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Meekness

http://lds.org/ensign/1983/03/meekness-a-dimension-of-true-discipleship?lang=eng&cid=facebook-shared This talk absolutely articulates this attribute I have struggled to understand. It is stunning the imagery that Elder Maxwell uses and how his understanding of the concept enables him to so clearly elaborate on what it is. Any insights?

Playing with the new camera - and Thanksgiving!

Othello and Inception

It is true, I am pretty obsessed with Inception but at least its not something worse. I had an exciting conversation about the movie with Ry and Nick a few days back and then I went and saw it again last night with a sold out crowd. It sure made the most since the thirdtime around and I found it even more exciting after some discussions we have been having in Shakespeare class. So I am working on my final paper for the class and it is all about Iago and how he manipulates Othellointo believing all sorts of bad things and then it all ends in tragedy. Well, as I was watching Inception it hit me! Iago never just tells Othello - "hey Des is cheatin' so go show her who is boss!" As a matter of fact - I have only counted at most 3 out right lies Iago tells. Everything else is just him inferring things and Othello "filling in the rest" with his own "projections" of what is really going on. Thus, like the team in the film did with Fisher, Iago is manipulating

Submerge Returns

So it is in some very sketchy stages - but Submerge Pictures is on the rise once more! B and I are hoping to crack down and start making some good things but we need some catchy ideas first. If there is any idea you have had, story wise - music video, or documentary - please let us know and we will give you full credit! We just want to start making some quality things so any help would be much appreciated.

An eye opener

I am in a class called Using Media For Culture Change in which we have talked about the influence that things like film, commercials, and especially stories can have in not only reflecting culture but in creating it. Our teachers wanted us to experience first hand the opportunity to try and apply some of the things we have been learning. So they had members of the BYU copyright office come in to share an issue in BYU culture they wanted us to discuss and try to begin to design a plan to change what copyright means to the BYU community. Basically, they were saying there are many illegal downloads each month, illegal print copying done, and other things that endanger the name of the school and also can become quite costly. As we discussed and I thought about it in more detail I came to the conclusion that perhaps one of the biggest issues at hand was that many people either don't know the law, or they don't want to know it so they claim ignorance and continue to break it. As one

Bruce Wayne gets slapped repeatedly

So I have been working this past week on preparing for Monday's class presentation on The Merchant of Venice. As I thought about different themes of Justice and Mercy my mind slowly found its way to Batman Begins. I actually drew many comparisons and even found some specific spots in the film I want to show. However, I don't think my group shares this same perspective so I will settle for other things. However, I have to share this video that I found during the adventure of preparing for this project. Maybe it is because I am tired, or maybe there is actually some humor here - but I could not stop laughing after watching this. Any insight as to why this is SO FUNNY? Again, maybe it is just me and my late night humor.

"It Is" - a media poem

Hit play on the youtube clip below, enjoy a minute or two, and then read the following. Some things can't be described as clearly as others. At times only pictures, music, expressions of life experience, and the Holy Ghost are the only vehicles for concepts beyond the power of language. It is with this in mind I attempt to share a thing that I can't really describe any other way. This poem is super nerdy, but what I am trying to describe is so cool. Read slowly if you want to try and understand what I am talking about. I dedicate this little thing to Dad - happy birthday Pa! It is standing on the field on which many games have been played - knowing this was the last and childhood can no more be delayed. It is sitting at the table, listening to siblings share their thoughts and feelings. Their growing families and professional decisions are ideas that hover with the smell of Sunday roast. It is sitting in a big green van, staring at the vast wilderness passing by, frame by fram
I have still managed to see some movies in the last few weeks - I am just growing lazy and busy - one or the other. Drunken Master 9/10 Amazing Kung Fu moves, hilarious English dubbed lines, pretty much amazing. Lady in the Water 2/10 I expected a great deal going into this experience - trusting the director from his past works (The Village, Signs, The Sixth Sense). However, I couldn't even finish the movie. I was disenchanted with the idea pretty quickly, though I felt there was a great deal of potential. This was a far fall from the tree for me. Lean On Me 8/10 One of the most powerful performances from Morgan Freeman I have ever seen! I like the "school room" dramas and this finds its way into that genre. A high school falls to the dumps and a new principal is hired to bring it up to par to meet the state requirements. There are a few things with the plot line that don't really go together, and the antagonist is pretty extreme and hard to believe. However this film
Thanks for the pictures everyone! I think you should be able to get the video from here and download it for your own keeping by clicking the "facebook" logo on the top left and then once being re-directed you can embed it anywhere. If anyone has a better idea - or if you really want me to burn a copy of the DVD - please let me know 801-885-0146. Thanks!

Grandpa's Upcoming Birthday Project

I am putting together as many pictures as possible for a small video to commemorate Grandpa's 90th birthday. I only have about 18 pictures thus far…and so this video gives you a small idea of what the final could be like but it will only be a great if there are many pictures diverse and otherwise. so, please spread the word that I need some pictures and if it is too much then I simply won't use them so don't worry about it! Thanks all!
Stranded: I come from the plane that crashed in the Mountains - 9/10 This film was made about three years ago. It is a documentary that follows a Uruguayan rugby team that crashes in the Andes on their way to Chile. After spending two months stranded, two of the company successfully found help and the 16 survivors of the flight were safe. This was a powerful film. The survivors were the ones doing all the commentary. There was no narrator, no script, and the use of original footage and pictures helped bring the story to life. It was so captivating to watch the brutal story of their survival. Many things they were saying reminded me of Elder Groberg's thoughts he had after the hurricane on his mission. The idea of death was hopeful, peaceful, and he felt close to God and at one with everything around him. Living was a chore, and he only lived because of what needed to be done for others around him. This was a stirring film for me and I got extra credit in spanish! Goal! The Dream Be

"Less than the dust of the earth"

A few things that have helped me feel my own insignificance and also potential in relationship to God. 1. Dad and I hiked Provo Peak a little bit ago. This image was not taken by my but captures the view from the peak very well. As I sat there, pondering briefly between fits of my fear of heights I thought about all the folks down in the valley. All their troubles and concerns. How insignificant they are! There on the mountain I felt closer to the eternal nature of God and His creations. When through the woods and forest glades I wander And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee; How great Thou art, how great Thou art! Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee: How great Thou art, how great Thou art! 2. This is a clip of music from How To Train Your Dragon (2010) . Trent sent me this and a few others and I have since purchased it. As I listen to t

Wait Until Dark 8/10

John chapter 9:39-41 39 ¶ And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind . 40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? 41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind , ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. So am I going over board in putting this picture and these scriptures next to one another? Maybe. What I am interested in is if there is any sort of theme or message or even understanding one can take away from the thrilling film Wait Until Dark . It is obviously meant to be an exciting, scary, adventuresome ride - but is it anything more then just that? I gave it an 8 because I enjoyed it so much. The performances were great and I absolutely loved the music. Some thoughts I had after closing my computer was about blindness. The scripture above came to mind. Everyone at some point was blind in this fil

The Mission 9/10

"You will recognize what Mendoza's conversion looks like when you watch the well-depicted transition from grief and despair to tears of gratitude, and finally, to shared laughter with his Guarani brothers in Christ. It is rare in a major movie to find forgiveness and faith so beautfully depicted. It is a cinematic jewel that any Christian would be thrilled to see, as I was." -- Tom Askew I found this picture and grabbed an excerpt on the same blog (http://dovemountaineers.blogspot.com/2009/11/mission.html). The author hit it on the head in terms of what this film does in dealing with themes of repentance and renewal. I liked this film for a few different reasons. The music, the sets, and the unique perspective of the standard "white men are evil" type of story. The music I recognized immediately from a Yo Yo Ma CD I used to listen to in high school. There are two distinct themes that are played throughout. One is a somewhat calm, dwindling series of notes eac

Reign of Fire 5/10

So going into this movie I was very skeptical, and perhaps even swayed already that this wasn't going to be a very good movie because of the bad reviews I read. I like Christian Bale, however that doesn't really matter if I don't care about his character (which I didn't). The story goes something like this. It is post apocalypse England in the year 2020 or something. Dragons have been sleeping under the earth for a long time waiting for it to replenish itself so they can eat tons of folks. Apparently they come out and feed every few thousand years or something. Anyway, they come out and destroy everything and a little band of Brits survive. Then they meet this super had core American group (and there is a somewhat lame line like "oh, there is only one thing worse then dragons and that is Americans" and I wondered if that was supposed to be funny or something else) that kills things. Tons of folks die and the little group succeeds in killing the big evil dragon

The beginning (hopefully) of a new tradition

So I realized that I watch a great deal of movies. I really enjoy watching films but I have recently thought about how I hardly retain much about the stories I am exposed to and thus I am not gleaning all I can from my viewing experiences. That being said, I think it is time I start writing small reviews for every film I watch. This will keep me accountable for my watching, and will also help me think a little harder about what I saw and what was being presented. Last night I watched American Graffiti. This was one of George Lucas' first films ever to go to the theaters. Copolla, who later created the influential and industry changing Godfather franchise produced this film. It takes place in the early 1960's and the 2 hour film only covers one night in the lives of some growing teenagers. The film seems to be discussing the time in one's life when childhood has slipped away and the many crossroads that present themselves at that crucial time. Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, a
In response to recent changes in my future plans and career aspirations I feel it necessary to try and grasp some of the key elements that are pointing me away from where I was, and toward where I want to be. I am afraid that I will leave out an item or two due to the fact that I have been thinking very deeply (or as deeply as I can) about it all and to record it here is simply not a possibility. Never-the-less maybe recording this will be helpful in collecting my thoughts and organizing my thinking so that everything might become more clear. The following articles show the sad fall of a filmmaker that wants to make it big, to share his dreams with the world. I think I had such aspirations for the majority of high school years. After the mission, and after talking to some people and observing some things I am beginning to understand the challenge that would be. Especially as a Latter-day Saint. Article 1: Richard Dutcher's farewell address. http://www.heraldextra.com/news/opinion/u

Fear

Saying things you’d normally wouldn’t so as to fit in and stay unnoticed in a group. Leading a group in a direction you normally wouldn’t because everyone else appears to believe in the direction you are leading them. Appearing to believe in the direction you are being led in though you would never actually admit you agreed with it.

Dishes

It is that time of day when the house is quiet, the table is half covered in pots, pans, and tuber ware with food scattered across. The car isn’t in the garage and the dog lies sleeping on the blue blanket. The sun lies somewhere back there, behind the cloud over those mountains. It makes some nice gold colors on the rocky face of the mountains outside of the window. I guess it is so nice because at this time of year there is a lot of plants and flowers in the back yard so the gold makes it seem sort of dreamlike. Yeah, I’ll do em I guess. Call it being nice or being bored. Does it matter? Approaching the sink I am nipped by the denting smell. The eggshells, scraps of mango, carrot peel, and chunks of tofu drip in my fingers. Oh yes, the trash is under the sink these days. Drip once, drip twice on the floor. The water in the frying pan trembles, shaking the crusty flakes of burnt egg. Yogurt and peanu

LOST

I have established the fact that I am addicted to Lost . Using the phrase "addicted" is actually pretty serious when viewed in the context of the Church and in what that word's meaning has done to people. I recall experiences from the mission, literature, newspapers, general conference reports, and other things that clearly illuminate the negative nature of addiction. So what is it that is so addictive? Well the obvious is that each episode ends in such a way that one is left hanging in the most dramatic way. With technology these days (like my beloved Netflix account) one doesn't need to wait for the next episode but can merely click a button for the next while rapidly justifying the time it will take to see "just one more." As I have thought about why I am drawn to the TV series beyond the basic fact of its natural suspense, I have not fully arrived at a conclusion of deeper power within. However, there are a few things that present themselves as key indi

Seven Myths about Careers

LDS.org - New Era Article - Seven Myths about Careers I think the main thing I am up against as I am continually striving to gain direction is I just need to "know myself." I need to just go full throttle and continue to evaluate how I feel about things and how it is effecting me. I like this article in that the focus is finding what works, whether you find it in College or if you find it after changing careers for many years.

As A Man Thinketh

I have just finished reading "As A Man Thinketh" by James Allen and really enjoyed it. some of the following are a few of the quotes that really stuck out to me. "He who has conquered fear and doubt has conquered failure." "Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment." "They who have no central purpose to their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles, and self-pityings, all of which are indications of weakness." "loving and unselfish thoughts crystallize into habits of self-forgetfulness for others, which solidify into circumstances of sure and abiding prosperity and true riches." "A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his tho ughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances." "A man only begins to be a man when he ceases to whine and revile, and commences to search for the hidden justice which regulates his life." "During

The Slasher

The last of the final projects I was involved in for TMA 185. We filmed this very early in the morning and it was actually pretty awkward. However, it was pretty fun and I think it turned out pretty good. It was nice to just act and not worry about anything else that the director had to take care of. Just sit there - yeehaaw

TMA 185 3 minute film

The final product of "make me a match" that I labored over exceedingly. I was actually sort of unhappy with it all not because of the performances of anyone but mainly just the story. We had to write all so quickly and the re-write it time after time and then storyboard it and really break it down. In all this rush I didn't realize till I was actually shooting it that I really didn't care much for the story as a whole and thus my motivation suffered greatly. I don't think I need to tell epic dramatic tales to care about them but I do want to have a strong point and also a specific conflict or issue that is approached and resolved. I am starting a screen writing class tomorrow and possibly I will gain some insights as to how to develop good stories. Ones that I care about. I don't know why I feel so interested in telling stories - particularly in that I haven't felt very confident with the stories I have come up with. It is extremely hard for me to come up

New Again Brad Paisley & Sara Evans

The lesson today for Sunday School was about friendship. We reviewed over the story about Saul, David, and Jonathan and what made their relationships the way they were. It hit me last night as I was reading in John 15 when the Savior explains that there is no greater love then laying ones life down for their friends. We don't do that, especially like He did. However I thought about how I can lay down the life of pride and natural disposition to do ill by living the Gospel pattern of living. This charitable approach is the core of friendship I think, thus the Lord says we are his friends - if we do as He says. By following His commandments we are enabling His sacrifice to lift us up to higher planes. It is interesting to think of it in that way. Today I went to visit one of my mission companions and his uncle. His uncle wrote "Forever Strong" and knows many folks in the LDS film industry. We sat down and had a good long talk. He was very realistic and straight forward abou

Awakening - Mae

This is one of my favorite songs and I think this video is pretty cool too. Isn't it amazing what music and images can do together? It reminds me of what we saw in Seattle when we saw the Lord of the Rings Symphony conducted by Howard Shore and they had art work displayed as the played the music. It is SO COOL!!

what is art?

Today in class we really got into an interesting discussion. First off, the question posed both by Tolstoy and the rest of the world: what is art? After reading the selections given us and then discussing it, I have come to realize that I really don't know! Not only that but what do we do with it? What about those that create it? I am learning that in his book What is Art ? Tolstoy argues that if one makes art for money then they are prostituting this gift. But then we think, well we have to make a living right? And hey, isn't building structures, teaching classes, or even flipping burgers things that can be done artfully? But perhaps "true" art is only achieved on a few occasions in ones lifetime and when that is done for the purpose of gain then perhaps that is almost sinful. Taking an ability to create and give life to something, and deliberately using it for opposing motives does sound pretty harsh. I was told that Tolstoy sort of abandoned his mansion and hung ou

Lord of the rings - Helms deep charge

In my search for why I like movies I am quickly discovering the usefulness of youtube. Here is one reason I like movies. this scene is significant in my life in overcoming hardships with the help of the Lord. It really isn't easy, and to depict that it is would simply be untrue. This does it in such a way that I don't think anything else could.

The Genesis of My Blog

It is as I have recently learned from Twelfth Night , " Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em." Thus I have had encountered a moment of both reflection and greatness as I begin a blog of my very own. How amazing! wahoo. I think this will help me be pro active in creating my own life history, sharing with the family what I am thinking since I tend not to open my mouth, and releasing all the thoughts I have that I would like to wish were somewhat artistic. So, I reckon it will be revealed in the coming weeks and months what sort of blogger I will become. Until then, stay well.