A senior in the city.

"Have you ever heard the term hipster?"

"A what? A hip-sta?"

"Yes, a hipster."
"Hip. Ster. H-I-P-S-T-E-R? No, I've never heard of that before. What's a hipster?"

This was the conversation I had in an on-camera interview with Connie and Maria, two young ladies of Brooklyn, New York. Okay, so they are young at heart; Connie is in her 80s and Maria is 91! These women had a lot to say about my generation and gave some insight to the recent hipster movement.

My senior thesis film is an exploration of the term "hipster." To vaguely define the term, a hipster is a subculture of creative and artistic 20-30 year-olds, that accept vintage and individual ideas in lieu of mainstream trends. Again, very vague. The image associated with the word "hipster": skinny jeans, scarves, bicycles, think rimmed glasses, TOMS shoes and anything vintage/purchased at a thrift store.

When I say the word "hipster" I get the following reactions:

a). "What's a hipster?"

b). "Oh, yeah, hipster." (With a slightly confused look on their face)

c). "Ugh. Hipsters."

d). "I know what it is, I'm definitely not one."

These reactions tell me that people either don't know the meaning behind the word "hipster" or really don't want to be associated with it.

I have decided to make a documentary that takes a look at the hipster sub culture. My crew and I went to New York City last weekend to ask some locals and tourists what they thought about "hipsterdom." We also had a great interview with a talented hair stylist and youth leader, Edgar. He welcomed us into his super creative apartment and talked about the importance of truly loving on people.

Of course, we took a day to be tourists in the city, too. Here are some pictures from the trip. Photo creds to Jordan Imhoff and Justin Fugett.

Shea, the Director of Photography (photo credit: Jordan Imhoff)

Justin and I in Time Square (photo credit: Jordan Imhoff)

Grand Central Station (photo credit: Justin Fugett)

Shea and Justin (photo credit: Jordan Imhoff)

Edgar (photo credit: Jordan Imhoff)



Time Square!

Oh, and here's a picture of Maria from Jordan's blog.

I'm a senior.

So I haven't posted in a long time. I got distracted. Mainly by this guy.

Anyway. The new semester has started and we are already at week four. Between my senior project, documentary class, other classes, work, being an RA, being a friend, being a girlfriend and loving Jesus, I have a lot on my plate this year. Yes. I am stressed. But the Lord has been so faithful already. God has reassured me through my devotions and Scripture that he really loves me. He will work for the good of me because I love him. He knows my heart, he knows my sin, but he chooses to love me anyway.God is present as I plan for today, future projects and post graduation.

I am thankful.

Tonight's prayer.

Apart from You I can do nothing. Without You I am nothing. Oh, God, if only I could put into words what I am feeling. I am so thankful for You. For your grace and faithfulness to me. God, thank you for giving me faith. For tugging at my heart every second of every moment of every day. There are people that don’t have faith. Of any kind. They live for selfish gain because it is all they know. My heart just aches for them. God, help me to reach out to people who don’t know you. Remove any fear and fill me with courage. My life would seriously be nothing if it were not for Your influence. The way I carry myself, the way I talk, the way I work; all would be different without You. God open their hearts. May those who have little faith encounter Your grace and accept your gift of life. Provide them with hope, oh God. Show them what real faith is. What real love is, eternal love. Jesus touch their hearts. Thank you for this burden, this opportunity to see what others are truly missing. You are a good, good God.

Pensacola, Polly, Cheese Lunch, and Snookie

I recently returned from a relaxing and adventurous trip to Pensacola, FL! I went with Justin [my cool new boyfriend, yes, blogging world, I am dating. Who thought that would happen? Not me. It's wonderful, you should ask me to tell the story sometime] to visit his family and spend some time away from Virginia Beach. We both have been living in Virginia Beach for at least three years, for him it's been four! It was nice getting away and experiencing a new culture.

Let us remember. I am from the North. New Jersey in fact. The Jersey Shore to be even more specific. I am now dating a boy from the South. There's a big difference. A lot of his family asked if I knew Snookie, if I was related to Snookie, and wondered why I didn't have the Snookie "poof." Of course, the joking was all in good fun [I hope?].

While in Florida, I experience what it's like to live on a dirt road and have a pond in the backyard. I went to "cheese lunch" with Justin's family, stepped foot on the softest, whitest sand I have ever seen, and went kayaking in the sound of Pensacola Beach. Oh, and I pet a sweet greyhound named Polly for the first time.

I went to Alabama for the first time! Justin's aunt and uncle have a farm out there. We took lots of pictures and met lots of family.

Now I am back in the swing of things, but am so thankful to the restful time I had in Florida.

Here are some pictures from the trip!

Sunset at the beach!

Justin and I at Fort Pickens! Also, please note that I am all SOARed out in Summer Orientation gear! [Gotta put in a plug for my office]

This is Polly. She just wants you to love her.

Justin and I in the Pensacola Lighthouse.

Justin and I kayaking through the sound.

Justin and I at the farm.

The view from the lighthouse. Also, the order of these pictures really didn't make sense, but we're just gonna roll with it.

He will not abandon.

God is at work. Always. He consistently uses our circumstances for the good of His kingdom. He has called us according to His purpose to give glory to Him and to spread the word of His love. Sometimes I miss that memo. My mind tends to cling to the worst possible scenario when things do not work out my way.

In an attempt to seek peace after dealing with some recent news, I stumbled upon Psalm 138.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes,
with your right hand you save me.
8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.



The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. He has not abandoned me and will never abandon me. His work is not complete. Today I experienced God's love in the exact capacity I needed. It was a great reminder that He is using every minute of my time and my family's time to direct people to Him. Right now His purpose is not clear to me. However, I have found comfort in the fact that it is all part of His sovereign plan. I can roll with that.

-Jersey

Use me!

I am currently praying for God to use me. I want to go on a missions trip. Or something. I want to serve. In what capacity? I'm not sure. Being an RA is an awesome ministry but I want to reach outside of the Regent bubble.

Right now I am just waiting for the right opportunity. But I am preparing myself while I wait. I am reading through Acts again. I am reading about amazing leaders whose unashamed love for Christ saved the souls of many.

Please pray for opportunities and continued joy. Pray that God will use me!

I'm getting my art on!

I love to create. I am a filmmaker, broadcaster, journalist, graphic designer musician, Resident Assistant [yes, we make lots of bulletin boards]- all of which fall under the title of “artist.”

I have always loved art. I like to cut, paint, color, draw, paper mache, sculpt, finger paint- all of it. As of late, I have abandoned my more rudimentary means of artistry in exchange for the life of a film student. Typically, directors or directors of photography get the luxury of being more “artistic” on film shoots. I, on the other hand, Miss “Producer Lady” or “Talking Clock” 1st Assistant Director, tend to show my art and creativity through detail oriented call sheets and beautifully organized stripboards [for you non-filmmakers, that’s a fancy word for the schedule]. Admittedly, turning in perfect call sheets is exhilirating, but my inner artist is calling for revival!

On my latest film, ALONE, the crew shot at the house of Joy, an animator and overall artist extraordinare. I came across her art blog and was instantly inspired. First by zentangles, then by all the other potential projects I can get my hands on.

I create a new blog, and purchased a new sketchbook, which will be used to document my new journey as a revived artist.

So please follow me, give me advice, criticism, ideas, prompts, sushi, etc. as I take a step forward in my art endeavors.

My art blog is jerseyowlart.tumblr.com

This is my "Producer Lady" picture.

This is me on set of ALONE. I kind of like the pic, thought I'd share! :]

I've been zentangling.

Thanks to Joy, I have been introduced/addicted to zentangling, or what I like to call "glorified doodling." Either way, it is super fun, relaxing, and for real, addicting. I am loving art! I also did some paintings this week- to be posted later. For now, here are my first two zentangles!

I dropped my phone in a sewer.

There was a perfect alignment of timing, position, and circumstance. These factors, in addition to my swinging arms, and Sarah’s swinging arms, launched my phone from my hand and into the sewer drain. I went the whole weekend phoneless. And I’m still facebookless. It was very difficult to get in touch with me. Also, I was licenseless. So I couldn’t drive anywhere, contact anyone, or check the time. This whole “My phone is swimming in poop and I can’t legally drive until my new license arrives” was actually freeing. But now I have a replacement phone and a new big girl license.

I can now resume my normal life. Sans the facebook access, no facebook is WONDERFUL.

ALONE IS A WRAP!

The film I have poured my life into, ALONE, is officially wrapped! We shot 6 days, had a crew of about 30, a budget of about $6200, and a cast of 13. Everything came together and we are on our way to post production!

Things I learned:
1. Make sure your locations manager is locked early.
2. Go location scouting EARLY.
3. Bring toilet paper and paper towels to set- homeowners will love you.
4. Prepare for the unexpected.
5. Always have petty cash.
6. Hire a UPM early.
7. Delegate.
8. Walkie Talkies are your friend.
9. Have the head of departments meet early on in pre-pro.
10. Stick to deadlines.
11. Film students LOVE fruit snacks. Veggie Tales, Star Wars, and animal shaped ones, too.
12. Depend on God. Always.
13. A well fed crew is usually a happy crew. Find out what their favorite things are.
14. Visit your location at the time of day you will be shooting.
15. Lock down a behind the scenes guy.
16. Prayer is powerful.
17. Stay optimistic.
18. Christmas lights by the craft services table add a special touch.
19. Coffee IVs would be a great invention.
20. Buymyinsurancenow.com is really helpful.
21. Sometimes, you just have to make it work. Finish the movie, get it done.
22. God will put the perfect people in your path at the perfect time for a reason.

ALONE

The film I am producing, ALONE is 100% funded! We have been running a funding campaign for the last two weeks and with 4 days left to reach our goal, we hit the $4800 we needed!

Check out the film at alone2011.com

This is home.

I am jealous. I wanted to go home this weekend, but it's supposed to keep snowing. Bah.

Breakfast

Every week I go out to breakfast with a lovely group of young ladies. They are sweet, fashionable, and love Jesus. I LOVE the time I get to spend just sipping coffee, catching up on life, and enjoying the Broken Egg’s early bird discount. However, there is one thing that separates me from the others. That is a significant other. Two girls are in serious relationships, most likely leading to marriage, and the other, who is the same age as me, has been married for over a year now.

It’s strange how someone the exact same age as me can be in a completely different phase of life. I’m an RA, I make movies, take classes on-campus, and goof off if I have the time.

One girl is married, lives in a house, has a husband (obviously), works, takes online classes, and has two dogs. I would not mind being able to relate a little more. It would be fun to talk about visiting my “man’s” family for Christmas, discuss date plans, and share hilarious stories about my time with him.

This isn’t meant to be a “Christen is sad because she isn’t dating” post, because I’m not sad. Right now my life is film sets, RA stuff, and school; this is what I need to focus on right now.

I wouldn’t mind being able to relate a little more with my friends, but that doesn’t change the fact that my weekly breakfast time is a blessing. And okay, I’ll admit, I secretly really want a box of chocolates (they’re tempting me in the stores), with just the coconut kind (no, not Almond Joys, Stephen), and maybe a teddy bear because I can’t have a kitty in my apartment. But if some boy could manage to get me a real kitty, I suppose I could make arrangements to keep it…

Major update

When I say major, I mean an update on my academic major.

I have been thinking a lot about what to do with this “Cinema-Television” major. Regent really focuses on the “cinema” portion of the title, but teaches only a class and half on the “television” part. But in thinking about film and thinking about television, the latter always tends to spark excitement inside of me. I love film. I love studying film. I love watching films. I love the hard work and exhilaration of being on set and shooting a film. However, I really am beginning to feel that the film world is just not my place. The idea of working in news is thrilling. I love the fast paced motion of a live broadcast. You have to make quick decisions, jump on instinct. The director doesn’t have seven takes to get the shot, you’ve got one, you take it, and while the camera is on that talent, you’re setting up two other shots within ten seconds.

I’m remembering high school when TV was it for me. We did gameshows, live broadcasts, news packages, talk shows. I was good at this! I feel like I struggle with the creative end of film, which is kind of odd because I think I am a highly creative individual, but not in a film sense of storytelling. I love features, shooting talent as they tell THEIR story. I have a hard time writing narrative scripts and dialogue. I’m good at voiceovers, the inverted pyramid, piecing together b roll and interviews, and listing the who, what, when, where and why stuff in a one sentence lead.

Another note, I think that the main reason it’s taken me so long to finally say, “I’m going to TV and you can’t stop me” is because of people. And that’s not a bad thing! I love working with my friends, yes, namedrop, Jordan, Josh, Keith, Jenny, Derrick, Dan, and a lot of others. I wanted to be on their projects because I like being around them. If I mention, “I don’t want to go into film” I get the “What? But you’re good at it!” line which always made me change my mind. I think it’s time for me to be okay with the fact that film may not be entirely my thing.

So this all goes to say a few things..

First, I do not plan to “drop” film while at Regent. I am ADing a few films, producing one, and getting some directing experience. And I’m excited about all of these projects! I am not dreading the film work I will do.

Second, I think that I need to make the move and transfer my energies to television and journalism. Next fall I plan to take the new TV courses Regent will be offering. I will probably complete my internship in the broadcast field. I plan to do my senior project as a documentary or news magazine show. I would like to meet with Pam about kicking the television aspect of the major up a notch and see how we can start some sort of extracurricular news program within the university.

Third, God knows what my future will be like. He’s got me covered. My major is honestly something I haven’t really prayed about until recently. No matter what happens, whether I decide on television, film, or basket weaving, I guess I just need to make sure that HE will be glorified in it. “He must become greater, I must become less.” God, be greater, show me Your way for my life, and if it’s through journalism and television, I might just be really happy :].

Radiance.

”²⁹ When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. ³⁰ When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. ³¹ But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. ³² Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.”
-Exodus 34:29-32

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You knew when Moses met with the Lord. His radiant face gave it away. The Israelites trusted Moses and the commands from the Lord because they knew that God had spoken to His messenger. It makes me wonder. Am I radiant? Can people tell when I speak with the Lord? Do people set me apart because they know that I am a daughter of the Most High, because they can just tell?

Lord, I want to be recognized as Your child. When I meet with you I want my face to GLOW, and reveal who YOU are. May others come to You and seek You with the knowledge that they too will be set aside as servants of the Lord Almighty.

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“Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” -Psalm 34:5