Our blogs have moved! Keep up with the newest updates and changes to the Hopkins Interactive blogs at our new blog central: http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/josh/.
February 03, 2010
Winter
The winter weather is unpredictable in Baltimore. Every year we get a couple of snowstorms - which is to be expected in the Mid-Atlantic. It seems, however, that the city of Baltimore is unaware of these events as recurring.
I say this as the snow plummets down to the ground for the second time this week. The streets remain unplowed and slippery. The campus is being furiously cleaned by the staff on duty late at night. They are driving around in little carts with plows or brushes. Traffic is moving at a trickle (with the occasional wreckless driver struggling to get a good start at the light like a cartoon character winding
up to run).
The good thing is that we may get a snow day! (A rare thing in college if you don't know that) The bad news is with no subway system and no light rail by campus, transportation will slow and dangerous so it looks like I'll be staying around campus if I do indeed have the day off.
Anyway, here are some pictures of the winter weather (and some of around campus). They were taken with the DSLR camera I got for Christmas that not only takes great pictures, but it takes full HD video (examples below). It was even what they shot the opening to SNL on. So enjoy.
7d Test #1 from Joshua Gleason on Vimeo.
7d Test #2: Magic Hour in the Garden from Joshua Gleason on Vimeo.
January 20, 2010
A True Story
Group Name: Blue Key Society
Category of Group: Admissions Volunteers
Name: Joshua Gleason
Year: 2011
Hometown: Park Ridge, NJ
Position: Regular Tour Guide
As strange as it seems, I really liked the college search process. It was fun speculating where I would be for 4 years - the locations, the people, the campus. I liked going on the different college trips with my family and getting to see different places in the country. Visiting the colleges, anxiously waiting in admissions office lobbies, and getting to go on those tours wasn't dreadful (for the most part). It was fun. You got to learn all about the history and trivia of these places. You got to hear the interesting little stories and traditions.
All of this made me want to help out in admissions when I finally got to college. I knew that part of what I would want to do it help out as a tour guide. I love getting people excited about Hopkins. I love helping out families who are going through the same thing my family did not too long ago. I love interacting with others. Most of all, I love having everyone's attention, hearing my own voice, and knowing more than them. But last fact aside, I really love giving tours to prospective students and answering their questions and letting them know how great Hopkins really is.
That is how I found myself to be part of the Blue Key Society, Hopkins' group for tour guides.
In the fall, the Admissions volunteer groups (Blue Key, Hopkins Hosting Society, Admissions Representatives) hold a meeting for interested students. For Blue Key, you apply towards the end of your first semester. You are interviewed in November and if selected, you must train in the early Spring semester. You obviously can't be a tour guide right away, as you have to learn the route, learn all the f acts about Hopkins, and become acquainted with the campus, faculty, and events. You also need to build experiences. A key part of Blue Key is relating stories to the families about things that have happened to you or friends at Hopkins so they get an idea of what the students at the school are like.
Requirements:
- At least one semester at Hopkins
- Good speaking voice
- Ability to remember facts (however useless they may seem)
- Ability to deal with stressed students/parents
- Well-versed in the art of circumlocution (or the layman's term, BSing)
- Expertise in walking backwards for long periods of time
You may wonder what some of the fun facts we learn for the tour are. Well, I'm here to share just a couple the secrets to give you a taste of what is to come on your tour:
- Hopkins has 2 sets of colors. Academic and Athletic. The academic colors are sable (or black) and gold, but the athletic colors are Blue, Black, and White. This was because when Princeton was a frequent opponent of Hopkins for many sports, the colors became confused due
to Princeton's orange and black.
- When constructed, the engineers for the MSE Library did not take into account the weight of the books (non-Hopkins engineers of course), so the library sank into the ground. This issue has since been fixed. - One parent once needed me to reassure her that the library is now structurally sound.
- Hopkins houses many artifacts including a mummy.
- Our homecoming is moved to the spring semester to coincide with the lacrosse season. Our lacrosse team has been one of the best in the country since its inception.
- Daniel Craig was on campus for the filming of the movie The Invasion and it's rumored that he got the call that he would be the next James Bond while on the Hopkins campus.
If you ever get a chance to visit campus, make sure to hop on one of the great tours given by the Blue Key guides (typically at 11 AM and 2 PM on weekdays).
January 02, 2010
Gimme Shelter
With the dawn of a new year, it brings us one year closer to the dreaded 2012. (Although, not quite as scary as entering the real world in 2011.) Some of you that passed on Early Decision or were frustratingly pushed aside by an ED/EA school (as I was) may have the more pressing dates of RD decisions in mind, but since most of you reading this won't even finish college if the world comes to a screeching halt in 2012, let's skip ahead to show you why it's not worth stressing about college decisions and grades.
Doomsday possibilities I think might occur:
1) Catastrophic natural events - i.e. volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, tornadoes, earthquakes, blizzards, monstrous hail, forest fires (that only you can't prevent), sandstorms, mudslides - all coinciding to wipe off all human life.
2) Science fiction becomes non-fiction - Meteors are on a collision course for Earth. NASA decides to send a rag-tag group of misfits into space because they think that they would have the best knowledge to save humanity and destroy the meteor. They blow up the meteor, but sacrifice Bruce Willis over Ben Affleck in the process marking the end of intelligent life on Earth.
3) Humanity turns on itself - with the threat of the end of the world, people become frantic and instantly become destructive to humanity itself. Robberies and murders occur. People look for a final thrill before the end.
4) The Chicken Little scenario - The sky literally falls on Earth. The atmosphere implodes and life is no longer sustainable on the planet.
5) President Bush is re-elected.
6) The Cold War movie plot scenario - Nuclear proliferation occurs. A war hungry American General battles for power with the President in order to obliterate the enemy. Peace is made, but just seconds too late as the General has sent missiles overseas. The enemies retaliate and nuclear war wipes out civilization as we know it.
7) The Rip Van Winkle scenario - All life forms around the world fall asleep as usual on the night of Dec. 21 (or Dec. 23), 2012. Everyone, one by one, goes to sleep but just never wakes up. The world peacefully dies in its sleep.
Then again, life may just continue as normal. Either way, make the most of your 2010.
And good luck with those final college apps.
December 21, 2009
Time to Waste
So last year I gave you tips on how to deal with the stress of finals and my last post was comprised of a few stress-busting haikus. But here are some things to avoid (or more likely) indulge in during midterms and finals that will keep you slightly behind on your work, but less wound-up. Here are some procrastination ideas:
1) Watch a movie. A tip applicable to every occasion.
2) Socially network. Facebook allows you to keep in touch with people you normally would have forgotten. It also allows you to lose track of time as you see what your friends have been up to. After being encouraged to do so for months, I finally got a Twitter last week - the night before one of my papers was due. I ended up spending 45 minutes brainstorming ideas for what my username should be.
3) Video games. Although the second half of this semester we've been pretty lax about it, my roommate and I tend to play a lot of Madden together. It's virtually the only video game we play, yet we can play for hours on end. (And while the season is in its closing days during Intersession, that seems to be the time when our football season kicks off)
4) Sporcle. I was recently introduced to this website by Lauren C. It's a website that has a whole bunch of lists that you try to fill out. For example, "TV by Taglines", "George Clooney Movies", or "Original SNL Cast Members". You are given a time and some clues. And then 3 hours later you realize not only have you blown all that time, but you also know only 55 out of 100 of Rolling Stones Top Albums 2000-2009.
5) Cleaning. Some peoples' rooms get messier during finals period. Others' get cleaner. A good way to feel like you're accomplishing something positive and to free yourself from anxiety of all the clutter is to clean. It's a good use of time, but it can probably wait until after you exams.
6) Eating. Especially for off-campus living where you cook your meals, making food and eating it will start to take a little longer as exams approach. Studying while eating usually turns into watching TV while eating, which turns into a 1 1/2 hour dinner break.
7) Doing absolutely nothing. Somehow, you tend to find yourself doing absolutely nothing for periods of time that seem to be only a few minutes but are actually much longer.
8) Making a study playlist. Nothing accompanies studying (especially in the library) better than music. It blocks out the world around you and can help you stay positive or awake or relaxed. You can help moderate your own mood. So spending your first hour in the library making the perfect study mix isn't a waste of time, right?
9) Making lists. Now as you can see, that is something I like to do. But sometimes you spend too much time making the lists of what needs to get done rather than actually doing what you need to do.
Hopefully these ideas have enlightened you and you now see the err of your ways or it's inspired you to take on new forms of procrastination. Either way works for me.
Enjoy the holidays!
December 13, 2009
November 27, 2009
Rumpus
If you've read any of my previous blogs, you'd know that as a Film and Media Studies major, I love the program. It's afforded me so many opportunities that I wouldn't have gotten, even at some of the bigger programs. So here are some of my reasons why you should be a Film Major here at Hopkins:
1) A good basic knowledge in both theory and practice. With tons of production classes and theory, you learn so much about film history, theory, and filmmaking.
2) The professors. They are very approachable and can answer any question you could have. Production professors have professional experience - narrative shorts/feature filmmaking, experimental films, documentaries, and even TV movies. Theory professors are writing and researching while teaching. But don't think that with all this other work they are unavailable. If you ever want to talk to them, you can make an appointment. Some will even give out their phone numbers so you can call if there is a pressing issue.
3) Hands-on experience early. By the end of your freshman year, you could have made a short film. By the time you graduate, you will have a substantial portfolio of work. With such a small program, there is plenty of equipment to go around, too.
4) Internship opportunities. The program encourages getting real world experience. You are even required to do some sort of internship or independent study to graduate. Any sort of opportunities the department hears about are always sent out via email to film students. I've worked at an entertainment company in NYC and worked with a professor who was shooting a feature film. Some of my friends have done things like write script coverage, working on commercials, or working at the Maryland Film Festival. Baltimore also has a thriving arts community so there are always opportunities to get involved.
5) The Johns Hopkins Film Festival. A film festival for independent filmmakers is held every year on campus. There is a student showcase every year which means you basically have a free pass into a film festival if you produce something of good quality.
6) Pre-registration for film classes. For film majors, you can pre-register for your film classes. Mainly, this is because the classes are so small, in order to guarantee you get the classes you want, you register about a week in advance.
7) Learn on film and digital. Film production courses teach on 16mm film. You learn how to use the medium of actual film. It teaches you how to work with the film as a tangible object and get the most from it. Some classes delve into digital production where you will use resources at the Digital Media Center.
8) Personal attention/small classes. With classes usually under 15 students, you get the personal attention you need.
9) Exciting experiences. There are many opportunities to see guest speakers and films. Recently, David Fincher (director of Fight Club, Benjamin Button, etc.) used Hopkins as a double for Harvard in his current project about the founding of Facebook. Originally a few students were selected to work on the film for the 3 days they would be at Hopkins, but because of insurance issues, that didn't pan out. But, the Film and Media Studies Program did invite him to speak to Film and Theater students. He came along with his cinematographer (Jeff Cronenweth) and actors Jesse Eisenberg (The Squid and the Whale, Adventureland, Zombieland) and Andrew Garfield (Boy A, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus).
Last weekend, the F&MS program was given free tickets for student to go to a Maryland Film Festival event. The event, hosted at MICA, featured David Simon (The Wire), Barry Levinson (Liberty Heights, Diner), and John Waters (Hairspray, Pink Flamingos) who spoke on filmmaking in Baltimore, their careers, and each others' work. It was so great to be in a room with the three of them and hear them speak about filmmaking. It was also great because the event would have been $125 to attend if not fo r the free tickets.
These are just some of the reasons to think about studying film at Hopkins. My biggest reason for doing it though is because I love it. And that's my advice to everyone out there. Study something that you love. You'll be doing it for the next 4 years so really think about what you want to sit around thinking about.
November 05, 2009
Secret Meeting
Ever wonder what goes on at a SAAB meeting?
Well here is what a recent visitor saw at his first meeting of the Student Admissions Advisory Board:
Albert Einstein
Height: 0'7"
Weight: .04 lbs
Notes: tall white hair, blue eyes, olive sweater, moustache
IQ: undetermined, estimated between 160-180
Notable accomplishments: E=MC2, Theory of Relativity, redeeming Germans in the 40s, chain of bagel places (founded with his brother)
Einstein hung out by the window taking in the sunset on the Decker Quad before the meeting started. He chatted with Admissions_Daniel about SAAB. Einstein learned that this is the group responsible for all of the Hopkins Interactive projects and products. As undergrads, the members assist Admissions in relating to students currently going through the process and they come up with ideas on how to market and promote the school that they love so dearly to prospective students.
At around 5:30, he took a seat at the table in the Conference Room on the 2nd floor of Mason Hall. He was interested to hear what was going on.
Admissions Daniel walked in with an agenda ready to go. On tonight's schedule: Open Houses, Facebook group, Message Boards, and the Insider's Guide.
Einstein and JHU_Peter showed up with a similar choice of hairstyle. Great minds must think alike (and dress their heads alike)
He waited patiently for the meeting to begin. Other members filed in and took their places. Everyone was excited to have a guest at the table.
Things started smoothly. Calendars for the month of all our upcoming project deadlines and events (such as meetings and Open Houses) were passed around. Einstein thumbed through the documents before passing them along.
With our fall Open Houses just finished, we recapped and brainstormed new ideas to m ake them better for the Admitted Students Open Houses in the spring and for next year. Einstein even threw in some of his ideas, although nobody quite understood what he was talking about. Admissions_Daniel mocked his ideas saying, "Nice job, Einstein."
Next, the Insiders Guide was discussed. For those who don't know (as Einstein didn't - one of the few things he didn't know), for the past 2 years, Hopkins Interactive has put together a book for admitted students that is filled with tons of information and other fun stuff for them to look through - all created entirely by students.
Video ideas were thrown around next. Right now, videos are being created to highlight different student groups. The Cribs series will also be back this year! Einstein is excited.
The final issue on the table was making sure SAAB members were doing what they needed to. Keep the Message Boards active and keep blogging!
As always, we left some time open for brainstorming discussions about new projects - some of our best ideas have come from this.
But people seemed shy to throw out new ideas around Einstein so the meeting was over.
Einstein threw his hands up joyfully, for he had just sat through his first SAAB meeting. He thanked Daniel for letting him sit in and bid all the SAABers adieu. (or I guess actually "Auf wiedersehen!")
November 02, 2009
Sleeping Lessons
So taking 18 credits/6 classes this semester may have been a mistake. I did it in order to make my life a lot easier next semester when I plan to do an Independent Study project and shoot a film (the rough draft of the script is 30 pages - roughly a page = a min in screenplay format). Next semester, I'm planning on only taking 3 classes along with my indepenent study (totaling 12 credits) so that I can concentrate on the pre-production, production, and post-production aspects more fully.
But even though I've had a lot of work to do, I'm getting it done which is a testament to how much time you actually have in college. I'm 100% advocating NEVER taking this many classes. Rather than do that, do something fun with your time.
Even with all this work, I have found time to keep up with TV (with great assistance from Hulu and other less reputable free TV sites). Here are my TV shows this fall:
1) Californication
2) Bored to Death
3) Dexter
4) Entourage
5) Mad Men
6) The Office
7) Family Guy
Other things to let off some steam (that I somehow have little bits of time for):
- getting involved (spending time doing things for Film Society and SAAB)
- going to the movies (seeing an Annie Hall revival at the Charles, Where the Wild Things Are)
- getting in a few good games of Madden 10 with my roommate
So keep this in mind - you'll have time to do all the things you want to do in college. You just have to make the most of your time!
Now for tangential matters ... For those interested:Here is the trailer for the latest Wes Anderson film along with a funny promo video:
Got a new camera too. I love it. Here are some of the results I've gotten with a few days of playing around with it.
October 08, 2009
Self-taught Learner
I recently found that after about 15 years of schooling, I have finally learned something. Or rather, I have enough knowledge to take what I've learned and apply it to other situations outside of that class discussion or homework assignments.
Now what I'm about to say really applies to things mainly outside of my major. My film classes, especially production ones, have taught me tons of practical knowledge about the art of filmmaking and the technical craft involved.
But this semester, more than any other, has made me realize how much I've learned because I've been able to take information I've learned in classes and apply them to discussions in other classes. This has never happened before. Maybe I didn't know enough. Maybe I didn't learn anything useful before. Maybe I didn't know how to apply the things I had learned to other situations. But I can do it now.
Let me give you an example:One of my classes this semester (an anthro class called Visual Economies in the Americas) has been talking about the objectivity of photography and their use in the history of anthropology. With that, I was able to throw in information from another one of my classes regarding an essay by Roland Barthes called Camera Lucida . Now my professor thought I had just done the wrong reading because we had read his essay "Rhetoric of the Image" a few weeks before this came up, but it ended up working out.
I'm also taking a class on Modern and Post-Modern Architecture this semester which has come in handy when around the city. I can see buildings and recognize what sort of style they are or what movement they were influenced by.
It makes me feel actually engaged with the things I'm learning when I can relate them to something else.
So maybe all the education is finally starting to set in. About time, right?
Speaking of about time - only one more week until Where the Wild Things Are!
October 03, 2009
Back In Your Head
I'm back! After a long hiatus, I"m back and blogging and...don't have that much new to say. Maybe it's the fact that it's junior year so I've done this back to school thing before. Not to say that I'm not looking forward to things, but it doesn't feel like another year really - just a continuation of college, especially after spending the summer here in Baltimore.
Some updates first. I'm the new Director of the Johns Hopkins Film Society. We plan events like the Fall Film Series (This year we have 2 - one featuring 10 films about Rebellious Youth including American Graffiti, Rushmore, If..., The 400 Blows, The Warriors, Repo Man, West Side Story, The Dreamers, Gummo, and Rebel Without a Cause, and one featuring 3 Stanley Kubrick films in 35mm, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining - on Halloween, nonetheless, and 2001: A Space Odyssey). Planning that and getting the group organized has been a big task. I've never been the head of an entire group before so it's a new experience. Our first screening went really well and we're hoping that will continue. In the Spring, we also put on the Johns Hopkins Film Festival which showcases films from American and international (primarily independent) filmmakers along with films by Hopkins students and a few bigger features that we think people should see.
In other news, the MSE Symposium just tonight hosted an event featuring alums of Hopkins in the entertainment industry. The 4 include: Roger Faxon A&S '71 (Chairman and CEO of EMI Music Publishing, formerly with LUCASFILM, Pixar, and more), David Boxenbaum A&S '91 (Founder and General Manager of A&M/Octone Records, a label featuring artists such as Maroon 5, K'Naan, and Hollywood Undead), Joseph Molko A&S '94 (Senior Vice President for Content Distribution Marketing, MTV/BET Networks), and - the reason I decided to attend - Caleb Deschanel A&S '6 (award winning cinematographer). They talked about a lot of the issues involved in contemporary media including the decline of the record industry and how it will try to cope as well as the dilution of the field of artists because of the internet. It was really interesting and it was great to see alums in the entertainment industry.
Other news to come but I feel like that's a good start for the year. I'll keep you posted.
For your enjoyment, my latest film project for a class from this semester. A Photo-Roman (film based on still images).
A Girl and a Gunfrom Joshua Gleasonon Vimeo.
Josh - We've Moved!
- We've Moved!Our blogs have moved! Keep up with the newest updates and changes to the Hopkins Interactive blogs at our new blog central: http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/josh/.
