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Ah, our first assignment…and so the race begins.
Why am I in R-T-F 305, you ask? Because I need this class in order to become a successful filmmaker. My being a part of R-T-F 305 actually has very little to do with UT-inforced prerequisite policies. As an aspirant film director, an introduction to media studies is necessary. It is absolutely vital because being media-ignorant/complacent would be the equivalent of being thrust into the Film industry with a blindfold over one’s eyes and ears. Understanding and knowing the various forms of Media is the foundation of a future filmmaking concentration. I don’t know about you, but I see no point in walking around blindfolded, and so; it is time to dive into Professor Straubhaar’s Introduction to Media Studies.
To concretize my previous rant, I’ve divided my reasons of why I’m part of this class into two separate groups: My Present, and Future.
-I am part of R-T-F 305 because…
PRESENT:
1. I believe it is a necessary foundation for later filmmaking education. How can I make compelling movies without first understanding what modern-day society is feeding the Media, and how the Media is spitting it back out? This society-Media digestion is the key into anthropologically insightful films…which are the ones I’m interested in making.
2. I admit it, more often than not, I feel like the world should revolve around films alone. That’s why I’m in this class to broaden my understanding of other types of media, and the reciprocal impact they have on each other and the rest of the world.
3. Honestly, I want to learn how to handle myself, my attention span, and my academic resourcefulness in a class of 500+ people, and be able to meet the standards of college-level academia. This “enormous college format” is entirely new to me.
FUTURE:
1. I want to be able to master ( and by master I mean completely understand and be able to manage) all types of media that are out there, in order to become as well-rounded as possible. I want to be a director, and that is not easy, therefore, I need to have “the whole package”. Being a decent storyteller won’t cut it anymore…
2. I want to stop being complacent about the society I’m living in today. I want to understand the full power of the various Media in order to find a way to “redirect” society through films. After all, the Media has been like a “Big Brother” for years now: Observing, controlling… Well, if we understand Media, can we control it back?
Apart from achieving these personal goals, what I hope to learn from this class is, “What makes Media tick?’”. By this I mean, Is it society that feeds it? Or does the Media feed society? What elements are essential to the Media, and who’s behind it all? Where did media originate and where is it going? ,etc.
As for the multimedia aspect of my blog, I'm adding this link to USC's lecture series on filmmaking. It is in NO WAY a comparison between USC and UT; I just like listening to what the speakers have to say. (I don't have a favorite blog...)
http://itunes.usc.edu/
So, at the risk of boring anyone who’s reading this, to death, I shall conclude swiftly.
Hem, hem…In conclusion, I am part of this class because I want to be, not because I have to be. I believe it will provide me with the knowledge I lack and need. And, lastly, my true hope is to be able to demystify the Media in order to fully understand it, something that will surely help me through the filmmaking craze I have ahead of me.
This is Andrea Macias, the 19 year-old Mexican and film directing hopeful, signing off.
