DeMizio's Journal

Additions

1. Wawa Iced Tea is made with crack. Theres no other way I can be this awake.


2. I made it through Phantom, Les Mis, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and am now working through Newsies (Santa Fe...are you there?)


3. I feel better about this exam now. Fancy that: studying makes exams easier. sigh.

Exam Discoveries:

Things I have discovered about exams.

1. 24-Hour Quiet Hours suck - they suck to study in, and they suck even more to enforce. Suck suck suck suck.


2. Procrastination - A good thing, maybe the best of things. It sucks you in to do weird, weird things. Write a fake Incident Report for your friends? Sure. Trip to Chestnut Hill for McDonalds and Wawa? Sure. Actually get work done? Hellz no.


3. Studying Music - I am a nerd, and a geek, but I study best to the scores to musicals. I went through Guys and Dolls yesterday, and Les Mis and Phantom of the Opera today. Tomorrow, perhaps Rent, then tick tick boom! and then Assassins and Into the Woods. Who knows.


4. They need more free tacos when they advertise free tacos.


5. Coffee is a good thing, maybe the best of things...ahh, even stale, it breathes life and humor into you.


6. Professors: instead of handing out syllabi at the beginning of the semester, give out exam study sheets. Then, I can decide whether I really want this during my last week of class, and decide to drop then.


7. Just having the intention to study does not automatically make you study.


8. Studying via AOL Instant Messenger? Not gonna happen. It really doesn't work: "Oliver Twist [smiley face] was such a hard book! LOL! ROFLMAO!"


9. Friends with study guides for your classes are angels sent here on earth so you have a hope of passing.

I'm not that bad off. After tomorrow, I should be fine. For now, anyone want to help me discuss the concept of an evolutionary stable strategy? Oh My God! [smiley face>]LOL! ROFLMAO!

Masque Formal

Had a good time. I really don't have much more to say about it than that. Bittersweet, reflecting on the talent and dedication the Masque loses this year, but at the same time, it was a rocking party. Everyone looked awesome...it's amazing how formal dress and costumes bring out the beauty you never before saw, yet now cannot make disappear. (poetic, eh?)

Anyhow, I'm tired...yeah uneventful night of duty!

After editing out all of the red-eye, I have my formal pictures available online: http://formal.demizio.com.

Copenhagen

Believe it or not, I've never been good at theoretical physics.

Its the math, I keep telling myself. I can understand the concepts, but the math behind them (providing the basis for much theory) escapes me. I see the relationships between particles, but I have difficulty expressing relationships mathematically.

"Copenhagen" made theoretical physics easy for me, because it explained things in terms of the people involved. There was no math. Instead, I saw three people, deeply affected by the harsh reality that true knowledge holds for people: to possibly have the fate of millions in your hands, but expressed through impersonal, and possibly incorrect, abstract mathematical equations.

"Copenhagen" is a play about a meeting that took place between Neils Bohr and Werner Heisenberg in Denmark in 1941. Bohr, a German, visits his old friend and mentor in occupied-Denmark. That is where the facts end: no one knows exactly what was said at the meeting, or what was decided. The play is hypothetical conjecture: putting words into the mouths of two dead men and one dead woman.

In short, the play is fascinating. Heisenberg is remembered mostly today for his uncertainty equation: to put it badly, that it is impossible to know the position and speed of a particle within an atom because by measuring either, you upset the balance and introduce another variable (as I said, thats bad: it probably has a much different meaning that I could talk about if I understood theoretical physics: see my first paragraph.) The play uses the equation as a metaphor for the entire meeting: presenting multiple accounts within of what could have happened, with each intersecting in the next in a different way. To truly question whether one's motives can be actually known is heavy stuff; the play deals with it deftly.

Presentation of the play was excellent: set and lighting contributed well to the overall piece. Lighting particularly: using different schemes and specials to effectively highlight pertinent visible relationships on stage. The acting was superb: all three actors (the third is Bohr's wife, who according to the play, was Bohr's confidant for much of his life) became their characters. It truly was interesting to put faces and actions to theoretical physics and related equations. The greatest compliment that I feel I can pay to the cast and the playwright is that the actors seemed to disappear: they honestly knew what they were talking about, whether it was splitting the hydrogen atom, or differential equations.

In short, the play made the physics fun: the math disappears, and allows only the relationships to shine through. And that is what is important and universal about Copenhagen: the relationship between the three people and the questions that theoretical science brings to bear about actual reality.

Copehnahgen is on tour currently; In Philadelphia, it can be seen at the Forrest Theatre on Walnut Street.

It's Done!

...but not done, done. My scriptwriting final project that is. I chose to continue on with my film idea, "Hitting on McQueen." It was more than a school project; it wound up being a pet project as well. I have visions of it being submitted to contests, and getting agency representation from it....however, I have to finish it first: hence, the done, but not done. I have 32 pages written, of at least 100-120, figuring 1 page per minute of film, etc.

I'd post it here, but I fear criticism. So, I'm going to wait until I finish it first, and get comments back from Wine, and then possibly post it. I offer you instead, a collection of quotes from him, as said in Scriptwriting and Film as Art. Enjoy.

"If you don't think that Citizen Kane is the best movie ever made, you can go fuck yourself."
Bill Wine, Film As Art, 1/16/02

"They're blueprints. And thats why there are so many rich, alcoholic, unhappy writers."
Bill Wine, Scriptwriting, 4/4/02, on movies made of books.

"I'm a prostitute! I admit it!"
Bill Wine, Scriptwriting, 4/9/02, on selling out.

"This is precisely the time to jump on the ALF-wagon!"
Bill Wine, Scriptwriting, 4/9/02, on a student's ALF adaptation for a movie.

"Hold that thought; Fuck the Internet."
Bill Wine, 4/24/02, on movie information gained from the Internet.

"I have no opinion, in case the room is taped by my wife..."
Bill Wine, 4/24/02, while discussing "When Harry Met Sally" and whether a man and woman can really just be friends.

and finally, for posterity....

"It's the last day, I'm saying whatever the fuck I want!"
Bill Wine, 4/24/02, on the last day.

Thanks for the quotes, Professor Wine.

Damn papers...

I have a paper due tomorrow (now today, T-12 hours and counting) for Film as Art. Its the final paper I need to do for the class. It should be writing itself at this point; and the introduction and framework did, but now the rest refueses to come. Its not that I can't write it, its that I can't concentrate enough on the paper to do it. Damn the internet; there's way too many pointless things to do: Bored.Com, Kickups, The Onion, writing in journals, and reading other people's journals.

But I'm armed with my CDs, and a bottle of Coca-Cola, so I should be able to be up all night. Sigh.

In other news, I didn't win anything tonight at the Residential Leadership Awards. Sigh. The La Salle Residential Leadership Awards...where La Salle RSA and Community Development honors...itself. Kinda. (those that won, deserved it, I agree. sigh.)

I want to go to sleep.

Listening to: Cabaret: The New Broadway Cast Recording...

The Thrill is Back... I

The Thrill is Back...

I don't know why I'm writing this. I should be working on my screenplay. The joy and pride in it has returned; the writer's block disappeared. Fancy what just sitting down to write will do: just forcing myself to start a new scene that I thought wouldn't go anywhere has caused some of the best comedy that I've written. I've done about 6 pages tonight due to the sudden rush of inspiration; I think I have one more quick scene in me, then bed. I still need about 8 pages, due Thursday.

Cheers to the cast and crew of A Midsummer Night's Dream of the Masque of La Salle University. (the only ones I know of missing from the picture are Mary and Vicki; sorry girls...)

I'll have more from the close of the show soon; I think theres a few things I still need to get off of my chest, and explain.

Thank you all. I think

Thank you all.

I think that was the best night of my college career so far.

Thanks again.

"Again I Go Unnoticed" -Dashboard

"Again I Go Unnoticed"
-Dashboard Confessional

So quiet
another wasted night,
the television steals the conversation
exhale,
another wasted breath,
again it goes unnoticed.

It started out so well:

It started out so well: it was a good idea, with some good intentions and forethought behind it. Now it's becoming unmanageable.

I'm speaking of my screenplay. I'm 17 pages in, which as far as I can tell puts me about 20-25 minutes into the script (1 minute per page, but theres a long dream sequence in there) and am stuck. I need to just write something down: the story will come.

It's hot. The fan is on max. It's still hot. It's a shame I don't have class in Olney or Wister this semster; while Olney has the absolute worst classrooms anywhere (a former philosophy professor once called them "gas chambers") and Wister has the worst stairwells on campus (and an elevator with an inspection certificate that expiered in 1992 [yes, its been inspected since then, but it creaks, and rumbles, and doesn't generally inspire confidence in the hearts of man]) both buildings have AWESOME air conditioning. It wasn't on in the com center today, which sucked.

A final question...Its hot. I had an idea the other week, to do a sleep-out in a quad (CAJH Quad probably, but maybe main quad or Katherine's quad) for like a friday or saturday night. Would anyone go for this? Lemme know. Tents, sleeping bags, etc, not anything uncomfortable.

Let's All Go To The

Let's All Go To The Movies...
Part 2 : Projection

The projectionist is the heart and the soul of the theater: without him, there's no real reason for anyone else to be there: people wouldn't buy popcorn to sit in an empty, dead theater, would they?

Projectionists were once considered skilled artisans who were as integral to the life of a movie as the director was. It's true that many still view it in the same light, however, in this day with new technology and modern shortcuts, the job has lost a good deal of it's luster. In the job you're entrusted with the entire reason that the theater is there: the movies themselves. It becomes your responsibility; your duty, to show them as best as you can.

At least that's how I always treated the job...

When I was trained, I trained on my off days, unpaid. It took about a month before I was okay, and about 3 months before I considered myself good. I realize that it's a relatively easy job now: you maneuver the film through a series of rollers and gates in order to pass it in front of a lamphouse putting out 2000watts and above. You learn to be quick with your hands.

A typical projection shift started at 11am, if the theater opened at 12. You could be there until 5:30 usually, or thereabouts. It seemed the hardest part of the job involved your seperation from the rest of the theater. I usually had an entire floor to myself: I kept the temprature low, and the lights dark (oh the pain emerging at 3PM to look outside at the bright sunlight!) Your only connection to people downstairs is the static-y walkie-talkie thats on your belt:

"Hey Matt, what's your 20?" (where the hell are you?)
"Projector 10." (the far east side of the theater)
"Can you turn the sound up in theater 3?" (the EXACT OPPOSITE PLACE from which you are standing)
"Gotcha; will do in a few."

I always had a sense of showmanship with the job: whether it be in not allowing any clear leader to hit the screen after the lamp struck (you'd see a dirty and messy countdown that detracted from the show) or timing a beginning of a movie to coincide with the music (letting it build to a crescendo and starting the projector) or just checking the damn operation every 10 minutes to make sure the optimum conditions were met.

It was a fun job, it really was: I saw SO MANY trailers, and so many sound logos, and the first 20 minutes of darn near every movie that came out on my projection shifts. It was amazing too, just because no matter how crazy the floor could get on Friday or Saturday nights, the booth remained quiet, still, and cool. There could be 4500 people downstairs, and it would be just you upstairs: the final link in the great chain that started when the patron bought their ticket.

"Matt, what's your 20?"
"I'm by projector 1."
"Can you turn down the temprature in theater 4?"
"Sure."

Sigh, that means another walk into the middle booth. And I have 10 more movies to start in the next 40 minutes, oh well. No rest for the weary.

-/end/-

which "monty python and

which "monty python and the holy grail" character are you?

this quiz was made by colleen

Crazythoughts.com - Life's Unanswered Questions

Crazythoughts.com - Life's Unanswered Questions - Found this today. Some interesting points to ponder, among them:

• Why can magicians make things disappear into thin air, but not thick air?


• Why is the third hand on the watch called second hand?


• If Wile Coyote had enough money for all that Acme crap, why didn't he just buy dinner?


• If The Flintstones were B.C. and before America, why did they have Flintstones Thanksgiving and Flintstones Christmas?


• Why is there only ONE Monopolies Commission?

If I were a sappy movie ballad, I would be Summer Nights from Grease A cult hit loved by drama queens everywhere, I nonetheless show up more frequently in karaoke bars, bowling alleys, and VH1 than on the radio. What sappy movie ballad are you?

(I guess thats okay...)

My parents came up Saturday for the show. It was good to see them; it's been about a month, and they really enjoyed the show. The shows went really well: the only downside has been small crowds - we opened to 140 on Friday, then were down to 80 on Saturday, and then 86 on Sunday. Not as packed as "How To Succeed..." but I think still better than "Triumph of Love."

Other than that, it was a full weekend. I got my placement for next year, will be in the "Shady Basement" of Jerome and also first floor. I'm excited: it presents the challenge and joy of being an RA for a male's floor along with a female floor. The room is cool too: same as this year, a double, but it's down a flight of steps instead of up three flights of stairs. It's near the laundry room too. Excitement

Posted by Matthew at 10:16 PM | Comments (0)

Something else that amuses me

Something else that amuses me to no end...

Last night was weird - I had some very strange dreams. The first was related to Midsummer: it was opening night, and we were doing a scene that nobody had ever rehearsed before. Then I got caught on stage in the light, and I tried hiding from it but couldn't and wound up just covering up myself with my arms.

Like I said, weird.

Then there was prank call at like 5am...I don't remember what they wanted. It sounded like some people I knew though. But I don't remember who. aargh...

The dream is just from stress; the last rehearsal went well to a point: the final cues got royally screwed up though. It will go well tonight. It will.

2 Quotes that fit pretty well for this play and theater in general:

"Just remember: It's only community theatre until it offends someone... then it's ART!"
-- Scott R. Bloom

"...allow me to explain about the theatre business.
The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on
the road to imminent disaster."
-- Shakespeare in Love

And just one of my favorite quotes ever:

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because
he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears,
however measured or far away."
-- Henry David Thoreau, Walden, Conclusion, 1854

Come see Midsummer!

Tired out after another long

Tired out after another long day.

I'm annoyed at myself a bit for the evening; instead of helping out with the major tech stuff tonight (painting and sculpting the hills (they look DAMN good.)) I kinda was downstairs just hanging out and talking. I've put very little effort into this show, and it bothers me a little...being up there standing with the people who have done so much. I can blame it on my schedule this semster, and on the RA position (which takes up 100% of my free time some weeks) but that doesn't help. I know its not something to beat myself up over; but still...

It was a crazy night anyhow; helped make a "fairy bra" to hold wings on during the show. Found some old literature back from when La Salle had a Music Theater program every summer. Borrowed some stage lighting info from the prop room...wish I had had it a year and a half ago.

Got back to the dorms at about 3:30am. Am going to pass out in a few minutes...

plug for the show:
The Masque of La Salle University presents:

William Shakespeare's
A Midsummer Night's Dream

April 12, 13, 14*, 18, 19, 20
Show starts at 8:00 pm. *Sunday matinee at 2:00 pm.
$5 Faculty, Student and Senior Citizens
$7 General Admission
Each student receives one free ticket through
the Students Activity Fee

Tired... Didn't sleep well last

Tired...

Didn't sleep well last night, nor will I tonight. Napping didn't work.

Tech week trudges forward. We had a great run tonight; despite having to learn a POWERFUL fog machine that threatened to fill both the stage and the audience with dense, foul-smelling fog. (It looked awesome. trust me. REALLY REALLY COOL...but the actors weren't visible. I said "does that matter?" and they stared at me and I hid back behind the platform before they could find things to throw...)

anyhow, thats about it. I'm exhausted. Class at 11am. thats about 8 hours of sleep now. Better get started...

Listening to: moxy fruvous - king of spain (thanks Karen/Ali/Tech!)

I present for you now,

I present for you now, the first installment in a series, the ramblings of a theater employee. This one is kind of cynical; I tended to be that way in the mornings. So without further ado...

Let's All Go To The Movies...
You finally get out of bed at 10:30. You've figured out that you only live 4 minutes from the theater; you can still get there in time. Shower. Dress. For your shift, you need to wear gray dress pants (floor staff get black,) a white dress shirt, a tie (any will do, its the one major freedom you have...) dark socks and black dress shoes. There's a navy blue blazer at work waiting, you look cool when the uniform is complete which is seldom.

You pull up to the theater at 10:55. There's 3 cars in the lot: one is your employees, the other two are customers. The first movie is at 12:30. Why are the customers here so early? You pull out your keys, open one door out of 10 and leave it unlocked. The staff follow you in, and the patrons too. For now, you ignore them.

You go upstairs, and see that its dark. Punch in. Open the office. set the alarm. Sit in peace for a few minutes and pray for an easy day.

You open the safe, do a quick count, make sure it matches from the night before. It matches. You pull in a shopping cart from the booth, and put the cash drawers in there, along with gift certificates and the concession float. You grab a walkie-talkie for yourself, and a few for the people downstairs - how many depends on who you have on: if they're competent, they can have one. If they're going to bug you, they don't. If you imagine them making a run for food later, they get one. If they're annoying, they don't. If you know you're going to joke with them later, they get one. Its really that easy.

Go downstairs, watch the people in the lobby who want you to open. It's about 11:35 now. Distribute drawers, floats, and walkies. Figure out who's working where: someone good at box office, so they can deal with the patrons pissed at paying $8.50 for a movie, someone dually competent at concession, to deal with patrons pissed off at paying $6 for a small popcorn, someone totally incompetent at ushering, so that if he bumps into a wall and hurts himself (which is probable, based on recent hirings...), you don't lose much.

You grab a cup of fresh coffee and begin to wake up. At about 11:45 you open the doors, and are officially open. You head upstairs to check your email, see what has to get done today. You're an assistant manager; you can handle it.

[end installment]

Shout outs to all those who changed their hair color tonight, Michelle and Julia

Duty tonight: wasn't fun, wasn't

Duty tonight: wasn't fun, wasn't that bad, kind of lukewarm. 2AM rounds SUCK. But they were quiet.

Anyhow, link for today is to a friend's LiveJournal. Jess has been explaining what it's like to work on a roller coaster. It's fascinating stuff; easy and fun to read. Well written, obviously. Her third installment is up today, but read through the earlier ones to get the full backstory.

It's inspired me to start collecting thoughts about what it's like to work in a movie theater, from every perspective (I've been "lucky" to have such experiences) from the ushers (avoiding work at all costs while wondering aimlessly through the lobby and watching movies) to concessionist ("No, I don't set the prices...yes, $9 is a lot for a small popcorn") to Box office ("I'm sorry, but the movie is SOLD OUT") to projectionist (over the walkie talkie "Wasn't that movie supposed to start 10 minutes ago?") to my apogee, manager ("If I give you a free pass, then will you shut the %$#@ up?"). Look for that in coming days.

I'm tired now. Class at 10am. 6 hours sleep about. sigh...tech week begins sunday. argh.

Find out which Moulin

Find out which Moulin Rouge song you are.

Its been a good day.

Its been a good day. If only the weather had held up, but oh well...

First off, I got Day One! Day One is the orientation program for incoming Freshmen at La Salle. I applied to be a live-in host, which meant I would live on campus (in the awesome townhouses) and would work in an administrative department as well as be a host in the program. I'm looking forward to working with the freshmen, and the other hosts, and am looking forward to staying in Philadelphia for the summer.

I got another A on my script pages for class. These were the mid-three pages due last week. Its encouraging, because I've been writing the script more or less constantly this past week and have about 17 pages done (out of about 100-120). I just want to finish it, and see about sending it off to some contests - get my name out there and stuff. I'm pleased with how it's coming: I haven't hit a major block yet, and have the story mapped out as I see it finishing. With luck, it will be done by the end of school. I need to turn in about 30 pages for class credit; I'll definitely have at least that much.

Its been a great week. My father got in safely today from Oklahoma City, from a business trip. Placement forms for RA/community development came out today and I have to decide where I want to be.

I have to write a proposal for a documentary for class tomorrow. I have no ideas. sigh. Off to write that now.

For fun tonight, I was

For fun tonight, I was IM'ing a friend of mine and writing a story. This is interesting - its complete romantic drivel, but she liked it. Posted here for the world to see:

demizio: she rolled over and stared at the smile. It revealed so little about him; none of his character or goodness presented itself within. She tried to mimic the smile on her own face, and found she couldn't: like him, she had found, the smile held deeper meaning that she could not imitate yet. Perhaps with time, and knowledge, she would know more about the smile, about the man, about the mystery that surrounded him. Perhaps she could find his hidden allure, the allure that had drawn her towards him.

demizio: in the shower she let the steamy water drizzle all over her body. It was like his touch: hot, and tingly for her. Through all of the time she had known him - living next to each other for all those years as children - she had never felt this way about him before. There had always been something there, she knew, but it had never been explored. Getting out of the shower, she dressed for class, knowing full well that the professor's words would pass over her today as she thought about that smile.

demizio: She never even saw the car that hit her. As she stepped into the street she turned around to see the house. He was standing on the porch - smiling that smile of his. He waved; she waved back, and the world changed forever as the blue minivan ran the stop sign, stopping only when it had knocked her to the street.

demizio: He ran to her side, held her hand, and did what he could until the ambulance came. He was there for her when she came out of her coma: asleep in the visitor's chair in the hospital room, holding her hand, the same smile on his lips. She immediately knew that he was the man, and that he would never leave her side. She grasped his hand tighter and fell back asleep.

demizio: They planned a May wedding, for after the rains. The proposal was subtle; completely within his style. Her recouperation was quick: he was by her side at every painful but necessary step. She finally was discharged and brought home: her homecoming was greeted with flowers and joy from all sides, but especially from his.

demizio: And as she said "I do," she gazed into his eyes, and into his smile, and realized that he was the best thing that had ever happened to her. They embraced, love in their hearts burning as feircely as any fire, as any star, as any sun in any galaxy discovered or undiscovered at any time in the human concept of time.

demizio: To be continued.

(I want to write the backstory for her at some point. There are a few long messages that got lost, so the beginning of this narrative may be lost.)

(yeah terps!)

Go Terps!

Go Terps!

The Home Edition I

The Home Edition

I came home for Easter on Thursday night. Got in around 9:30PM. Watched ER with mom, then crashed and fell asleep. Woke up late on Friday. Did nothing. Woke up late on Saturday, went to Gettysburg, PA.

Gettysburg has this calming effect on me. In my honors sophomore english class we studied Wordsworth's "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey...part of the meaning we realized (if I remember correctly) lay in the healing and calming effects of nature. Wordsworth felt he needed to retire to nature every couple of years in order to recharge, and rest, and become his old self again, and felt all humanity shared the same need. I share the same sentiment, and practice it. Gettysburg has been that place to which I go to contemplate, and recharge. It's incredibly peaceful (as long as you ignore the tourists) and one can get a sense of the way the town was before the battle. Once one has that sense, my natural pondering is always, why? why then, why here, why? It's a complete juxtaposition, the bringing of war to such a peaceful area: surrounded by farms and hills. That leads, naturally enough, into the questioning of the characters of the men who played a part here: Lee, Meade, Jackson, Chamberlain...some were soldiers, some scholars. Again, the juxtapositions are fascinating. And they lead one to ponder, rest, reflect and enjoy.

Or thats what happens to us, me and my father, anyway. We just drive around the auto tour, and walk through the sites, usually stopping at a few poignant ones: Devil's Den, Little Round Top, the Virginia Monument that marks the spot where Pickett's charge began. Its just a field in front of you, a farmer's field, devoid of trees, or cover of any time. Your imagination spins painting the thousands of men who walked across the field in one last ditch effort to keep the Confederacy together. Standing side by side, one after the other...the mind boggles. One last effort at solidarity. "Out of the fifty-five hundred men which Pickett took into action, fourteen hundred and ninety-nine surrendered, two hundred and twenty-four were killed, and eleven hundred and forty were reported wounded." A line of men that long, to me, is staggering to comprehend.

We had a good trip. It's only about an hour from home in Baltimore, and we made it in good time, and had an excellent day.

Today we had my uncle over, and just kind of were "peaceful." I wrote a paper for Film as Art that may be due Tuesday, or Wednesday. 4 1/2 pages on the movie "This is Spinal Tap." Comm majors have it easy.

I drive back to La Salle today with a clear head...contributed to by nature and also through the paper being done.

"From this green earth; of all the mighty world
Of eye, and ear,--both what they half create,
And what perceive; well pleased to recognise
In nature and the language of the sense
The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,
The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul
Of all my moral being. "