Film Fest: Eleven Minutes

I am a huge fan of independent films and Project Runway and was thrilled to find a movie at the film fest this year that combined the two.

Eleven Minutes covers the adventures of Jay McCarroll, the first winner of project runway, as he launches his first clothing line which debuted in September 2007 during New York City’s fashion week. Being in a creative field, I am always intrigued to see the process others use for creating art. Where do they start when creating a design? How do they see the process through to completion? And how do they deal with all the curveballs that come up inbetween? I was specifically intrigued by how calm Jay seemed during highly stressful situations, something I have quite a difficult time doing at times during my own creative process.

One of the most interesting aspects of the film, though was the exploration of Jay’s rise to minor celebrity. There was much debate on screen, by Jay and others in the cast, concerning the merit of Project Runway and if he would be successful today without the launching pad it provided for him. Jay is not afraid to bite the hand that has undoubtedly fed him much of his notoriety, but that same independant spirit is likely what helped him get as far as he is today. It seems impossible to ever seperate the designer from the show, at least this early in his career, and only time will tell if he is able to rise above the slew of other successful designers in the overwhelming fashion landscape.

One thing is clear by the end of the film; Jay is an enormous talent with a great heart and a vision unlike many others I’ve ever seen. His honesty is abrupt and refreshing and I look forward to see what he accomplishes next in his career.

Check out Jay’s web site and blog and some of his latest designs.

Philadelphia Film Fest – Let the Fun Begin!

It’s that time of year again—film fest time.  This weekend the 17th Philadelphia Film Festival will be well under way.  The film fest is one of my favorite Philadelphia traditions that I’ve enjoyed attending for the past 3 years.  I love the the fact that many of these films may never be able to be seen again. Many of the screenings are a true artistic experience that can only be experienced (for better or worse) at this event and a handful of other festivals before possibly dissapearing for good.

This year, I have the opportunity to see more films than ever and I’m going to blog about each of them over the next few weeks.  If you’re reading the reviews and read the posts, I’d love to hear your thoughts.  My favorite part about film is that it can ignite some great discussion no matter how good or bad the film may be.

Join the fun…Check out the films I’ll be seeing: Eleven Minutes, Join Us, Lovely by Surprise, Phoebe in Wonderland, Empties, What We do is Secret, and Then She Found Me.

Least stressful jobs?

This afternoon after a particularly stressful day at work, I received this email from my sister

Matthew, Interesting site. Do you agree with this article?

The author of Need a Less Stressful Career? Here are Eight Secrets to Work Zen went on to outline 8 jobs that we might switch to if we want a little less stress in our life. Sadly I scrolled down to number 7 and saw none other than “Graphic Designer” listed. I quickly sifted through the fluff and emailed my sister back.

Absolutely not! I think being a graphic designer is one of the MOST stressful jobs. Insane deadlines, demanding clients, people tearing apart every ounce of work you do…the list goes on. The author of this article clearly has no clue what they are talking about.

No doubt Chloe Dowley, the article’s author, is severely misinformed and has never experienced the real world of being a graphic designer (or probably any of the other careers on the list). It did however make me consider for a moment: “Why do I continue in such a stressful career? “While the stress can be tremendous, and at times even nourishing, I do believe that being a graphic designer is a very rewarding career.

Ever since I was a child I can remember paying special attention to things most people take for granted like magazine advertisments, cereal boxes, CD Jackets and anything else I tended to get my hands on that was touched by a graphic designer. Someone had to make all of this stuff —and that was the birth of my career as a designer. Over the years, I have generally enjoyed being a graphic designer. True the days can be filled with lots of stress but in the end, even if 9 out of 10 designs are rejected, the amazing feeling I get when I finally nail that one project is so worth all the stress and anxiety that preceded.

So I say to Ms. Dowley, you may be off the mark with your stressful career list, but thanks for making me evaluate the reasons I go through this crazy stress everyday. At the end of the day it really is a great career and finding that daily enjoyment is in a way its own kind of zen.

I’ve finally turned this thing on!

After many months of trying to set this all up, I’ve finally gotten my act together, and here we are.  The debut post on what I hope becomes the world’s most popular blog.  In the meantime I will settle for the worlds 1,000,000,000 most popular blog.  Check back often for regular musings on design, life, and writing in general. ~Matt