That is changing.  From this point on, This Is Matt is about looking at today and looking forward to tomorrow. It is about discoveries, changes, and adventures – none of which deserve looking back.  To my closest friends and family, don’t be shy when I put a camera in front of your face.  I might freak out.  This feels new to me again.

Graduate
Friday, May 13th is going to be a big day – I’ll be turning 22 and graduating. The celebration planning is starting now.  However, it is going to be a bit of a tease because I still have to take a few summer classes.

Travel to Spain to Learn Spanish
I need to fulfill my language requirements so I’m planning to go to Spain for the month of July.  It is going to be difficult to leave everything behind for the month, but I’ll be officially done with school once I arrive back in the states.

Write the First Draft of a Feature-Length Film
I’ve had the concept for a feature film in my head since I was about sixteen, but I haven’t had a chance to write it.  Once I’m done with school, I’d like to spend some time off developing a first draft.  It is exciting to think that I’ll finally have the chance to do so.  I plan on leaving Los Angeles for a couple of weeks to write it (maybe head up to Santa Barbara?) so I can drive back down if I need to take on some work.

Read
I always tell people that I can’t wait to graduate so I can read for pleasure again.  My list is full of high school required readings that I never actually read.

Expand The Motley
The Motley has grown drastically over the past three months, but it is not entirely sustainable yet.  By the end of 2011, I’d like the company to be completely sustainable and ready to become profitable in 2012.

That’s all for now.  I should probably get back to writing my History of International Film midterm.

Best to all…

For those who did not know, I attended a global entrepreneurial summit for students that promoted trade and relations worldwide over this past week. I spent time with business students from Harvard, MIT, Stanford, NYU, UPenn, USC, Babson and several international schools. We spent days discussing our own businesses, endeavors, experiences, etc. Remember, besides my short year at Emerson, I’ve always been a student of liberal arts and film – the least bit business related. The question of what we are going to do after graduation was raised practically every five minutes (business students seem to plan ahead and liberal arts students rather not plan at all…)

I spent the night before leaving for the trip with a new friend from school who asked me: “Why are you even going to college anyways?” Several nights before that, I walked around Downtown with my best friend who has been traveling the country for the past two months and is getting ready to set sail again. I got the question, “Why don’t you come along?” It makes me think. A lot.

I can’t really answer any of those questions right now (sorry for the climax and let-down of a resolution). But my thoughts are being sorted out as I type this. I’ve traveled about 35,000 miles this year to New York, London, Paris, Berlin and China. I wish I was able to stay in China (Hong Kong and Shanghai looked amazing), travel up the West Coast (a new years resolution that seems more like a challenge for next year instead) and hit the road around the country that I grew up in.

My heart beats – rather, races – when I think about all the places I could be going and all of the amazing photographs and documentary video I could be capturing right this minute if school didn’t lock me down. However, I’m going to put all of that on hold for now. I have a year left at USC and I am very excited for all that is coming over the next couple of months. I was selected to compete in the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards later this month, The Motley is unveiling more than half a dozen new products and my lyrical music video for “I Love You More Than You Will Ever Know” by Never Shout Never was submitted for a Grammy nomination. My best friends are more motivating than ever – achieving incredible things: graduating college with jobs already in place, starting graduate school, international travel, debut album releases and businesses launches. I can’t, and won’t, get close to complaining about my next year locked down in Los Angeles because I’ve made a challenge with my friends at Warner Bros. Records. The challenge, which they have agreed to, is to put me on the “craziest” project that they possibly can when I graduate. This can be shooting in a remote location, working with a relatively insane, bipolar artist or possibly a combination of the two. My response: I’m ready. What did they say back? “What are you talking about? Do you remember any of the projects that we’ve put you on?” Clearly, they aren’t crazy enough for me.

August 2008

Must listen to:
Iron & Wine “Love Vigilantes”

must listen to:
mumford and sons – “roll away your stone”
andrew bird – “fake palindromes”