This year has been an incredible one for movies. I've seen many of the best picture nominees and many of them have touched my heart. My actual heart. Call me by your name reminded me of the times I've been deeply in love, and lost everything I had before I knew it. It also reminded me, via the end monologue from Elio's father, that to love while you can is the best thing you can do with your heart. And to not love, as to avoid getting hurt, is a waste. I'm still thinking about that line.
Although I've seen so many of these movies, the movies that are getting the recognition from the Academy and have made long theatre runs with many many viewers, I can honestly say there was only one movie this year that changed my life.
Only the Brave.
This movie caught me off guard in a way I couldn't have ever seen coming. Its a tremendously sad movie about all of the things I strive for in life. To have a partner, someone who pushes you and is always by your side. Someone who sees you as the flawed but growing person that you are. And someone that makes you laugh when you need it the most. Also, a team. Oh, how I want to be on a team again.
The funny part about this movie for me was the way I ended up wanting to see it in theatres. Years ago I made a serious push to create a professional network. People that were beyond my city and beyond my skills in almost every way. The first of those people was Vincent Laforet. He served as a teacher to me through both positive and negative experience for both of us. Through Vincent, I met so many other amazing people within his networks, like one of his assistant editors and co-writers, Jon Carr. Jon seemed to be good at everything, but especially he seemed to really know his shit when it came to editing and visual effects. I remember having so much trouble learning After Effects, trying over and over again to have it stick to my brain to no avail. Luckily, at that time I was going to NAB every year so I ended up talking with all the usual suspects throughout the long Vegas days. I found myself talking to Jon at the annual NAB Kessler party and telling him that I felt like giving up on After Effects because it felt like I was never going to learn it. He grabbed me by the shoulders as hard as he could and shook me back and forth while saying "you know this! Come on! You already know Photoshop, this is hardly any different. You can do it, no excuses!". It wasn't even a month after that I had gotten home and had everything click with After Effects. Mostly because someone else had confidence in me, more than I had in myself.
Fast forward to 2017, I see an Adobe post that a new movie 'Only the Brave' was edited in Premiere and After Effects. And none other than Mr. Jon Carr himself was the co-editor and assistant visual effects artist. I immediately messaged him with a big 'Congrats!' to which he said thank you and sincerely suggested I see the movie. He said he thought I would like it.
You know the end of that story.
I think it has changed my life. At least its changed the way I look at life.
Esse Quam Vidiri - To be rather than to seem.