I am not a huge fan of blogs-as-diaries, so hopefully this will not be just that. The intent is that this will be a chronicling of general pursuit into different activities by the writer- which are subject to change at a moment’s whim, or due to unavoidable circumstance or even opportunity.
Keeping a public chronicle may prove useful from a feedback perspective, and by putting it all here, it might keep me keeping up with content…
Activity One: digital film-making
Activity Two: martial art
Activity Three: work
Activity One: the Boston 48 Hour Film Project, 2008
but Josh, this is the 3rd 48 that you’ve done- what are you looking for in this one?
This is a hard question. In the past, I was looking for a reason to shoot something, a condensed (almost chaperoned) experience of making a short. Now that we’ve done that a few times, and been through the ups and downs of this whole process- learning that a lot of this is NOT fun, that a lot of this is work – there is a more serious tinge to this question. It begs the question-
what are you looking for in all of these pursuits? why spend time and effort trying to make video?
1. First, I’m trying to create a portfolio, a beginner’s body of work. I’m practicing, or training, to do more. Admittedly, I’m a little old to be practicing still, but this is what it is. A portfolio of work helps you find more people to work with, and establishes that “this is what you do” when you’re an outsider coming in- and I’m not quitting my job to PA or to more directly follow this interest right now.
2. I want to create – but I need to develop my voice and perspective, to get my sea legs. This is important, it’s like learning a language, and then learning how to get up and speak in front of an audience. You’ve got to expose all of your issues: colloquialisms, ah’s and um’s, talking to fast, mumbling, looking down at your notes, nervousness, fidgeting and everything else, and change them one by one. It’s hard, but it’s possible to do- you’ve just got to be willing to be and feel embarrassed by the “stupid stuff” that you make at first. (as example, look at everything that I’ve done so far!)
48 hour boston further topics
- people drop out at the last minute
- organization
- locations
- the big question is: what am I missing? (as always)
Activity Two: Changing Training, Video Project
- working on a video
- changing how we train
Our instructor is adjusting the way that we train. He wants to concentrate on the basics, and focus on more real-world application- not that we weren’t so much before, but we really worked a lot of the kata and the kyu system information, and less “fighting.”
Mark says now that “this is my school, and we’re going to start doing what I like,” which is fighting, using the technique for self-defense.
On of my budokas and I are working on a video to cover the “new basics” – a video that will take the essentials from the first three grades, and display them in a fashion that other schools can see how we are working the material. We’re going to interview our instructor and then have him demonstrate each technique; instead of making these walkthroughs, the intent is to be more flowing, more moving from technique to technique.
