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I completed my studies at Columbia College Chicago in December 2007 and received my diploma in May 2008. I earned a BA with a major in film and a concentration in critical studies. A critical studies concentration involves watching, researching, studying, analyzing, and writing about films. The primary emphasis is writing and developing critical skills. My education also covered an incredibly broad range of topics throughout the history of cinema. Some examples are: Romantic Comedy, 1930-1960; Romantic Comedy, 1960-Present; Czech New Wave, History of Documentary, Alfred Hitchcock, Melodrama, Silent Cinema, Hollywood Women, 1930-1960; Women of the 50s, Visual Analysis, and Censorship and the Movies. I also took a couple production classes, so I have a good handle of the fundamentals of the filmmaking process itself and have made my own films, as well as worked as a crew member on others. I was consistently on the Dean's List and finished with a perfect cumulative 4.0 GPA.
Film and writing are my two greatest passions in life, and finding this discipline, where I can combine both, is a dream come true. For my career, I want to write about film as much as possible - online, blogging, newspapers, magazines, journals, and books. I plan to attend graduate school (I'm looking at NYU) and eventually receive my PhD in critical/film studies. I am also interested in archiving and preservation, because I have a particular fondness for silent and classic cinema ("classic" meaning films produced in Hollywood between 1930 and 1960), and I think it's tragic and inexcusable that so many films have been lost over the years. I would also love to teach and inspire students the way so many of my teachers have inspired me.
I was selected by Columbia College as one of only fifteen students to represent the school at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2007. It was a life-altering experience, one which affirmed my love of cinema and my goals in life. I live and breathe film. As I mentioned, I adore classic cinema, and more recently I've gotten interested in the silent era, but I am just as well-versed in contemporary movies and go to the theater all the time.
I am thrilled to be contributing to the online community. I believe I bring a unique perspective to film because of my thorough education, my extensive knowledge of the history of cinema, my versatility and skill at conveying my thoughts about movies in an insightful, interesting way, and my pure passion for the subject. I can write serious, heavily analytical research papers, witty and thought-provoking reviews, or just quick and fun blog entries. I can adapt to any style of writing.
Recently, I have been having the time of my life working on my blog. It's all film-related, with mostly reviews, but also other thoughts and musings about film-related issues. I update it constantly. I have another professional blog that contains samples of the work I did in school. I'd love for you to visit them and let me know what you think.
To get a little more personal and a little less formal, here are some of my favorite film people: Alfred Hitchcock, Katharine Hepburn, the Coen Brothers, Preston Sturges, Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Javier Bardem, Paul Thomas Anderson, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Buster Keaton, Carole Lombard, Rosalind Russell, Olivia de Havilland, Rex Harrison, Paul Giamatti, Alexander Payne, Alfonso Cuaron, Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, Heath Ledger (RIP), F.W. Murnau, Harold Lloyd, Errol Morris, William Wyler, Stanley Donan, Todd Haynes, Todd Solondz, George Cukor, Jimmy Stewart, Robert Walker, Ginger Rogers, Darren Aronofsky, Sofia Coppola, Jason Reitman, Charlie Chaplin, Gene Tierney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Vivien Leigh, Jack Lemmon, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino (usually...ahem, Death Proof), and so many more. I also adore Harry Potter (books and films). I had to list that separately because it's not a person, but more of an entity. And yes, I'm 26, I love it, and I'm proud of it.
I couldn't decide on a favorite movie if my life depended on it. I could probably narrow it down to twenty or so. A few favorite films of 2007: Juno, No Country for Old Men, I'm Not There, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, After the Wedding, and Into the Wild. That's just to name a few - it was a great year. I should probably mention now that I'm extremely opinionated, but I'm also very open-minded to the opinions of others.
I currently live in Chicago and have for all of my life. It's an exciting place to live if you want to be involved with film, and I think it's the greatest city in the world.
So, as you can tell just from this profile, I love to write. I look forward to writing here and getting to know people in the community. I truly hope you enjoy my work as much as I love doing it. Thanks for reading!