JonathanLB
Sep 7th, 2001, 05:51:51 AM
He wanted a "personal narrative" that tells of one very important event in our lives, so I thought of the most important, which just happens to encompass about ten other very important events, haha.
I just thought I'd share it with you guys, but if you find it boring just stop reading. I thought this would take everyone back to when the Special Editions opened...
PERSONAL NARRATIVE
        Saturday, February 1, 1997 did not seem like an important day when it arrived. Like many people, I wanted to see the re-release of Star Wars: A New Hope in theaters. On Friday, the film attracted millions of moviegoers to theaters in honor of its twentieth anniversary, but the crowds did not subside the following day. I went to Broadway Metroplex in downtown Portland, Oregon to buy tickets at roughly 2:30 p.m., but the next showing with available seats was the 10:30 p.m. screening. Disappointed, but willing to wait until the night, my mom purchased four tickets for our family and we returned home.
        The hype surrounding the film’s re-release penetrated the media from magazines and newspapers to talk and entertainment shows. Everyone else seemed much more excited about the movie’s return to theaters than I was, however. Although I wanted to see the classic film, I had not been waiting for months for its release and I never could have imagined that seeing the movie in theaters would become one of the most important events in my life.
        When we arrived at night, people came dressed as characters from the movies and I had never seen such mass enthusiasm for a film. Although I had always loved the Star Wars movies, I never realized there were “Star Wars fans,” nor did I realize what an important part of the culture the movies had become. Spontaneous applause followed many of the scenes in the film and although I thought the enthusiasm was unusual, I felt the electricity in the theater and I appreciated the way the movie series has united generations of fans.
        The experience of seeing the movie in a theater already increased my enjoyment of the movie, but the changes to the film itself also made it seem like an entirely new movie. The print was completely new and Skywalker Sound had also redone many of the sound effects, so the movie was actually in better condition than it was in 1977 upon its first release. I was stunned that a twenty-year-old movie looked and sounded better than most modern films and the effects were actually impressive even when compared to the newest blockbusters.
        Although I had seen the movie at least fifteen times before, I never realized its true depth and importance until I saw it in a theater surrounded by fans. I immediately became a fan myself and saw it several more times in theaters, along with its sequels. For most people, simply becoming a fan of something is far from a life-altering event, but finding a passion can influence other aspects of life as well. Star Wars has literally changed my life in many ways, and all positive, too.
        Before I saw Star Wars in theaters and became an enthusiast, I saw roughly fifteen movies per year. In the years following its re-release, however, I have seen an increasing number of movies each year and now attend more than sixty annually. My love for Star Wars quickly became a love for movies in general, which led me to pursue a career in filmmaking. Although I once dreamed of creating special effects for movies, I later decided that I would rather be involved in directing or producing my own films.
        Because of my interest in filmmaking, I applied to UCLA, USC, Loyola Marymount University, and Chapman University. Ultimately, I did not gain acceptance to either USC or UCLA, so I chose Loyola over Chapman. If I had never become a Star Wars fan, most likely I would not have become interested in film and I would not be attending Loyola. The film series has had an even greater impact on my life than just where I am attending college, though.
        As a major Star Wars fan, I could not wait for the release of the newest film, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. I began collecting articles about the film and making a detailed archive of information on it. After several months, I decided I would write a book about the film and its unprecedented achievements. My passion for Star Wars led to a completed nonfiction book on the events surrounding The Phantom Menace, which in turn helped me find a literary agent.
        If I had not become a Star Wars fan, I fear that I never would have discovered my passion for writing, which grew from my first book. Anticipation: The Real Life Story of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace still does not have a publisher, but when I finished writing it I realized that I did not want to write only books about Star Wars, but also branch out into other fields. I am nearly finished writing my second book, which is about DreamWorks SKG, and I am interested in being both a professional freelance writer and an author, aside from filmmaking.
        While Star Wars is just a movie series to many people, it is much more important and significant to millions of fans. Without having become a fan myself, my life would be drastically different and I believe I would not be nearly as successful or driven as I am today. In addition to becoming the driving force behind two careers, film and writing, the movies have also provided me with the opportunity to meet hundreds of new people and form connections that otherwise would not exist.
I just thought I'd share it with you guys, but if you find it boring just stop reading. I thought this would take everyone back to when the Special Editions opened...
PERSONAL NARRATIVE
        Saturday, February 1, 1997 did not seem like an important day when it arrived. Like many people, I wanted to see the re-release of Star Wars: A New Hope in theaters. On Friday, the film attracted millions of moviegoers to theaters in honor of its twentieth anniversary, but the crowds did not subside the following day. I went to Broadway Metroplex in downtown Portland, Oregon to buy tickets at roughly 2:30 p.m., but the next showing with available seats was the 10:30 p.m. screening. Disappointed, but willing to wait until the night, my mom purchased four tickets for our family and we returned home.
        The hype surrounding the film’s re-release penetrated the media from magazines and newspapers to talk and entertainment shows. Everyone else seemed much more excited about the movie’s return to theaters than I was, however. Although I wanted to see the classic film, I had not been waiting for months for its release and I never could have imagined that seeing the movie in theaters would become one of the most important events in my life.
        When we arrived at night, people came dressed as characters from the movies and I had never seen such mass enthusiasm for a film. Although I had always loved the Star Wars movies, I never realized there were “Star Wars fans,” nor did I realize what an important part of the culture the movies had become. Spontaneous applause followed many of the scenes in the film and although I thought the enthusiasm was unusual, I felt the electricity in the theater and I appreciated the way the movie series has united generations of fans.
        The experience of seeing the movie in a theater already increased my enjoyment of the movie, but the changes to the film itself also made it seem like an entirely new movie. The print was completely new and Skywalker Sound had also redone many of the sound effects, so the movie was actually in better condition than it was in 1977 upon its first release. I was stunned that a twenty-year-old movie looked and sounded better than most modern films and the effects were actually impressive even when compared to the newest blockbusters.
        Although I had seen the movie at least fifteen times before, I never realized its true depth and importance until I saw it in a theater surrounded by fans. I immediately became a fan myself and saw it several more times in theaters, along with its sequels. For most people, simply becoming a fan of something is far from a life-altering event, but finding a passion can influence other aspects of life as well. Star Wars has literally changed my life in many ways, and all positive, too.
        Before I saw Star Wars in theaters and became an enthusiast, I saw roughly fifteen movies per year. In the years following its re-release, however, I have seen an increasing number of movies each year and now attend more than sixty annually. My love for Star Wars quickly became a love for movies in general, which led me to pursue a career in filmmaking. Although I once dreamed of creating special effects for movies, I later decided that I would rather be involved in directing or producing my own films.
        Because of my interest in filmmaking, I applied to UCLA, USC, Loyola Marymount University, and Chapman University. Ultimately, I did not gain acceptance to either USC or UCLA, so I chose Loyola over Chapman. If I had never become a Star Wars fan, most likely I would not have become interested in film and I would not be attending Loyola. The film series has had an even greater impact on my life than just where I am attending college, though.
        As a major Star Wars fan, I could not wait for the release of the newest film, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. I began collecting articles about the film and making a detailed archive of information on it. After several months, I decided I would write a book about the film and its unprecedented achievements. My passion for Star Wars led to a completed nonfiction book on the events surrounding The Phantom Menace, which in turn helped me find a literary agent.
        If I had not become a Star Wars fan, I fear that I never would have discovered my passion for writing, which grew from my first book. Anticipation: The Real Life Story of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace still does not have a publisher, but when I finished writing it I realized that I did not want to write only books about Star Wars, but also branch out into other fields. I am nearly finished writing my second book, which is about DreamWorks SKG, and I am interested in being both a professional freelance writer and an author, aside from filmmaking.
        While Star Wars is just a movie series to many people, it is much more important and significant to millions of fans. Without having become a fan myself, my life would be drastically different and I believe I would not be nearly as successful or driven as I am today. In addition to becoming the driving force behind two careers, film and writing, the movies have also provided me with the opportunity to meet hundreds of new people and form connections that otherwise would not exist.