My name is William McDonald and I am chair of the Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media. And I have something very important to tell you: My refrigerator broke down last week. Let me repeat that: My refrigerator – in this heat – broke down – last week. Last Thursday had been a long, hot day, made longer and hotter by a commute home that ordinarily takes 40 minutes, but took two hours. Then, around 9:30 that evening, my lovely wife Pamela and I noticed food and drink we were taking out of the fridge were not very cold. Fearful of what this might mean, I was willing to…
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Appreciating Each Drop (of Water)
Note from Pamela: Over the past couple of years, we have been trying to become more water-aware, which has led us to discover some wonderfully easy ways to conserve and appreciate water. Currently, I am staying in a house in Cambria, California, which is practicing the highest level of water conservation, due to the low levels of water in the community. Using clean water for gardens or car-washing is strictly forbidden. When I learned that taking a shower requires 2.5 gallons of water per minute, I decided to try an experiment. In addition to one shower, I knew the house we were staying in had a big old-fashioned bathtub. However,…
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A Film Professor Answers an 8th Grader’s Questions
Occasionally a student will write a letter or email to my husband Bill McDonald, who is a professor in UCLA’s Department of Film, Television and Digital Media, and say that they are interested in filmmaking and have some questions. Bill’s plate is always overflowing but if he sees that the student has taken the time to compose a list of thoughtful questions, he will take the time to answer the query. He recently received just such a letter from an eighth grade student who was going to be making a presentation at her middle school. He shares his answers to her questions here. You may also want to read our…
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Something Like a Sabbatical (the film enters the world)
This weekend we will screen our newly completed documentary film SOMETHING LIKE A SABBATICAL to an audience for the first time. We’re so excited! The documentary film is the wise, funny, and inspiring story of Sue Mitchell’s 52-week sabbatical, when she decides it’s time to find out if she can be the artist she’s wanted to be for 35 years. Little does she know that 52 giant Montezuma Bald Cypress trees will become her teachers. Little does Riverside Art Museum realize how popular the four-month exhibit of Sue’s work will be a year later. In November 2013, we went to see Sue Mitchell’s “52” exhibit. A month later, we returned…
