The End of Spring

Classes are ending here at Baylor on Monday, May 4th, though for me they end today (I don't have any MWF classes this term). It's always an interesting time. Spring fever has set in for students and for faculty, and everyone is exhausted. So it's not an unwelcome ending, but commencement means saying goodbye to some students who have been a more-or-less daily part of your life for several years. It can be strange. Their lives will change in new and exciting ways, and we remain here at their alma mater (that's not a complaint about my job; I love what I do).

My reflection on this event has been muted this year because the semester took a very busy turn when I was officially appointed director of the division. And since I'm teaching a mini-mester course that begins immediately after graduation, I'll barely have time to finish grading before I have to begin prepping lectures and figuring out how to cram a semester's worth of screenings and discussion into a three-week period...

American Mess Theatre Listing

I just got a hold of the listing of theatres which will be showing my first feature, The Proper Care & Feeding of an American Mess, starting May 29th. Here it is:

Nova at Hartford
Hartford, Illinois

Hartford at Moline
Moline, Illinois

Nova Georgia
340 Tanger Drive
Commerce, Georgia 30529

Studio 10 Cinemas
1624 E. State Highway 44
Shelbyville, Indiana 46176
Movieline: 398-FLIX(3549)

Georgetown 14 Cinemas
3898 Lafayette Road
Indianapolis, Indiana 46254
(317) 291-3456

Nova 10
4353 Merle Hay Road
Des Moines, Iowa 50310

Theatres of Georgetown
401 Outlet Center Drive
Georgetown, Kentucky 40324

Branson Meadows Theatres
4740 Gretna Road
Branson, Missouri 65616
Branson Meadows Outlet Mall
Phone: 417-332-0464
Movie Hotline: 417-332-2884

The Amp Oxford Mississippi
206 Commonwealth Boulevard
Oxford, Mississippi 38655
Movie Hotline: 662-236-4080

Portsmouth Cinemas
1623 Chillicothe Street
Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
Movieline: 355-FILM(3456)

Lake Geneva 4
244 Broad Street
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 53147

News on the Academic Front

I'm watching the new cut of Endings today -- or trying to, between meetings and other interruptions -- but wanted to pause for a moment to relay some news. I was officially appointed Director of the Film & Digital Media program here at Baylor University today.

Well, the appointment is effective June 1, but the official notification came today.

Anyway, this is a big moment for me personally, and I hope it will mean big things for the future of the program here, as I look to expand upon the already great work that has been done to bring it to this point.

Voice Over Artists

Well, my two oldest daughters become voice over artists last week. The local NPR affiliate, KWBU, broadcasts from about 20 feet from my office door, and the station manager, Brodie Bashaw, asked several people if their kids would be able to read some copy (or just repeat it back) for a promo she was recording. My oldest, Emma (who also stars in my new film, Endings, recorded one all by herself, and the other features several children edited together (Emma is on there as well, and Anna, my eight year old, is the one who says, "The Waco Cultural Arts Fest will be September 19th and 20th").

Download the promo mp3 files to hear my kids promote the Waco Cultural Arts Fest on KWBU:

KWBU Promo - Emma

KWBU Promo - Emma, Anna, and others

Doctor Who extravaganza

Well, the deadline for the "call for proposals" for my edited volume about Doctor Who is today. Which means that I got a ton of proposals yesterday, and I'm expecting more to trickle in today.

I should have guessed that would happen. So now I'll be wading through a sea of Doctor Who scholarship over the next couple of weeks.