Blog Post Part Two: For Ray

About a month ago, my cousin Ray gave me an assignment. He wrote:

Dear Miss Masters of Cinematography. Here is your first job interview question. If a movie was made on your 1.5 years in NY for school what would it be titled? What genre? Give us a short synopsis of the film and what actress would you pick to play you?

All very interesting questions. First, let me address two things. One: My degree is a Master’s in Cinema Studies. I just don’t want anyone thinking I have any knowledge on cinematography because those people do some amazing work. And two: Ray, are you even reading this?!?! Regardless if you are or not, I like the questions and want to challenge myself by answering them.

I am going to leave the title for last and start with genre. We can rule out horror, fantasy, historical, sci-fi, romance, thriller, animation, and foreign. Well, maybe a little foreign with my French New Wave class, but not enough to make it the genre. I would say for the most part it was adventure and mixed in along the way were comedy, drama, and melodrama. Each day I went out and “conquered” Manhattan. It is a very fast-paced city and sometimes it was a comedy of errors, such as when I was rushing through the streets and tripped on a woman’s purse handle (comedy). Other times I encountered unexpected moments in another person’s life, like when I found out my roommate had a serious illness (drama). And then there were the times I sat in my room, staring at the computer screen and worrying myself to the brink of insanity about a paper that wasn’t due for two months (melodrama). I’d say it is the city alone that lends itself to the adventure genre and my personal life that adds the comedy, drama, and melodrama.

A short synopsis: For years, people have traveled to New York City to fulfill the ‘American Dream.’ Some achieve success while others watch their dreams get crushed. After 29 years of comfortable living in a small Midwestern town, Diana Ritter makes that leap to New York City hoping to fulfill a recent dream: obtaining her master’s in cinema studies from New York University. Unaccustomed to the fast-paced lifestyle and go-go-go attitude, Diana wastes no time integrating herself. Each day is a new destination, each day is a new adventure. From MOMA to Staten Island, Central Park to Coney Island, Diana wastes no time soaking up the city just as she wastes no time dawdling at school. After seven years of working, can Diana cut it at one of the most demanding schools in the nation? And after a lifetime spent in a suburb where driving is the norm and everything closes by 9pm, can Diana survive a city that thrives on public transportation and never shuts down? Find out for yourself this Sunday on Lifetime’s movie of the week.

Ok, so I added that “Lifetime movie of the week” thing. It is not worthy of that title since the drama is relatively low, but a girl can dream. I also just realized it could be a documentary. I always have this fear I am being videotaped, so what if I was? And then someone could use that footage to make a story about my 1.5 years in NYC and at NYU. I wonder what clips they would use…? The editing process would not take too long because there would be so much we could just fast forward over, such as my mornings which always consisted of waking up way too early and reading. Or my evenings, which meant more reading and a lot of Law and Order: SVU. I am guessing that clip of me tripping on the street would make it into the film. I’d probably insist on it.

So, lastly: Who would play me? And what would I title it? My first choice at actress would be Natalie Portman. I have always appreciated her, especially after watching Where The Heart Is, Darjeeling Limited, and Brothers. If she is unavailable, I would choose either Mila Kunis or Emmy Rossum (Shameless) because I think they are pretty and I like them. As for the title, that is tough. I have a lot of ideas circling in my head, but nothing that “fits.” The closest thing would be, “Taking a Break from the Real World” because I saw school as a time when I did not need to concern myself with working (to make money) or the career-driven world. I also see NYC as a sort of “break” from the real world because it has its own rhythm, culture, and vibe. I am sure I could come up with something more clever, and I invite anyone reading this to do so, but it would have to be along the lines of “Taking a Break from the Real World” because that is what this chapter of my life felt like to me. So rewarding and challenging, yet so different from the way I normally live.