The Social Network

How many people are pushed into setting up a social networking account? I was, on both occasions, with My Space and facebook. In fact, Twitter was the only one I thought all to myself to set up!

In 2008, I was approached by my friend, Alex Barrett (currently finishing post production on his first feature film Life Just Is) to write a short film together, examining social networking sites in a satirical fashion. The film was entitled 'Paintbrush' the ficticious website which lets you connect. Made entirely of real stills from facebook, the film went onto circle film festivals in various parts of the globe. At the time, I mentioned the idea of a sequel to Alex, which would focus on the issue of death within social networking sites, which Alex didn't really get with at the time.

It wasn't until some months later when Alex read an article about the same subject that 'Paintbrush: The Epitaph' was finally born. Shorter, still made up entirely of stills and about the existence of someone's life online, after they have passed away. The film went on to do better, at bigger festivals, winning an award at LSFF in 2010, it went onto to be screened at Hamburg shorts and Kassel doc fest, with the next screening taking place at the Werkstatt der Jungen Filmszen which I thoroughly look forward to attending.

A few weeks ago I saw 'Catfish' which I was really impressed by, if not wondering a little at how real it actually was. Nevertheless, a great piece of work. When the 'The Social Network' came out in 2010, I was intrigued, if not a bit turned off by it being directed by David Fincher. I know, I know, not a very popular thing to say but my problem with Fincher is that he's full of gimmicks, twists, over-the-top played out drama, too glossy and all in all, just really not as great as other filmmakers today in my opinion. But the social network really interested me, not really in terms of my own existence in making films about the subject of social networking, but on the subject it was tackling about the birth of facebook.

So what was it about Fincher's film that lingered in my mind after watching it. There was no gimmicks, it was full of ambiguity of why Mr Zuckerberg betrayed his friend, no hero is really identified within the film, the film stays clear of Mark's parents, no sympathy is created for any of the characters, there is no speech of how Mark has gained so many friends on-line but in reality he's has no one who cares for him.

'The social network' plays it straight. It gives the saying 'an instant classic' some meaning. An important film about loyalty, loneliness, friends, betrayal, greed and the definition of a decade that brought old friends and strangers, as well as bringing us the relationship status. Where would we be without it?

The School of Sound

You could say that The School of Sound brought me to where I am today...

In 2003 I attended The School of Sound (SOS) festival for the first time but not the last. A four day event consisting of four lectures per day, attended by sound enthusiasts from around the globe.

It's fair to say that if it wasn't for The School of Sound, I wouldn't be studying my MA in screenwriting at London College of communication today. At the last closing reception of SOS 2005, I met a man whom I informed I wanted to be a screenwriter to. I had just recently completed my BA degree in film and video and was ready for the world of rejection, words on paper, sleepless nights full of endless ideas bouncing around and no money in my pockets.

This gentleman informed of six universities within the UK, which all contained MA screenwriting courses, following a syllabus that enables the graduate to gain writing work successfully in the bussiness after gathering the necessary skills from the course. At this point I said to him, 'who are you? You could potentially change my life and my decisions on what I do from now over the next year or years.' This was the point at which he told me that his name was Philip Parker, which still didn’t mean anything to me at that moment, until he informed me that he was a screenwriter and the creator of these six courses.

What can I say about Philip Parker, he had a way with his words because what he said and how he said it, gelled into my brain and didn’t leave me until I finally got onto the MA screenwriting course after five years, four applications and three interviews later. Thank you Philip Parker, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.

My first SOS's, 2003, 2005, both contained the same amount of vast knowledge and were full of immense love for the audio in all it's different forms, amongst a large group of creative, like minded people. I learnt, I met, enjoyed, networked and went away with a sense that this was a festival like no other.

Film festivals is a world I know and understand in many shapes, forms, styles, countries and SOS stands isolated as a unique festival about an art which has always fought to be remembered alongside it's partner, the visual. After the festival of 2005, I knew that I wanted to return and I hoped it would be in 2007, as SOS takes place every two year.

Exchanges of discussions took place between myself and Larry Sider, co-creator alongside his partner Diane Sider over my possible attendance to the festival in 2o07, 2009, the timing sadly never working out. I’m happy to say that I was finally able to return this year, in 2011 and I was pleased to find it hadn't changed. The same quality of lectures, lecturers, people from the world of film, theatre, games, art and music were all there, bringing ideas and wisdom to the world of sound we love and live in.

Without pointing to any lectures specifically, all can be found about the quality of the festival online at http://www.schoolofsound.co.uk/, in the speakers it has had over the years, what the festival's aim is and the books available to purchase. The only part I will mention within the Purcell room is from this year’s festival closing speech from Diane Sider. Before the routine ritual of returning the sound to its silence took place, Diane informed everyone what The School of Sound is actually about. Words that I was truly moved by, I can’t exactly paraphrase the beauty of what she said but it was along these lines.

‘School of sound isn’t actually about films, theatre, art, games, installations, it’s about listening. But are you actually listening or just catching the chatter, whilst thinking about tonight’s dinner. It’s actually a hard thing to do, to listen.’ Diane went onto to talk about freedom of speech and how people around the world are fighting to be listened to.

I sat motionless...left with only the silence.

Best. Trailer. Ever.

Life

Born.

Work.

Live.

Love.

Die.

How much does your life weigh?

'All the things you probably hate about travelling -the recycled air, the artificial lighting, the digital juice dispensers, the cheap sushi- are warm reminders that I'm home.'

In 2009, I sat within an cinema audience for a screening of Jason Reitman's third feature film 'Up in the air', up until this point I had been impressed by 'Thank you for smoking' and had understood and appreciated 'Juno's success but I had no idea that the film I was about to witness, would still have me thinking about it now.

The film was enjoyed by the crowd, laughing in the places where the film wanted you to laugh but what made me feel inferior to the rest was when the film ended and we all applauded, it somehow felt polite as opposed to a general love for what they had just watched. I included a large WHHOOPP which I think the film deserved. I remember someone slightly turning their head, almost as if they were thinking, 'what's wrong with you, you liked that film? I couldn't stop thinking about it...but why?

Was it the false pretences in which the film seemed like it was going to turn out in the end but didn't, this ain't no romantic comedy. Was it the world in which our protagonist was in, a man who fires people for a living, mirroring the current recession of the new millennium? Was it the fact that people fired in the film did actually lose their jobs in real life, the life imitating art factor with Ryan Bingham being played by George Clooney, the sharp comedy of the script, the gentle and subtly played out drama of a man learning the beauty of having a 'co-pilot' in life.

Ryan Bingham is a man who learns that the life he has been rejecting for years is actually much better than the life he has been living confidently in. He continues in his job to no satisfaction, his family regard him as a ghost, the woman he finally falls for, already has been living what he realises he now wants, so what has he got left...?

Ryan brings another future to Natalie Keener with his enthusiastic reference...with the final scene looming, where is our scene informing the audience confidently that Ryan will be okay, smile at a woman on the plane before he starts talking to her, using the Hollywood technique we'll lived with for years, that idea 'that everything will be alright in the end.'

Well...we do get it, Ryan stands with destination endless, acknowledges the audience with a sadness in his face, with a voice-over describing whilst happy families will carry on tonight, the stars will shine before disappearing and the final light of hope...will be his wing-tip flying over. Dead. Silence. The audience is left with clouds...Ryan is alone...

Why did I like this film? The man from the cinema and most of the audience who heard that loud whoop, seems like they thought the same or maybe they were too stunned or taken back by what they had just seen? I love it because I can't believe I see it...

Ryan Bingham learns but he doesn't change...he is the same man at the beginning and the end, only left with more pain...

In a great scene where he learns who he actually is, where he's from, what is at the centre of his life, the pilot asks him whilst they sit side by side on the plane 'where you from?' Ryan replies...

'I'm from here.'

Ryan Bingham: 'How much does your life weigh? Imagine for a second that you're carrying a backpack. I want you to pack it with all the stuff that you have in your life... you start with the little things. The shelves, the drawers, the knickknacks, then you start adding larger stuff. Clothes, tabletop appliances, lamps, your TV... the backpack should be getting pretty heavy now. You go bigger. Your couch, your car, your home... I want you to stuff it all into that backpack. Now I want you to fill it with people. Start with casual acquaintances, friends of friends, folks around the office... and then you move into the people you trust with your most intimate secrets. Your brothers, your sisters, your children, your parents and finally your husband, your wife, your boyfriend, your girlfriend. You get them into that backpack, feel the weight of that bag. Make no mistake your relationships are the heaviest components in your life. All those negotiations and arguments and secrets, the compromises. The slower we move the faster we die. Make no mistake, moving is living. Some animals were meant to carry each other to live symbiotically over a lifetime. Star crossed lovers, monogamous swans. We are not swans. We are sharks.'

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0422498/

Quoted

http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/art-culture/storyoflondon/blog/digital-london-confronts-its-analogue-past?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4cacb50a9d7bc440%2C0