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I’m currently trying to finish my media law paper that’s due tomorrow at 12:00pm. Why am I writing a blog post you ask? Because I’ve hit a block of sorts and I’m trying to flush out my frustrations/nonsense/ramblings onto here so I can have a clear mind to finish my paper. I’m writing about the freelance journalist, Josh Wolf, who was jailed last summer for refusing to turn over his footage of a violent protest. A judge said he had no right to withold information or evidence and he argued First Amendment rights protected him. The judge disagreed and threw him in jail for contempt of court. He was just released last week. His stay marks the longest a journalist has ever been imprisoned for refusing to hand over their source material. With all the craziness going on in the courts over Shield Laws, it makes for an interesting term paper topic.

Unfortunately I have to cite everything I say in it. So that means I can’t just read a bunch of articles about it and then vomit all the information onto a page. I have to properly cite sources every step of the way. And I can only rely on journal articles too. Wikipedia has a wonderful outline of the event, but we are not allowed to use Wikipedia as a source (good reasons why, but still, COME ON!) and so I have to find newspaper articles that explain in detail everything that happened. It’s just tedious.

When this paper is done, I will be that much closer to being done with college. I have a media ethics research paper to write, a short film to edit, a major motion picture to finish mock-producing, a media ethics group project, and then finals. It’s so close yet so far, and I’m drowning in senioritis. Tell me, do they make pills for that?

My second pot of coffee is done brewing… better get back to my paper.

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It’s 4:30am and I’m finally done with my paper! It’s a bit rambly in some parts, but some of it is good. If you feel so inclined to read it, here it is.

So I got my car fixed…a week later. It was my starter. $275. Only a month ago I dropped $300 on it replacing my heating core or something like that. Luckily my mom helped me out this time because lemme tell you – working on three short films in one semester (and I’m not talking amateur little 3-minute laughable projects either) makes you have less time to do other things, such as sleep, do homework, and most importantly: work. I have cut back my work hours considerably this semester, and yet it still is by far the busiest I have ever been in college. The dramatic increase in stress and long working hours has also increased my intake of alcohol, which has been for better or for worse the past two times I’ve been intoxicated. Let’s just say people will have something to remember me by when I leave in August.

Speaking of leaving, I am very sure I am moving to Los Angeles in August or sometime around then. I have a couple of propositions for a roommate, and I plan on working my ass off this summer to secure some funding, but I undoubtedly will have to get a new credit card or something to help me out, unless I can channel some funding from family. I don’t have the details worked out, but I do know there are tons of job opportunities for me out there and I’m just stoked about going. I’m prepared to live on ramen and microwaveable burritos (especially since that’s what I’ve been living on for the past three months). I know a bunch of people who plan on moving out there this summer too, so I will have a lot of friends to hang out with already as we try to network ourselves into Hollywood.

Back here on the ground, I recently got final approval to graduate at 5:00pm on May 18. I ordered my announcements yesterday and will be mailing them soon. They are pricey little pieces of fancy paper, so I plan on only sending them to immediate family, so if you’re a friend reading this and you don’t get one, please don’t be discouraged. You know I want you there. Unless I don’t return your phone calls and ignore your e-mails. Then you can probably bet I don’t like you.

On May 15 and 16, MSU is host to the Media Showcase. There are three films showing that I worked on this semester. Rounding Third will be showing, which I worked as a grip on during shooting. It’s the other team’s film from my short film class. My own team’s film, Aline’s Holiday, will also be showing, and I am the editor for it. Both will be showing May 15. On May 16, The Last Romantic will be showing, which I worked as gaffer and camera operator on. It is the longest of all the films at about 35 minutes or so. It features some funny fantasy sequences as well as a musical number. I did all the handheld scenes in it, so I am pretty nervous about it, but I got lots of compliments so I hope it’s OK! Please join me on this night as all my classmates’ and my hard work from this semester is shown off. There are also a few other quality films and student work that will be shown off during both nights that I guarantee you will enjoy as well!

All right – I’m off to finishing some homework. Imagine that!

…no car.

…no money.

…no time.

…no worries.