farewell 2011
The end of the year is truly upon us and only a few hours remain of 2011. It seems everyone is excited about the new year and things to come as am I. 2011 was a major turning point for me as it is the year that Shawn and I got married. A lot of other cool stuff happened too. I see a little roundup of the year coming in next few days.
I’m sure that 2012 is going to hold many magical things as we already have a few things planned, and after our little winter vacation I’m feeling inspired and content.
Generally speaking I’m not much of a resolution type of girl, but I do have a few this year, both big and small. On the small end, I want to keep track of the films that we watch this year, so I can look back at the end of the year. On the slightly bigger end, one of my other goals is to live life more simply.
Many things will be happening on the blog in the next few weeks. I have lots of lovely photos from our recent trip to share and hopefully there will be a bit of a redesign in the near future.
Wishing you you all a wonderful new year!
Much love,
Alix
special delivery
A few weeks ago, this lovely Bunny organized a gift exchange for any bloggers/twitterers who were so inclined to participate. I jumped at the chance to join in and give something to one of the internet folk who I chat with on a regular basis. I was excited to give a gift to someone I admired or perhaps find someone new out there on the web to appreciate. Everything was chosen at random, but I have to say, I got really lucky. While I was extra enthused about the giving aspect, I didn’t think too much about the receiving half. Until last a few nights ago.
On Monday night, in the midst of busying myself with last minute pre-holiday things, the doorbell rang. When I opened it, much to my surprise, there stood Becca with a gift in hand. Strangely, I immediately knew who she was and was filled with happiness and excitement. Just by chance, my gift giver is my sort of neighbor.
On top of meeting someone with a blog I admire, I got a really adorable gift. How cute are these owl pot holders? LOVE THEM.
Then yesterday, I saw this post from Liz about the gift I sent her as my part of the exchange. So much happiness.
As a girl, who’s always been a little shy and introverted in real life, it brings me so much gladness to have found people on the the internet to relate to. I am thankful that I am able to connect with people out there who inspire me and have been able to turn that into genuine friendships. I know it sounds pretty sappy but I feel like many of the writers of blogs that I read and readers of this blog are my dear friends, even if we’ve never met.
So thanks for being here, you all really mean the world to me.
palm springs
With the last few posts having their fair share of words, I thought it might be nice to balance things with some photos. We spent the weekend with my dad in Palm Springs on a mini vacation for all of us. We walked around, took lots of photos and ate some surprisingly good food. It was good to have a change of pace and get away from home even if just for a day or two. It was quiet and relaxing and I hope we’ll get to go back in the future for a longer stay. Shawn discovered that we were staying at the hotel where Frank Capra wrote It’s a Wonderful Life. Wouldn’t it be lovely to spend some time in such a tranquil setting, just writing? I think so.
pretty bits
As the end of the year approaches, things start to get a little batty. There is the nervous anticipation of holidays and vacation and the possibilities of all that the new year could bring. There’s also lots of work. Finishing many things and tying up loose ends on projects and gift hunting and holiday decorating. For me there are numbers and spreadsheets and bills and late hours at work for everything must be finished before the clock strikes twelve on December 31st (actually days before that). Things are moving quickly and while there is lots of stress there is a sort of glee in it all too.
I’m looking forward to having some free time, to letting my brain relax and take in what’s around me instead of focusing on deadlines and things that must be done. I’m looking forward to doing some traveling and seeing places outside of Los Angeles. Is it really possible we haven’t left this city since our honeymoon? I feel like I need a reset on my brain, as it’s in an infinite loop of work, different kinds of work but work all the same. I know my true creative self is hiding in there somewhere.
And next year holds so many things, I’ll be attending Alt Summit and the Sundance Film Festival. We’re also planning to visit SXSW. So much too look forward to. But that’s next year. We’re only half way through December and there is still much to be done.
husbands and wives
photo from deadline.com
The other day Shawn emailed me a link to this blog from the writers of Kill List, Ben Wheatley and Amy Jump. I was excited to find out that the duo are actually a married team. Seeing this blog brought up a few things for me since, even though I’d looked at details of the film previously, and know Ben Wheatley, also the director, by name, I had no recollection of Amy Jump at all. Granted, in most cases, directors get more attention than writers do, so it’s easier to make an impression. It’s also Amy’s first and only writing credit (according to imdb). It did really make me consider the role of women in film (as if this isn’t something I’m always thinking about) especially regarding husbands and wives that work together.
On our own film projects, Shawn and I work together, particularly in the writing process. By talking to each other we are able to refine concepts or move forward when one of us might be stuck. It works out pretty well. We balance each other out. That is not to say we don’t have conflicts of opinion, but I think for the most part we compel each other and help stories move along. It’s nice having a partner to work with. When it comes to what we do, things are fairly balanced; though, that isn’t to say exactly equal, we both have our own strong points.
Knowing about our own balance of creative input, it becomes interesting to consider husband and wife teams who are more successful and more present in popular media. If I were to mention Peter Jackson, everyone would know who I’m talking about. But what about Fran Walsh? Raise your hand if you know who she is. Well that’s lovely Fran up top with her husband Peter Jackson. They’re also a writing team (and producing at this point) and have been since Meet the Feebles back in 1989. Together they’ve written some amazing movies from the beautifully haunting Heavenly Creatures to the blockbuster Lord of the Rings Trilogy (also working with Phillipa Boyens). Yet, Walsh remains mainly out of the limelight, despite winning 3 Oscars. Personally, I can’t help but believe it it because of Walsh and Jackson’s collaborations that they have made such interesting films, not just one’s singular talent.
It’s impossible to know for sure the reasons why one person is famous and the person right next to them is not as famous. It could be a personal choice but I doubt that is the case. It could be the cult of the director, giving more weight over other positions in film production, no matter their importance or role. Sadly, and more likely, it could just be that women do not get recognition in the film industry. With the exception of a few actresses, it’s not easy to make a name as a woman in film. How many successful woman directors can you name? You might be able to count them on your fingers. Obviously this is something that is pervasive in almost all industries, still in 2011, but it’s even more extreme in an industry with so many subdivisions where it is easy to tuck women away in “appropriate” positions.
I don’t know that I have any final conclusions about these ideas, nothing that isn’t already known, but I think it’s important to bring up every so often, just as a reminder of what progress has been made and is still yet to be made.
