#Bachelor’s in Film Art program

[seilon]

why does my local city college have so many more course/program options than my local state college this fucking Sucks

[disillusioneddanny]

If It Makes You Happy (then why the hell are you so sad?)

Tim took a bite of his ravioli and looked around the table at his family. It was Sunday dinner. A monthly tradition where every member of the family adopted or otherwise came to spend a few hours together. It didn’t matter who was arguing with whom, or how estranged from the family you were at the time. You still had to attend the monthly family dinner. However, there were times when Tim wondered if anyone would notice if he stopped attending. If he no longer came to the dinners where he sat mostly unnoticed by the rest of his family. Where he typically sat in silence, having not uttered a single word throughout the entire event. Would they ever realize he was gone? Did they even realize he was there in the first place? 

A part of Tim truly doubted it, if he was being completely honest with himself. Maybe that was why he hadn’t been able to share with the family his upcoming exhibit. 

Tim was in his fourth year of college. Where he was getting a degree in Art, Technology, and Culture. It was a major that allowed Tim to immerse himself in photography, video art, creative coding, and so much more. He had gotten to work in traditional analog and digital photography. Played around with film and art in ways he had never thought of before while also learning about cultural theory, the expression of ideas, and cultural practices which gave him the chance to truly discover himself. It was the first time he had ever chosen something for himself. 

His entire life he had been groomed to run a business. To at first take over Drake Industries one day and then later Wayne Enterprises where he was unfortunately CEO. But then he had learned about the ATC program at Gotham University and he had fallen in love with it.  He had always been obsessed with photography and even film later on as he grew older and spent his days alone in dusty old Drake Manor. And he had always loved to learn about cultures, he ate up the stories from his parents and their trips abroad. Had spent countless nights watching the people of Gotham and how they did things, and had absorbed it all like a sponge to make up for the fact that he was just a lonely boy living in a manor by himself. 

Even when he had joined the Bats and had made his tiny little place with them, he still fell back on his love for learning about others and his desire to tell their stories. It had just become an intrinsic part of Timothy Drake. 

And now here he was, slowly creeping to the finish line. He had his senior showcase coming up. A requirement for all students who were receiving a bachelor of fine arts. He was to show off all of his best work from the last four years. It was a chance for him to show everything he had learned, and to display his work with pride. 

He had toyed with the idea of inviting everyone to it. To let them see the love that Tim had cultivated over the last four years. He was set to graduate in just a few months and the pride he felt for himself was tremendous. And if Tim invited the Wayne family to his senior showcase, then maybe they could come to his college graduation and share the achievement with them then too. 

It was a big time in Tim’s life and he wanted to share it with them. 

He listened as a lull came in the conversation and carefully cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the others. 

“I have a senior showcase this weekend for my BFA. It’s at six in the evening in the Wayne Arts Center on Gotham Campus. I would be happy to see you all there,” he said hesitantly, eyes firmly trained on his plate of food. 

“That sounds nice, Tim. I’ll try to be there,” Bruce said politely before going back to his conversation with Jason and Dick. Tim felt eyes on him, though, and slowly looked up to find his little brother giving him a curious look. 

“What?” He asked, still trying to calm his heart just a bit. He still wasn’t sure why he came to these things, why he was even here. Just talking to the Waynes gave him anxiety. Just being here reminded him how much he didn’t belong. How other he was compared to the rest of the kids that Bruce had adopted? 

Damian tilted his head to the side. “I was not aware that you were getting your Bachelor's in Fine Arts. Will you tell me about your degree program? I have been thinking about getting an Art History degree but have been torn between that and a business degree.”

Tim gave him a small smile and rested his chin on his hand as he started to tell Damian all about his degree and how he was enjoying the program at Gotham University. The rest of the family went on to their own conversations while Damian listened with rapt attention to Tim describing the ATC program at Gotham U. 

The rest of the week was a whirlwind as he prepared for his senior showcase, he had sent out invitations to everyone he wanted to come see his work. The Team had already made a reservation to take Tim to lunch before the showcase before helping him get everything ready. And as the day came to be, they had made good on their word, taking him to his favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Gotham before taking him to the gallery. He blushed as he listened to his three best friend gush over his artwork, as they listened to him explain each piece. They asked questions and made remarks about what their favorite pieces were and even tried to buy a few pieces only for Tim to promise to give each of them prints of his photos. 

The three had left with quick goodbyes, each one giving Tim a hug and congratulating him before they made their way from the gallery. The rest of the evening dragged on as people came by and asked Tim about his photos and the small films that played on the movie screen on one wall. He smiled and explained each photo to anyone who asked. He had wanted to showcase his vigilante photos of the bats and birds but it had been too much of a risk to do so. 

Instead he had shown off his photos that showcased all of his favorite parts of Gotham. From the beautiful gothic architecture, the gargoyles that looked out over the city. He showed the photos from the last time Ivy had thrown a fit in Robinson Park and covered the entirety of the grounds with flowers. He showed the pictures of community from Crime Alley and the beauty of the strength of Gothamites who had managed to survive the worst of the worst. 

He also featured pictures of his family, of Dick hanging from a chandelier, of Damian training Titus to do a trick. He had a picture of Bruce, Alfred, and Jason sitting side by side as they each read a different book. One showed Cass as she posed for the camera in her favorite ballet form. They were some of his most treasured memories, there for everyone to see and enjoy. Tucker between the one of Damian and the one of Dick was a photo of Tim. He had taken forever to set up the camera and get the timer right. Alfred had simply chuckled the entire time as he continued to offer to take the picture for Tim but no one was meant to be behind the camera for that picture. It was the only family portrait of his entire family. Cass, Damian, Tim, Dick, Jason, Bruce, Alfred, they all sat smushed into a single couch together, wide smiles and laughs on each of their faces as Tim beamed from the far side, leaning into Alfred’s side. 

The gallery was meant to showcase culture that was important to Tim. To showcase the life that he loved and treasured. And even if he never felt like he quite fit in the Wayne Family, even though he knew that he was the expendable one, the replacement, he still treasured his family. It was why he had invited them, he had wanted them to see just how important they were to Tim. And maybe they would realize he was important to them too.

Only, the rest of the evening seemed to drag on, and not a single person from his family ever stepped through the door. He waited, shoulders tensed and smile polite. Every bit the gentleman that Janet Drake had trained him to be as he stood with his hands clasped in front of him. He kept glancing at the clock, waiting for Bruce or Dick or someone to walk through the doors, to say hello and look at all the work that Tim had put in the last four years in college. The hours ticked by until it was nearing ten pm and the gallery started to clear out, custodians came in and started to clean up around him. 

Tim cast one final look at the doors before he turned to his photos and started to take one off of the wall. 

“Master Timothy! I am so sorry that we are late,” a voice said and Tim quickly to find Alfred and Damian walking through the doors of the gallery. A small smile spread on Tim’s face as Damian bound forward. 

“I apologize,” Damian said softly, staring up at Tim with disgruntled eyes. “I got into an argument with Father and then Titus scared Alfred the Cat and we spent the last three hours searching for that blasted cat and when we realized the time we came straight here,” he said. “What did the others think of your exhibit?”

Tim’s smile fell and he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “They uh, they didn’t show up,” he said quietly. “But if you’d like, you guys are the last ones to show up. I’d love to show you everything.”

Alfred’s face fell at that as he stepped forward and clasped a hand on Tim’s shoulder. “That is their loss, my dear boy. I would love to see your work,” he said. Before he could stop himself, Tim pulled Alfred in for a tight hug, burying his face in the old butler’s chest as he held him close. 

“Thank you,” he whispered before pulling away. He glanced down at Damian and smiled. “How about I show you my work and then if my advisor is still here you can meet her and talk to her about the ATC program.”

The fourteen-year-old nodded his head once. “I would appreciate that,” he said before grabbing Tim’s hand hesitantly. He followed quietly as Tim showed them his pictures of Gotham, explaining the stories behind each one before he showed them his favorite pictures. His pictures of home and both men let out soft gasps as they looked at them. 

“Master Timothy, these are beautiful,” Alfred said, stepping forward to take in the picture of him, Bruce, and Jason. 

“The lighting for this is amazing, I did not know that I even smiled like that,” Damian said softly as he took in the picture of him smiling at Titus. 

“Oh Tim,” Alfred said quietly, losing all strict politeness that Alfred held so dear to his heart as he took in the family portrait. “This is amazing, Timothy. So absolutely perfect. I remember when you took this photograph. It was right after Thanksgiving dinner last year.”

“I was so irritated, Todd had gotten mashed potatoes in my hair,” Damian said with a huff, a small smile tugged on his face. 

“I did not even realize that Master Richard and Master Jason were hugging in this picture,” Alfred said, a soft smile sti on his face as he took in the way Dick had his arms wrapped around Jason’s shoulders, a wide smile on his face as he laughed at something Jason had said. A small smile sat on Jason’s face, his eyes brighter than Tim had seen since the older man had come back from the dead. 

Alfred tore his eyes from the picture. “How much?” he asked. 

Tim blinked. “What?”

“How much for the picture?” Alfred asked him, turning back to the family portrait. 

“For you?” Tim asked, blinking again in surprise. “Free of charge, considering it a thank you for coming to my senior showcase.”

“I would like this one of Titus and me,” Damian piped up. “It would be lovely on my desk in my bedroom.”

Tim sniffed, his chest tightening slightly. “I would be more than happy to give you both the original copies.”

“Timothy,” Alfred said, turning back to Tim, that soft, kind, smile on his face once again. “I am so incredibly proud of you.”

The vigilante’s eyes burned furiously. “I-I thank you,” he said, a soft sob slipped out of his mouth before small arms wrapped around him. Damian hugged him tight, his face pressed against Tim’s chest. 

“I am so sorry that our family forgot to come to your showcase, Timothy,” he said stiffly. “You are incredibly talented and it is their loss for missing out on this.”

Tim pressed a hand to Damian’s back, feeling tears building behind his eyes that threatened to spill over. “Thank you,” he whispered. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he looked around and spotted his advisor. “There’s Professor Maheshawen. She’s my advisor. We can go talk to her and you can ask your questions, okay?”

Damian nodded and pulled away carefully, smoothing down the front of his sweater before he followed after Tim to meet his professor. Leaving Alfred to continue staring at the pictures with a kind smile on his face.

Alfred Pennyworth looked at the smiles on his charges faces and let out a breath. One of these days, Bruce and the others would realize just how important Timothy was to their family, how he was the one who held them all together. He only hoped that they would not realize that lesson too late in life. At the very least, Damian was now starting to understand just how wonderful Timothy Drake was. 

[budo-bujo]

Intro to Literary Studies

This is my intro post for cyberstudious's masterpost jam challenge! I wanted to participate because 1) there doesn't seem to be a lot of representation for humanities in studyblr spaces and 2) there are a lot of misconceptions about literary studies as a field (what do you mean it's not just reading books all day?)(Well, it kind of is but not like you think!)

Disclaimer: I study contemporary "American"* literature and while I have very close contact with people in other fields in my program, I will inevitably be biased.

What is literary studies?

Literary studies is a general term that describes the study of literature very broadly. In the US, this is mostly housed in English departments**, but there are a lot of overlaps with fields like comparative literature, film studies, visual studies, etc.

Generally, I think people's views of what literary studies is is incredibly skewed by high school English classes or maybe some general education courses in college, but those classes do not paint an accurate picture of the field at an advanced level. Literary scholars are performing intensive research, not just teaching or reading books all day! I will say that I didn't even completely understand what an "English major" does academically until graduate school because the work is just on a completely different level.

What are notable career paths/organizations?

Most people who do literary studies are interested in traditional academic careers as professors. However, with the state of higher education in the US, those jobs are insanely competitive and very rare. Other "alt-ac" careers include publishing, academic administration, or other public humanities work. Many people also get concurrent or extra degrees in library and information science, book arts, digital humanities, education, or other fields which can additionally open up your career options.

From an academic standpoint, it's difficult to list specific journals/organizations since the field is so broad. One kind of universal organization in the United States is the Modern Language Association (MLA) (yes that MLA) which has several regional and one large conference every year along with a journal that is pretty much the pinnacle of the field. However, there are countless smaller journals, conferences, and organizations for every specialization that are way more accessible.

What are different fields/specializations?

There are generally two ways to describe what you study: Time period and special area. People often dabble in other things, especially post-PhD, and some people end up switching fields entirely. However, PhD's are about specializing and going deep, unlike a Bachelor's English degree which usually has students completing survey courses and going broadly through a lot of different areas. Here is some more detail about time periods and special areas.

Time period is pretty self explanatory. This is just the time period of literature that you study. Again most people read more widely than this, and we do have to have general knowledge of all of them, but picking one to specialize in is pretty much required. Here are common, incredibly general, ways of categorizing time periods with some example texts/authors***:

Medieval (pre-1400): This is things like Beowulf that require learning Old English and also Chaucer which is Middle English.

Early Modern (1500-1800): Also sometimes called the Renaissance especially for the early texts. This is your Shakespeare and Marlowe etc.

Early American/Victorian (1800-1900): This is where American literature starts to show up with your Hawthorne and Melville. This is also British literature like Dickens, Austen, Bronte, Shelly, etc. Romanticism is huge here.

Modernism (1900-1945): Modernism is more of a style than a time period that includes many non-literary works, but because it was so dominating during the interwar years it's shorthand for the time period. This includes Eliot, Hemmingway, Fitzgerald, Joyce, Woolf, etc.

Post-Modernism/Contemporary (1945-present): This is where things get silly in my opinion, because quite literally everything post WWII is generally referred to as contemporary literature. This is my area of specialty so I could go off on it forever, but just know it's a very, very broad time period (arguably the most broad because it's so undefined).

While again these time periods are very broad, the distinctions are pretty significant. It drives me nuts when I tell people I study literature and they ask me questions about Shakespeare! It's also why most people's understanding of "Classic Literature" is very silly. Putting Dickens, Chaucer, and Toni Morrison on the same list makes very little sense!

Special Areas are kind of the core of the field regardless of your time period. This is also where I think the misconceptions around what we do comes from. Special areas can pull from literally any other field alongside literature/literary studies itself, and many literature scholars these days end up becoming very skilled in history, political science, psychology, sociology, art history, film studies, religious studies, or really any other field as a method of complementing their analytical skills. We read A Lot, but so much of it is actually theory!

Some common areas of expertise you will encounter include: Race/ethnicity, ecocriticism, postsecular studies, regionalism, postcolonial/decolonial, book history, performance, sexuality/gender, Marxism, Deconstruction, psychoanalysis, and so many more. Literature provides an avenue to study pretty much anything else you want!

What are the biggest goals/questions?

As I've already described, literature can be used to answer pretty much any question you want. If I were to describe a single question, it would probably be something like "What do literary texts show us about social and cultural issues and vice versa?" This question is very broad, but so is the field! And it allows you almost infinite possibility on how you want to approach the literature.

The central skill to all of this is close reading. Close reading describes the ability to understand a text down to the level of the word and pull out meaning much deeper than a general surface-level reading. This is a skill that takes tons of practice and years of reading to be good at, but is something that anyone can learn how to do! If literature is something that interests you, this is the skill you need to learn to build. If you care about "critical thinking" or "media literacy," it's the same skills!

Conclusion:

That's all I have for now! I may or may not post more of these this week for the challenge, but I am always available to answer questions about literature! I love talking about this stuff!

*I put "American" in quotes because I mostly mean texts written/published within the United States, but that's a bit of a nebulous category. **To add on to my note about bias, this is coming from the perspective of a scholar in the US who mostly works in English. I'm sure the field has some nuances and differences in other languages/countries, but this is not meant to be exhaustive. ***Note that these time periods are very vague and also incredibly Anglocentric so please take them with a grain of salt.

[shewhoworshipscarlin]

Alvin Childress

Alvin Childress (September 15, 1907 – April 19, 1986) was an American actor, who is best known for playing the cabdriver Amos Jones in the 1950s television comedy series Amos 'n' Andy.

Alvin Childress was born in Meridian, Mississippi. He was educated at Rust College, from which he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. When he initially entered college, Childress intended to become a doctor, enrolling in typical pre-med courses. He had no thoughts of becoming involved in acting, but became involved in theater outside of classes. Childress and Rex Ingram in the Federal Theatre Project production of Haiti (1938)

Childress's first wife was the former Alice Herndon, who established herself as a successful writer and actress under the name of Alice Childress (1916–1994); the couple was married from 1934 to 1957 and had a daughter, Jean Rosa. From 1961 to 1973, Childress worked as an unemployment interviewer for the Los Angeles Department of Personnel and in the Civil Service Commission of Los Angeles County.

Childress moved to New York City and became an actor with Harlem's Lafayette Players, a troupe of stock players associated with the Lafayette Theatre. Soon, he was engaged as an actor in the Federal Theater Project, the American Negro Theater, and in all-black race film productions such as Keep Punching (1939). His greatest success on the stage was his performance as Noah in the popular drama, Anna Lucasta, which ran for 957 performances. He also worked at Teachers College of Columbia University. Childress also operated his own radio and record store in New York City. When he learned about casting for the Amos 'n' Andy television series, Childress decided to audition for a role. He was hired a year before the show went on the air.

In 1951, he was cast as the level-headed, hard-working and honest Amos Jones in the popular television series, The Amos 'n' Andy Show, which ran for two years on CBS. Childress originally tried out for the role of The Kingfish, but Charles Correll and Freeman Gosden cast him as Amos. Since he had been hired a year before the show began, Gosden and Correll turned the search for an actor to play "The Kingfish" over to Childress. In a 1979 interview, Childress shared information about some of the candidates. Cab Calloway was considered but found wanting by Gosden because of his straight hair. Childress said there were many famous men, with and without actual acting experience, who wanted to play the role. Eventually, old-time vaudeville comedian Tim Moore was cast as the Kingfish.

Shortly after the television show had ended, plans to turn it into a vaudeville act were announced in 1953, with Childress, Williams and Moore playing the same roles as they had in the television series. It is not known if there were any performances. In 1956, after the television show was no longer in production, Childress and some of his fellow cast members: Tim Moore, Spencer Williams, and Lillian Randolph along with her choir, began a tour of the US as "The TV Stars of Amos 'n' Andy". The tour was halted by CBS as the network considered this an infringement of their rights to the program and its cast of characters. Despite the threats which ended the 1956 tour, Childress, along with Moore, Williams and Johnny Lee were able to perform one night in 1957 in Windsor, Ontario, apparently without legal action. When he tried for work as an actor, Childress found none as he was typecast as Amos Jones. For a short time, Childress found himself parking cars for an upscale Beverly Hills restaurant.

Childress also appeared in roles on the television series Perry Mason, Sanford and Son, Good Times and The Jeffersons and in the films Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) and The Day of the Locust (1975). When Childress appeared as a minister in a 1972 episode of Sanford and Son, he was reunited with two former cast members: Lillian Randolph of Amos 'n' Andy in the role of Aunt Hazel and Lance Taylor, Jr. of Anna Lucasta, with the role of Uncle Edgar.

Childress suffered from diabetes and other ailments. He died at age 78 on April 19, 1986, in Inglewood, California. He was buried at National Memorial Harmony Park in Landover, Maryland.

[ronancecore]

If ronance have a filo au it would be university series core.

Ps: there's a lot of acronyms here to shorten some words. I don't know like there's a lot of shorten words😭 most of filo use it in everyday living or in messages.

so Robin going in UP taking ba in film/multimedia arts, or ba in social science. While Nancy going to UST taking ba in journalism/mass communications, or bs in forensic.

ba is bachelor of arts and bs is bachelor of science.

UP(University of the Philippines) is the top university in ph. Good for does who want to be in law program, it is a state/public university without tuition fee. You only pay with your brain. (joke, cause it's hard to enter here if you are not seriously academic inclined person.) Automatically, if you passed the upcat entrance exam congrats you are now 'iskolar ng bayan'. (scholars of the people, it's a deserving students dream to become one of it.) yay! but it's more way hard to get out:D this university doesn't have dress code/uniforms. You can wear whatever you want, or color your hair, you have a free will to be yourself.

UST (University of Santo Thomas) in the other hand, is opposite of the previous one. It's prestigious historical university, were national hero graduated here. It's good for future architect students. It's a private university, so there's uhmm tuition fee the entrance exam is no joke too(let's say, all top university in ph, entrance exam are no joke) it have a uniform uh for girls, I know it's ummm skirt mid way length and blouse.

[molkolsdal]

I vividly recall the day I met Jamila. While photographing her, the sound of gunshots echoed in the background. I was so stressed, but she remained remarkably calm, as gunshots were unfortunately a common occurrence in Kabul during that period. Jamila grew up in a family of eight siblings and had to start working at an early age to support her beloved ones. At the time we met, she was working in an office, enduring a two-hour commute each way, every day. However, her true passion was acting, and whenever she had the chance, she participated in various projects, including independent films and photoshoots. A few weeks after our meeting, Kabul and the entire Afghanistan fell under the control of the Taliban. From that moment, almost all Afghan women found themselves in a desperate situation. But for Jamila, as an ethnic Hazara with an artistic background, the danger was even greater. Fortunately, Jamila managed to escape the country, first fleeing to Pakistan and then traveling to Bangladesh. Her escape alone could be the subject of a separate story. After arriving in Bangladesh, Jamila tirelessly searched for ways to fulfil her dream and pursue an acting career. Recently, she received her letter of acceptance to a foundation acting course at the prestigious Juilliard School... Jamila believes that this course will be a strong reference for her to apply to the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at the Juilliard School, which is her dream for the near future.

Mihaela Noroc

[psycholojosh]

hello ! i’m so glad i found your page, first of all. thank you po agad as your posts about psych have helped me get to know more about the /realities/ sa careers na kasama sa field. :))

i am currently taking up an undergrad degree in social science (sociology) in up as well ! i’ve wanted to shift to psych pero mukhang mahihirapan ako if i try as the slots are very limited. however, my envisioned career po eventually ay sa medical side talaga (i dream to either be a psychologist or a psychiatrist).

my question is, does it push me back sa psych path/career na i’m not an undergrad psych graduate? will it affect my goals to either proceed to clinical psych (and then take a psychologist licensure exam) or enroll in med school (become a psychiatrist)? is being a psych major a required step to pursue these careers? further, may advantages po ba na closely related naman ‘yung current program ko sa psych?

thank you very much ! ♡

Hello! I'm glad that my blog is somewhat helpful to you. 😊 Another person actually asked me a similar question, actually. You can check out my other responses to Asks on my page. But, anyway...

I wouldn't say that you're pushed back if the career you want is within psychology and your current program is sociology. However, having a psychology degree in college does afford you an advantage into some opportunities that can propel you into the field in psychology (e.g., jobs, grad school, etc.). But, that's not always the case in the real (adult) world. I have fellow classmates and peers who came from non-psychology college degrees, like fine arts, film, and business administration, just to name a few. I would even argue that other fields can also bring you advantages and creativity into how you will train yourself to become a psychologist. For example, at the top of my mind, I can imagine that sociological thoughts and ideas actually offer a lot of insight into how we look at mental health, psychotherapy, and the like.

When you step into grad school in psychology, many programs and schools will surely teach you the basics you may have missed from a bachelor's in psychology program (i.e., theories, research methods, etc.). Of course, having studied them back in college seems helpful, but ultimately it still depends on how you dedicate your effort and care into learning, no matter what college degree you have. Trust me, it will matter less as you journey further.

One thing though... I do notice that you seem to be considering two distinct paths: a psychologist OR a psychiatrist. These are two different roles/occupations but they do come with some similarities. While both overlap as a mental health professional, each requires a specific kind of training and timetable of formal education. At least in the Philippines, becoming a psychologist is faster on the average since it only requires you to complete a master's or doctorate degree (not MD!) before taking the licensure as a psychologist. On the other hand, becoming a psychiatrist requires you not only a medical degree, but also additional training and certification into specializing in psychiatry. Unfortunately, I cannot speak to how psychiatrists do training. I suggest looking for a psychiatrist you can ask about how they train. There are also some differences in approach to mental health as well but I won't elaborate them here for now (mas mahabang usapan na kasi yun hehe!). But, I do recommend that you learn more about each career path thoroughly.

My advice to you is to keep exploring your possibilities, even if you're in sociology, and decide to what you find is more important now and who you want to be in the future. Also, don't be afraid to take your chances no matter how small they are. I really don't want to tell you exactly what you should do -- and you're always free to disagree with me or take my words with a grain of salt -- but you will always miss all of the chances you never take. 😉

I hope this helps! Good luck!

[justforbooks]

The profile of longtime Johns Hopkins Professor Richard A. Macksey

Richard A. Macksey, was a celebrated Johns Hopkins University professor whose affiliation with the university spanned six and a half decades.

A legendary figure not only in his own fields of critical theory, comparative literature, and film studies but across all the humanities, Macksey possessed enormous intellectual capacity and a deeply insightful human nature. He was a man who read and wrote in six languages, was instrumental in launching a new era in structuralist thought in America, maintained a personal library containing a staggering collection of books and manuscripts, inspired generations of students to follow him to the thorniest heights of the human intellect, and penned or edited dozens of volumes of scholarly works, fiction, poetry, and translation.

Macksey loved classical literature, foreign films, comic novels, and medical narratives—all subjects he taught at one time or another. Conversations with him were marked by a tendency to leap from one topic to another, connected by his seemingly boundless knowledge, prodigious memory, and sense of humor. For many at Hopkins and far beyond, he was no less than the embodiment of the humanities, both in intellect and spirit.

"Dick Macksey was a Johns Hopkins legend," says James Harris, a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, director of the Developmental Neuropsychiatry Clinic, and a longtime friend of Macksey's. "He was a teacher, mentor, and friend to generations of Hopkins faculty and students. To me, he was the most erudite, kind, gracious, and considerate person I have ever known. He will be deeply missed and always remembered as the epitome of what makes Johns Hopkins a world-class university."

Born in New Jersey on July 25, 1931, Macksey planned to be a doctor and had launched his collection of medical books by the age of 5. After beginning his undergraduate studies at Princeton, he transferred to Hopkins and earned a bachelor's degree in 1953 and master's degree in 1954, both in Writing Seminars. He went on to earn a doctorate in comparative literature from Hopkins in 1957, writing his dissertation on Proust in French. While completing his thesis, he took a teaching position at Loyola College in Baltimore (now Loyola University Maryland) and after receiving his degree, returned to Hopkins as an assistant professor in the Writing Seminars. Quickly expanding beyond the writing workshops and "modern writers" courses he taught, he soon introduced a film class and initiated the first courses at Johns Hopkins in African American literature, women's studies, and scholarly publishing.

In 1966, Macksey led the charge in founding the Johns Hopkins Humanities Center—now the Department of Comparative Thought and Literature—as a meeting ground and incubator for problems, ideas, and discussions across disciplines. A degree-granting department, the Humanities Center sponsored graduate and undergraduate courses in literature, art, philosophy, and history; ran a graduate program; and maintained an active program of visiting scholars, professors, and lecturers. Macksey served as its director from 1970 until 1982, and he was a professor on its faculty until his retirement in 2010. Macksey continued to teach several courses until as recently as spring 2018.

The same year he launched the Humanities Center, Macksey joined French literary theorist and philosopher of social sciences René Girard, then associate professor of French at Hopkins, and deconstructionist and literary critic Eugenio Donato (both of whom co-founded the Humanities Center with Macksey) in convening an international symposium called The Languages of Criticism and the Sciences of Man. It was the first time that many leading figures of European structuralist criticism—including Jacques Derrida, Jacques Lacan, Roland Barthes, and Paul de Man—presented their ideas to the American academic community, throwing open a new conduit to avant-garde French theory and placing Hopkins at the center of an international intellectual conversation.

At the symposium, Derrida first presented his groundbreaking critique of structuralism, creating an entirely new perspective on how philosophy, literature, and language relate to and affect one another. The symposium's proceedings became the landmark study titled The Structuralist Controversy. The gathering set an intellectual standard that no U.S. humanities conference since has been able to match in intensity or intellectual stature, and heralded—or perhaps precipitated—the field's shift from structuralism to post-structuralism.

The many sides of Richard Macksey

"Everyone talks about 'interdisciplinary,' but he taught as if teaching and learning was a work of art," says Caleb Deschanel, director and Oscar-nominated cinematographer who graduated from Johns Hopkins in 1966. "[Macksey's teaching style] covered all the bases. If you were studying literature in the 19th century, it related to the music and art and sociology of the time. It's really what learning was supposed to be about. What it taught me was the fact that learning is about everything at the same time. Richard Macksey could somehow weave together all the elements and all the aspects of human existence into one thing, and that's what made him so great."

While a student, Deschanel proposed a film class to Macksey, who responded, why not? The class created a 16mm film, and Deschanel says that ever since, his work has been informed by the way Macksey taught him to question his instincts and search for the universal. He learned not to think of a piece of literature just as literature but as a work of art in a period of time, and about what we can learn from those universal ideas. "He taught you how to explode all the myths about things and come to the truth about what they were. Every time I do anything, my first thing is to doubt my first instincts about it. He saw learning and teaching the way we think of a work of art."

More than leading a life of aloof intellectualism, Macksey also existed fully on the human plane. A night owl, he was regularly spotted grocery shopping and volunteering at Baltimore's The Book Thing late into the evening and in the early morning hours; he liked to solve the trivia questions posed during Orioles games at Memorial Stadium; and he featured his cat, Buttons, as his Facebook cover photo. A fan of film and film history, Macksey was an inaugural founder and supporter of the 1970s Baltimore Film Festival, a predecessor of today's Maryland Film Festival.

It may have been partly due to his ability to exist on just a few hours of sleep that his presence had a way of being ever-present. Former student Rob Friedman, who graduated in 1981, remembers waking up at 1 a.m. to hear Macksey's voice drifting through his apartment window, and glimpsed the professor walking down St. Paul Street and "yakking with five students." On another occasion, Friedman awoke early and stepped outside at 6 a.m., only to find Macksey driving by and waving.

"He was so brilliant and had such an encyclopedic memory, and was also such an exuberant personality. He loved learning, he loved talking about what he was learning, and he also loved learning about what you had to say," Friedman says. "It's the generosity of his spirit and his contagious love of learning and excitement in sharing that learning. He might suddenly quote something in Greek."

Friedman met Macksey in 1977 when a friend advised him to get to know Macksey because of his sense of humor. Friedman left a funny note on Macksey's desk and the next day received an interoffice envelope with a humorous response. The two began sending comedic lines back and forth, and Friedman switched his major to humanistic studies so that Macksey could be his adviser.

"I was extremely unhappy during my college years, and if it hadn't been for him I wouldn't have finished school," Friedman says. "He really made a substantial difference in my life, not just academically but personally. I can't express the magnitude of my gratitude for Dick. There are probably 64 years' worth of people that—behind the scenes—he looked after."

Over the years, Macksey was celebrated for that dedication to teaching and received numerous awards. He also established awards in his name. In 1992, Macksey received the university's George E. Owen Teaching Award, given annually for outstanding teaching and devotion to undergraduates. In 1999, the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association awarded him its Distinguished Alumni Award, and the same year the Richard A. Macksey Professorship for Distinguished Teaching in the Humanities was endowed by former student Edward T. Dangel III and his wife, Bonni Widdoes. The professorship is currently held by author and Writing Seminars professor Alice McDermott.

In 2010, Macksey received a Hopkins Heritage Award, which honors alumni and friends of Hopkins who have contributed outstanding service over an extended period to the progress of the university or the activities of the Alumni Association. The Alexander Grass Humanities Institute hosts the Richard A. Macksey Lecture annually, and the Macksey Award is given each year to the graduating member of the Johns Hopkins chapter of Phi Beta Kappa who took the most academic risks.

Bridging medicine and the humanities

Famous at Hopkins for riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle to class in Gilman Hall and for the ever-present pipe between his teeth, Macksey held joint appointments in Writing Seminars and in History of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where he co-directed the Humanities Programs starting in 1990. With neurosurgeon George Udvarhelyi, he co-founded the School of Medicine's Office of Cultural Affairs in 1977 as a cross-campus initiative to engage in rigorous inquiry between the humanities and arts and health, science, and the delivery of care. Starting with just a few resources, the pair attracted funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts to bring in speakers with international reputations in medicine and the humanities, including Primo Levi and Umberto Eco.

"Because of Dick Macksey's legacy, we can position Hopkins as a key center of the intersection of humanities and medicine," says Jeremy Greene, professor of medicine and the history of medicine and director of the Institute of the History of Medicine. "He really blazed a path between the two campuses that many people have been able to follow since, and draw closer together the relevance between the humanities and medicine in the 21st century."

In 1992, Catherine DeAngelis, then the School of Medicine vice dean of academic affairs, received a grant to update the 75-year-old medical school curriculum. Wanting to familiarize med students with literature, poetry, theater, and the arts, she asked Macksey if he would assist in developing a four-year course called Physician and Society.

"I could think of no one better to teach in that course than Dick Macksey even though he wasn't in the School of Medicine. He really made that course so special, and I learned a lot from him by sitting in," says DeAngelis, now University Distinguished Service Professor Emerita and professor of pediatrics emerita.

"He was absolutely brilliant, but if you talked to him you would never know from him how brilliant he was," she adds. "He was approachable, and just so kind."

Generosity of spirit

Macksey was beloved for his generosity, the way he fully devoted himself to every conversation and cared about every person and his or her ideas. He thrived on engaging with everyone, eagerly giving his attention to students' thoughts and to them as people, and he never met a conversation or topic he didn't find interesting.

"Dick, of course, was brilliant, with a superb and elegant command of language, and that extraordinary memory," says John Astin, theater program director and Homewood Professor of the Arts. "Beyond that, he was a cherished companion, possessing infinite kindness whom I shall miss always. The world is less without him but much better for having had him for a time."

Friedman remembers one student who had discovered an obscure Portuguese poet, read a translation, and wanted to learn more. The student approached faculty in what is now the Department of German and Romance Languages and Literatures, but no one was familiar with the poet. Someone advised him to ask Macksey if he'd heard of him. "He said, 'of course,' and handed him an entire file of research and the poet's life history," Friedman says.

"I visited him two weeks ago when he was still able to talk and even laugh despite being bedridden," says Richard Chisolm, a documentary filmmaker whom Macksey hired to teach film at Hopkins in the 1980s and '90s, and a friend of Macksey's for 40 years. "He was a one-of-a-kind intellectual giant and a joyful teacher who was never self-centered; always filled with good humor, curiosity, and an intense love of conversation—in over a dozen languages."

A legendary library

In 1972, Macksey and his wife, Catherine Macksey, converted the garage of their home into a library. But his sprawling collection was never confined to its walls, spilling into bookshelves throughout their home and even occupying the steps of the ladders intended to access the upper shelves. "Chez Macksey," as it was fondly known, was where he frequently held classes and film viewings and subsequent discussions, and Macksey and his students would compete with those books for space around a table late into the night, often fueled by cookies and pipe smoke, while works of fine art looked on.

"Students for decade after decade have reveled in the life of that house: To be around a world of learning, enthusiasm, watching movies in the wee hours, listening to this expansive mind firing off in seven directions at once, and learning something they never knew before," Friedman says.

The collection holds not only an impressive number of diverse titles but also, scrawled in the margins, insights into Macksey's mind. He would frequently write on the pages, creating a sort of correspondence with the authors. His wife, a French scholar at Hopkins who died in 2000, also annotated her books, and Macksey told author Jessie Chaffee several years ago that he continued to "find" Catherine in the annotations she'd made in books.

"He was always engaging with the author, either in agreement or in argument," says Winston Tabb, Sheridan Dean of University Libraries, Archives and Museums. "[What you see is] essentially two minds operating together in one text—the author and a very intelligent reactor."

Equally impressive, says Tabb, is the fact that no current catalog exists: "The catalog was in Dick's mind."

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[artsekey]

Companies I've Applied To

I figured that as I embark on my quest to Get Hired, I should probably document the process for both myself and for others who are trying to get their foot in the door for industry work.

For context (and for those of you who don't know), I have a Bachelor's of Fine Art in Emerging Media: Character Animation and an Master's of Fine Art in Animation and VFX. I graduated in spring of 2022 after completing a fully independent short film, and have been working as a "visiting lecturer" at my University ever since.

My Employment History

When you're looking to get hired, your past work experience matters... a lot. Because of how intense my Undergrad/Graduate programs were, I didn't have a lot of time to cultivate my portfolio or bolster my resume. Getting hired by the University right out of college was a huge relief, but it doesn't tick that pesky "2+ years of Industry Experience" or "At least 1 AAA Game Shipped" prerequisite on most job postings.

With that in mind, I'm doing my best to push for the "or equivalent experience" caveat.

What I Do:

I've mentioned this a few times on this blog, but my professional focus is in 3D character modeling, rigging, groom, and sim. In the art field, this is usually considered a technical job, and from what I understand the market for tech is usually a little less competitive than the market for modeling/animation.

So, with all that out of the way, let's get to it!

DreamWorks:

I sent in my application for Character Tech Anim about three days after the posting opened. They had their own hiring website through nbcUniversal. I'd gone through the process before with internships, so it was pretty painless! It's a remote position, which is huge, and the salary would be competitive with the one I have now as long as I can stay remote.

Biggest con in my application is that I'm still missing Python proficiency. I'm learning it right now, but god damn is it an in-demand skill!

It's a job I'd love to get, and I think my skills in rigging/groom/sim line up well.

Process Pros:

Easy to apply.

Clear (and reasonable!) qualifications listed for the job level.

Honest about expectations regarding overtime and hours.

Allowed PDF uploads of CV & Resume.

Sent a confirmation email after the application had been received.

Had a section for "Additional Comments", which was a great place for me to throw in that I'm learning some of the skills they want.

Process Cons:

Likely will not receive a rejection notice in the event they decide not to hire. This isn't a huge con; the studio is massive and sending out rejection notices would be a time sink for them.

Advertised working weekends and overtime in the listing... definitely something I'll ask about if I move forward in the process. Work/life balance is important!

Had to enter my resume information and upload my resume. :(

Result: Too Soon to Tell

Gearbox:

I sent in my application for Technical Animator (Character Rigger) about two weeks after the listing was posted. They had their own hiring website. This is a hybrid position, which wouldn't be ideal, but a friend of a friend works remotely for them, so maybe it's negotiable?

Biggest con in my application is, yet again, that I'm still missing Python proficiency and tool dev experience. Learning it now!

I was missing a lot of the credentials on this one, so it's more of a hail-Mary application.

Process Pros:

Easy to apply.

Clear (and reasonable!) qualifications listed for the job level.

Allowed PDF uploads of CV & Resume.

Sent a confirmation email after the application had been received. Seems to promise a prompt response, which means I can likely expect a notice of rejection if they choose not to hire.

Company culture seems extremely reasonable and employee health is a priority.

Process Cons:

May have to relocate if hired.

Result: Too Soon to Tell

Aquent:

Honestly... no idea what was happening here. It was for a character rigging position, but it seems like it might've been for a broader hiring agency?

Process Pros:

Allowed PDF upload of CV and Resume.

Process Cons:

Had to apply for the job and make a separate account on their website to set up the application.

Confusing website.

Had to upload resume and then type up the resume again.

No place for a CV for the specific role.

Honestly, I'm not sure what company this went to.

Result: Too Soon to Tell

Steamroller:

Local studio that I've seen a lot of people go into! Applied for a rigging position in their animation department. Hybrid and remote are both an option for me!

Process Pros:

Allowed PDF upload of CV and Resume.

Easy to apply!

Received a confirmation email.

Credentials were clear and well listed; I matched most of the requirements.

Competitive salary! :)

Flexible work methods.

Allowed me to link to my website AND upload a static portfolio, which I love.

Process Cons:

Likely will not receive a rejection notice should they choose not to hire.

Result: Rejected (03/21/2023)

BonusXP:

Can't speak about the process much on this one! They have a rolling, general application process which means I just send in an email and if a job comes up, they'll let me know. Feels straightforward and simple. :)

Result: Too Soon to Tell

[caintooth]

you give off grad student vibes; are you?

yeah i’m a grad student, like, spiritually ;) no LMAO i’m kidding it would be fucked if someone actually claimed that

real answer tho, no i’m not currently! i’m taking some time off to work a job, have hobbies, and be a “student of life” or whatever, which is what i was trying to convey with that bad intro joke.

so, this is way more than you asked for, but… idk i’ve been meaning to say a lot of this for a while and writing it all out felt good, so unfortunately your ask is now the base for it lmao!

i think it’s important to talk about academic stress and how it can ruin not just your love of learning, but your sense of self.

for background info, i have a general Associate of Arts degree, and a Bachelor of Arts degree for which i completed a comparative literature major, with an ‘official’ focus in creative writing (though ‘personal’ focus in poetry, video games, film, and the fluidity between those mediums), and a minor in religious studies. i graduated in may of this year.

now, as a child, my mom was very harsh about school, to the point that my cousins would not want to come over during summer breaks because they knew we would be doing some sort of worksheets that my mother had designed. my “free” time was filled with non-stop educational camps, day classes, documentary watching, museum trips with worksheets, etc. until i was about age 14. and i do know that on one hand i am extraordinarily privileged to have had those experiences, and i am very thankful for them! but the reason those stopped is because i also grew up with several undiagnosed, thus untreated and increasingly severe mental illnesses. so i’m sure you can make the connections necessary to see how… damaging… my mother’s academic pressure became. i didn’t continue with further extracurricular programs because i ceased to be able to go even to regular school. my anxiety, both academic and social, became so severe that i was placed on a local program called “home hospital school”, which is normally reserved for terminally ill patients. i eventually transferred to an “early college” program because i could not go back to “regular” high school and at that point, wanted to be done with school as quickly as possible.

i took a gap year after graduating with both my high school and 2-year college degree on the same day. i was terrified and exhausted and having regular breakdowns about having to apply for more undergraduate classes. eventually i applied to 2 programs just to appease my mother that i would have at least one school and a “back-up,” and my first choice was the program at UNC-CH i just graduated from. i attended therapy just to push myself to do those applications.

and the first half of my time at UNC was… terrifying and confusing. i didn’t know what i actually “wanted” to do with my life let alone my day-to-day time, what i enjoyed, or why i was there. my dissociative disorder grew worse during that time than it had in my entire life. but eventually, being away from my mother gave me the chance to explore topics i never thought were even possible in an academic space! i took classes where we played video games for an hour straight, talked about the social origins of different urban legends, dissected how people fall for conspiracy theories, excitedly discussed queer and disabled life as a form of radical resistance… i even got so lucky that in my senior year, i was able to take only the classes i wanted and had chosen for personal enrichment.

what i’m trying to say is that i’d forgotten that learning could be fun. the reason my mom pushed me so hard in the first place, that little spark she saw in my eye: i fucking love learning, i love to discover, to fuel my curiosity, to ask dangerous questions. i love digging into the meat of life and finding out why and how. because it helps me understand more about myself, my friends, my passions. i spent so long doing what my mother wanted that i no longer knew what i wanted, or who i even was outside of her expectations.

which is exactly the reason i can’t go back to school right now. what i hope anyone still reading takes away from my words is this: if the subject doesn’t make you hungry for more, it’s not the subject for you. if you’ve spent so long being force-fed that you can’t remember what’s actually good to eat anymore? you must re-learn not only how to chew, but how to truly taste your food.

‘cause personally i feel like i need to stock my kitchen with so many more ingredients before i’ll be ready to cook the meal i truly want, y’know? and i know some of those ingredients i probably don’t even know the name of yet. to go back to school right now would be limiting for me. i’m pirating anthropology essays, experimenting with new photography methods, taking metalworking classes, writing a fake thesis about my favorite band, reading and reading and reading whatever the hell i want about any weird subject that strikes me. i’m expanding my goddamn palate.

[heyiwrotesomethings]

That's alright, I get what you mean about the work situation since I also had a bad experience too since all of 2022 - 2023 I was working all the time, even on weekends the only times I'd not work is when I caught Covid.. and I was hella exhausted by the work hours they had me do.

So this year I'm just gonna study with how much money I saved up,

So with Film Course - It's a diploma of film, it's the lowest course and if I want to do it more next year it'll be called the Associate Degree of Film then Bachelor of Film then Master of Creative industries.. (That's if I pass D:

It's been fun, it's not like we sit in one room all the time, so yeah we kinda like movie around work on personal products, Do a lecture, Have other film makers tell us important stuff on what and not to do in the film making business, you know show us the ropes.

The only thing I don't like that, IS THE LONG EDITING HOURS 😭 But everything else is Fun.

-- But nah it's been chill 😎 the school I'm going to just focuses on Entertainment, Like film making, 3D & VFX for Film, Gane art & Animation, Game Design & Production And Game programming..

Okay enough about me, might be over stepping my boundaries here but Do take care of yourself, Being honest with yourself is really great because you don't want to fall into a depressing spiral. Okay?

Hope you have the great rest of your week and give yourself a break every once in a while 😊

Sounds interesting. My sister is getting a degree in editing and I do not know how she does it. Soooo much time and effort!

The animation and game programming/ art sounds cool. Good luck in all your studies, I’m sure you’ll do great!

Thank you, I am taking care of myself and you had best do the same! Have a good day/night😊

[ode2rin]

hi! i love you (too)! i am indeed here with my questions after your ask....so buckle up.😁

okay firstly. PLEASE TELL ME IF I NEED CALCULUS FOR PSYCHOLOGY BC IM LITERALLY GOINF TO CRY. i know the neuroscience part of psych is completely different than the research parts of it and im not sure if that's the one you take.....but is it super calculation related or is it mostly subjective 🧐

how is psychology in general??? like what do you mostly learn?? is it stats or parts of the brain or maybe you focus on experiements??

what kinds of assignments do you get? im sure the work is completely different from my level so im sorry if this is a hard one to answer BUT IM SO CURIOUS HELP.

last one! (for now...) what's your favorite thing(s) you've learnt from psych so far?😇please do share because i will go insane learning anything new

HELP IMSORRY IT'S SUCH A LONG ASK BUT IM TOO CURIOUS FOR MY OWN GOOD

you are so lucky i love you despite slandering rin ANYWAY HERE IT GOES

i'm relatively good (i like to believe so) w some maths but i fucking suck at calculus so i understand the need to ask that xD,, safe to say that the last time i saw that bitch was back in highschool so nope! no calculus here (psych stats and some natural science subjects will be your enemy tho if you really loathe calculations and such but we'll get more on that later!)

regarding if it's heavy w calculations, it depends! in my uni, there are 2 tracks for this bachelor's, either you go arts or science (i'm in this) BA psych is basically leaning more on humanities and BS psych have science units (physics, biochem, anaphysio). both of them still have the core majors of psych such as abnormal psych, theories of personality, and that includes: psychology stats (sorry bub you can't escape her she's a persistent one)

psychology stats is imperative in both tracks because psychology is heavy in research. and stats is gravely used in them.

also if you're interested more on going law afterwards, BA will cater your interests more and that even saves you from these heavy sciences (they're the bane of my existence)

how is psychology in general??? like what do you mostly learn?? is it stats or parts of the brain or maybe you focus on experiements??

psych is grounded on physiology and philosophy. if i were to describe it, it's having both of the best worlds if you love humanities and arts but still love to gain some science on the side. we def learn about the brain! not only anatomically but also theoretically speaking. the brain is vast world of study, i kid you not. it's an enigma of some sorts, it's incredible and terrifying at the same time. and i wouldn't really call it as a study of "brain" but it's actually all about studying behavior in general. regarding experiments, do you mean those lab ones? for sure you'll have them if you're in the track that i'm in but basically the "experiment" side of this field is all about gathering data using scientific methods.

what kinds of assignments do you get? im sure the work is completely different from my level so im sorry if this is a hard one to answer BUT IM SO CURIOUS HELP.

I SO LOVE THIS QUESTION IT ALLOWS ME TO GEEK OUT for now, in my majors (most of them are introductory to complex psych) most of my assignments are essays and case studies. also, this program will need you to TALK in presentations, recits (some of my profs uses socratic method and they sometimes let students argue abt diagnosis). if you're not so good with talking my dearest puri, dw that's not really much of a problem! with writing though, you will need A LOT of it (which i am certain you'll be killing it in this aspect so)

also don't mind those side assignments and projects i rant about here in this app (example: the goddamn film) those are my minors !

last one! (for now...) what's your favorite thing(s) you've learnt from psych so far?😇please do share because i will go insane learning anything new

there's no day in psych that's not interesting. first of all, i love that we could be in a coffee shop talking about traumas and mental illnesses and none of us are batting an eyelash even tho we probably sound fucking unhinged to those around us xD my most favorite thing here apart from what i learn intellectually, is how profound empathy runs in this field.

once you started in psych, it's hard to see people in a singular perspective. and it's not a bad thing per se, it just makes your interpersonal relationships a little bit more complex to navigate because you now have this understanding of the implications of how people behave. and of course, it goes without saying that this understanding shouldn't be an excuse nor a justification, but whether you like it or not, it gives you an explanation of some sort.

also, being in psych automatically includes you in the movement. as difficult as it is to admit, the issue of mental health is still more of a movement than an obvious problem. i hate that but yeah

(the thing i don't like about it is that it's heavy on reading (oh my god), and as someone who enjoys reading for pleasure, reading these academic volumes is a whole different experience. but that's just me hehehe)

I GOT A BIT CARRIED AWAY OH MY GOD i hope this somehow helps huhu feel free to ask more and i'll do my best w answering them!!

[wutbju]

This is a long, long, long story with a lot of data. Let’s comb through it. Lucille B. Green is the Greenville News staff writer who wrote the story.

A little flying angel, clutching a movie camera to his breast. is the trademark for internationally recognized Unusual Films, a Bob Jones University enterprise which offers in its scholastic division of cinema a bachelor of arts, a master of arts and a master of fine arts degree.

Unusual Films produces films for distribution on rental basis through churches and other organizations, operating independently of the university and paying the university 10 per cent of its gross, plus providing all promotional films to the university without charge.

It also must pay other departments on itemized billings for services rendered, from secretarial work to manual labor on sets when it can't manage within its own organizational set-up.

Headed by Mrs. Katherine Stenholm, director of the cinema division and Unusual Films, the division was recognized recently by the U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, -- no friend of BJU, with which HEW has been involved in a long struggle over Civil Rights Act compliance -- as being "better equipped in relation to the number of students being trained than any other institution's cinema division in the United States.

No friend of BJU? What the flip is that in there? What’s up with the Civil Rights Act compliance? Here’s a clue from 1974. The rhetoric in this statement is annoying.

Mrs. Stenholm, whose husband Dr. Gilbert Stenholm is director of BJU's extension division and ministerial training, initiated Unusual Films in 1950.

A need was felt at that time by the administration "to produce Christian and educational films of good quality." It was felt that most such films which churches and other organizations were showing were of inferior quality and that BJU could meet a real need in establishing a cinema studio.

This next strategy is typical for BJU. They imbue the young and uninitiated with a large dose of responsibility which creates a kind of trauma bond with BJU.

ANNOUNCED IN 1950

Dr. Bob Jones Jr. broke the news to Mrs. Stenholm at a rehearsal of "Cyrano de Bergerac" in 1950 -- when Mrs. Stenholm was directing plays and operas for the university and serving on the speech faculty. "Next fall," he said, "when you are working in our film studios...."

A few weeks later, when commencement activities were over, Mrs. Stenholm saw Dr. Bob Jones Jr. on the campus and questioned him further. He told her she would get money from the university to build the studios, to purchase initial equipment and to cover the costs of the first production. After that she would be on her own.

That summer she went to the University of Southern California to study motion picture making. "My ignorance of what I had to do could be compared with giving a child a large sum of money and telling him to furnish a house. . .But I was determined to do a good job and -- if it doesn't sound too pious -- I think the Lord helped me all the way."

She took a summer course. That’s it. USC still has that program. You can view it here.

AIDED BY STERNOD

Mrs. Stenholm feels she was guided in purchases of equipment -- "which frequently can become obsolete in just a short time." And she cites as an example the purchase of a camera in 1950 for $8,000 which today she could sell for "$16,000 if we wished to sell it." And she feels that she lived by the gospel -- "If you lack wisdom, look to God."

Instrumental in Mrs. Stenholm's orientation to the film world was Rudolph Sternod, then Stanley Kramer's production designer. ("A production designer actually does everything except film direction," she explains, "designing not only the set but the action.")

Mr. Sternod had worked with major studios for 20 years and had never paused to talk with a visitor to the set but when he saw Mrs. Stenholm watching his production for the second day, he went over to speak to her and asked her what she was interested in.

From that time on, he divulged secrets of the trade that guided his protege through her rough beginning years, and provided her with knowledge that smoothed the path she had to travel. He taught her set construction and camera angles -- and the special type of broken set construction to coordinate with camera angles.

It’s Sternad, if you’re googling. Usually you’ll see him as Rudy Sternad. And you’ve probably seen his work:

In California with Mrs. Stenholm that summer, also attending USC classes, was Bob Craig, a graduate student picked for the future cinematographer of the film enterprise. He remained with her for eight years.

Bob Craig was a member of the Class of 1951, btw. It’s not like she met him at USC.

Ground was broken for the studios in June of that year and the trademark soon had a namesake, a crane purchased in Hollywood by Mrs. Stenholm and known there as the "Mighty Midget" but rechristened "The Flying Angel." It's still in use.

Thus was born the Department of Unusual Films, later to become a precocious offspring of the"World's Most Unusual University.'

WELL EQUIPPED

This modern motion picture studio centers in gigantic sound stage complete with professional cranes and multi-directional dollies, cameras, microphone perambulators, cat-walks, arc and incandescent lights and light accessories.

At the rear of Rodeheaver Auditorium, the studio's main building has three divisions: the air-conditioned, Fiberglas-insulated soundstage proper -- 40 by 80 feet and 30 feet high; the scene storage and machine-shop area, 20 by 80 feet; and the general offices and workrooms that spread over three stories.

The second floor contains Mrs. Stenholm's office, production offices and the editing, re-cording-machinery and sound-mixing rooms. The third floor is divided into a film storage and checking room, the art and film drafting room, the distribution and advertising office and a classroom which doubles as a projection room.

The Rodeheaver auditorium stage, vast and magnificently equipped, is accessible from the studios as is the university's collection of costumes, armor and jewelry, valued at $300,000 and readily adaptable for use in motion pictures.

An exterior studio lot has been used for shooting Grecian and Roman scenes with their public buildings and squares, for Palestinian streets and buildings, in "Wine of the Morning"; and for exteriors in "Red Runs the River," a story of conflict, both personal and national, during the War Between the States.

Both of these films are evangelistic in theme and have been prize winners with international acclaim.

“War Between the States”? :|

'MACBETH' FILMED

A few months after the studios embarked on shooting promotional and religious films -- featuring Dr. Bob Jones Sr.'s sermons and other early releases -- the demands on the part of students for participation led to the decision to create an accredited course in film making at the university, and later an accredited division.

Soon Dr. Bob Jones Jr. transferred his talents in Shakespearean roles from the stage to film. And soon "Macbeth" with Dr. Bob Jones Jr. in the title role, became the most spectacular production yet of the young company. The studio was on its way to establishing an international reputation.

The studios won their first award in 1952, from the National Evangelical Film Foundation, for the musical production, "Vesper Melodies. The following year the same foundation gave them its award for "Heavenly Harmonies."

Mrs. Stenholm was now an experienced and knowledgeable director and the studios embarked on an ambitious two-year production based on Dr. Bob Jones Jr.'s book, "Wine of Morning." The story details the life -- as it might well have been -- of Barabbas, who was spared in the choice before Pilate between Barabbas and Jesus. The university also composed the original musical score and students worked in every phase of production.

Some of the technical problems solved by the director and her students have been written up in magazines as well as cinema textbooks. Included among such texts using pictures and technical explanations of problems from BJU are Dr. Raymond Fielding's "Special Effects" and another text by David Mascelli, as well as the HEW manual.

True!

SEA SCENE FILMED

Mrs. Stenholm recalls that she was tremendously worried about filming a sea scene in "Wine of Morning" and decided to go to California on her vacation to talk it over with Mr. Sternod. Again it seemed as if the conference was almost divinely inspired -- for Mr. Sternod had just spent nearly $1 million in studio research for the production of "Mutiny on the Bounty" to determine the most realistic use of miniatures in filming such scenes.

So successfully did she film the sea scene (in miniature) that the pictures of the scene and technical descriptions have been included in texts, including the HEW manual. "Wine of Morning" was chosen to represent the product of American colleges and universities at the International Film Festival in Cannes, France, in May 1958 and the International Congress of Schools of Cinema, meeting in Paris a week later.

In a report on the sessions given to a committee of government agencies interested in motion pictures in Washington, Mrs. Stenholm was cited by Dr. Don Williams as having presented "a full-length, feature picture . . . . one of the most ambitious pictures ever undertaken by a university group . . . and she took with her the most complete set of lecture notebooks I have ever had the pleasure to look through. She also had a picture showing the facilities at BJU studios called "The Flying Angel."

Unusual Films did get listed with the Dept HEW in 1963 as a cinema school of note. The films it brags on though:

“You Can’t Win”? Was that a remake of “Unbeatable Game”? Tell me more!

CIVIL WAR MOVIE

A few years later Mrs. Stenholm met even greater challenges when she embarked on the filming of the spectacular full-length Civil War movie -- in color. Students, staff and faculty decided the only way to learn the creative, technical and production aspects of film-making was to make one -- a real one, a big one, a long one, a good one.

Research teams were dispatched to the Manassas Battleground (the battle is reenacted in the film), to the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress. Again the solution of a technical difficulty made textbooks in picture and descriptive matter, this time on the blowing up of a railroad trestle at the moment that a period railroad train passed over it. Visitors at the 1967 Festival of Arts last spring saw the set and could learn how the scene was done.

The months and the years have spun by and the cinema division at BJU averages 38 to 40 students a year with six to eight receiving master's degrees.

Most recent of the productions to be completed by Unusual Films that merits praise is the promotional film on the university, "Gateway to a Miracle," which covers the campus and classrooms and was used during the summer on the banquet tours by the president and vice president of the university and on the nationwide summer tours of the four "BJU Ensemble" groups. It will be available to churches for showing this fall.

Anybody remember that one? Gateway to a Miracle? I’ve heard about this next one. So typical. Thurmond was a real piece of work in the late 60s.

Earlier in the year, Unusual Films produced a film depicting in color the charms of South Carolina, "Products of Freedom,” made on contract for Sen. Strom Thurmond, a member of BJU's board of trustees. Either film would be a revelation in beauty and knowledge for the average South Carolinian.

In addition to films produced for rental, to recover their cost, the studios do some commercial work -- but are somewhat restricted as to sponsors and content.

The text underneath the picture up above is as follows:

So successfully did Mrs. Katherine Stenholm solve the technical problems involved in filming the storm at sea for "Wine of Morning" that this picture of the actual filming, together with the technical descriptions, has been included in a number of textbooks -- including a manual put out by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Raymond Fielding's "Special Effects" and another text by David Mascelli. The metal barrels at the side were used to create waves, fine spray was blown through the air and the ship was perfectly proportioned to permit the oar strokes, etc., to appear real--not mechanized or in miniature.

[shelleytheodore]

CV

SHELLEY THEODORE Born in Brisbane, Australia Lives and works in London, Barcelona and France https://shelleytheodore.tumblr.com/ https://www.axisweb.org/p/shelleytheodore/ EDUCATION 2012 MA Visual Art (Fine Art), Camberwell College of Art, University of the Arts, London 1995 Bachelor of Fine Art (Hons), Goldsmiths College, University of London 1992 Dept of Continuing Education, Goldsmiths College, University of London, Certificate in Art 1980 Bachelor of Social Work, University of Queensland, Australia SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND PUBLICATIONS 2022 Artist Feature Special Issue: Best Artists of 2022 Magazine 43, Hong Kong 2022 Magazine 43 Film Friday featured artist April 2022 https://magazine43.substack.com 2021 Deptford X Festival, Art in the open Supported Application Guide shapeslewisham introducing@shelley_theodore 23 March 2021 Deptford London 2021 Post Analogue Labyrinth IV, virtual exhibition, https://www.artsteps.com/view/ 6092eeaca33cc06fe89a823f 2019 Post Analogue Labyrinth Ill, as part of DEPTFORD X FRINGE, AAJA Deptford 2018 Post Analogue Labyrinth 11, Sister Midnight Records 4 Tanners Hill London Gaze, Axisweb: Contemporary Art UK Network, online exhibition Aesthetica Issue 81, p157, Artists' Directory, Published on Jan 24,2018 2017 Drawing Open, 26 -28 May, No Format Gallery, Arch 29, Rolt Street, Deptford 2016 Prison Drawing Project, Dean Road Prison, Scarborough, UK Artrooms Fair 2016, Melia Whitehouse Hotel, London 2015 Uncertain States Annual, Mile End Art Pavilion, Mile End 2014 Pala, an online digital program of artist's film and video works curated by Laura Mansfield 2013 Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2013, Spike Island, Bristol, and ICA, London 8 STUDIOS FROM HERE, Faircharm Studios, Deptford Postcard From My Studio, Acme Project Space 44 Bonner Road, Bethnal Green, London 2012 Crash OPEN, Charlie Dutton Gallery, 1a Princeton Street, London The Salon Art Prize Exhibition 2012, Matt Roberts Art, 25b Vyner Street, London Jerwood Drawing Prize Exhibition 2012, Jerwood Space, London No Now, Space Station Sixty Five, Kennington Bend over Shirley, Beaconsfield Contemporary Art 2011 CCW Artist Moving Image, HMV Curzon, Wimbledon 'Chain letter' worldwide exhibition 2011, GIBSMIR family, Zurich, Switzerland. Flash in the Pan, curated by Naomi Sidefin and David Crawford, Beaconsfield Contemporary Art The Unsung Heroes of the studio, ASYLUM, The Chapel, Caroline Gardens, Peckham 2010 Peckham Space Open, Peckham Space, Peckham Deptford X Fringe Award, Deptford X Fringe Nunhead Open Art Exhibition, The Surgery, Nunhead 2009 Creekside Open, selected by Mark Wallinger, APT Gallery, Deptford Creekside Open, selected by Jenni Lomax, APT Gallery, Deptford 2008 London Art Fair, Islington, Beverley Knowles Fine Art 2007 London Art Fair, Islington, Beverley Knowles Fine Art RESIDENCIES 2022 Studio Residency, San Quirze Safaja, Barcelona 2021 Photography Workshop with Architect Lisa Harmey and architecture students University of Cardiff, UK 2015 'Backs to the Future' Residency, FIVE YEARS 66 Richmond Studios, 8 Andrews Road, E84QN 2014 2014 LUX Critical forum, London 2012 Gasworks Curatorial Workshop, Gasworks 2011 Urban fabric 2 (UF2) Paradox Conference, Crawford College of Art and Design, Cork, Ireland 'Sculptural Drawing Collaboration', The Woodmill Project Space, Bermondsey

[lgbtqiamuslimpedia]

Parvez Sharma

DOB : July 8, 1976

Occupation : Journalist, Filmmaker,Writer, Activist

Gender : Male

Sexuality : Gay

Ethnicity : Indian 🇮🇳

Spouce : Dan

Awards : Best Film,Mix Brasil 2008,Best Film,Image +Nation,Montreal 2008,Monette Horowitz Award,Cinereach Award,Arts PAC—Artists for Freedom Of Expression,Arcus Foundation Award,The Hartley Film Award,Andy Warhol Foundation for The Visual Arts 2006,GLAAD Media Award,Stonewall Community Fund, etc

Parvez Sharma (also known as Parvez Hussein Sharma) is an Indian-born American journalist, writer, filmmaker & activist. He proudly identify himself as Gay & Muslim. Sharma's writings have appeared on The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast and The Guardian.He is a recipient of the 2018 Guggenheim Fellowship in the film/video category. He is best known for his films In the name of Allah (short), A Jihad for Love, A Sinner in Mecca, & his book A Sinner in Mecca: A Gay Muslim's Hajj of Defiance. He received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary amongst several other international awards for A Jihad for Love. For his 2 controversial documentaries, Parvez Sharma faced lots of criticism from Muslim communities.After the release of A Jihad for Love, Sharma was labeled as Apostate by the Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa.

Early Life:

Parvez Sharma was born on 8th July of 1975 in a small town of New Delhi. His parents were sunni muslim. He grew up in various cities all over India. His high school was a Catholic School called St Mary's Academy where all students had to recite the Pater Noster during morning assembly. At the age 12, he had (inappropriately) speed-read his mother’s copy of “Gone with the Wind” & even gotten his hands on Christopher Isherwood’s “Berlin Diaries”. By 13 he was precociously photographing everything with a pretty basic Vivitar camera which was gifted by his American cousin.

He recieved his bachelor degree in English literature from Presidency College of the University of Calcutta.He received his master's degrees in Mass Communication (Film and Television) from Jamia Millia Islamia University,Broadcast Journalism from the University of Wales,Cardiff & Video from American University's School of Communication.He moved to the United States in 2000 as a student at Columbia University's Film School, but was unable to continue a second semester due to lack of funds and moved to American University where he was given scholarships.

Career:

Parvez Sharma worked as a journalist for India's 24-hour news television network NDTV.He also worked on programming for BBC World Television(India), the Discovery Channel(United States), & the World Bank (United States).Parvez Sharma worked in several radio,print, and broadcast.

In the nineties, Sharma was a print journalist for several prominent Indian newspapers including The Telegraph,The Statesman,The Economic Times,The Business Standard, & India Currents Magazine.While at the Statesman he reported on what was the first ever detailing of the lesbian experience within India for a national newspaper - Emerging from the Shadows (July 3, 1994)– which became a rallying point for lesbians around the country and was crucial in the formation of many lesbian organizations.

Sharma was instrumental in setting up the first organized LGBT effort in the eastern state of West Bengal,setting benchmarks for many other LGBT organizing efforts around the subcontinent.

Films

In his short film, In the name of Allah , Parvez interviewed American,British & South Asian Gay & Lesbian Muslims.A Jihad for Love film was preceded by this short film.Parvez Sharma came up with the idea after listening to the stories of gay muslims, when he attended American University.He decided to give a voice "to a community that really needed to be heard, and that until now hadn't been.Parvez Sharma and his film's co-producer Sandi Dubowski raised more than a million dollars over a 6 year period to make this daring film. Parvez conducted interviews of many LGBTQ+ muslims from different backgrounds.He met these people through the Internet.The film was filmed in 12 different countries and in 9 languages. Sharma compiled 400 hours of footage of interviews throughout North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, & the Middle East.Countries included Iran,Iraq,Saudi Arabia,Egypt,Bangladesh,Pakistan,Turkey,France,India,South Africa,USA & UK.

In just its opening week during a limited release of 33 cities, A Jihad for Love, for example, ran for four weeks at New York's IFC theaters.The film grossed $22,287, out of which, $10,519 was just in New York.The Domestic Total Gross for the film is $105,659.A Jihad for Love was theatrically released in 33 cities,while A Sinner in Mecca was only released in four cities, for a week each.Its box office numbers were low, except in New York where it had a higher box office return of $11,220.The film also premiered in 2007 at the Toronto International Film Festival & in 2008 at the Berlinale.It went on to premier at more than a hundred film festivals globally and was released in theaters in the US and Canada in 2008 by First Run Features and Mongrel Media.A Jihad for Love was broadcast in India and other countries by India's NDTV.It was shown in two parts over the Aug 1-2 and Aug 8-9 weekends.Further A Jihad for Love was banned from screening in the Singapore International Film Festival, 2008.The film was also banned in several muslim-majority countries.By 2011, Sharma conducted live events and screenings of A Jihad for Love in many Muslim nations and capitals ranging from Beirut,Lebanon and Istanbul, Turkey, to Bishkek,Kyrgyzstan and Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia.In Indonesia, the film did an 8-city tour to acclaim.

In 2007 he wrote a chapter for the book Gay Travels in the Muslim World. In 2009 Parvez Sharma wrote the foreword for the anthology Islam and Homosexuality.

In 2009, Sharma was named as one of "50 Visionaries changing your world" in a list headed by the Dalai Lama.The OUT Magazine named Parvez Sharma one of the OUT 100 twice for 2008 and 2015- "one of the 100 gay men and women who have helped shape our culture during the year".On 29 May 2013 Sharma was honored as an "LGBT hero" by first-lady Michelle Obama at a DNC fundraiser in New York.

Activism:

As an activist Parvez Sharma has spoken internationally on distinguished film/media panels and panels on Muslim & South asian LGBTQ+ issues, human rights violations across the world & the crisis in 21st century Islam.

[wyndig0]

Things I’ve Learned Going to a Great Art School

To preface this, I go to SCAD in Atlanta, GA. This particular college is ranked as one of the best colleges to go to for certain programs, namely fashion design and animation (of any kind; 3d, 2d, MOME, technical, the sorts). And here are some of the things I learned from going on 4 years of attending this school for my bachelors in animation

The school you go to does not matter to companies as much as you may think. Your portfolio/demo reel however? It makes or breaks your chances of getting work within your desired field.

Appreciate the assets your professors and your college gives you, but do not turn a blind eye to very real struggles you or anyone else will encounter

Do not be afraid to take inspiration of any and everything. People, animals, sounds, music, film, etc. Now, this does not mean trace/copy/steal other peoples hard work.

Be NICE and cooperative to your professors and peers. These are people you will work with in the industry. Networking and making good connections while you are in school is absolutely everything. These people can recommend you for projects and will help boost you in your career, given you do the same for them.

Your professors know what they are talking about. You are just starting out (whether you want to think so or not) and are here to learn and soak up any knowledge your teachers have to give. They have worked in and studied the industry for years. You have not. You do not know better than your professors, so be open minded and receptive to critique. Even if they seem mean. They are here to make you better and more prepared for when you do get to go out and work.

Be proud of your work. Whether you spent 20 minutes or 20 hours on something, own your work. Put 110% into everything you do like you are submitting it to your director/client/boss. Because a bad grade on something translates to you being fired your industry.

Take notes! Whether this be in a lecture or studio class. You will need to look back at this information. For example: Program shortcuts. Instead of searching for them, you have it in your notes.

Get involved in your schools community. Be in clubs, go to events, participate. My school requires you to attend at least 1 field trip and 3 other events for each class (usually). And if there isn’t a club you’re interested in? Make one. This also includes school discords/group chats.

When you can’t go to your professors, your peers/upperclassmen are your best assets. They are or have been in your same spot questioning and worrying about the same stuff. Ask them for help and do not be afraid that it is a stupid question. You are learning so not everything will come naturally. Everything takes practice.

It is ok to fail a class or two. This does not make you lesser than anyone. We’ve all gotten less than stellar grades before. 

 Take breaks. As an animation student, or just someone that does art, you can just sit for hours upon hours doing one thing, but that does not mean it’s good for you. Let your body and eyes rest for a couple minutes. Take a step back from your work and observe at a different angle. Go get a drink, take a walk, whatever you can do to decompress for a moment before getting back to the grind.

Stretch. For the love of god, stretch. Your hands, neck, arms, legs, feet. Carpal tunnel and muscle tension is not fun and will inhibit your workflow. 

Exercise. Even just a little bit. It is easy to lay down all day whenever you don’t have anything to do. But your body needs movement. You can go on a walk, do yoga, lift weights... Just do a little bit of something every day. It does wonders for both your physical and mental health.

Some people will have more skills coming into something than you. They are NOT your competition, they are your ally. Treat them as such, because you can learn from them just as they can learn from you. This also does not mean you’re bad at something. Your work is great, always. Because you took the time and energy to make it.

Step out of your comfort zone. I started school in fall of 2020, height of covid. All of my classes were online. It was so hard to make friends at first, but branching out and talking to classmates allows for some great opportunities and that’s how you make your lifelong friends.

Go to extra help sessions and office hours. This is where you get individualized help from your professors catered to you and your work. This also shows your professors you take initiative and are willing to put in the work. It makes you look great. 

Keep updating your resume.

Enjoy yourself. Take some time to do things you love outside of classes. Hang out with friends, play games, watch shows/movies. You deserve it.