santa is as real as my sex appeal
Helloooo guys. Now, I know I promised you pics from Perth in my last entry but they're upstairs on Stick (my USB drive) and there's like a heap of them and I honestly can't be bothered right now. However, I also promised you a rundown on how TFE enrolment and orientation went, which I can do, so .
Here's basically how it went: I got my letter in the mail to say that I'd been offered a place in Box Hill TAFE's two year Professional Writing diploma course, and to offically get in I had to attend enrolment on the 21st of Jan to pick my classes and pay my fees. The idea of this course is that there are three compulsary units, and then we have to pick three electives to do over the year. Here's how that all worked out:
Compulsary
Editing: There were two Editing classes on schedule. By the time I made it to enrolment (which BTW was only about 10 minutes after starting time!) the ideal one for me, scheduled on Friday afternoon, was already filled. The alternatives were taking the more intensive Editing class on a Monday night, designed for students who plan on one day being professional editors, or deferring the class until next year. I wound up deferring, not because of the intensity but because Monday night classes aren't the best for me when I don't drive. So, not doing this unit until 2009.
Computer Skills For Writers and Editors: Another class where the best scheduled class was already full. I'm going to be taking the other scheduled class in second semester on Thursday evenings, though, and by then my dad's work arrangements should be figured out enough that he'll give me a lift home.
Industry Overview: No idea - it wasn't mentioned to me. Pretty sure it's a second night class I'll have to take in second semester but nothing's been organized as of yet.
Electives. Each student gets to pick three electives form a number of different writing styles. I was lucky enough to get into my three ideal subjects, w00t.
Novel 1: No real fuss with this one. It's a Tuesday morning class where we look at novel outlines, structure and formatting and then write and workshop the first 10,000-12,000 words of a novel as well as write an outline for the whole thing.
Journalism: I wanted a non-fictiony class to go along with my two electives so I jumped into this one. It is a kind of writing I like and enjoy thoug and I think it'll be really interesting to study. Or I may just be weird.
Short Story 1: I was so freaking lucky to get into this class. When I entered enrolment there were only 3 places remaining, and two people in front of me nabbed two of them, so by the time I got to my session I was pretty certain I'd missed out. Nope - I get there and they say there is ONE SPOT REMAINING D: So I got the very last place! HIGH FIVE! I feel kind of bad for the poor late schmuks who missed out, but on the other hand, A HIGH FIVE!
In summary, my schedule:
Monday, 1-5pm: Short Story 1
Tuesday, 8.30-12.30pm: Novel 1
Tueaday, 1-5pm: Journalism
Computer Skills and Industry Overview I will probably be doing in second semester (post-June/July) and Editing is deferred until 2009.
Oh, and in one other random thing, I never knew being at TAFE got you so many discounted things. The campus up the road from where I'll be attending my classes has a beauty spa/hairdresser, florist, vet clinic, auto shop and restaurant, all of which are staffed by students and I get discounts at for being a student (not that I have any use for the vet or auto shop, but you know!). Not only that, my campus has a little second-hand bookshop inside where I can get movie ticket vouchers for $10 adult, $9.50 student.
In other things, apparentally there are people out there keeping track of all the TV eps they watch this year in the same vein as 100 Movies/50 Books in 2008. Apparentally the numbers to reach with eps is 500 and I was thinking about it and I'm pretty sure I watch that many in like a couple of months. However since only new eps are counted I'd be down a little bit on that number, though there would still be a lot. In Jan alone I watched Numb3rs season 1 (13 eps) and How I Met Your Mother season 1 (22 eps) for the first time and also kept up on season 3 of Veronica Mars (seen about 7 eps so far I hadn't seen before) on HDTV. Do i watch too much TV? Well, I ask ye, how much is TOO much? EH? (Don't answer that, LOL).
So, there is this meme going aorund asking people to name their Top 5 Opening Credits. However 5 is too little for me so here are like 7 with their youtube counterparts, plus two extras.
7. The OC - purely for the fact that everyone who ever watched that show sang along to it at some point. The whole opening is just so light and breezy and yet all ZOMG I'M AN ALCOHOLIC as well. I also really liked the aesthetic of the boxes and all the transitions are seamless and pretty.
6. Firefly - another one everyone sings along to. There is an actual song with lyrics here, people. It's the song all us Browncoats use to symbolize how Fox can take our show but NOT RLY *FIGHTS*. I think I've become a bit tired of these though, because I've seen them so many hundreds of times now, so they're down ehre at the bottom. but on the other hand, YOU CAN'T TAKE THE SKY FROM MEEEEE!
5. Stargate: Atlantis - ah, I love these. That theme has won awards and it fits the show so well, and it's all greeeen and epic. It's so different to other titles and it just encompasses the show.
4. Without A Trace - I have like three seasons of WAT on DVD and I still never fast forward these. I would feel blasphemous doing it because I know that theme so well. I love the muted tones with the red and how it's all fast-paced and urgent. Gah.
3. How I Met Your Mother - I love how somebody had the idea to take the catchiest bit of some song and make it the HIMYM opening. The photos and the warm colours and so lovely and friendshippy, and I like that it kind of strikes a balance between the current rend of having no credits at all and having credits for each character.
2. Roswell - I've always loved Roswell's opening. It's so powerful yet poignant and gets down to the heart of the show. Oh and I love the colours, and how it switches between cool blues and warm yellows.
1. Damages - My favourite choice of theme song ever. SO CREEPY. All those quick cuts (and Željko Ivanek's name) make it eerie and weird and BLOODY HANDS, you guys. In the context of the show it's the kind of credits you go through frame by frame trying to find clues as to who tried to kill Ellen in the pilot.
And as far as shows I'm not addicted to go, Angel has like the best music ever, and it dared to have opening credits that ran for close to a minute. And the theme of Cold Case is amazing along with that last shot of Lily in the rain. Oh and Gossip Girl's credits are so stralkery-cool. Stalkery-awesome! EDIT: Oh and I forgot One Tree Hill which I have to mention for the Gavin DeGraw factor.
Here's basically how it went: I got my letter in the mail to say that I'd been offered a place in Box Hill TAFE's two year Professional Writing diploma course, and to offically get in I had to attend enrolment on the 21st of Jan to pick my classes and pay my fees. The idea of this course is that there are three compulsary units, and then we have to pick three electives to do over the year. Here's how that all worked out:
Compulsary
Editing: There were two Editing classes on schedule. By the time I made it to enrolment (which BTW was only about 10 minutes after starting time!) the ideal one for me, scheduled on Friday afternoon, was already filled. The alternatives were taking the more intensive Editing class on a Monday night, designed for students who plan on one day being professional editors, or deferring the class until next year. I wound up deferring, not because of the intensity but because Monday night classes aren't the best for me when I don't drive. So, not doing this unit until 2009.
Computer Skills For Writers and Editors: Another class where the best scheduled class was already full. I'm going to be taking the other scheduled class in second semester on Thursday evenings, though, and by then my dad's work arrangements should be figured out enough that he'll give me a lift home.
Industry Overview: No idea - it wasn't mentioned to me. Pretty sure it's a second night class I'll have to take in second semester but nothing's been organized as of yet.
Electives. Each student gets to pick three electives form a number of different writing styles. I was lucky enough to get into my three ideal subjects, w00t.
Novel 1: No real fuss with this one. It's a Tuesday morning class where we look at novel outlines, structure and formatting and then write and workshop the first 10,000-12,000 words of a novel as well as write an outline for the whole thing.
Journalism: I wanted a non-fictiony class to go along with my two electives so I jumped into this one. It is a kind of writing I like and enjoy thoug and I think it'll be really interesting to study. Or I may just be weird.
Short Story 1: I was so freaking lucky to get into this class. When I entered enrolment there were only 3 places remaining, and two people in front of me nabbed two of them, so by the time I got to my session I was pretty certain I'd missed out. Nope - I get there and they say there is ONE SPOT REMAINING D: So I got the very last place! HIGH FIVE! I feel kind of bad for the poor late schmuks who missed out, but on the other hand, A HIGH FIVE!
In summary, my schedule:
Monday, 1-5pm: Short Story 1
Tuesday, 8.30-12.30pm: Novel 1
Tueaday, 1-5pm: Journalism
Computer Skills and Industry Overview I will probably be doing in second semester (post-June/July) and Editing is deferred until 2009.
Oh, and in one other random thing, I never knew being at TAFE got you so many discounted things. The campus up the road from where I'll be attending my classes has a beauty spa/hairdresser, florist, vet clinic, auto shop and restaurant, all of which are staffed by students and I get discounts at for being a student (not that I have any use for the vet or auto shop, but you know!). Not only that, my campus has a little second-hand bookshop inside where I can get movie ticket vouchers for $10 adult, $9.50 student.
In other things, apparentally there are people out there keeping track of all the TV eps they watch this year in the same vein as 100 Movies/50 Books in 2008. Apparentally the numbers to reach with eps is 500 and I was thinking about it and I'm pretty sure I watch that many in like a couple of months. However since only new eps are counted I'd be down a little bit on that number, though there would still be a lot. In Jan alone I watched Numb3rs season 1 (13 eps) and How I Met Your Mother season 1 (22 eps) for the first time and also kept up on season 3 of Veronica Mars (seen about 7 eps so far I hadn't seen before) on HDTV. Do i watch too much TV? Well, I ask ye, how much is TOO much? EH? (Don't answer that, LOL).
So, there is this meme going aorund asking people to name their Top 5 Opening Credits. However 5 is too little for me so here are like 7 with their youtube counterparts, plus two extras.
7. The OC - purely for the fact that everyone who ever watched that show sang along to it at some point. The whole opening is just so light and breezy and yet all ZOMG I'M AN ALCOHOLIC as well. I also really liked the aesthetic of the boxes and all the transitions are seamless and pretty.
6. Firefly - another one everyone sings along to. There is an actual song with lyrics here, people. It's the song all us Browncoats use to symbolize how Fox can take our show but NOT RLY *FIGHTS*. I think I've become a bit tired of these though, because I've seen them so many hundreds of times now, so they're down ehre at the bottom. but on the other hand, YOU CAN'T TAKE THE SKY FROM MEEEEE!
5. Stargate: Atlantis - ah, I love these. That theme has won awards and it fits the show so well, and it's all greeeen and epic. It's so different to other titles and it just encompasses the show.
4. Without A Trace - I have like three seasons of WAT on DVD and I still never fast forward these. I would feel blasphemous doing it because I know that theme so well. I love the muted tones with the red and how it's all fast-paced and urgent. Gah.
3. How I Met Your Mother - I love how somebody had the idea to take the catchiest bit of some song and make it the HIMYM opening. The photos and the warm colours and so lovely and friendshippy, and I like that it kind of strikes a balance between the current rend of having no credits at all and having credits for each character.
2. Roswell - I've always loved Roswell's opening. It's so powerful yet poignant and gets down to the heart of the show. Oh and I love the colours, and how it switches between cool blues and warm yellows.
1. Damages - My favourite choice of theme song ever. SO CREEPY. All those quick cuts (and Željko Ivanek's name) make it eerie and weird and BLOODY HANDS, you guys. In the context of the show it's the kind of credits you go through frame by frame trying to find clues as to who tried to kill Ellen in the pilot.
And as far as shows I'm not addicted to go, Angel has like the best music ever, and it dared to have opening credits that ran for close to a minute. And the theme of Cold Case is amazing along with that last shot of Lily in the rain. Oh and Gossip Girl's credits are so stralkery-cool. Stalkery-awesome! EDIT: Oh and I forgot One Tree Hill which I have to mention for the Gavin DeGraw factor.