The Semester Begins

The 2011 Spring Semester at Pima College kicked off this week, and this time I have the unpleasant task of buying ART SUPPLIES again. *Sigh* Just found out my Digital Drawing and Painting class requires a Wacom tablet. Also learned that my other "art" class, Color Theory and Rendering, a class requiring manual drawing and painting (and ART SUPPLIES), is a prerequisite for the other class, so that should be interesting. What the heck, I took Basic Cinematography and Basic Video Production the same semester as the prerequisite Digital Video Editing, so I might be able to pull it off.

Tomorrow kicks off Lighting for Film and TV, my last core requirement for the Digital Art/Film associates degree. That should be fun, since I've been doing my own lighting for my earlier film and video projects. It's also the last class with Pima Guru Professor Dave Wing -- until I retake the two advanced Cinematography and Video classes next year after my GI Bill money runs out. I want to work in an internship next year too before I graduate.

My weekday 2D Animation: Adobe AfterEffects class got canceled over winter break, so I'm stuck taking the Saturday class... that'll put a crimp in some of my competition shooting opportunities this Spring, It's just as well that I don't shoot ACTS matches any more. AfterEffects is the awesome software that inserts muzzle flashes and other cool effects into video. Boo-ya! I would have just taken it as an extra course to supplement my Film degree, but, hey, I had money left in my GI Bill, so why not get the Animation degree too?

Speaking of shooting, I'm joining Jon and Friends at the Phoenix Rod & Gun Club 3-Gun this Sunday, instead of the Cactus Match at Ben Avery. We need the long range practice that South Mountain provides in prep for the Superstition 3-Gun in March. I've already provided Cactus League with stages for January, and they're over-run by the Cowboys' Winter Range in February, so I only need provide stages for one match I can't attend in March, since I'll be busting caps in Mesa. Fortunately, I can use my spare EOTech Holosight in case GG&G hasn't fixed my Quick Mount by then. Heavy Metal, Baby!