A note from Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy CEO, Howard A. Tullman:

I’m not much of a casual stroller, but I’m a great speed and distance hiker. Someone who’s “taking a stroll” suggests to me a leisurely and mostly pointless trip to nowhere. It may be relaxing and, for some people, that’s an end in itself, but for me, it’s just an opportunity to think about what I could be, or worse yet, should be doing instead of strolling. I’m just not an aimless kind of guy.

That’s why I like hikes. Hikes have a specific purpose and a clear goal. Just like projects, quests, missions and businesses. Basically, if I’m going, I like to go somewhere or to get somewhere. I think the things you choose to do should have a point and an objective. Life’s just too short to waste. I’m sure that nature hikes and bird-watching trips are nice; that’s just not my nature. And even if we’re talking about the things you have to do, I’d say there’s only one way to do them: with a vengeance. Otherwise, why bother? Any troll can phone it in. In the old days, they used to call guys like me “Type A” personalities and not in a nice way.

In fact, not so many years ago, a person with a “take no prisoners” attitude and a fierce work ethic like mine would have been called a “workaholic” in a disparaging way that suggested that being so intensely focused on your work was somehow a bad thing. I guess it just didn’t matter that many people’s jobs, futures and families depended on what you did. And apparently it was unimportant that you spent so many long and painful hours trying to make sense of the tough choices and decisions that leaders face week in and week out throughout their careers. It just seemed obsessive or excessive in some way to the folks watching from the sidelines and the cheap seats.

Of course, those were the good old days when everyone was fat and happy and gainfully employed (no pun intended) so big talk was cheap and “touchy feely” was in vogue, but even back then, there were a bunch of us (mostly entrepreneurs) who really didn’t think that being known and sometimes secretly respected for the insane passion, energy and commitment which you brought to your work was an insult. We actually felt it was a badge of honor among a crazy band of brothers (and some sisters) who didn’t know what they couldn’t do until they tried and who, by the way, never gave up trying.

Today, things have actually changed (along with the economy) and you just don’t hear many people worrying or complaining about how long or hard anyone works. I guess the old worm continues to turn. Most people now are just really happy to be working at all and those of us who are still working hard and who are excited about what we’re doing every day and who spend each day trying to make a difference in a whole lot of peoples’ lives think of ourselves as pretty lucky – not as damaged or foolish.

I guess in this complicated life that we lead that each of us just picks our own poison or, as the Eagles said long ago, “every form of refuge has its price”. Sometimes it’s a hard bargain and it’s never a small price, but I honestly don’t think that too many of us have any real choice in the matter. It’s always been the way we do things and it’s probably too late to change or start over now. And, of course, it doesn’t hurt to know that, by and large, busting your butt works out really well and the results over the years actually do speak for themselves.

But lately, as I’ve been surrounded by hundreds of young and eager Tribeca Flashpoint students (who I’m convinced are pretty quickly figuring out our work ethic and how we do things around here), I’ve become concerned that now that it’s once again become a virtue and a good thing to be focused and goal-oriented and to have a concrete plan for your future and to put your head down and work towards fulfilling that plan every day, we might not be doing such a great job of sharing an equally important part of life that has certainly been just as important to me as any work that I’ve ever done.

And that’s the unqualified joy of and the unending appetite for learning JUST for its own sake. Same deal – same approach – different subject. It turns out to be incredibly rewarding and extremely satisfying to find some time in your crazy, busy life to try, do, read or learn something that’s not required reading or even some type of “cod liver oil” self-improvement stuff. Just find something to immerse yourself in and to enjoy and to take some lessons from that may be valuable tomorrow or in ten years or never. Doesn’t really matter.

What matters is learning to learn for the pure joy of learning. It’s ultimately its own reward. And, just between us, it makes you better, sharper and faster when you return to your real-world responsibilities as well. But make sure you put yourself into it and do the work – otherwise you won’t get much back. This isn’t a “lean back” exercise for couch potatoes – it’s a ”jump into it with both feet” deal where wanting it makes a difference.

So, as I like to say from time to time: remember that your work or your studies are just that – your work. They aren’t who you are and they certainly aren’t what you can ultimately be. Over the holidays, make some room in your schedule, look around, dive into something new and different, and give yourself some additional and alternative choices to add to the equation. There’s no better time than now. Take a different kind of hike this Thanksgiving and make it matter – even if you never get out of your chair.

AFTER A BUSY OPENING NIGHT FOR THE FILM FESTIVAL WHERE FLASHPOINT FILM CREWS JOINED NATIONAL MEDIA TEAMS ON THE RED CARPET AND THE STEP AND REPEAT LINE TO INTERVIEW STARS OF “THE BROTHERS BLOOM” INCLUDING DIRECTOR RIAN JOHNSON AND STAR RACHEL WEISZ, THE TEAMS DISPERSED TO COVER EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE FESTIVAL VILLAGE.

FLASHPOINT ACADEMY FILM CREWS WERE LITERALLY EVERYWHERE THAT ANYTHING IMPORTANT WAS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE WEEK AT THE FILM FESTIVAL AND THE ONLY CREWS ALLOWED EXCLUSIVE FILM ACCESS TO THE MOST INFORMATIVE AND INFLUENTIAL QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS WITH ALL THE GREAT AND TALENTED DIRECTORS IN TOWN TO TALK ABOUT THEIR LATEST FILMS.

THE BUSY WEEK WRAPPED UP WITH A PANEL OF EXPERTS HELD AT FLASHPOINT ACADEMY ENTITLED: “MAKING IT IN THE MIDWEST”. NEXT UP – FLASHPOINT TEAMS WILL BE HANDLING THE RED CARPET FOR THE CLOSING AND AWARD SESSIONS AND THE SCREENING OF “GOOD” DIRECTED BY VINCENTE AMORIM.

Q & A SESSIONS

MIKE LEIGH – HAPPY-GO-LUCKY

GAVIN O’CONNOR – PRIDE AND GLORY

DANNY BOYLE – SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

CHARLIE KAUFMAN – SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK

DARREN ARONOFSKY – THE WRESTLER

NEW MAIN BROADCAST, FILM AND PERFORMANCE STAGE AT THE MERCHANDISE MART

DCP facilitates confidential match-making between those who have made proposals and DCP members (high-tech industry leaders in digital concepts) with whom the proponents wish to work.

Flashpoint Academy is developing a series of specific proposals and relationships thru DCP which will provide us and our students and faculty early and exclusive access to new digital technologies being developed in Japan years before these technologies are available to virtually anyone else in the United States.

This initiative is part of the City’s International Development programs and also a part of the Chicago Sister Cities International Program. Thanks to Tim Hill, Jr. from the Sister Cities program for helping to arrange this visit and relationship. We were ably assisted in our meetings by Dan Hodapp from our FP Admissions group who is a fluent speaker of Japanese.

Download Finished in a Flash Article About the Rapid Build-Out of Flashpoint Academy by Valenti Builders

Ken Nordine (born April 13, 1920) is an American voiceover and recording artist best known for his series of Word Jazz albums. His deep, resonant voice has also been featured in many commercial advertisements and movie trailers. One critic wrote that “you may not know Ken Nordine by name or face, but you’ll almost certainly recognize his voice.”

The son of an architect, Ken Nordine was born in Cherokee, Iowa. In Chicago he attended Lane Technical College Prep High School and the University of Chicago. He has three sons with his wife Beryl whom he married in 1945. He initially attracted attention when he recorded the aural vignettes on Word Jazz on Dot in 1957. Word Jazz, Son of Word Jazz (Dot, 1958) and his other albums in this vein feature Nordine’s narration over a cool jazz background. He began performing and recording such albums at the peak of the beat movement and was associated with the poetry-and-jazz movement. However, some of Nordine’s “writings are more akin to Franz Kafka or Edgar Allan Poe” than to the beats. Many of his word jazz tracks feature critiques of societal norms. Some are lightweight and humorous, while others reveal dark, paranoid undercurrents and bizarre, dream-like scenarios.

Nordine was Linda Blair’s vocal coach for her role in The Exorcist,and Word Jazz inspired Tom Waits’ spooky, spoken word-type pieces, such as “9th and Hennepin,” “Frank’s Wild Years” and “What’s He Building?”

On television, Nordine did a series of readings on a show titled Faces in the Window, and Fred Astaire danced to Nordine’s “My Baby” on a TV special. Nordine’s past radio series were Now Nordine and Word Jazz. He currently hosts a weekly radio program and maintains residences in Chicago, Illinois, and Spread Eagle, Wisconsin.

Ken Nordine completed a DVD entitled “The Eye is Never Filled” with a scheduled release date of 14 May 2007.

Flashpoint Academy will host a special Chicago presentation of the major new education documentary “Two Million Minutes” presented by its Executive Producer, Robert Compton, for Chicago Public School officials and other Chicago-based education leaders, foundations, as well as select City officials in the new FP screening room. Non-exclusive distribution rights to the documentary were recently acquired by The Gates Foundation and representatives of the Foundation and Microsoft education leaders are also expected to be present for the showing and panel discussion thereafter.

Details on the film (which has already been shown in a private presentation to Flashpoint students, staff and faculty) appear below or if you click here.

(more…)