September 13, 2012
September 9, 2012
Ten things I've learned this week
1. I love internet
I mean... If I didn't I wouldn't have a blog, a frequently used Facebook account, a Twitter account so that I can stalk my favorite celebrities, a Youtube account so I can make playlists and comment videos, a university user-account (because I have to), a Google account to check my mail, an Empire-online account to keep me updated on movie-news and so on... I figure you get my point. Nevertheless, we finally got Wi-Fi here, and I've been using it well!
2. Cleaning is necessary
This wednesday my fellow "room-mates" (living in the other rooms on this floor) and I finally got together to wash everything in the entire kitchen and the two bathrooms. I can honestly say it was about time. Probably it's been over a year since anyone did it last time, and with eight people sharing one kitchen and two bathrooms you can only begin to imagine how dirty it was! After almost three hours I'm finally able to stay out there for a longer periode of time...
3. Fridges are useful
My mother and I bought a mini-fridge when she was her last weekend. Now I can hardly imagine how I'd be able to live without it! There's a big fridge out in the kitchen, but it's ment to be shared by eight people. Which is probably five or six too much. Now that I've got my own I can fill it up and live on it for a week or two! And best of all, I can make myself some breakfast before I get dressed and put on makeup and such. It's brilliant!

4. Food is expensive
I have always known that food costs a lot of money. Especially in Norway. But exactly how much was a tiny surprise. When I bought all the food I needed to fill my fridge I actually ended up paying 890 kroner! In US dollars that would be 155$... That's a lot. Luckily I won't have to pay that much next time I'm buying some food, because some of the things I bought are things that last a very long time. Well, it'd be easy to live on a diet with prices like that!
5. I'm lost without keys
To get in to my room I have to unlock three doors. One to get through the main entrance, one to get into my floor and one to get into my own room. It's easy to see I'm kind of attached to my keys. Or... should be. I learned that the hard way (as I always seem to do) by forgetting my keys inside when I went to the grocery store. You see, I joined one of the girls from my floor, and then I didn't need keys on my way out. What I forgot was that she was only buying one thing while I had an entire list, so naturally she finished before me. When I finally got back to our house I suddenly froze outside the main entrance painfully aware that I had no way of getting in. Since I've not yet been as smart as getting the phone numbers of the other guys in case a thing like this should happen, there was nothing to do but wait. After ten minutes of laughing about how stupid I'd been someone from third floor luckily came out. They looked a bit surprised to stumble upon a girl outside their door, but I just thanked them and rushed in. I'd not locked my room (the keys were inside) so I just had to knock on the door to my floor and explane to the girls in the kitchen exactly how blond I am on the inside...
6. Plastic is hard
I bought some very nice, black boots in Barcelona that I've used quite a lot lately. The problem is that the soles are made of plastic. Which means they're not too good for walking long distances. And I've been walking quite a bit this week. Solution: Change shoes once in a while!
7. TackIt is mandatory
If you don't already know what it is, it's some sort of chewing gum not ment for chewing. You simply tear off a piece and use it to stick things to the wall for example. Every student should have it since it's illegal to put up nails and such in all apartments. It can honestly be used for anything. Like putting up a gigantic world-map and a Pirates of the Caribbean-poster...
8. I'm too good at cooking
I love dinner! It's the best meal of the day. And with some help and inspiration from my parents I've become quite good at cooking. The problem is... I'm used to cook for five, not just one. Thus, every dinner I've made this week have been too big for just one person! I fortunately solved the problem by saving some of it for later... So actually I've just cooked half of the meals I've eaten, the other half only took some heating.
9. How to start a washing machine
Don't judge! I have actually never washed my own clothes... Luckily It wasn't too hard to get my head around. Yesterday I even washed the soap-thing (the drawer you put the soap in) by hand! It took forever since there were soap-rests stuck in there from a looong time ago. Washing dirty and grose soap-drawer? Check!
10. TV-series are best on DVD
Living all by myself is all right for the most of the time. But sometimes I find myself missing human voices... The solution became TV-series! Castle, Rookie Blue, So You Think You Can Dance, the entire first season of Game of Thrones, and my current project: White Collar. Game of Thrones surprised me by being really good! And White Collar is so much fun I can't help but giggle out loud from time to time. Luckily there are still four seasons to go!
I mean... If I didn't I wouldn't have a blog, a frequently used Facebook account, a Twitter account so that I can stalk my favorite celebrities, a Youtube account so I can make playlists and comment videos, a university user-account (because I have to), a Google account to check my mail, an Empire-online account to keep me updated on movie-news and so on... I figure you get my point. Nevertheless, we finally got Wi-Fi here, and I've been using it well!
2. Cleaning is necessaryThis wednesday my fellow "room-mates" (living in the other rooms on this floor) and I finally got together to wash everything in the entire kitchen and the two bathrooms. I can honestly say it was about time. Probably it's been over a year since anyone did it last time, and with eight people sharing one kitchen and two bathrooms you can only begin to imagine how dirty it was! After almost three hours I'm finally able to stay out there for a longer periode of time...
3. Fridges are useful
My mother and I bought a mini-fridge when she was her last weekend. Now I can hardly imagine how I'd be able to live without it! There's a big fridge out in the kitchen, but it's ment to be shared by eight people. Which is probably five or six too much. Now that I've got my own I can fill it up and live on it for a week or two! And best of all, I can make myself some breakfast before I get dressed and put on makeup and such. It's brilliant!

4. Food is expensive
I have always known that food costs a lot of money. Especially in Norway. But exactly how much was a tiny surprise. When I bought all the food I needed to fill my fridge I actually ended up paying 890 kroner! In US dollars that would be 155$... That's a lot. Luckily I won't have to pay that much next time I'm buying some food, because some of the things I bought are things that last a very long time. Well, it'd be easy to live on a diet with prices like that!
5. I'm lost without keys
To get in to my room I have to unlock three doors. One to get through the main entrance, one to get into my floor and one to get into my own room. It's easy to see I'm kind of attached to my keys. Or... should be. I learned that the hard way (as I always seem to do) by forgetting my keys inside when I went to the grocery store. You see, I joined one of the girls from my floor, and then I didn't need keys on my way out. What I forgot was that she was only buying one thing while I had an entire list, so naturally she finished before me. When I finally got back to our house I suddenly froze outside the main entrance painfully aware that I had no way of getting in. Since I've not yet been as smart as getting the phone numbers of the other guys in case a thing like this should happen, there was nothing to do but wait. After ten minutes of laughing about how stupid I'd been someone from third floor luckily came out. They looked a bit surprised to stumble upon a girl outside their door, but I just thanked them and rushed in. I'd not locked my room (the keys were inside) so I just had to knock on the door to my floor and explane to the girls in the kitchen exactly how blond I am on the inside...
6. Plastic is hardI bought some very nice, black boots in Barcelona that I've used quite a lot lately. The problem is that the soles are made of plastic. Which means they're not too good for walking long distances. And I've been walking quite a bit this week. Solution: Change shoes once in a while!
7. TackIt is mandatoryIf you don't already know what it is, it's some sort of chewing gum not ment for chewing. You simply tear off a piece and use it to stick things to the wall for example. Every student should have it since it's illegal to put up nails and such in all apartments. It can honestly be used for anything. Like putting up a gigantic world-map and a Pirates of the Caribbean-poster...
8. I'm too good at cooking
I love dinner! It's the best meal of the day. And with some help and inspiration from my parents I've become quite good at cooking. The problem is... I'm used to cook for five, not just one. Thus, every dinner I've made this week have been too big for just one person! I fortunately solved the problem by saving some of it for later... So actually I've just cooked half of the meals I've eaten, the other half only took some heating.
9. How to start a washing machine
Don't judge! I have actually never washed my own clothes... Luckily It wasn't too hard to get my head around. Yesterday I even washed the soap-thing (the drawer you put the soap in) by hand! It took forever since there were soap-rests stuck in there from a looong time ago. Washing dirty and grose soap-drawer? Check!
10. TV-series are best on DVD
Living all by myself is all right for the most of the time. But sometimes I find myself missing human voices... The solution became TV-series! Castle, Rookie Blue, So You Think You Can Dance, the entire first season of Game of Thrones, and my current project: White Collar. Game of Thrones surprised me by being really good! And White Collar is so much fun I can't help but giggle out loud from time to time. Luckily there are still four seasons to go!
August 29, 2012
New home, new school, new town and new people
It's been a while.
But, I think it's fair to say I have kept busy :)
I've promised myself I'll never apologize or explain myself... so I won't. Not because I don't have good and sometimes exciting explanations, just because it'd be way too boring for you to listen to (read)!
Well... First thing first: I do not live in Stavanger any more. As I have briefly mentioned to those bothering to read the "This is me"-section, I am now a citizen of the beautiful, cold and wet city of Bergen.
There was also a reason behind the moving: I'm now officially a student at Bergen University! Monday 13th of August was the first day of my time as a student in Media Science. (I don't really know if that's the correct translation from the Norwegian word, but it basically means I study everything concerning the media in general... at least I think that's what I am about to study?)
Since it'd probably be a tiny little bit problematic studying in Bergen while still living in Stavanger, I therefore got myself an apartment. Basically it's just a room, since I share kitchen and two bathrooms with seven other people... But still, to me it's become my own little house <3
It's still far from finished, but it's getting there... My housemates, who live in the other seven rooms, seems nice, so I recon I'll like it here :)
In addition to moving and starting to study I've also been traveling A LOT! Lucky for me I'm not afraid of airplanes. You see, last week my best friend and I went to Barcelona! Yepp, right in the middle of everything I somehow managed to find the time to go on vacation. It was fantastic, and really hot and sunny, just as Spain should be. Some pictures may appear later...
I'll try to make a new update within a couple of days, although not yet having internet in my apartment is a mayor problem for the time being. However it's being handled with recent trips to the library... :)
Tomorrow I probably have to get started on the miniature mountain of school-books that has to be finished before Christmas. (Tidying my exceedingly messy room, drinking tea, eating a lot of chocolate, and watching some more of my latest addiction: "Game of Thrones" will probably also be on tomorrow's schedule...)
But, I think it's fair to say I have kept busy :)
I've promised myself I'll never apologize or explain myself... so I won't. Not because I don't have good and sometimes exciting explanations, just because it'd be way too boring for you to listen to (read)!
Well... First thing first: I do not live in Stavanger any more. As I have briefly mentioned to those bothering to read the "This is me"-section, I am now a citizen of the beautiful, cold and wet city of Bergen.
There was also a reason behind the moving: I'm now officially a student at Bergen University! Monday 13th of August was the first day of my time as a student in Media Science. (I don't really know if that's the correct translation from the Norwegian word, but it basically means I study everything concerning the media in general... at least I think that's what I am about to study?)
Since it'd probably be a tiny little bit problematic studying in Bergen while still living in Stavanger, I therefore got myself an apartment. Basically it's just a room, since I share kitchen and two bathrooms with seven other people... But still, to me it's become my own little house <3
It's still far from finished, but it's getting there... My housemates, who live in the other seven rooms, seems nice, so I recon I'll like it here :)
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| Nobody told me how much work it actually takes to move from one house to another! |
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| (Taken before I'd had the time to make it all messy...) |
In addition to moving and starting to study I've also been traveling A LOT! Lucky for me I'm not afraid of airplanes. You see, last week my best friend and I went to Barcelona! Yepp, right in the middle of everything I somehow managed to find the time to go on vacation. It was fantastic, and really hot and sunny, just as Spain should be. Some pictures may appear later...
I'll try to make a new update within a couple of days, although not yet having internet in my apartment is a mayor problem for the time being. However it's being handled with recent trips to the library... :)
Tomorrow I probably have to get started on the miniature mountain of school-books that has to be finished before Christmas. (Tidying my exceedingly messy room, drinking tea, eating a lot of chocolate, and watching some more of my latest addiction: "Game of Thrones" will probably also be on tomorrow's schedule...)
August 7, 2012
Kurt Hugo Schneider - The Music Magician
(*Update: Read more about Kurt and Sam's new original album "Make It Up")
I just had to mention him at some point, and the thought hit me that it should be rather sooner than later!
For those of you that don't already know him, he's a magician. Well... not the wand and cloak kind of guy, but a real-life magician after all. He conjures music and songs. The most beautiful kind there is.
The more common explanation is that he's a music producer, film director and songwriter who can play nearly every instrument you'd be able to mention. Long story short, at high school he met a singer named Sam Tsui, and soon they started to make small films together.
In 2008 they published their first video, Can I Have This Dance, on Kurt's YouTube-channel. The song from the film High School Musical was ment to be sung by Sam and a girl, but she bailed in last second. Kurt thought it'd be fun to make Sam sing the girl's part too, and he ended up editing the two different clips so that it would appear to be two guys sitting next to each other singing the duet. Just imagine how stunned people became when they found out it was actually the same guy!
After the surprising response to their video they continued to cover a lot of different songs using Kurt's astonishing skill as a musician and a lot of Sam's for all of the vocals. The YouTube-channel grew popular in record-time, and as of today it's one of YouTube's 50 most subscribed channels with the amazing number of 1 442 201 subscribers as of today!
Over the years he's collaborated with a lot of other singers, both knows and unknown to the web-universe, and made everything from mashups to covers of famous songs to original music and music videos. Always improving and ever-changing his videos are now some of the best there is on YouTube.
In 2010 he created a Miley Cyrus-medley together with fellow YouTuber Christina Grimmie. This has later been proved to be the video that earned Christina an agent and sent her on her way to fame. (That's a story destined for another post later sometime...)
The video that really made him boost to fame was him and Sam's mashup of Love The Way You Lie, Dynamite and Teenage Dream. It became so popular it eventually ended up airing on different radio stations, and as of today it's got over 26 million views! It's also the first of their videos I saw, and from then I was hooked.
His most viewed video of all time is Sam Tsui and Christina Grimmie's cover of Just A Dream, originally preformed by Nelly. It's got more than 51 million views, and if you check out the video below you'll understand why! I love it a thousand timed more than the original (which I actually don't like at all...) and so do thousands of others!
One of my favorites of his is Sam's version of Safe And Sound by Taylor Swift. It's so beautiful it's breathtaking! I happend to listen to it again tonight, and it was so good I just had to write this entire blog post...
Today he also posted a Sam Tsui-cover of David Guetta's Titanium. I love the original, but I LOVE this version!
Other videos worth mentioning is a Rihanna medley by Matisse, B-e-a-utiful by Megan Nicole, Born This Way Cover by Sam Tsui, OneRepublic Medley by The Royal Sons, and Sam and Kurt's first original song Don't Want An Ending. He's actually making YouTube-stars rather than just collaborating with them!
Finally I'll just link you some of the most recent work by the music wizard himself... And I hope you'll start to love him as much as I do :-)
A Thousand Years (ft. Aimée Proal and Lindsey Stirling)
I just had to mention him at some point, and the thought hit me that it should be rather sooner than later!
For those of you that don't already know him, he's a magician. Well... not the wand and cloak kind of guy, but a real-life magician after all. He conjures music and songs. The most beautiful kind there is.
The more common explanation is that he's a music producer, film director and songwriter who can play nearly every instrument you'd be able to mention. Long story short, at high school he met a singer named Sam Tsui, and soon they started to make small films together.
In 2008 they published their first video, Can I Have This Dance, on Kurt's YouTube-channel. The song from the film High School Musical was ment to be sung by Sam and a girl, but she bailed in last second. Kurt thought it'd be fun to make Sam sing the girl's part too, and he ended up editing the two different clips so that it would appear to be two guys sitting next to each other singing the duet. Just imagine how stunned people became when they found out it was actually the same guy!
After the surprising response to their video they continued to cover a lot of different songs using Kurt's astonishing skill as a musician and a lot of Sam's for all of the vocals. The YouTube-channel grew popular in record-time, and as of today it's one of YouTube's 50 most subscribed channels with the amazing number of 1 442 201 subscribers as of today!
Over the years he's collaborated with a lot of other singers, both knows and unknown to the web-universe, and made everything from mashups to covers of famous songs to original music and music videos. Always improving and ever-changing his videos are now some of the best there is on YouTube.
In 2010 he created a Miley Cyrus-medley together with fellow YouTuber Christina Grimmie. This has later been proved to be the video that earned Christina an agent and sent her on her way to fame. (That's a story destined for another post later sometime...)
The video that really made him boost to fame was him and Sam's mashup of Love The Way You Lie, Dynamite and Teenage Dream. It became so popular it eventually ended up airing on different radio stations, and as of today it's got over 26 million views! It's also the first of their videos I saw, and from then I was hooked.
His most viewed video of all time is Sam Tsui and Christina Grimmie's cover of Just A Dream, originally preformed by Nelly. It's got more than 51 million views, and if you check out the video below you'll understand why! I love it a thousand timed more than the original (which I actually don't like at all...) and so do thousands of others!
One of my favorites of his is Sam's version of Safe And Sound by Taylor Swift. It's so beautiful it's breathtaking! I happend to listen to it again tonight, and it was so good I just had to write this entire blog post...
Today he also posted a Sam Tsui-cover of David Guetta's Titanium. I love the original, but I LOVE this version!
Other videos worth mentioning is a Rihanna medley by Matisse, B-e-a-utiful by Megan Nicole, Born This Way Cover by Sam Tsui, OneRepublic Medley by The Royal Sons, and Sam and Kurt's first original song Don't Want An Ending. He's actually making YouTube-stars rather than just collaborating with them!
Finally I'll just link you some of the most recent work by the music wizard himself... And I hope you'll start to love him as much as I do :-)
A Thousand Years (ft. Aimée Proal and Lindsey Stirling)
Pop Medley 2011 (ft. Sam Tsui)
Skyscraper Cover (ft. Olivia Noelle)
Katy Perry Medley (ft. Olivia Noelle)
July 25, 2012
First Impressions: "The Dark Knight Rises" (no spoilers)
How does one even start?
Let's just say that there is a reason that I'm still awake at this hour (4:00 am) despite the fact that I'm going to work tomorrow morning...
As you might have guessed that reason is nothing less than the mid-night premiere of The Dark Knight Rises. Unless you've been living under a rock, you might have heard of it?
To not exaggerate too much, I have to say that my expectations were extremely high! Let's just get it out there in the open... I'm a Batman fan. That kind of fan who wrote a 19 pages long school assignment about him this spring. For me, and a lot of other people all over the world, one question has been shining bright in our minds these last couple of months:
How can he top, or even match, The Dark Knight?
It seemed like an impossible task. The man himself, Christopher Nolan, had set the bar so high up that many doubted he'd be able to clear it. I mean, The Dark Knight has been my absolute favorite movie since the first time I saw it. With it Nolan made a new genre in the movie industry. A new way of making a movie. His secret? Never to underestimate his audience. He got his confirmation with Inception in 2010. The world loved this new form of movies!
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| Talk about marketing? |
Today, finally having watched the movie that the entire world has been waiting for, I've got only one thing to say...
Why did I ever doubt Christopher Nolan!
I'm going to keep this 100% spoiler free, (I know just how annoying spoilers can be!) so naturally I won't tell you anything at all about the actual story... Except that it's brilliant. And as far as the film goes, I am just stunned and in awe of the man who has finally given Batman a legacy to be proud of!
It was so good I compleatily forgot to pay attention the the filmatics and how it was made and what I liked and all of the other things I usually look for and think about. For probably the first time since I watched Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End as a 12-year-old 8th grader, I was so lost in the movie that nothing else mattered for three straight hours. I just enjoyed.
As you might have noticed, these movies are quite dark, and frankly this is the darkest one by far. Nolan said in an interview with Empire Magazine a while back that he'd given each of the filmas a theme. The first was "fear", the second "caos", and this third bore the appealing word "pain". And pain there was.
The beauty of this version of the Batman story is that it's all so realistic. In this one I actually felt there was a lot at stake. I caught myself thinking "This might actually not end well..." I had no clue! In a lot of super-hero movies the entire world is at stake as it is attached by aliens or robots or a giant comet or something equally terrifying. With Rises it just feels different. Like most of it could actually have happened. This makes even the pain feel real. Pain, despear and anger. But it is because of that you suddenly find yourself feeling the hope from within you. Not from the screen but from the movie theatre. From the audience breathing synchronized and sitting on the edge of our seat even through the parts where nothing happened.
Throughout the movie you constantly have the feeling that something will happen, but you don't know what! And the last thing that makes Nolan the best director in the world (Oscar on its way?) is that you never know what he might do! He has shown us that he has no limitations and follows no rules.
Nothing, and no one, is sacred and everything can be done if he decides that's what he wants. As an audience this makes you feel totally out of control. "What?" you say. "It's no regular Hollywood-style super hero action movie?" NO. It's not. But that's why you'll love it!
I honestly don't know how to describe for you just how good, brilliant, grose, heartbreaking and epic The Dark Knight Rises truly is, so I guess you'll just have to go see it yourself to find out. I promise you'll not be waisting your money!
Bente :)
Just added some sneak peaks from the movie theater...
July 22, 2012
Choosing A Profession Part Two - How To Get There?
(To read part one of this mini-series about choosing a profession, head over here...)
Part two: How to get there?
So. I want to direct movies.
Or at least work in the industry somehow.
How?
Frankly, I've got no idea. There are no schools that can guarantee you work as a director. There's nothing you have to do, or not do for that matter. Some of the world's best directors are not even trained professionals... (Christopher Nolan - Batman and Inception) Others have truly worked themselves up from a nobody to become a respected director. A lot of them are schooled in the art of filmmaking, yes, but some say that the practical work experience was more important to them than anything else. With absolutely no right way to do it, where to start then?
I considered the Norwegian national film academy in Lillehammer, but gave up that thought learning the grades you had to have to even get in. Besides, most of the people there look like know-it-alls that either make serious documentaries or even more serious television programs. I feel like I'd be kind of stuck there.
Naturally I moved on to consider schools like UCLA and other schools in the Hollywood area. Then I'd be at the heart of it, right? It'd be perfect! Then I hit a big obstacle that suddenly materialized between me and the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. I must admit I had to cancel my brilliant plans when I learned how much money they'd all require. I'm a regular mortal! I'd like to avoid living waist deep in depth for the rest of my life.
It's got to be Norway, then.
This spring I applied to Bergen University. Originally for a Bachelor in Film- and Television-production. My grades are actually quite good, but unfortunately there are too many nerds in this country and only 20 of over 200 applicants would be offered a place in the program. I wasn't one of them.
Here I have to quote cinematographer Oliver Stapleton:
"I'm useless at everything but I'm willing to learn. Now this is much better. Modern schooling damages more people than it helps. This is because the grade system means that you are never first. And if you were, you wouldn't be reading this. [...] Many successful film people started life like this. Film People are kind of outlaws anyway: it's not a proper job."
Instead I got offered a place at the Bachelor in Media Science at Bergen University. I said yes. Basically this means I get to take all of the theoretical classes included in the other bachelor, but I don't get to actually make a film.
I was kind of disappointed, but fortunately this could also be a good thing. I will get to learn the history behind it all. The incredible power that lies within a film maker's hands. Why one film can effect millions of people all over the world. Why it connects with people watching it in their basement thousands of miles away. And by learning the secrets behind it all, I might get some sort of understanding of what it is people want to see, and why?
Conclusion: They (the guys at film- and television-production) get to learn how to make a movie, I get to learn why. I believe that's a decent way to start out. Who knows where I'll end up eventually? I'll figure it out as I go along. That's what I usually do. That's me.
* To read Part One, head over here
Part two: How to get there?
So. I want to direct movies.
Or at least work in the industry somehow.
How?
Frankly, I've got no idea. There are no schools that can guarantee you work as a director. There's nothing you have to do, or not do for that matter. Some of the world's best directors are not even trained professionals... (Christopher Nolan - Batman and Inception) Others have truly worked themselves up from a nobody to become a respected director. A lot of them are schooled in the art of filmmaking, yes, but some say that the practical work experience was more important to them than anything else. With absolutely no right way to do it, where to start then?
I considered the Norwegian national film academy in Lillehammer, but gave up that thought learning the grades you had to have to even get in. Besides, most of the people there look like know-it-alls that either make serious documentaries or even more serious television programs. I feel like I'd be kind of stuck there.
Naturally I moved on to consider schools like UCLA and other schools in the Hollywood area. Then I'd be at the heart of it, right? It'd be perfect! Then I hit a big obstacle that suddenly materialized between me and the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. I must admit I had to cancel my brilliant plans when I learned how much money they'd all require. I'm a regular mortal! I'd like to avoid living waist deep in depth for the rest of my life.
It's got to be Norway, then.
This spring I applied to Bergen University. Originally for a Bachelor in Film- and Television-production. My grades are actually quite good, but unfortunately there are too many nerds in this country and only 20 of over 200 applicants would be offered a place in the program. I wasn't one of them.
Here I have to quote cinematographer Oliver Stapleton:
"I'm useless at everything but I'm willing to learn. Now this is much better. Modern schooling damages more people than it helps. This is because the grade system means that you are never first. And if you were, you wouldn't be reading this. [...] Many successful film people started life like this. Film People are kind of outlaws anyway: it's not a proper job."
Instead I got offered a place at the Bachelor in Media Science at Bergen University. I said yes. Basically this means I get to take all of the theoretical classes included in the other bachelor, but I don't get to actually make a film.
I was kind of disappointed, but fortunately this could also be a good thing. I will get to learn the history behind it all. The incredible power that lies within a film maker's hands. Why one film can effect millions of people all over the world. Why it connects with people watching it in their basement thousands of miles away. And by learning the secrets behind it all, I might get some sort of understanding of what it is people want to see, and why?
Conclusion: They (the guys at film- and television-production) get to learn how to make a movie, I get to learn why. I believe that's a decent way to start out. Who knows where I'll end up eventually? I'll figure it out as I go along. That's what I usually do. That's me.
* To read Part One, head over here
The Life Long Quest Of Choosing A Profession
My excuse: been busy making my dreams come true...
Sounds cheesy, I know, but it so happens to be the truth.
How and what, you may wonder? Ok, I'll share it with you, just because you asked so nicely.
Part one: the WHAT
Growing up we're told that the world is crammed with possibilities. Later on I discovered that that fact isn't always a good fact. In fact it can be a very difficult fact indeed. You see, because of that endless ocean of opportunities stretching too far and wide for anyone to fathom, it's an nearly impossible task to choose one of them for yourself and your own life!
I've always envied those of my friends who always knew what they wanted to be. Who they wanted to be. What they wanted to do with their lives. They all seemed so calm. And most of them have managed to stay that way as well! I envy them because they have found their purpose.
Well, unfortunately this doesn't happen to everyone.
The majority wander from this to that and back again trying to make sense of their own abilities and skills, and most importantly, finding a profession that suits them. Luckily for them a lot of people eventually realice that they really like the thought of being a teacher, nurse, electrician, chef, constructor or carpenter or something just as useful. I know a lot of my friends have, and I applaud them and encourage them as best as I can. Nothing is better than wanting to become something useful and important! But here comes the matter of fact... Unfortunately, I'm not one of those lucky ones.
Growing up I, like a million other kids, went through different periodes where I wanted to be so many different things when I grew up. I was quite serious about becoming a teacher at the age of eight, and in 7th grade I taught myself to draw architectural drawings of houses and stuff and really wanted to be an architect. However, when I grew older I also became more and more unsure of what I wanted to do with my life.
When the time came that I had to pick what school I wanted to attend for my three years in what most of you would call Upper High, I had no idea. Several of my friends chose things like electrician studies, health- and social studies, and media- and communication studies. Since I had no clue at the time, I choose something called study specialization. Simply explained that's the only one of the choices that doesn't involve a specific profession. Instead it prepares you for further studies at the university. Enough about that! As it turns out, I should have chosen media and communication...
So, well through Upper High. What's next? That was indeed the big question that has been haunting
me for the last year. I felt like I was expected to have a plan. I had a plan... sort of, maybe, well, not really. I used the elimination technique. By methodically eliminating all the things I did not want to be, there honestly wasn't that much left. Throughout these past three years I've discovered that I not only have a passion for books, but also movies.
Why I love movies is another matter entirely, so that I have to answer in a separate post... But I discovered that I found the process of movie making very appealing, and that I wanted to be a part of this particular society. There was just one little problem.
I'm an 18-year-old girl from the distant country named Norway. What you need to understand is that in my entire country there are only 5 million people, so naturally the movie-industry isn't quite as extensive as one might have wanted it to... Thus, people here tend to look at the movies as an immature and foolish career to pursuit and a perfect way to waste your life.
Example: Last year a friend of mine asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I gave her the honest truth: “I want to be a movie director.” She laughed and told me that it sounded exciting. After a little while she turned quite serious and said: “So… what are you actually going to do?” Who could blame her? With only three people in the entire country living as directors, how could she know I meant what I said.
Honestly, I have questioned and doubted myself a million times. What if I'd missed out on some important skill you had to have? Who can be born to be directors? Will I be any good at it? Can I find any work? And most importantly, why do I want to do this? Like Oliver Stapleton once said: “No-one in their right mind would voluntarily go through the kind of hell that a Film Director has to go through.” Luckily I’ve been told repeatedly I’m not in my right mind, so I guess I’ll be perfect then?
* To read part two of this mini-series about choosing a profession, head over here.
** Part two is all about how to actually make my dream come true...
Sounds cheesy, I know, but it so happens to be the truth.
How and what, you may wonder? Ok, I'll share it with you, just because you asked so nicely.
Part one: the WHAT
Growing up we're told that the world is crammed with possibilities. Later on I discovered that that fact isn't always a good fact. In fact it can be a very difficult fact indeed. You see, because of that endless ocean of opportunities stretching too far and wide for anyone to fathom, it's an nearly impossible task to choose one of them for yourself and your own life!
I've always envied those of my friends who always knew what they wanted to be. Who they wanted to be. What they wanted to do with their lives. They all seemed so calm. And most of them have managed to stay that way as well! I envy them because they have found their purpose.
Well, unfortunately this doesn't happen to everyone.
The majority wander from this to that and back again trying to make sense of their own abilities and skills, and most importantly, finding a profession that suits them. Luckily for them a lot of people eventually realice that they really like the thought of being a teacher, nurse, electrician, chef, constructor or carpenter or something just as useful. I know a lot of my friends have, and I applaud them and encourage them as best as I can. Nothing is better than wanting to become something useful and important! But here comes the matter of fact... Unfortunately, I'm not one of those lucky ones.
Growing up I, like a million other kids, went through different periodes where I wanted to be so many different things when I grew up. I was quite serious about becoming a teacher at the age of eight, and in 7th grade I taught myself to draw architectural drawings of houses and stuff and really wanted to be an architect. However, when I grew older I also became more and more unsure of what I wanted to do with my life.
When the time came that I had to pick what school I wanted to attend for my three years in what most of you would call Upper High, I had no idea. Several of my friends chose things like electrician studies, health- and social studies, and media- and communication studies. Since I had no clue at the time, I choose something called study specialization. Simply explained that's the only one of the choices that doesn't involve a specific profession. Instead it prepares you for further studies at the university. Enough about that! As it turns out, I should have chosen media and communication...
So, well through Upper High. What's next? That was indeed the big question that has been haunting
me for the last year. I felt like I was expected to have a plan. I had a plan... sort of, maybe, well, not really. I used the elimination technique. By methodically eliminating all the things I did not want to be, there honestly wasn't that much left. Throughout these past three years I've discovered that I not only have a passion for books, but also movies.
Why I love movies is another matter entirely, so that I have to answer in a separate post... But I discovered that I found the process of movie making very appealing, and that I wanted to be a part of this particular society. There was just one little problem.
I'm an 18-year-old girl from the distant country named Norway. What you need to understand is that in my entire country there are only 5 million people, so naturally the movie-industry isn't quite as extensive as one might have wanted it to... Thus, people here tend to look at the movies as an immature and foolish career to pursuit and a perfect way to waste your life.
Example: Last year a friend of mine asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I gave her the honest truth: “I want to be a movie director.” She laughed and told me that it sounded exciting. After a little while she turned quite serious and said: “So… what are you actually going to do?” Who could blame her? With only three people in the entire country living as directors, how could she know I meant what I said.
Honestly, I have questioned and doubted myself a million times. What if I'd missed out on some important skill you had to have? Who can be born to be directors? Will I be any good at it? Can I find any work? And most importantly, why do I want to do this? Like Oliver Stapleton once said: “No-one in their right mind would voluntarily go through the kind of hell that a Film Director has to go through.” Luckily I’ve been told repeatedly I’m not in my right mind, so I guess I’ll be perfect then?
* To read part two of this mini-series about choosing a profession, head over here.
** Part two is all about how to actually make my dream come true...
June 8, 2012
Favorite - Couple In a Television Series
| (c) Elisabeth |
Honestly, I'm all about cops!
I have to mention Rookie Blue again... If you have seen it, you know that Andy and Sam are a fantastic and incredibly interesting couple! And like I said before, it's all so realistic. Even their relationship. Sam loves her so much that ha actually stayed away from her since she was engaged to another man in the first season. He never pushed her and never tried to steal her from here fiancee... All he ever did was to take care of her. And when Andy (SPOILER) found out her fiancee cheated on her, Sam was the one who was there for her and helped her get through it. Now they're together at last, and they're just so perfect for each other <3
Etiketter:
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Favorite - Furniture
| (c) Elisabeth |
My bookshelves!
![]() |
| (c) Bente |
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favorite-challenge
June 6, 2012
Favorite - Artist/Singer
| (c) Elisabeth |
Only just starting to write, I realize I've got a problem... I almost only listen to bands. And they are not exactly included in this topic. They have their own topic that hasn't been picked yet. Which means I will be consentrating on independent singers.
So let's start with Taylor Swift. I like her playful sound and truly nice and cosy music... Perfect for tidying my room or other things you need happy background-music to do! My best friend and I actually went to a concert with her in Oslo, Norway's capital. It was awesome! The things that keeps her from the top spot is that her lyrics are often not too deep and reflecting, and a lot of her songs have the same sound...
I also have to mention Jessie J. She's got such an amazing voice it's almost breathtaking! And I like both her personality, sound and lyrics. She seem so real...
But my top spot will have to go to Demi Lovato.
What? Her? She's from Disney! Seriously, grow up!
Well, let me explain. I'm not talking about the first part of her singing-career. That's all Disney-stuff. I'm talking about her recent work...
In July 2011 she suddenly published a music video titeled Skyscraper. It came out just after she had completed a rehabilitation-program for anorexia. She had had problems with eating and weight as a result of bullying at a young age. Skyscraper marked her comeback, and what a song!
First time I heard it I literally had to cry. And when I'm alone, I still do...It was so raw and so real that I just knew she was singing straight from her heart. And the lyrics, I mean, just wow. What can I say?
After this her newest album, Unbroken, was released. I love all the songs. Like I said, both they and she feels real, not just made for the money. She sings like a godess and her personal story of how she was beaten down and managed to get herself back up is a true inspiration for all kinds of people around the world...
*Correction!!!
I totally forgot about Christina Grimmie! She's got to be even above Demi Lovato... She's a youtuber I started following a couple of years ago. When she started she covered famous songs, and now she's published a CD and goes on tour both on her own and together with Selena Gomez. I just LOVE her voice! Absolutly everything she sings is mere perfection... Check her out <3
Etiketter:
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music
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