An Introduction: Part 1

So I know what you’re thinking – “An introduction? Isn’t that what the ‘About’ page is for?” Well, yes, but this isn’t that kind of introduction. This is a more informal, get to know you, what do you think of the new couch, yeah but they didn’t have it in blue, I don’t know, about six weeks, no I wasn’t gonna wait that long for teal, kind of a post.

In this multi-part introduction, I want to be able to give a brief overview of who I am, what I want to do with this site, and (most importantly) some history and plans regarding my upcoming feature-film, Forbidden Dish. I want you to get a better sense of me as person, as a consumer of media, and as – god help me if I sound too pretentious – an artist (pronounced ‘R-teest’ for maximum snobbish effect). Basically, I want to give you the spark-notes version of the past 2 ½ (or 30, depending where you start the count) years of my life – after all, that is what the internet is for isn’t it, talking about oneself? Well, that and pointing out plot holes in movies. And porn. Lots of porn. Anyway, with that wonderfully informational introduction to my introduction out of the way, let’s get started!

Who I Am

So let’s go through the basics first – My name is Chris, I’ve lived most of my life in Georgia until a recent move brought me to North Carolina (still a distinctly southern state, so very aptly named), I graduated Valedictorian of my High School and Magna Cum Laude with degrees in Media Studies and Photography from college (who doesn’t love someone bragging about their academic accomplishments 8 years later), and before I began the process of making this movie I worked on creating a PSA marketing campaign aimed at addressing underage drinking (no snarky quip here – there really are negative health effects). That’s really all the information of interest I have to share regarding my “personal life” – after all, who wants to read another six paragraphs about my elementary school teachers or what model vehicle I drive? [Note: If you actually did want to hear all of that, I apologize. They were all very nice and a Chevy Silverado. Happy?]

Okay, so I kind of lied in the paragraph above – good way to get off on the right foot, eh? I am going to talk a bit more about myself, and it will kinda-sorta be personal, but it won’t be all that boring ‘facts and statistics’ crap you get in the last few sentences of a book’s dust jacket. Instead, I’m going to talk about my love of media (and stories) – watching it, reading it, playing it, listening to it, watching people talk about watching it, and (most importantly) making it. I grew up kind of an introverted kid (shocker!) and so I spent a lot of time interacting with stories across all forms of media. In that time I fell in love not only with the worlds such media could build, but in the craft and effort that went into making them (and making it all seem so effortless and real in the process). It didn’t take long before I started running around my house, and to a lesser degree outside (re: Georgia is hot), and making my own little movies. Now, while I was snubbed quite a few times by the academy, I loved every minute of it. I enjoyed coming up with the characters and situations, the act of filming it (and thus cementing these stories to the ever-lasting medium of cheap VHS tapes), and – most of all – I loved sharing these stories with everyone around me. Watching their reactions from the couch, I felt that this must be how Steven Spielberg feels when he forces his friends and family to sit down in their living room sits down with an audience in a crowded theater to watch one of his movies for the first time. After that initial experience, I was hooked. I could think of little else besides making the next thing, telling the next story. The fact that worlds and characters pulled from the ether could be made manifest by little more than a kid with a dream (and, again, a healthy supply of recordable VHS tapes) was incredible.

What I did

Given that wall of text above (and the fact that you’re on this very website right now), it should come as little surprise that my love of making movies and telling stories only grew over time. For me it was never a question of what I wanted to do with my life – there was only ever one real option: plumbing. However, since I have a crippling disdain for giant masses of hair dragged out of clogged shower drains, I decided that making movies would be a good second choice. At least it’s easy and non-competitive. Still, one does not simply stroll into Mordor… er, Hollywood. So, I decided early on that the notion of gatekeepers telling the huddled masses who was worthy enough to tell stories on the big – and small – screen was for the birds (those feathery bastards and their hierarchical class structures). It was relic left over from a bygone era when the cost and availability of the necessary equipment put it outside the hands of all but the richest few (like the Monopoly man or Mr. Peanut). I watched as, over the course of my life, computing power went higher and the cost of high quality film and video equipment became more accessible. It ushered in a word in which anyone with the drive, desire, and work ethic required could find a way to bring to life anything they could imagine and could share those stories with the world around them. It was because of all these ideals worthy of their own inspirational posters complete with kitties and a sunset that I knew what I needed to do – end this post on a cliff-hanger.

Just kidding. The answer was make an independent film, obviously. Grab the metaphorical bull by the metaphorical horns (so as to not bother real bulls with all my nonsense) and make my dreams a reality. Film a movie that ‘the system’ would never greenlight (so, basically, anything that isn’t based on or spun off from a pre-existing franchise) and tell a story that only I could tell (well, me along with the help of some incredible authors online on which who’s work this film is based… and of course the talented cast and crew necessary to actually make the movie… not to mention all the love and support I have received from family and friends. Remember, I said me, not me alone.) Thus, it is my goal to make something truly special and original that will not only stand out in a crowded media landscape but which will bring joy and entertainment to everyone who watches (kind of like the tape from The Ring, but the opposite).

Next Up

In the next part of this introductory blog I hope to give a (considerably more succinct than this) overview of what I want to do with this site and talk more in-depth about the Forbidden Dish project itself (that part probably won’t be as succinct). Until that time, I want to thank you for reading this far. Think of it like getting in your daily steps, but with your eyes. Ocular jogging, so to speak. I also hope you learned a little bit and had a good time doing it. Everything will be on the test by the way and there will be no phones allowed. Well, accept for me, but I’m not taking the test.

Talk to you soon (well, write words that you will hopefully read soon),

Chris

P.S. – Feel free to leave a comment or a mint on my pillow. I’d enjoy interacting with either.