Mr. Hungry@Work

Hooray! We have completed our second paid video commercial! The 45 second spot is titled "Mr. Hungry@Work and is promoting the local business Camille's Sidewalk Cafe. I met up with the owner Rosemary about 2 weeks ago and even though she had her doubts she took a leap of faith and decided to commission DragonCow to make an ad for her:

SO HERE IT IS:


Pretty good huh? Rosemary has absolutely thrilled and completely satisfied with the video. We even had a chance to premiere the video live on the internet through a fantastic new site called ilivetoday.com and if you haven't joined ilivetoday.com yet you must! It's a really great way to connect with people and businesses in the Antelope Valley.

So if you're a business in need of some fresh ideas in creative advertising give me a call (661) 317-7803 or email me ben@dragoncowproductions.com

Everyone else sit back and enjoy the ride! Wish me luck : )

Wise Owls

A lone warrior approaches the dark mouth of a mountain. The mountain breathes it foul odor and the warrior’s bones tremble in fear. His metal boots clink against the hard rocky floor of the cave. The smell of rotting corpses pillage his nostrils. Death is all about him, and terror begins to grip his mind. What horrible beast lies ahead? What fanged, clawed, scaled monstrosity waits to ambush him in the dark?

This is the feeling of fear and uncertainty when beginning new things. We build up monsters in our mind, great enemies too big to be defeated. But we continue on through this cave because we are brave and crave adventure. We crave knowledge and understanding. Like Plato we must not remain prisoner in the cave, but find our way out to the sun.

FInding my way out of the cave.

This class was a great experience for me. I learned a lot. More than I thought I could learn really. Not only did I learn, but I had fun doing so. Even if I complained about the grueling research paper, or cramming at 11:58 to finish the assignments for the week, I really did enjoy myself. I enjoyed the struggle. The constant uphill battle. Never feeling safe, fat, happy or lazy. This course was dynamic and built up upon itself and the other courses I took this semester.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

While I feel great relief in having completed the work aspect of this class, I will miss the learning and friendship of this class. Through all of these blogs I have really been able to connect with all of you. It’s been basically like reading each other’s diaries or journals. I’ve gotten to know you all on a deep level, and I will miss that community and interaction.

Some final thoughts.

You are never to old to learn. One of the most inspiring things about taking classes at a community college is coming coming across people 2 or even 3 times your age, going back to school to get a better education. Keep up the great work, you can do it! Owls may be old, but they are always the wisest!

Even a blog can be beautiful. Every opportunity to write or to be creative is an opportunity that we must seize. I think we all unlocked the inner philosopher and poet in these blogs. I greatly enjoyed reading all of your blogs because of all the fascinating metaphor and ideas that I came across.

About Me

I mentioned at the begging of the semester that I was trying to get into the USC School of Cinematic arts. I received a letter from USC yesterday, I did not get in. After taking the moment to wallow in wretched self-pity, I changed my thinking to a positive mindset and realized that it as simply not meant to be, at least not at this moment. That means for now I will remain in the Antelope Valley, so perhaps I may bump into one of you next semester? Also my video-production business is gaining some ground locally! I  am producing a video ad for AV Florist and connect with a lot of businesses locally through http://www.ilivetodayav.com (great site, highly recommend you check it out). So everyone please stay in touch! I will probably be premiering my first feature film, for more info email me at ben@dragoncowproductions.com 

So long and thanks for all the fish!

True Education

I sat down for dinner with my father the other night at Chili’s. As we ate we talked, and he complimented my blogs. He says my writing is improving, but stays honest (critical) and tells me I still need to proofread better. Such is the life of a English teacher's son.

I have noticed an improvement in my writing and I feel that the blogs have contributed to that very much. Writing creatively at least on a weekly basis has made it much easier to get started on my essays. I will even admit that I have even begun to enjoy many of the assignments; when you enjoy what you’re doing you do it even better.

I have started to love writing even more because these blogs really bring my thoughts to life. I start to get into the writing and before I know it I am past the 500 word minimum. Before I would stress much more and do a word count about every 2 minutes. Writing is less about fighting the words and meeting all the requirements. I have started writing more because it is simply interesting.

The various assignments in this class have not only improved my interest in writing but also my skill and proficiency of writing. The group projects have helped me to communicate more fluently through the written word. I am much more comfortable communicating with people online through discussion boards and emails. The group projects essentially push you or force you to figure out how to communicate through an unfamiliar medium.

What I believe to be the greatest help in writing during this class was actually reading the chapter in our Exploring Language book about writing. The tips found in that chapter have proved to be indispensable in all of my writing projects. The two essays that stood out the most to me were Richard Lederer’s “The Case for Short Words” and Linda Flower’s “Writing for an Audience.” Lederer’s essay has spurred me to be more crisp and clear in what I write. Flower’s essay has made me think about the audience more and reminded me to consider what their knowledge, experiences and situations are when I write. This essay has only added to my intense love of the concept of context.

Not only does this improvement in my writing aid me in this class, but it also enriches many other areas of my life. Undoubtedly what I have learned through all of the reading and practice will improve my writing outside of the class. As a film-maker writing is something very important to me. Being able to shape stories through language will be a major key to my success. The creative assignments, especially the blogs, contribute the most to developing my story-telling skills.

Many of the critical thinking questions in the Exploring Language textbook have helped me to think of more stories because they ask for examples from personal situations. This often helps to give me an idea to write about as an example in my blog.Then the blog comments serve as a final step where I can receive feedback on my writing allowing me to adjust my style and tailor my writing to be more audience centered. As with all true education, the combination of these many elements work together to improve me.