Riley

Available for adoption!

Riley is a male Pitbull mix. He is approx. 4 mths old and weighs 20 lbs. Riley is new at the shelter so we are still learning about him. He is a friendly little guy with a wonderful coat! He will need someone with a little patience as he learns to walk on a leash. If not reclaimed by his owner he will be available 12/7/15

Animals for Adoption

If anyone is looking to give a dog or cat a good home, please let me know! I volunteer at the Conway animal shelter and can certainly help you out! There are lots of good pets looking for owners to love!

Be Inspired

Metastatic cancer took cinematographer Gordon Willis from this world in 2014 at age 82. Famous for his work on all three Godfather movies, his talent speaks for itself. He also worked on a number of other significant films, including Annie Hall, Manhattan, and All the President's Men. Three films he shot- The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, and Annie Hall- all won best picture at the Academy Awards. Between '71 and '77, seven films he shot received a total of 39 academy award nominations, and 19 wins. He himself, earned two Oscar nominations for cinematography for The Godfather Part III and Zelig. Willis worked in almost every genre- from screwball comedy to period pieces to westerns. Editor and publisher of American Cinematographer magazine, Stephen Pizzello stated "If there were a Mount Rushmore for cinematographers, Gordon's features would surely be chiseled into the face." And yet, most people have no idea who Gordon Willis is or was or what he contributed to history or to American culture. Of course, this statement is excluding filmmakers, film students, film historians, etc etc. But Gordan Willis, I doubt was ever a household name and certainly never will be in the future. There just seems to be something wrong with that. That a person can achieve so much in their life and career and shape great pieces of art that undoubtedly touch many people, but go practically unrecognized. And yet not a single American doesn't know the name Kardashian. What a twisted world. I certainly don't have the answers on how to solve such a conundrum, but I would like to challenge myself and those around me to try. Even if it's simple and small. Turn off the reality TV. Put down the Paris Hilton magazine. Focus on what matters and the people who make a difference. Let them inspire you to make a difference as well. 

If Wishes Were Horses

Rodrigo Prieto

  Rodrigo Prieto has worked as a cinematographer on a number of films, both Spanish and American, including We Bought a Zoo, Water for Elephants, Brokeback Mountain, and 8 Mile. The most noticeable and consistent feature in Prieto's work is his use of light and shadow, shallow depth of field, the use of texture, and color. Pools of light flood certain areas of the frame while shadows create contrast. For example in 8 Mile,  a large portion of Jimmy's face is often times lit while the edges of his body and the rest of the frame is filled with shadow. Low key lighting is prominent in several of Prieto's films. Shallow depth of field exists throughout many of the cinematographer's work as well. It is seen mostly in close ups in Water for Elephants, 8 Mile, and Brokeback Mountain. This technique puts us as audience members closer to the characters and in their heads and worlds. Texture comes into play with the use of fog and gives Prieto's images a gritty, realistic feel. In almost every film of Prieto's that I have seen has fog to create texture. The best examples of Prieto's color grading is seen in Brokeback Mountain, We Bought a Zoo, and Water for Elephants. In Brokeback Mountain, blues and greens are dominant creating a cool, yet almost sad at times, tone. We Bought a Zoo has lots teal and yellow as well as green, perfectly fitting the outdoor and nature settings. Water for Elephants is washed in reds, browns, and yellows, adding to the flashback/antique nature and tone/feel to the film. All of the above characteristics of Rodrigo Prieto's work is what makes him one of my personal favorite cinematographers, as well as arguably one of the best modern cinematographers in the industry.

Headshots

Boner Joke of the Day

If you're a HIMYM fan, we can be friends

BONER JOKE OF THE DAY:
Why does a penis have a hole in the end?
So men can be open minded. 

The Open Road- A Visual Poem

An Open Letter to The One That Got Away

Hey you-

You know who you are. We spent a month together. A crazy, confusing, wonderful, emotional month. We saw each other every day. You tore down my walls. You held me at night, and you revealed more to me about yourself than you had to anyone in a long time. In return, I let you in. I trusted you. I was high on you. I fell in love with you. You were perfect, everything I had ever imagined. I allowed myself to picture a future with you. And then you were gone.

Gone without a word. One day, everything was normal, we were close, we were seeing each other. The next, you were busy with family but we were still talking; everything was fine. I didn't think much of it. The next, you were gone.

I don't think I can properly put into words what it felt like when you disappeared from my life. As I sat, for days, staring at my phone, willing it to light up. Coming up with every possible scenario in which you couldn't text me and hadn't just left. Maybe he lost his phone and is ordering a new one....Maybe he went away for the weekend with family and there is no cell service....Maybe he got into a car crash and is in the hospital in a coma...Maybe...maybe...maybe. Or maybe what I was afraid of was true. That you just didn't want me anymore. And that I would never know why. 

Unfortunately for me, women seem to be hard-wired to go a little off the deep end when the men in their lives act sketchy. Not that this doesn't necessarily make sense, or isn't completely justifiable, but it certainly makes things more difficult for everyone involved. You see, if you had just come to me, come to me and told me that you had met someone else. Or that you just didn't see us working. That you didn't like me like you thought you did. That I wasn't the one. I would have understood. Sure, it would have been a tough conversation to have, but ultimately I would have understood. And I would have had so much respect for you, for respecting me enough to be upfront with me. But that's not what you did. You left and I turned into psycho-bitch who sends like seven texts in a row and then turns around and calls twice because my mind and emotions went from I'm-so-angry-I'm-gonna-give-him-a-piece-of-my-mind, to hurt beyond belief, to OHMYGODHESREALLYDEAD, and everywhere in between. 

It's been around eight months since you came and went from my life. Since I dropped off your stuff on your doorstep with a letter begging you to contact me and tell me what happened...that I didn't hate you for leaving and wanted to make it work if you did. Since I made a total fool of myself. 

I still see you around campus sometimes. We never speak or smile, but instead just pretend like we don't see one another, and avoid eye contact. Like an unspoken agreement. I wonder about you often though. How you're doing, how your family is, how your classes and grades are, if you still enjoy your fraternity. But every time I wonder how your life is, I also come back to wondering about why you did what you did. I want to ask you all of these things, but I won't. And then I hope and pray that you have realized what a horrible thing that was to do to someone, and will never do it again. That's my biggest wish. 

It's nice to be able to look back and not hate you for breaking my heart. To look at my life now and know that maybe I wouldn't be where I am in my life if I was still with you. That I probably wouldn't have gone on to meet my best friend and absolute love of my life. 

You'll always be the one that got away, but I will never long for you like I once did. You made a mistake, but I understand that you were (are) young and stupid. Instead, I just miss being able to call you my friend. I sincerely hope that everything in your life is wonderful and that you are happy. And that you find a fantastic girl someday. You're a good person and have a bright future. I'm sure you'll make the most of it. 

    Sincerely,

                                  Natalie

Lessons From Roger Deakins

   Roger Deakins is unquestionably one of the most notable and talented cinematographers of today and recent years. Working on films like The Shawshank Redemption, No Country for Old Men, Fargo, Doubt, Skyfall, Revolutionary Road, True Grit, Prisoners, and Unbroken (just to name a few), Deakins clearly does not need to prove himself. However, he has a vast amount of wisdom to share with aspiring filmmakers and film students.
   These pieces of advice, as found in several articles, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Each filmmaker must find his own style- In this Deakins explains that to be a great cinematographer, you cannot just copy others' work. You have to be creative and develop a style that you like and that sets you apart. No two photographers should ever be the same and you should be able to tell their work apart. 
• "Cinematography is more than a camera"- Ultimately cameras are all basically the same. They do the same things and produce similar types of images. What makes cinematography is how you use that camera to create your compositions, and how you use lights. 
• Filmmaking never gets any easier- You will never get over nerves and intimidation, no matter how big you get. In fact, almost the opposite. The more jobs you are given and the more notable you become, the more is expected of you, so your nerves may be even higher than when you were first starting and trying to prove yourself. 
• It's your job to figure out how to work with others- Every director has different needs from his DP and it is the job of the cinematographer to figure out what those needs are 
• Contacts are a door knock/phone call away- To get jobs, you have to put yourself out there. Find a name in the credits, call their assistant. Knock on people's doors. Make it known that you want to work and will bust your tail. 

   Deakins' advice and wisdom can often apply to other situations outside of the film world, or just life in general. But as film students, it would do us good to listen to someone as experienced and successful as he.