Hello everyone! Well it has almost been a year since I left the United Kingdom to study at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. After meeting Sarah Barrow who visited San Francisco for a conference and showing her around both the city and the Academy, it was suggested that I give an update blog…which I am happy to do of course!

Since my last blog back in September 2011, I have completed two semesters and seven courses. The classes have ranged from writing short scripts, filming short films, directing actors, editing film footage etc.

I have learnt quite a lot since being here and continued to grow both my skills, love and appreciation for filmmaking…although filming with the Bolex 16mm film camera pushed my buttons and I ended up with a love/hate relationship with that thing (the “bollocks camera” as I like to call it sometimes).

Opportunities continue to come my way, working with small groups of filmmakers (mainly me providing my scriptwriting services) as well as being able to provide a collection of films that I myself have written, directed and starred in (but doing all three at the same time is one HELL of a challenge but this only applies to one film).

My Vimeo page that I have recently opened has a collection of my films….

‘Hat Trick‘ (2012) A old fashioned silent movie about a young man who uses magic to solve all his problems. (My role as writer, director, actor)

‘Do Actors Dream of Erratic Sleep?‘ (2011) A comedy about an acting student desperate to get some sleep…even if it means finding odd places to sleep. (My role as writer, director, editor)

‘The Late Girls‘ (2011) An in-class assignment. A fast pace, 30 second slapstick with two girls late for class colliding into each other. (My role as director)

‘Dreamons‘ (2011) A music montage for my editing class, a writer nodding off to sleep and suddenly being attacked by his twisted imagination. (My role as editor)

Despite not making films since graduating from Lincoln back in 2008 (although the last thing I actually filmed was 2007) it has been nice to make up for lost time and participate in many projects, not just my own but also providing my services in acting too from playing a blind man in one film, to playing the grim reaper in another.

Of course I have always had time to socialize and explore the sights in San Francisco. I have of course been to see things such as Alcatraz, Golden Gate Park and Golden Gate Bridge. Even though I have become extremely busy with work I always try to find spare time to relax…not always successfully but that’s due to my organizing of things.

Celebrating holiday traditions in San Francisco is also a wonderful thing to be a part of too. Although I was not here for Christmas and New Year as I came back to the UK for a month.

I did however get to enjoy the Chinese New Year (and view the parade) and enjoy myself immensely on Halloween dressed up as The Riddler…however I got to learn a little about Chinese traditions from my Chinese friends as wearing a green hat is a symbol for “My partner has cheated on me!” despite not having a girlfriend in the first place, it got me many pictures with Chinese girls which I had no complaints about…but I assumed it was out of sympathy! Ha ha…

My Spring semester had finished at the beginning of May and since then I have been preparing myself for my next semester in September. Although I have the whole summer to wait, I will not be coming back to England but staying in San Francisco, so I will miss the Olympics (but I won’t miss my hay fever!)

In the meantime I will continue to network by providing scripts for the acting students in their  classes, with an agreement by the head of the Motion Pictures and Television department, Diane Baker, star of ‘The Diary of Anne Frank‘ (1959), ‘The Silence of the Lambs‘ (1991) and most recently playing House’s Mother in episodes of ‘House M.D.‘ (2004 – 2012).

Would I recommend students from Lincoln University to study abroad, in America or where ever? …Certainly!

It’s a great feeling to be an outsider and unique amongst your colleagues, I also have a massive range of friends from different countries people such as American, Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Indian, German etc.

You’d also be surprised that I seem to be the ONLY person from England that is actually studying at the Academy of Art University. No other Brit showed themselves at the International Orientation and my classmates have commented that they haven’t met anyone else from the UK.

Granted I do not know about the undergraduate students, nor do I know about the other majors like Fine Art, Architecture, Fashion etc but I can safely say I am the only Graduate student studying Motion Picture and Television that is from Great Britain.

Enjoy the Olympics!  Adam Luff