Spring 2017: Breakdown of My Classes at USC

Back at it again with the class schedule, isn't that right? I know, me posting one of these is the only thing consistent about this blog. But according to my blog statistics, class descriptions are some of my most popular posts, so there you have it! So, if you're still interested in what classes I took this spring for my fake film major at USC, keep reading.

When you have that one 50 minute class on a Friday.

CHEM 205 | Chemical Forensics

This was my Physical Sciences GE and the last GE I'll ever take in my life, taken Pass/No Pass. It was a pretty simple yet interesting class, in which we talked about blood forensics, ballistics, fibers, time of death, toxicology and the different types of evidence, amongst other things. There was a lab each week and three midterms, and I did really well on all of them without studying too much, which pretty much proves how easy this class really was. Apparently the professor is one of the toughest ones in the Chemistry department and is known for his impossible tests, but he just asked us stuff like "Do you like turtles?" and curved the class to a B+ so he probably didn't take the whole thing too seriously either.

Grade Received: Pass

CORE 104 | Thematic Option Honors Program | Change and the Future: Church, Sex and State

Let me just put this out there: I loved my professor, and the subject material we covered is so important in today's society. That said, I don't think I learned as much in this class as I could have. We discussed the relationship between marriage and private property, marriage and religion, and non-normative marriage, to name a few things, and watched films such Carol, American Beauty and Brokeback Mountain. I also got to listen to some pretty interesting presentations and write a bunch of controversial papers (always loved those). So no, this was not a bad class at all. But, and I'm sure this is my fault as well for not doing the majority of the readings, although it was fun and easy, I feel like this class had very little substance. It had a lot of potential, don't get me wrong, but I felt like it was a little too broad and informal. Though at this point I'm not sure if it's even the class itself that didn't work, or it's all on me. So I'll keep thinking about that.

Grade Received: A

CTCS 192 | Race, Class and Gender in American Film

This has probably been the best film class I've ever taken at USC. Super short lectures with the Notorious PhD, very interesting readings, great screenings, and a TA who was just cooler and smarter than I or anyone else will ever be. I mean, first of all, she had blue hair. In class, we watched classics like The Godfather Parts I & II (The Godfather III doesn't exist, I hear), Do the Right Thing and Rocky, as well as films such as Boogie Nights (10/10 would recommend), Django Unchained and The Virgin Suicides. We talked a ton about the American Dream and the male gaze and read an article about the Oedipal complex and phallocentrism, so I definitely learned some things in there that I'll never forget. I also wrote a paper on Brooklyn (2015), liminality and the American Dream, so I got to do research on all the things I'm passionate about, which is always a plus.

Grade Received: A

CTPR 290 | Cinematic Communication

I made a bunch of terrible films that no one liked. Okay, that's a lie, my documentary turned out pretty good. I also spent an entire week trying to get location permits to film at a park downtown, which was an absolute disaster and I realized that hate paperwork, so I never want to be a location manager, that's for sure. That film was also supposed to be my masterpiece and my mom spent a fortune shipping me a wedding dress from Europe, I spent forever writing and rewriting and gathering props, and I even cast professional SAG actors in it. Needless to say, it all went wrong, our camera malfunctioned earlier that week, my crew wasn't confirmed until almost the day of, they tried to steal our equipment in Echo Park, and I'm still too embarrassed to show my actors the finished film. It didn't help that my entire class hated it. Apparently the rubber band on the wedding bouquet gave away how the whole thing was fake. Sure. Our last project turned out pretty good, though, so let me know if you want to see it.

ALSO: Please don't share the links to the films. There are copyright and other legal reasons.

Grade Received: A

CTWR 321 | Intro to Hour-Long TV Writing

I was going to say that this was my favorite class of the semester and that loved my professor, but she gave me an A- after promising us that we would all get As, so I'm little conflicted right now. We basically had to watch a lot of TV pilots (Breaking Bad, The Handmaid's Tale, Six Feet Under, Mad Men, UnReal (which I hated), This is Us, to name a few) and then talk about them. Yes, that's right, our homework was literally watching Netflix and Hulu. Our main goal of the semester, though, was to write a spec script (so an original episode for an existing show) for Stranger Things as a class. We each had a writing partner and were given scenes to write and rewrite over the weekend, and then in the end we put it all together into one big script. It was a really fun process and working with a partner is definitely something I'd do again. But then I got an A- so I'm not sure what to think anymore.

Grade Received: A- (sadness, utter disappointment, and feelings of betrayal #drama)

What the future holds: 

CTCS 403 | Studies in National and Regional Media: Refugee and Migrant Cinemas (taking it with the professor I had for 'Shot on Location,' 100% a topic I'm interested in, very excited)

CTCS 473 | Film and Media Theory (a dreaded Critical Studies class, a lot of work apparently, major requirement)

CTWR 415A | Advanced Writing (taking it with my CTWR 321 professor, supposed to be a continuation of Intro to Screenwriting, will probably get an A-)

CTWR 416 | Motion Picture Script Analysis (watching films and analyzing scripts, apparently a lot of fun)

LAW 402 | Psychology and Law (for my Forensics minor, deals with stuff like witness credibility, false confessions and cults, seems interesting yet intimidating)

SOWK 350 | Adolescent Gang Intervention (for Forensics, the only Social Work class for undergrads, apparently a popular class, very hands-on)

Life on Set aka My Semester as a Script Supervisor

This past semester, I worked as a script supervisor on the Emmy* award-winning TV mini-series, CON. What does that mean? Well, for starters, walking around with my DSLR camera and an obnoxious yellow folder/polka-dot clipboard, and acting very important. Though I'm pretty sure everyone on a film/TV set does the latter. But if you're really interested in the deets of what a so-called scriptie does, here's the breakdown.

     

Takin' that BTS pic // Lookin' through my script and shot log (PC: Clara)

My tasks included the following:

• putting together the shooting script
• taking photos of the cast in wardrobe
• taking photos of the set
• making sure that there are no continuity errors between takes and scenes
• making sure the actors say their lines right and make note of any deviations from the script
• logging each and every shot -- by far the biggest task!
• taking notes for the editors for each take (e.g. if actors forget sound, there's an airplane in the background, or if there are resets)
• at the end of the day, typing everything up into a Google Doc
• at times, helping out PAs and the art department (we were a small crew)
• being an occasional extra
• and my bonus task: behind the scenes photography!

Yep, that's right, quite a lot, but that meant I got to interact with almost everybody on set! I got to know all of the directors and most of the DPs pretty well, and I was a core crew member, meaning that I was always there when filming (unlike PAs and pretty much everyone else apart from the director, the DP, the boom operator, the actors, and sometimes the G&Es), and since my job revolved around continuity, I didn't miss a single day on set! That's right, I was the only crew member who was on set every single day, and I was the only full-time script supervisor (to be fair, my friend Lauren substituted me when I took a couple of hours off to finish papers). 

Being a script supervisor is a tedious, not-so-creative task that has to be done meticulously and is extremely tiring, yet not so rewarding. It's a very behind-the-scenes job, in that it is only noticeable when you're doing it wrong, and a long list of continuity errors appears in the trivia section on IMDB. That said, if it's your first time on set, I would highly recommend doing it, as you get a way deeper insight into the way a film/TV show is shot than by doing something simpler, like being a production assistant, and it's a very well-rounded task, meaning that you get to know a little bit about every single job on set. Many people don't realize the importance of script supervisors, but if you yourself understand how vital your job is, and you do your job as well as you can, it can be a great springboard, and a wonderful experience. :)

If you want to know more about the show I worked on, CON, be sure to check out the website, contvshow.com. And you do want to know more, don't you? All the episodes are up there, as well as info about the absolutely amazing and perfect cast and crew, whom I have so much love for!

Meanwhile, check out a selection of my BTS photos (all BTS photos can be found here):

Filming with our young actors.

Gershon "G-Swag," one of our DPs, while filming on the beach.

Filming in a sketchy tunnel in the Arts District.

Some serious fake passport burning going on. 

Fake drug deals being made in one of USC's many sketchy alleys.

Dream sequences on foggy beaches.

Fun fact: That dress was waterproof, so they had to cut a hole for the blood.

Maria, one of our ADs, on the beach. 

Episode 2, aka the office heist.

The showdown aka our excuse to use fake guns and fake blood and fake cops

Filming the very last scene :(

Fighting on in a parking lot. // Taking pics by a sketchy alley. (PC: Clara)

#StyleOnSet with DP Gershon (aka why I always dressed fancy on set)

Our cast & crew at the premiere <3

*College Emmy

Spring 2016: Breakdown of my Classes at USC

Hey all,

Remember that video from last semester in which I talk about all my classes? Well, here's the same thing, just for my spring semester! Except that you've probably noticed by now how awkward I am IRL and as much as I would love to make videos on YouTube, even if they're just for my blog, it's just not happening. Not right now at least. So instead of having to stare at my face for 20 entire minutes, I have everything down, the classic way, just how I used to!

My schedule for spring 2016

So far, I've been lucky to say that I've liked each and every one of my classes at USC and I've learned SO MUCH in them. Well, more in some than in others, but y'know, nothing is perfect. Interestingly (and slightly concerningly), none of my favorite classes were classes for my major, but then again all my major classes were more basic intro-type ones, so that may change. I hope it will. Anyway, without further ado (and not in any specific order):

CORE 112 | Thematic Option Honors Program: Writing Seminar II


Aka my favorite class at USC. This was basically the honors alternative to USC's upper-division writing requirement, in which we read contemporary literature (and watched films!), discussed it in class, and wrote papers on it. The class culminated in a 12-page seminar paper for which we did our own research, and wrote an annotated bibliography and literary review (I think?). Some of us were even selected to present one of our papers at the annual TO research conference (the theme this year was 'Something Must Be Done'). My class was called "Home Sweet Haunted Home" and dealt with the various definitions of haunting and home, which go way beyond ghosts and what people traditionally consider "haunted houses". My conference paper, for example, dealt with the presentation of cultural liminality as a source of unwantedness in the novel 'White is for Witching' by Helen Oyeyemi. And if that sounds too complicated, here's the published abstract of my paper:

Grade received: A

CTWR 412 | Introduction to Screenwriting

What was meant to be my favorite class this semester ended up being, sadly, my least favorite. As you might recall, I didn't end up getting into this class, as it was completely full by the time I could register, but a spot opened up during the first week of classes, and I quickly grabbed it. 412 is basically a workshop. You write a screenplay for every single class, have it read out loud in class, receive "suggestions" (i.e. criticism), and rewrite it for the next class, along with an entirely new screenplay. Now, I loved my professor, the legendary Jason E. Squire, I loved the people in my class, but I didn't love how I basically learnt nothing, except for the fact that short scripts are not for me. But I sort of knew that already. For someone mainly interested in TV writing and character development, 3-page scripts can be a hassle. In addition, grading is kind of arbitrary and doesn't really make sense. However, you need this class for the Screenwriting minor, it's two units, so you might as well just get it over with. Depending on the people in your class, you might even read some hilarious scripts -- I definitely did!

Grade received: A- (RIP 4.0 GPA, you will be forever missed)

CTCS 191 | Introduction to Television and Video

A class mainly about the TV industry. I learned a lot about advertising and net neutrality and syndication and a bunch of things I've already forgotten, as well as about the history of American television, from the network to the matrix era. I now know why ESPN is doomed. I also know why television is the new television. Summed up, it's an OK class and even if you're like me and not that interested in the business/industry side of things, you learn things that are good to know. Plus, you get to watch a bunch of awesome TV shows, like Mr. Robot and Freaks and Geeks (forever my love). Also, you get to do fun stuff for your project/research paper, like come up with a TV show pitch, or write about the absolutely terrible MTV adaptation of your favorite British TV series, like I did.

(My paper was titled "Controversy and Catastrophe: The Failure to Adapt E4's Skins for the US Audience" and if you ever want to read it, just let me know. Also, I included the quote “‘Oh, you’re American?’ ‘Yes, I am. Metaphorically.’” from Season 2, because I couldn't not.)


Grade received: A

CTCS 201 | History of International Cinema II

I added this class after dropping my not-so-great sound studies class, and I absolutely loved it. It's basically about international cinema after World War II, beginning with Italian Neorealism and ending with Hong Kong cinema, while also discussing concepts such as art cinema, pop art, Camp, post-modernism and auteur theory. A lot of people hated it, since it's essentially a history class with some film theory in it, but as I love history and art cinema and international films, I wasn't among the #haters. The films we watch are hit-or-miss, but mostly classics that film students just "need" to see, but I'm not gonna lie, some of them have made it on my top 10 list (that said -- should I write a list of my favorite films??). Also, I wrote a research paper on the intersection of Dutch national cinema and liminal spaces, and my TA told me to submit it to undergraduate conferences and I was on f!@#$&*g Cloud 9. Oh, the small moments of happiness in life! The midterm and final were irrationally difficult, though.

Grade Received: A

AMST 101 | Race and Class in Los Angeles

This was a General Education class that also fulfills my Forensics and Criminality minor lower-division requirement, and it sounded sort of interesting, so I decided to take it. And I was not disappointed. It wasn't really what I thought it would be, as it was essentially a history class, but honestly, I'd make this class mandatory for everyone at USC, or even everyone who lives in Los Angeles. I learned so, so, SO much about the society I live in and how it came to be and all the injustice the people of Southern California have faced, and it gave me an entirely new perspective on the region. I felt so engaged in this class -- despite the 100+ pages of reading and quizzes every week -- that I even considered changing my major to American Studies for a second. Yup, that's right. Tl;dr, the class can get boring and the professor is really long-winded, but I still felt that I learnt a lot and everyone should take AMST 101.

Grade Received: A

Those that didn't make the cut:

Here's the deal: dropping a class is OK. It happens. If you feel that it is irrationally difficult for you, that it's pointless, that you're not interested in it, that you can't contribute anything to it and you're not engaged, and if it's not necessary for your major or you can take a different version of it, then drop it. Drop it like it's hot.

My CORE 101 class, Symbols and Conceptual Systems: Aural Culture, was a class like that. I wasn't too keen on taking it in the first place, it sounded interesting but not that interesting, and I know that there were 101s more suitable for me. This wasn't a bad class, I have multiple friends who were in it and loved it, and I'm not saying it wasn't interesting, but I didn't understand a word of the readings and I felt like I couldn't contribute a word in discussion. So I dropped it. That simple.

I also dropped CTPR 409: Practicum in Television Production (aka the Trojan Vision class) so I could take Screenwriting. Not a big deal, since I was still working on a Trojan Vision show, and since I can take it anytime in the future and it's not necessary for my major/minors.

Oh, and while we're at it, I'm also dropping my second major, Narrative Studies, and doing the Screenwriting minor instead, along with my Forensics and Criminality minor. I felt like I needed to focus more on TV writing, which is what I eventually want to do, and although NARS has some cool literature classes, the requirements I had left for that major weren't particularly relevant to what I want to do. Now, I can focus on TV writing, continue my Russian classes, and even have place for some electives. I know that having two majors would seem more fancy than having two minors, but I'm not in college to hoard degrees. I'm here to (mostly) study what is relevant to what I want to do with my life, or what is more useful.

What the future holds:

Here are my classes for my first semester sophomore year:

CORE 101 | Symbols and Conceptual Systems: Icons (field trip to Disneyland, about how things become icons, apparently a great class but harsh grading)
CORE 103 | The Process of Change in Science: Searching for Life in the Universe: Mars and Beyond (Thematic Option science requirement, apparently AMAZING, field trip to NASA JPL)
CTCS 200 | History of International Cinema I (major requirement, lots of silent films, professor apparently terrible, already have nightmares about this class)
CTCS 464 | Film and/or Television Genres: Shot on Location (class for my major about the role of locations in cinema, or something like that)
LING 210 | Introduction to Linguistics (Quantitative Reasoning GE, taking Pass/No Pass)