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Book: “The Best Advice I Ever Got”

April 2, 2012 3 Comments

The past few months I’ve been reading Katie Couric’s, “The Best Advice I Ever Got”. I discovered this book when I was searching through youtube for inspirational speeches. I was in need of an encouraging word from someone who was living their dream.

I wanted to hear some wisdom about pressuring the impossible. The book was perfect. Each page was full of encouraging life lessons from some of the most successful people of our time. I would sit in my local cafe, read a few pages, reflect and keep on reading. Some days I would only ready two pages. The advice was so good I would land on a quote and think about it all day.

Here are my favorites.

“Acts of bravery don’t always take place on the battlefields. They can take place in your heart.” -Anna Quindlen, Bestselling Author

“Keep trying doors; one will eventually open…Fearlessness is not the absence of fear. It’s the mastery of fear.” Arianna Huffington, Bestselling Author

“…resolve to grow intellectually, morally, technically, and professionally every day through your entire work and family life…ask yourself every day, Am I really up to speed? Focus on your weaknesses and on ways to overcome them.” David L. Calhoun, CEO of the Nielsen Company

“If you really believe in yourself and your art, then you have to create your own opportunities. You can’t wait for someone else to do it for you.” Susan Stroman, Broadway Director

“Be patient and persistent. Life is not so much what you accomplish as what you overcome.” Robin Roberts, Broadcaster and Journalist.

“You quit, you fail.” Morgan Freeman, Actor

“Finding your passion will eventually get you to where you’re supposed to be.” Katie Couric, Broadcaster

“We are all frightened by change and by the unfamiliar, but those who remain open – despite their hesitations- can discover new worlds and opportunities.” Vera Wang, Fashion Designer

“How we live our days, or course, is how we live our lives.” Annie Dillard, writer

“Commitment will set your free.” John Gardner

“A boat is always safe in the harbor, but that’s not what boasts are built for.” Producer of the Today Show

“If the world puts you on a road you don’t like, if you look ahead and do not want that destination which is being offered and you look behind and you do not want to return to your place of departure, step off the road. Build yourself a brad new path.” Maya Angelou, Author

“We are often so busy running as fast as we can on the hamster wheel of success, we often don’t take time to appreciate each other, to nurture and ten to our relationships with people we love.” Katie Couric

“When you start getting into the fear business, you blame your problems on other people. But if other people are doing well, it’s not because they’re cheating. It’s because they are working hard.” Fareed Zakaria, Author

“Marry someone who you would want to be, someone who wants to help you be that better version of yourself.” Jay Leno, Comedian

“Society tells us to think about next, next, next so much so that we never really finish what’s in front of us.” Rosario Dawson, Actress

“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” Thomas Jefferson

“If I would have listened to the critics I’d have died drunk in the gutter.” Anton Chekhov
–And so many other inspiring quotes and stories.

Filed under Blog Tagged with book, encouraging, gift, inspirational, life, review, share, the best advice i ever got

A Gift to an Editor

March 12, 2012 1 Comment

As I was trying to take a Sunday nap, I heard a bird outside singing. The more this bird sang the more I realized how unique it’s song was. I remember times when I was in the office all day and I hadn’t seen a sunset or heard a bird singing. I would actually Google or YouTube: birds singing, or sunset.

I figured I would record the bird’s song as a gift to those editors who are working hard.

Enjoy.

Ps. Everything is going to be okay. You’ll meet the deadline and “they” will love it.

Filed under Blog Tagged with birds, editor, nature, singing, sound bite, spring

Blog: The Director’s Cut

March 7, 2012 Leave a comment

The director’s cut is when the editor creates a specialized version that represent the director’s own approved edit. This sometimes means having more scenes with more information about the characters and can ultimately have a different ending.

The past few weeks I’ve been living the Director’s cut. Which isn’t bad, just not what I pictured. I prefer fast transitions and getting to the point, but it seems the Director is fond of subtle transformations that hold significant lessons. I am noticing these unexpected scenes are indeed adding beauty to my story. There are times when I receive random snippets and have no idea how they will fit with each other. Its up to me to do something with each component and prepare for what the Director gives me next. I can expect to make a few mistakes along the way, but all I can really do is learn from them. Sometimes as an editor, what may have been a mistake might be the very thing I was looking for. So Im allowing myself to take a few risk.

I can see the theme of faith, hope, and courage. The heart of my character is being challenged. I am learning a lot about overcoming fear and trust. Though I am tempted to question the director’s art, I trust Him. He knows what He’s doing and where He is taking the story. After all, He knows the end.

The amazing thing is He listens to me. I tell Him what I think about the story and the vision I see when I close my eyes. He takes all my ideas in to account. When I least expect it, He hands me something better than what I dreamt of. I say, “Wow, you got this from my idea?” and He answers, “It was our idea, we dreamt it together, this project is as much as yours as it is mine.”

I want the movie of my life to be God’s heart beat. Although I am eager to know what happens, I am telling myself to enjoy the journey and to keep on being a diligent worker- to be open, to learn, grown, create, dream, pursue, read, laugh, visit, travel, seek and love.

Filed under Blog Tagged with courage, director, dream, faith, God, journey, life, poem, story, vision, writing

May Film Live On

February 24, 2012 1 Comment

So for the past month, I’ve been doing this independent thing. I do a few photoshoots here and there and with free time I go outside and play.

I was in disparate need to shoot film. I hadn’t done it in a while. My friend Hector and I went across the field by his house to take some photos. When we were walking I couldn’t help but feel peaceful. I told him the feeling of being outside at the end of the day reminded me of my childhood. “When I was a little girl I played with the neighbor boy in his grandpa’s junk yard, this kinda feels like this. ” I told him to stand still so I can take some pictures, but as any boy, he kept moving. haha.

There is something pure about film, it capture the purity of life.

Filed under Blog, Photography Tagged with childhood, field, film, friends, memory, photography

Audio Interview with a Cinematographer

February 18, 2012 1 Comment

One of the cool things about twitter is when I get to meet someone I follow in person. I asked Cinematographer Julia Swain if she would like to meet up for an interview. I was excited when she was more than willing.
We had a cup of coffee and talked about what we are passionate about: creativity and movie making.