What are you focusing on here at Cornish? (What's your major and/or track? Are you currently undertaking any special projects--e.g. BFA project, senior thesis, etc.?)
As an employee of the college, it is perhaps fitting to give you my full-title here in this section. I am the 'Enrollment Data Systems Analyst' at the college. A fancy title to be sure, but my days are actually rather quotidian: I complete institutional research surveys for the college, compile statistics, data enter applicants, and make lists of things. My special project in work, as well as in life, is to make the ultimate list; The list so complete and so easily sorted that it renders all other lists obsolete. The list will be the set of all sets to contain itself -- the self-shaving barber. At the top of the list will be the Alpha, at the bottom will be Ze Omega (alphabetically sorted, naturally).
My cubicle is in the Registration and Records office on the third floor.
What's going on in your life outside of Cornish? Nothing much (because of full time study)? Creative activities beyond your Cornish work? Job(s)? Family life? No need to tell me anything here that you're not comfortable sharing. (Just skip this question if you prefer to keep this to yourself.)
I'm a fairly social person, but my primary hobby/monomaniacal obsession is writing my novel, "Port Manteau." "Port Manteau" is a novel about a young man, William, who lives in the booming port town turned tech town, "Port Manteau." William is trying to pay off his student loan debt, but is thwarted by his teeth which become sentient and ambulatory, and force William into buying high grade consumer electronics, rather than pay down his debts. His best friend and comedic foil in the novel is Tanner, a trust-funded, perpetually unkempt, quasi-legal recreational marijuana dealer.
What's your background with film? Are you an avid viewer? (If so, all kinds of film, or just certain genres?) Have you helped make any film or video (or do you hope to be involved in this in the future?) Have you taken other courses in film and/or film history? (It's perfectly OK if you don't have any particular investment in film at this point.)
Unfortunately, I fear I may have reached the zenith of my ability to appreciate film 8 or more years ago. I used to enjoy almost anything -- thrillers, science fiction, action films, romances, etc. Pretentious art house flicks, big budget 'splode-um-ups, foreign films; In theater or at home; on netflix or on vhs, a film was sure to be a thing I enjoyed. At some point in college, however, I crossed the rubicon, and came out of the provinces of enjoyment and into the unfortunate republic of "Taste." The curtain was pulled back, and dumb movies became dumb. Pretentious movies became pretentious. Bruce Willis became an aging man with alopecia. I still find film to be enjoyable, often though, older films and not newer ones (And never Bruce Willis).Some films I have seen recently and enjoyed, or failed to enjoy:
I hated, "The Lego Movie"
I loved, "Metropolis" (The Fritz Lang film, and not the Anime of the same name)
I was ambivalent about, "Interstellar"
I was ebullient about "A Trip the The Moon"
"Die Hard" made me want to never see a film again
"The Grand Budapest Hotel" revived my faith in the medium.
Any hopes our goals for this course--specific films, techniques, or concepts you're hoping we'll deal with, for instance? (It's alright if you don't have any particular aspirations here. Maybe this course simply fit your schedule--that's fine!)
It would be great to feel generally better about contemporary film, but barring that I'd love to have a "breadcrumb trail" to finding films that I would more reliably enjoy.
