Steven T. Gamble: How did you first hear about Film Matters and what inspired you to submit your article?
Brandon Konecny: It’s hard to pin down a precise moment. Being a former UNCW [University of North Carolina Wilmington] film student, Film Matters is well advertised around the department, so I’d imagine I heard about it that way. What inspired me to submit to it? It probably just came from loving cinema. Cliché answer, right? Well, it’s true: we get into this field because we’re movie-lovers, and as such we like communicating with other fellow cinephiles, talking about our likes and dislikes, espousing cinematic gems and berating cinematic flops. We do this in person, of course. So why not do it via written expression? The only difference is that essays, I think, allow you to fortify your points with impressive polysyllabic film jargon—like “polysyllabic.”
STG: What did you gain from the experience of getting published in Film Matters?
BK: Film Matters, no doubt, is a wonderful opportunity for undergraduate students, because it helps you build a writing portfolio, gives your thoughts some circulation, and you learn how it feels to submit to an academic journal. This triad of opportunities is invaluable for undergraduates, and I’m very grateful to FM for allowing me to benefit from them.
STG: What was the response to your article and how did you react?
BK: I’m not sure, really. My first article, “The ‘Unfilmable’ Lightness of Being?” did fine, to my knowledge. I can say that my second Film Matters submission “Heavy Metal Monsters!” (forthcoming) was received really well during its presentation at Visions Film Festival & Conference 2013 (it won that year’s scholarship award, in fact). I’d imagine—or hope, at least—that the reception wouldn’t be too dissimilar when it sees print.
STG: What path have you taken since getting published in Film Matters?
BK: Since publishing in Film Matters, I’ve had the pleasure of serving as an “In the Field” writer for Film International, where I get to write film, book, and festival reviews. It’s really fun stuff! I’ve also been fortunate enough to publish elsewhere, such as the Monroe Inquirer Journal, The Journal of Religion & Film, and recently The Journal of Fandom Studies—having an excuse to publish on Doctor Who is probably the highlight of my publishing activities.
STG: How would you best describe the progression of your authorial voice throughout your academic career?
BK: It’s probably become a little less stiff. I can have a little bit more fun with language now; I vary my sentence lengths. It’s also less hyper or caffeinated, I think, meaning I used to string together a lot of subordinate clause in hopes of communicating to the reader my “poetic passion” for the subject. Turns out, though, it was just annoying and a symptom of reading too much postmodern stuff. It almost pains me to read some of the stuff now. My writing has also become a bit more succinct, I believe. I used to have this compulsion (and still have traces of it, probably) to be unquestionably thorough, to cover all the terrain necessary to ensure I drove my point home. Unfortunately, this usually only drove my point right into the ground. So I’ve learned to economize better and have a bit more confidence that I’ve established my argument – trusting both yourself and the reader.
Author Biography
Steven T. Gamble is a Film Studies student working towards his Bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Gamble owes his passion for film to his family, friends, and classmates.
