THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE

March 1, 2015

Portfolio

For a while this has been a space where I shared both personal and portfolio work—I realized the other day that I hadn't gotten around to sharing my real website in this space yet! I worked all summer with the incredible designer Hayden Davis and put together this space for my work: www.laurenvand.com

Take a look and let me know what you think!!

February 28, 2015

I'm Really Big on Eating My Feelings

Sometimes your mom comes to visit and then a month later you find the gelato she bought you in the freezer right when you need it.

It's been a long month. I'm not too sad to say goodbye to February 2015. See ya never, ya little monster.

P.S. I enjoy documenting things, so I think I'll be posting here more often.

December 31, 2014

Favorite Films of 2014

2014 was the year I realized that I'm in love with biopics. Life can be so difficult and there is nothing that speaks to my heart and soul more than stories about the human spirit overcoming opposition. My favorite films this year were all biopics and I thought about them every single day. These stories informed the way I lived my life. They reminded me to be more compassionate, to think outside of myself, that God is has his hand in everything and that people should be our first priorities, not things.

These films changed me.

UNBROKEN

This film. It means so much to me for so many reasons, because of the content and also the context. My favorite cinematographer, Roger Deakins, filmed it. His work was breathtaking, as expected. I waited all year to see this—ask anyone who lived with me—I talked about this film incessantly, for months. I am so proud of Angelina Jolie for her role as director. It's no secret that women are outnumbered in the film industry at a staggering rate (for cinematography it's 3% women, 97% men). She had to fight to win her spot as director and I am proud to be a woman in film because movies like this are being made. Above is one of my favorite photographs, ever. I can't find a source, but it's currently my computer desktop background and it'll stay that way for a long time. If she won for best director I would literally throw a party because I am so proud of this, of her, and to be a woman in film.

Of primary importance is Louie's story. It's incredible—it means so much and needs to be told. But all these secondary details about the creation of it make it not only something that inspires me, it makes the film something that I'm truly proud of. Over the months leading up to its release, I probably did more campaigning for Unbroken than its official instagram account. It truly felt like Christmas when the day finally came that I got to see this film, and that's not just because it was December 25th. I'm so proud of this film and I love it so much.

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

This movie was definitely the most profound one I saw this year. I'm just in awe of the performances I witnessed. I loved it because they weren't trying to blow you away with distracting production design or cinematography or music—they were just trying to be honest. Eddie wasn't pretending to be Steven Hawking, he was Stephen Hawking.

The Theory of Everything made me revisit the way I treat everyone in my life. I think I'm a good person. I'm generally a kind, hardworking individual. But this film really made me dig deep. Am I truly treating others as compassionately as I can? It reminded me that no matter what, you just do not know what other people are going through. It reminded me that I'm not here to judge people, I'm here to love them. It changed me because it reminded me to be sensitive, and compassionate, and patient. This film broke my heart but put it back together in way that's much more in tune to the suffering going on around me. We can't always control our circumstances, but we can control the way we act within them, how we treat those around us. How are you treating people? The Theory of Everything asked me that question when I really needed to hear it.

THE IMITATION GAME

I had never heard about Alan Turing before I saw the trailer for this film while sitting in a movie theatre. What was especially crazy about not having heard of this film before I saw the trailer was not having heard of this film before I saw the trailer. Haha. I love keeping my finger on the pulse of what films are being made. I love reading about them as plot details are released and as cast and crew sign on and drop out of projects. It's always especially exciting when the first stills are released or the trailers finally come out. But this one slipped under my radar. I had no idea.

My sister gave me the biography that inspired the film for Christmas and I'm currently reading it. This is the same sister that let me drag her across Los Angeles during Thanksgiving break so we could see it opening night, in the only theatre I could find that was showing it. I think it was one of my favorite films of the year because it was another biopic, telling another story about the human spirit and opposition and reflecting on how we treat each other. I love films that make me reflect within and raise the bar a little higher.

October 18, 2014

A Few Studio Portraits

June 23, 2014

Philadelphia Instax

June 22, 2014

Miscellaneous Thoughts

I took this shot of Emily I took last weekend when I was location scouting for a wedding.

(hashtag number one assistant; look at those notebook/keys/water bottle/camera bag holding skills)

I watched Marie Antoinette last night when I couldn't sleep. I always find inspiration from that film and this time was no different. I was struck by the shot accompanying this song, which plays as she returns to court from le Petit Trianon. I am learning to play it on the piano.

Although I know Gravity was mainly a vehicle for technology, and it was groundbreaking in that respect (DUH), I really do love the sentiment of their tagline ("don't let go"). Even down to the last frame, that film said volumes about perseverance, one step at a time, which spoke to me so deeply.

Apparently all I want to talk about today is movies, so while we're on the subject, I've had on my mind lately the distinction between Hazel and & Gus's respective illnesses in The Fault in Our Stars. (Sorry, not sorry) Hers is visible—the oxygen tank is practically a third main character. In fact, I'd say it is a third main character. But his is invisible unless he lets you in. Unless he showed it off to the world by choice, the majority of people he came in contact with would never know about his amputation. I don't really know how I want to wrap this up, but I've just been thinking a lot about the concept of "invisible" illness. It's a good thing to be deliberately conscious of.

I'm taking an online screenwriting class (for beginners, focusing on adapting for a short film) from James Franco. I'm excited to dive into something I've been wanting to approach for a while now!

Yeaux leaux (aka YOLO in French, aka classy YOLO)