Amusings

When the movie Jaws (1975) was released, it revolutionized how Hollywood studios produced, marketed, and distributed films.  Historically, the summer months were a cinematic off-season… Many films were simply released in theaters throughout the year as soon as they were finished… And without a concerted effort to promote the film.  

Jaws was made with a different philosophy in mind.  Starting with the movie Jaws, studios began producing a select number of bigger budget films with an emphasis on extensive marketing and promotion… And a wide release to theaters nationwide… During a holiday weekend such as July 4th.  Jaws ended up being the first film ever to exceed $100 million in domestic box office revenue.   

Many of the most frightening moments in Jaws ended up on screen because of problems encountered in production.  The mechanical shark… Nicknamed ‘Bruce’… Repeatedly broke down during filming.  And paying a large film crew to stand around waiting while you try to fix a mechanical shark, is akin to throwing large sums of money out a window.

What if we don’t show the shark?  Maybe just a dorsal fin here and there?

And that is one of the main reasons that Jaws maintains suspense throughout.  When the filmmakers could not achieve what they originally set out to do… They had to innovate… They had to solve problems by creating solutions on the fly… And sometimes when this happens in filmmaking, the improvised result can end up being more magical than the idea originally envisioned.

The filmmakers knew what they wanted to accomplish.  They just had to figure out how to do it.

***

During my time in England, Bill Clinton was President of the United States.  And, also during that time, Bill Clinton’s face was plastered across every newspaper, tabloid, and magazine in every newsstand across the United Kingdom.  His unfolding affair with Monica Lewinsky… And the ensuing investigation by his political opponents… Led the media to an opportunity they could not resist… To print every salacious detail of an American President caught up in an affair… And document every attempt to keep the activities out of the public eye.

And I was dismayed at continually seeing these headlines on every newsstand publication throughout my time in England.

And then I had an idea.

***

Hey Dad!  Can you send me an American flag?  Do you have one hanging around… That’s maybe a little tattered around the edges?

***

I had an idea for a sculpture piece.  I just needed to figure out how to accomplish it.  Unlike my fellow sculpture classmates, I was unencumbered by knowledge.  I didn’t have their knowledge of art history or their acquired skills used to bring their ideas to life.

My idea was… To take an iconic American symbol… And trivialize it with the most outlandish headlines I could find.  I created twenty four miniature collages to fill in the white stripes on the flag.  These collages were very critical of American culture’s thirst for tantalizing headlines… Bringing the inconsequential to the forefront in lieu of something more meaningful.

I found pictures of America’s founding fathers and iconic Presidents… George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Lyndon Johnson, John F. Kennedy… And pasted offbeat and quirky headlines over their eyes… As if trying to disguise their identity… As well as shield them from the embarrassment of modern American culture.  

I included many American pop culture references from movies and television… And a dash of the everpresent violent side of American culture covering front pages on a daily basis and fueling the newly-developed twenty-four hour news cycle.

I scanned these collages into digital format… And then had them printed on iron-on transfer paper… With the goal of ironing these collages onto the white stripes of the flag. 

Nevermind that I had zero prior experience in this area… Or that I had never iron-on transferred anything in my life… Or… Most importantly… That I had exactly one flag…   Which did not leave any room for mistakes. 

And somehow… By the grace of God… I pulled it off.

***

I submitted the pieces for my final project… And considered myself done with the sculpture class.  All of the sculpture students’ final projects were now on display for the entire campus to see if they so desired.  

And then a strange thing happened.  A few of my fellow sculpture students, who had seen my final project on display, went out of their way to let me know how much they were impressed with my work.   

***

The school year was winding down.  Most students were done with their classes for the semester, but still had a couple of weeks before the university kicked students out for the summer.

One night during this time, I was in the nightclub in the student union with some friends.  And from out of nowhere, up walks my sculpture professor, a lady in her 30’s.  She had someone with her that I did not recognize… And asked if she could talk to me for a couple of minutes.  

It turns out that the mystery man accompanying my sculpture professor was the head of the art department at the university.  And he wanted to talk to me about buying my flag sculpture from me.

The head of the university’s art department wants to buy my piece?!?

I told both of them that I would like to think about it and that I would get back to them in a timely manner.  Soon after, I phoned my Dad to get his opinion on the matter…

Just give it to him.

***

The next time I saw my sculpture professor, I told her that rather than sell the flag, I wanted to give it to the head of the art department… For free… On one condition… That I could have his email address.

***

Upon returning from England, I had one semester of classes remaining to complete my undergraduate degree.  And, almost immediately after graduating, I began researching graduate film schools.  This time I would fill out my own college applications.

***

Getting into a graduate film program can be fairly difficult without undergraduate film production experience.  The competition to get into these programs is fierce and space is limited.  You better come with some powerful recommendations and a fantastic idea for your thesis film already developed to submit with your application.

***

Life is a funny thing.  Sometimes the things that you think matter are really inconsequential… And some of the smallest things can be life changers.  In the space of one year… I went from a marginally-motivated undergraduate student with little focus or direction… To a confident nascent academic intent on graduate school. 

And… I firmly believe that giving away my artwork for free is one of the most valuable things that I have ever done… And I have no doubt… The letter of recommendation from the head of the art department at a university in England… Is how I got into film school.