Me, My Blog & My Declaration of Principles

“People like that have something inside... something to do with death.”

– Jason Robards, Once Upon a Time in the West (1968).

Me and my Tommy gun glass

I'm currently in my second year at Bath Spa University where I am studying Film and Screen Studies with Creative Writing with Planning and Making a Film. A mouthful, I know, but I’m loving every second of it! Life outside of Uni is pretty much the same as life inside of Uni – everything revolves around film and writing (and drinking). I’m very proud of this fact and I can, wholeheartedly, say that I am doing what I love, 100% of the time. I consider myself to be a cinéphile and, for me, the world makes a hell of a lot more sense when seen through a film. Therefore, it is about time I started a blog to chronicle this lifestyle and world view.


While this blog will deal with my personal interest in film it will also, invariably, explore topics that I am studying in the Film Studies part of my degree. I will also be running a companion blog: Something to do with Writing, which will deal with my development as a writer and the Creative Writing part of my degree. Over the two blogs I also hope to chronicle my progress in the film production aspect of my degree, although, this may become a blog in its own right. However, with or without it, this blog is my opportunity to explore and share my love and interest of what I consider to be Humanity’s greatest art form.

Specifically, some of the things I will blog about are:

• The best films ever made, naturally.
• The worst films ever made, even these you can learn things from!
• Film reviews and not just what is at the box office, but a healthy diet of Hollywood, pre-Hollywood and non-Hollywood (World Cinema is a phrase I refuse to use).
• Short films, currently, I don’t give them enough attention.
• The film Industry, past and present.
• The technologies of filmmaking, new and old.
• Filmmakers, big and small.
• Film form, its application and evolution.

And much more...


... but, if I were to list them all I would be here all day! Suffice to say, though, I want to explore film through a very broad spectrum; only then can I expand on my understanding of the many aspects of film. This is why feedback is so important and I really do welcome comments and criticisms. Film is best when it is shared and the same is true of film analysis.


So, to get the ball rolling, I will start with a reference to what is, many would argue, the greatest film ever made:

Charles Foster Kane's Declaration of Principles, Citizen Kane.

Therefore, My Declaration of Principles is thus:

1. I will write a blog that will chronicle and explore my love of all things film.

2. I will also write it to encourage further exploration in areas untouched and invite discussion and comment from other like minded people. People with something inside… something to do with film.

Signed:

Peter O'Brien

Please note that I have now combined the Something to do with Film/Writing/Making Films blogs into one blog under the Something to do with Film banner.