni. Emails, anyone?

I bought the most awesome book today when I was out buying Easter presents for people (the book is not a present - it is an indulgence!). It is full of slightly random pieces of art and is intended to inspire. It really does! Some of the photos and other images in it are awesome! There is one photographer who appears through the book who take photos the way I would love to. She photographs the little things, like kids feet in a mini-pool. I love how everything is made up of small bits of beauty - everywhere! Pull apart an object and you can find lines and shapes that are beautiful or bold - lovely!

And I love the fun in some (very) simple things. At lunch today Megan, Meaghan, Hannah, Paige and I were simply throwing an easter egg around and ripping the the paper, and throwing at each other, and giggling like maniacs. It was wonderful fun - just giggles and laughs. We weren't laughing at a political cartoon, or at an intellectual joke, just throwing an object at or to each other. Such simplicity...

inadequacy...

I feel so utterly pointless and inadequate at the moment. Sure, my school marks are good, but that's because I can give the teachers what they and fulfil the criteria, not because I really have something to say or because I am interesting or creative. So many people around me do everything better, and I am so jealous. Maybe I shouldn't be, but I can't help it... I just am! They write better, photograph better, spell better, type better, create better, talk better, live better, express themselves better. I just tend to go with the flow and not pick things apart... I do what I have to, think the minimum amount and get by - I'm not deep, I'm not interesting, I'm just me - inadequate as I am...

my photo lesson

I love doing photography "tutoring" with Donna - it's great fun. Today, though I'm not very experienced, I got to play with two gorgeous models, two cool lights, and a very cool SLR. I would put one of the photographs up, but I don't think I am allowed...

The little boy was the cutest model ever! The little one was very shy to begin with, then he sparked up and was so cute - giggling everywhere. Actually, what he ended up doing was tidying the studio we were working in. There is a little refrigerator in it, and he took all the magnets off and put them in a neat pile on top, then he got his little toy cars and put them all in a row with their bonnets under the door - I wonder what could be read into this about his psyche?

And next week, when I have another "lesson", I get to photograph some forensic science tools - so cool! But I am constantly nervous about getting things "wrong". Donna is always telling me that anything I do wrong, I learn from - I should be learning from my mistakes. But, being the control freak I often am, I hate making those mistakes that should be a learning experience. Maybe I should just learn to give stuff a try - yeah right, like I will change just like that, pffff...

to come:

Ok, so I'm not a very good blogger - that much is obvious. But I do try, I do... I don't have lots to say, but that's probably because I haven't been through lots nor is lots going on. One thing I can tell you is that soon I will put up a poem - yes indeed! I wrote a poem! I had to do it for English and it had to start with "I come from..." I think it is a great way to start. We had to finish that sentence then explore the idea. What I came up with will be posted when I get it back from my teacher (who, by the way, read it out to my class because he thought it was wonderful - I am chuffed!).

In other news, I am a high school student so all I have to waffle about it school and grades - so I won't...

the 'other' you?

I am studying a book for school at the moment that has a character in it named Griet. In the book she talks about have 'another' her. Made me think if I have another me... I think I do. I have the good me that does my school work and loves to go to my part time job and sell books. But then there's the me who likes to sit on my bum and watch trashy tv, or not do my homework and instead play on the computer. Maybe it is just good me and lazy me... I don't really have a wild me, not one who occasionally loves to drink and go mental, but I do like to dance to good music - but I don't believe that counts as 'another' me.

"A man's nature runs either to herbs, or to weeds; therefore let him seasonably water the one, and destroy the other."
- Francis Bacon

the first

A friend of mine today was wondering if I had a blog, so here it is, Jo - just for you. Well, maybe for me too, but started because of your question.

I'm not the most interesting of people. I am a year twelve student in Australia. I am studying Media Studies, International Studies, Information Processing and Management, and English; and I completed Maths, Philosophy and Psychology last year - so I am fairly well rounded. I take photos, and manipulate and listen to music - that's pretty much me. Actually, someone once told me I was empty, so this blog will be fairly interesting. Lets see if I can keep it going for more than a few days for starters - then we can see if I am empty or not...

I had the most fun I have had all year on the weekend just gone. I went to a Folk Festival at a little coastal town. I danced and danced. Bopped along to great music. Clapped along with audience participation. Discovered some great new music to listen to. If you want something new to listen to, try The Guild League. As my step dad said: "they are inoffensive but folkie". Lovely lyrics, catchy melodies. Great to do homework or chill by. To give you a taste of the lyrics, my favourite line (which won't make much sense) is from a song called Citronella and goes:

"Warm frangipani and ripe mango skin"

I think it is a sweet line. Something to keep your eye out for!