"Fly by too fast, this year has."

    On August 29th 2011, when I was seventeen years old, I walked into the school saying to myself "It's good to be back." Now it's May 6th, I've been eighteen for nearly two months and I've done so much this year, more than I could have expected then. Directed and edited over half a dozen short films, four of which have been entered for the Film Festival and one of them is a trailer adaptation to my book series, Darastrix Arcaniss. I've taken a great acting class and in doing so I have met some of the best friends I've ever had and ever will. I even made a music video about our good times in "Drama and Theater 1" in thanks!
    I've read and seen THE HUNGER GAMES (saw the movie four times, once with just one friend), made my own camouflage cloak for Halloween and hiking in the woods, and recently attended Post Prom again like last year, pulling my second all-nighter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NekDltwvR08
My best video blog by far is the one that talks about post prom. I swear it was one of the best days/nights of my senior year, and I'll never forget it or my junior post prom either.
    The first day of senior year feels like just over a week ago. Now the year's nearly over and I'll be graduating in a month. I really wish it didn't have to end so soon, but I guess everyone's has to. After I get through college, I will hopefully get into film and turn my books into movies. That I have to look forward to, and starting at the beginning of this year I've aspired to be a good filmmaker.

    In fact I've already started making an actual script. Yeah, I researched script format and I'm using it to start it. I bet it will turn out great when it's done. It's my dream, to create "the next big thing." I just hope that I can.
    But I'm trying not to look too far ahead, know why? Otherwise I'll lose sight of what I've got now, and I love seeing my friends at school too much to risk that, with the little time we've got left. I intend to make it all count and So Far I've managed to make this year the best of my entire life.

My Camouflage Quiver is finally done!

    OMG! Today I finished making my quiver. Yeah, it took forever 'cause the old sewing machine kept getting jammed, but eventually I got it, and it looks great. I'll have to try it out next time I go outside to do some target practice.
    I don't know when my "Thirteen Dwarves" drawings will be put up, 'cause I haven't had a chance to work on them. After I'm finished my films and entering the school Film Festival, I should have time to draw them then. I can't just plainly do it at school or something 'cause I need time and a photo to draw from. I have gotten most of them, though. They came out just about as good as the one I posted of Thorin. The rest of the ones I haven't drawn yet are where it gets REALLY tricky with the braids in the beards. Yeah I suck at drawing braids, so I really need to figure this out. But it will happen sooner or later.
    The film I'm making based on my Darastrix Arcaniss book series is nearly done. I've done just about all the editing except for a few minor points that my instincts tell me to fix. Kind of like one of those look-and-find books you look at when you're a little kid, I'm trying to find all the errors in this film and fix them. In a way, editing is easier and harder than it looks and sounds. Especially with the software i got for my 18th birthday. Wish me luck! :)

My 18th Birthday :) omg

    I can't believe that today is my eighteenth birthday. oh god, I seriously don't feel like a legal adult, which is probably 'cause i rarely act my age. But I'm proud of it. Ok, where do I start? My family went to the movies to see THE LORAX, which was a really heartfelt and funny movie. In fact, i was so drawn into it that i actually forgot that it was my birthday until we walked out of the theater. Crazy, huh?
    Oh and you'll never guess what I did to my sister Kaitlin at home.

“Ooh, I want to try something.” I said to myself. I pulled off my jacket and slid myself behind the couch. Turns out I can still fit my skinny body back there, like I used to in middle school.

            When Kaitlin was close by, I waited, and then…

            “BOO!”

            “AAAAHH!!!!!”

            I wriggled the upper half of my body out from behind the couch, laughing so hard and apparently loud. I could barely speak.

            “You… should’ve… seen your face!” I laughed.

            “You should see your face.” Kaitlin said. “It’s very red.”

What else… oh yeah. I love books. I got the first two MERLIN books and the next two DIARY OF A WIMPY KID books I need to read before the next film comes out. I also got THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET (i really want to see that movie but i should read the book first to see how i like it) and the movie companion for THE HUNGER GAMES. I also got the STAR WARS prequels and PUSS IN BOOTS DVDs. Dad got me the Adobe Elements editing software, and my awesome sister got me a HUNGER GAMES t-shirt. Yeah it’s black, the Mockingjay symbol on fire is on the front, and on the back behind the collar it says ‘MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR’.

Tomorrow I'm going to see JOHN CARTER with one of my buddies and do a bit of filming, so I've got that to look forward to. So overall, good weekend.

'Being almost 18' and The "DARASTRIX ARCANISS" casting search continues...

Hi it's me again, welcome to my new blog. OK i have some good news and bad news. Good news i got more than half of the trailer adaptation to my books filmed, edited, and i picked and added the music. It looks good so far, i guess. But there's still one major hole i need to fill, otherwise i can't finish it. I NEED SOMEONE TO PLAY GYWNA! One of the two main characters in the book series needs to be played in this film by somebody, and I've had 'not the best' luck with it. Seriously, how hard can it possibly be? I've already made the weapons and picked out the locations for shooting, which are within easy walking distance. All i need is the last cast member.

i attached my first sketch of the character, if it helps. She's described through the series as a slightly bleached girl with pointed ears. Obviously we humans don't have pointy ears so that doesn't matter. If anyone reading this wants to do it, let me know. I need to get this stuff filmed as soon as possible so i can get the editing done before the end of March. Filming can be done in an afternoon, maybe two, depending on how things go.
Character description: Gwyna is the daughter of Gwynon, King of the mountainous kingdom called Munton (moon-tuhn). Her father led armies in the first war three years ago and she was put in a safe house until it ended. In the safe house she met her first friend, Tajarin, who she grew to care for a lot. In the present time, she goes to visit him but ends up held hostage by the Jade Dragon and tortured on Dragonhorn Mountain. But one day she uses her wits and escapes, slipping away almost completely undetected and finds Tajarin in Munton, making plans to stop a war soon to come. The two of them team up and travel to Dragonhorn with the help of some friends, and the war ends when the Jade is killed.
I hope this seems interesting. And the film is going to look like a movie trailer when it's done and i have model dragons that i've gotten to work with. I only need the Gwyna shots to film now.

In other news, i've made and posted several music videos for some of my favorite songs and movies, like (in no particular order here)
1. The Hobbit- Long Live http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5TzvNPK7Hs
2. The Hobbit- Me and my Gang http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpRbwYPgXjc&feature=related
3. Neverland- Good Enough http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo79g-ra8zY
4. Neverland- Son of Man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9O_er_ZVkk
and my newest one...
5. Anakin and Padme- "Enchanted" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezDIC0omIV0
My favorite ones i think are the ones with "Good Enough" and "Enchanted." I love how they came out.

OH MY GOD! TODAY IS MARCH FIRST! ONLY NINE MORE DAYS TILL I TURN 18!!!!!!! :) :) :) :) Sometimes I look at myself the way i was when i started high school and then the way i am now, thinking 'wow, i've really changed.' Next thing, i'll be graduating. Can't say i'm not gonna miss seeing everyone at OJR every day. Thankfully we senior still have some time left to make count, and that's what i intend to do. I'm not going to waste one precious moment this year, and i'm going to try my hardest to get a couple of my films into the festival. Even if they don;t get in, i'll be glad i tried. But i need to keep going.

Making a Quiver and Shooting a Recurve

    Its too bad the warm 60-degree weather this week is over, but in those two days I was able to practice with my awesome recurve bow that i got last Christmas. It's way more handy than my first stickbow, which has an 8-to-12-pound draw weight. My recurve has 25-30 pounds on it, and the weird thing is, it has a black handle with green limbs just like my first one. What are the odds, huh? Cool.

 

    This stuff is what i am using to make a new quiver. the wide piece is the quiver itself. The long one is the "belt," or at least it will be when i hem it and add two of the metal rings to one end. The drawstring is to put at the top of the quiver so i can keep it shut when i need it tight around the arrows poking out. If i make it like that, i can avoid arrow rattle. And in case you're wondering, the drawstring came from my backpack, where it is useless (until i took it off and added it here, at least). I picked this camouflage fabric 'cause if i was in the woods it would blend in, and its strong enough to hold my arrows.

 

    See that arrow on the far right? I got two of them with my bow, but I lost one of them. At least I have the rest of them The green ones came in packs of three, and i got them since they're especially long enough for the bow's draw length. The orange ones i got after i got my first bow. I call them the Fire Arrows.

    Here's a look at the full lengths of all of my arrows.

    See this one? This is my first and only orange arrow before getting the other Fire Arrows. This particular arrow is called Smaug, named after the dragon from THE HOBBIT. It's my favorite arrow despite the fact that it only has two feathers (the other one ripped clean off).

    This is the leather shooting glove i got in the mail the other day. It works fine, and hopefully won't be too small for my hand very soon.
    My goal is to work myself up with my strength and my aim enough so that in a some years when I get stronger and my recurve is considered too easy, I'll be strong enough to use a longbow! I've no idea when that will be, but I refuse to give up on it. IT WILL HAPPEN! I WILL USE A LONGBOW AND PERFECT MY AIM IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO! :)

In other blog news, I have completed the drawing of dwarves Fili and Kili. As soon as I can wrench myself off of Facebook I'm going to draw the next two: Dwalin and Balin. After that, THEN it gets even trickier (I love it!).

Filming, Drawing and Reading

    Ok, i got some stuff goin' on. First, i asked one my friends if she wanted to play the part in my film and she said sure. Seems natural 'cause she likes the woods. Hopefully we'll be able to film within the next couple of weeks and it'll be nice enough outside to do so.
    Yesterday morning i started rereading THE HOBBIT, picturing it the way the movie looks while i read it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTSoD4BBCJc&feature=channel_video_title i love this trailer and the production blogs. I even drew some pictres from the film, of Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield.

    What do ya think? like 'em? I worked my hardest (about three days) on the one of Thorin since he's my favorite dwarf, and i did the one of Bilbo during English class, finishing it at home since i don't carry my better markers with me at school (i needed the right shades for Bilbo's hair and garb). My goal is to draw all the thirteen dwarves from THE HOBBIT. As you can see, I've already done Thorin, so that leaves:

1. Dwalin
2. Balin
3. Kili
4. Fili
5. Dori
6. Nori
7. Ori
8. Oin
9. Gloin
10. Bifur
11. Bofur
12. Bombur

I swear as soon as i have them all drawn, i will post them to one of my blogs. I have no idea how long its gonna take, though, but i will definitely get stuff figured out, like when i'll have a chance to do any of it and find pictures to draw from. There are soe details i can't reall do from memory so i have to do it that way.
    In terms of the book, i finished chapter 1 through a school day and i'm going read chapter 2 tonight or tomorrow. Its one of my favorite parts in the book, 'cause it involves three huge trolls who try to cook the thirteen dwarves, but they're arguing over how they want to, and the wizard Gandalf hides and mimicks their voices to keep them arguing ALL NIGHT! Eventually the sun comes up and... POOF! Turns them all to stone! :)

My Next Movie

    Ok, how does this sound as cool? i have a new tripod, know how to edit and work a camera, getting a cool editing software for my birthday and i have an awesome idea for my next short film, one of the ones i plan to enter for the judges for the Film Festival to look at.
    It's based on my book, DARASTRIX ARCANISS Book I: The Apprentice. it doesn't have a big cast since i will be using quite a few scanned drawing and downloaded volcano videos. i think for most of the actual on-camera shots, i will have them in slow-motion and there will be music through the whole thing, and text. For a few scenes there are voice-overs with pictures, which me and my buddy Nick recorded today.
    Only two people appear on camera as people, actually. Tajarin, a boy who lives alone in his father's cottage in the woods (I'll do him) and Gwyna, daughter of the King of a kingdom called Munton, who has always hated the fact that she must rule someday, and is Tajarin's only friend. Now there is one thing i still need to know in advance. WHO'S GONNA PLAY GWYNA?! I'm sure i can get someone near my age to play Gwyna but i'm not saying i'm sure who yet. i can probably ask a couple of the girls in my drama class, i dont know. I'll have to see. Luckily i have school tomorrow so i can try then.
    I need to know all this in advance so i can get everything ready before March. See, on my birthday March 10, that's the day it starts to get nicer outside and the snow has already melted. It will be the perfect month to film since the rest of the stuff i need on-camera is outside and i can't have snow in view. On the 10th i'll be filming a "RANGERS" movie with my cousin so shooting for Darastrix Arcaniss would need to wait a few more days, but i can get it done, shot in the fields and forests for less than a day, or afternoon. Looks like i got some major work to do.
    Even though I'm a bit bummed to not be taking Video production class anymore, i'm quite relieved 'cause this way i can go at my own pace and have more freedom of what i want to film. Now, I go by my rules, my time, and what i want to shoot without any deadlines until April (that's when i need to fill out some form for the Film Fest). Now that i know more about making films, i see it as an active and hopefully lifelong hobby, filming and editing, hopefully sometimes with some of my friends. I can't wait to see what else i can accomplish with this, what extents i can go to, and maybe in a few decades, work on a real movie.