ThinkSoul25
documentary
Urban Hippie: So, This is Life After College Graduation…
Roughly five months since I’ve graduated from University of Colorado Denver with my Bachelor of Arts in English Writing (minor in Film/TV,) and I’ve stumbled upon several realizations. Initially, I was often under the daunting assumption that I’d hit the pavement running once I had my degree…but that isn’t the case. I suppose you can say I’ve been basically living life as a urban hippie with a nomadic track-record.
My stint in Los Angeles lasted from November to the first week of March, and now I find myself back on the East Coast with my folks. I’ve tried my hand at attempting to find full-time work in the Washington, DC area (LA was even worse,) and to no avail, I’ve had no luck in snagging a “chance.” I could be dismayed by this abrupt realization that life-after college isn’t quite a breeze (considering student loans hanging over my head,) but surprisingly enough I’m quite content with my circumstances.
Graduated high school early as a Junior at 17 and knocked out college straight (including summer semesters) prior to turning 22 years old (this month is my birthday.) So, I guess you can say this “time-off” is actually a blessing in disguise; my brain can actually delegate its attention to my creative ambitions and not the tedious tasks of someone telling me what to do.
Being at the hand of someone else has never been my style. Call me stubborn if you may, but I’ve often functioned as a self-made business woman and gifted entrepreneur with a niche for generating cash. I’ve made thousands of dollars simply by freelance writing and cultivating my commitment to my plot in life as a writer. Struggling artist in the eyes of some, I’ve vehemently declared an elusive desire to actually make this work. Yes, I’m a writer, artist, and multimedia junkie with a passion for photography and film, and I hope to have a career doing what I love; creating works to be rejected, scolded, praised, honored, and apprehensively accepted.
Freelance writing and contracting my design/art/illustration services to clients has been a great way for me to build up my repertoire as a writer, but that doesn’t mean I’m hanging up my shoes and calling it a day — the marvelous journey of hippie-dom and explosive creativity has just begun.
College-educated, check-mark. Arrived at my threshold as a writer? Absolutely not. I’m not done with my aspirations in the field of writing, actually I’m on the other end of the spectrum. Of course being a brillant literary maven doesn’t require formal education/training, but I do have unnerving desire to leap forward into Journalism School in 2014 and allow myself to have the experience of a lifetime engaging in research, reporting (which I’ve yet to experience,) photojournalism, documentary, and all aspects of convergence journalism. The ambition is set in stone, I just have to open up the jigsaw puzzle and put the pieces in their proper place.
As I embark on this journey to explore all aspects of communication and the potential to step into a career that might even be lucrative (but if not, who cares, I’m doing it because I believe in it,) I realize that I’m never going to be the conventional woman who aims to live in the lap of luxury; all I want is to be able to create, listen to house music, rocking my afro, eat healthy and organic, and have a stress-free lifestyle that involves authoring books and producing thought-provoking articles. So if I never became famous or land that huge job that I always thought I would once graduating college, at least I’m true to myself and my passion for writing, art, and film.
Some may (and do) call me a starving artist and urban hippie, but at least I’m starving for what I believe in—writing my own destiny and forging a path that brings true happiness…the ability to create works that could touch a soul with one sentence, one brush stroke, and one shot.
‘WHATEVEREST’ – The Inspiration Behind Todd Terje’s Dance Hit ‘Inspector Norse’ [15 Min Film]
Last year one of the biggest dance tunes to storm the electronic dance music (EDM) community was Norway-based producer Todd Terje’s infectious single, “Inspector Norse.” The song is arguably one of the best releases of 2012, and it’s a track that you can’t help but to dance to. I myself have been out dancing and a few DJs have played it; forcing me to dance like a maniac and jump up and down with a smile on my face. 
“Inspector Norse” is a tune that inspires many to get up and dance to the good vibes, but apparently it was actually inspired by Marius Solem Johansen–who goes by the internet alias Inspector Norse. According to the short “documentary” by director Kristoffer Borgli, Todd Terje was inspired by this failed musician Inspector Norse and his passion for dancing and making drugs out of household chemicals. Thus, the song was born!
The short film, WHATEVEREST, was well received by audiences and was even winner of Special Jury Award at AFI Fest 2012. But after careful research, it seems that this documentary is actually more along the lines of a mockumentary. Videos of Inspector Norse making drugs on Youtube and dancing never existed prior to this movie. Terje claims that he was inspired by the hundreds of videos of Inspector Norse, but there is actually only one video…which was upload around the same time this film was in the making.
So it appears it might all be clever creativity that is the driving force behind this story and the song, but one thing we do know is that whether merely fiction, fact or a combination of both (more so along the lines of fiction,) WHATEVEREST is still a beautiful short film. The film just gives us a glimpse into the sheer brilliance of Todd Terje and his witty sense of humor. He’s not just an amazing producer, but a creative guy with a vivid imagination of a guy named Inspector Norse who loves to dance. Do I approve? Yes, this gets my seal of approval. Great song, excellent film!
Watch the music video, which features clips from WHATEVEREST and then be sure to check out the full 15 minute “documentary.”
Reflective Post: Up Close and Personal with Life After Reality TV
While working on my rough draft of my documentary about life after reality television, I realized that there weren’t many documentaries on this subject. Throughout the course of my documentary I’ve had the position as an insider on my subject. Over the years I’ve seen my brother’s career rise and dealt with the “So You Think You Can Dance?” obsession from outsiders.
I can recall so many encounters with people obsessed with SYTYCD and individuals who were hungry to have their 15 minutes of fame. It’s sad to see how many people are willing to do anything in order to have their time in the spotlight, even if that means attempting to ride off the coats of others. Even though my brother has achieved a certain amount of acknowledgement in the dance/entertainment industry, I’ve never been the type of person to just ride off his success.
My role in this documentary and in my interactions with my brother’s dance career and “15 minutes of fame,” has been a role of support and knowledge. I aim to let others know about the reality of a dancers life and how shows such as “So You Think You Can Dance?” only help a dancer so much in their career. Being on a show like that doesn’t guarantee success and it shouldn’t be the main mission for a dancer. In my documentary Jamile briefly talked about how he strives to make a name for himself that is based upon his amazing talent and character, not riding off the SYTYCD claim to fame.
I gathered quite a bit of material for my documentary but had to shorten it in order to meet appropriate time length for my Multimedia Composition class. This topic of a dancers life and coming off a reality show, is a topic that can easily be an hour long documentary. I’ve collected a lot of footage as an insider on this topic, but one day it would be interesting to possibly talk to other dancers as well. I haven’t felt any discomfort when discussing the subject and shedding light on the reality of the aftermath following reality television. It’s been fascinating!
My hope is that people will begin to discuss more about reality television and the truth about being on season 1 of “So You Think You Can Dance?” It’s a shame how so many of the dancers from the first season have sort of been forgotten by the producers, yet they have had successful careers around the world. Interesting…
Thinksoul25
Related articles
- Reflective Post: Life After Reality Television (thinksoul25.com)
Reflective Blog Post:The Genre of Documentary
After receiving feedback on my visual narrative, I decided to stick with the theme of urban nomads for our upcoming assignment. The next project in my English 3084 class is a Multimedia Documentary. I’ve never had the chance to work on a documentary, but I’ve always had this desire to film one.
The genre of Multimedia Documentary is an innovative 
outlet for creative expression. Documentaries allow you to take a simple concept and expand on it through various perspectives. The usage of multimedia allows the creator to carefully and critically use multiple elements of media to convey a message. If executed properly, a multimedia documentary can literally change someone’s train of thought and viewpoint on a certain topic.
I’ve personally always been a huge fan of documentaries and since the addition of Netflix Instant Streaming on my Ps3; I’ve been able to watch an immense amount of thought provoking documentaries. Documentaries are an important genre in film due to their ability to reach national audience. I have the option of traveling the world and experiencing another lifestyle without having to leave the comfort of my home. Of course, I am a huge fan of traveling and experiencing other cultures; but documentaries are a powerful and educational insight into topics that may be foreign to my daily happenings.
This week in out Multimedia Composition class, I had the chance to view some documentaries produced by students at the University of Colorado (the school I attend.) It was amazing seeing how much information can be packed into a small amount of time. The documentaries were concise and informational, as well as inspirational. It’s important for everyone to find an outlet for their beliefs and passion in life. Whether it’s through art, music, film, dance, writing, and other forms of creative expression; it’s important that you express how viewpoints on life.
I’m looking forward to begin working on my Multimedia Documentary and exploring the concept of life after reality television. I think it’s important that people realize what life is like after being a reality television sensation and a multimedia documentary is the best way to shed light on this topic. I plan on watching some more documentaries this weekend on Netflix and hopefully gaining more inspiration.
©Jasmine McGee
ThinkSoul25
Related articles
- Reflective Blog Post: The Visual Narrative (thinksoul25.com)
