TMA 285: 10 Cool Things I Like

Paper or Notebooks
Whenever I see a blank sheet of paper, or a fresh, new note or sketch book, I think of all the different possibilities of drawings, writing, paint, or other crafts that could be put on it. It could even be crafted into something physical, ala origami. Paper is power to me, power to make new ideas a reality. It can either plan a future project or be one. The deciding factor is if we move the pencil/pen/brush/folds.


Computers and Electronics
I was partly raised on computer games and programs. I got to know the basic functions of any computer backwards and front, which branched out to TVs, video players, cell phones, etc. I stay on top of how to navigate through all the different kinds of files on a computer, how to connect devices together through cables, and assure that they play their content in just the right way. Plus, I still love a few video game series that I picked up when I was little.

Clouds
I love looking at clouds when I see them in new formations I've never seen before. The sheer randomness of their shapes can still astound me at any time. Even when they take their common puffy look, they can also make gorgeous sunbeams visible at the right time of day. I believe their purpose is to give limitless variety to the sky, so we may always be entertained and inspired.
***this is not Photoshopped or altered in any way, but taken directly from my phone yesterday***


Flying
A certain fantasy I frequently imagine is having the ability to fly - not on a plane or with a clunky jet pack, but just fly independently. To move quickly through the air, rushing past buildings, trees, mountains and other features while pulling off cool tricks. Biologically, this can never happen, but it is nice for a dream or a movie concept. In the real world, our mechanical inventions of flight, including this plane I took from Long Beach, CA, are still exciting to witness as they leave the ground at high speeds and the world beneath them immediately shrinks!

Space Movies
My favorite genre of film to watch will always be the ones themed in outer space. The possibilities for story, invention, undiscovered secrets in the universe and visual spectacle can never be capped, but keep on growing. They also all have a constant scariness with them, that outer space itself is the mother of all death traps, ready to suck out the life of any living organism that is exposed to it without technological protection. This is what makes space movies the most exciting - they represent the continuous fight against the deadliness of nature in order to discover its secrets.

Mountains or Hills

 Another natural beauty I greatly admire is the dominating feature of mountains. They tower over the landscape, give us access to tremendous sights and serenity, and offer plenty of satisfying challenges for mankind (such as hiking, climbing, and acclimatizing). Jagged and rolling landscapes, which include small hills, are a thrill to see, simply because they go up and down, side to side, and extend back as far as the eye can see without any uniformity whatsoever. Similar to clouds, they give plenty of variety for the planet to be edified.

Voice Acting
If I had to pick one of the most influential things I've learned from "Back to the Future" (the first movie I ever remember seeing), it's that Michael J. Fox's voice is the coolest voice ever. As the main character, Marty, his teenage cool-ness along with his tendency to pleasantly freak out at any given moment made him a heavily attractive role model for entertainment in my youth. Imagine my excitement when I learned that he was the voice of Milo in "Atlantis: The Lost Empire"! Since then, I've had a tremendous respect for voice acting and a desire to partly invest in that business. That's why I frequently imagine mimicking dialogue spoken from certain TV shows and movies, such as what James Arnold Taylor does.

Architecture
In contrast to the natural phenomena I see in the world, I also marvel at the beauty of many artificial creations mankind has achieved. One of them is modern architecture; buildings that achieve near-impossible designs, or that look exactly like what we've envisioned the future would. Buildings aren't built for the sake of being beautiful though, they all serve purposes, or represent ideas that keep our minds moving. In the end though, no matter what they're used for, they stand as monuments to human ingenuity and vision.







Movie Score
I started playing the violin as part of a beginning Middle School orchestra. As that year progressed, I grew an immense fascination and respect for orchestra music, which included classical, folk, modern and, of course, themes from movie soundtracks. I pay attention to movie score as a particular film-making position, which I don't think is usually thought of by most people (although they can easily identify John Williams). I even took a music theory & compositions class in High School with the intent of searching for potential in composing movie scores myself. It didn't turn out to be my strong suit, but I still continually collect soundtracks, as well as some classical performances, as part of my love of this art.

Friends
One of the most unexpected pick-ups I find in life is just how much having good friends can benefit your emotions. Certain people you grow up with can rub you the wrong way or be a bad influence on you, but with effort, you can also find people who share your exact interests and make you feel good to be around and follow. I'm lucky enough to have all my co-workers in the computer lab I work in be my fellow compadres as well. It's always easiest to talk to them about what excites me about media, or common complaints about school. Best of all, they are my support with my film-making endeavors as much as I am for theirs. As Clarence conveys in the conclusion of "It's a Wonderful Life", no man is a failure who has friends!