Assignment 9-David Butler

 Life. It’s like a film, composed of moments and memories, much like frames in the movie of life. Movies offer an escape from reality, somewhere you can experience otherwise unlikely situations or see something in a new light. Although movies are not inherently bound by the laws of physics or reality, they are often still relatable.

 

From a young age, this culture around film has fascinated me and i could talk for hours about the subject. 

          

Since 4th grade, I have picked apart movies and tv shows shot by shot. I’ve meticulously analyzed the camera work or behind the scenes. Then later that year, I decided it was time to put down the screen and pick up the camera myself. I started to learn from experience instead of watching what others had done. Along with this moment came a realization, if I worked at this and developed my skills then I could do this professionally. So, I worked hard and made over a hundred short films over the next few years. I made multiple YouTube channels and even shoveled driveways around my neighborhood during the winter just to invest in things like a microphone or a better camera.  

Much like good writing, your hard drive is 90% full of revisions because a director is never content with his 1st, 2nd, or even 20th edit. This dilemma becomes apparent when you have over 48 hours of unused, or unpublished footage like I do (which is nothing compared to Hollywood studios). This slow and rigorous cultivation of your final product can be exhausting. However, watching your project evolve, along with your own skills, is exhilarating and makes it all worth it in the end. 

 

Film has made me an overall more tolerant and patient person which can open a lot of doors, not only in film but in other places as well. It has also exponentially grown my skills to the point that I have begun editing videos and or short films for others (paid and unpaid). This is what I have grown to love.