A Final Thought by James (Words of advice)

There are several words of advice that I would like to share to all those who would like to do the Sundance winter term. Number one: bring lots and lots of socks. There is no need to bring 10 changes of clothes (that's way too many), but bringing lots of socks is a must. My feet were constantly cold unless I would wear 2 pairs, and then I ran out. Wearing socks 2 days in a row is pretty gross, and they aren't as warm the second day for some reason.

The second thing I would like to add is look for the free stuff during the afternoon. There was a lot of free stuff to get (although you needed to be 21 for all the good stuff), and the best time was to go around noon to main street and look around for people carrying cheap looking stuff. Follow the trail of people and you'll find the free stuff.

See lots of movies. This seems like a given, but the more you see the more likely you are to find a good one. Not all independent movies are good, and as a matter of fact most are pretty bad. The only way to find a good one is to go to tons and tons of movies. Do not believe the hype on most of the movies, because the ones that I did hear that were good ended up being pretty bad. Pretty much a person has to go to the movies themselves to find a good one. And do not choose a movie just because it has some stars in it. I saw 20 movies, and I only liked 2 of the movies that had any Hollywood star in it.

I also wish I would have brought more to do in the lines. On any given day I spent 5-8 hours in line, which was spent doing little to nothing. I read two 400 page books, and played cards, which seems like a lot, but I needed more. Bringing 4 books would have been better, and I should have brought my laptop or a portable DVD player. The lines got pretty repetitive, but when I had something to do they really seemed to go further.

And as for my personal experience this is my conclusion: It was awesome! I got to see lots of celebrities (which another word of advice if you want a picture or autograph take a seat near the isle), and I even got to talk to a few of them. The food was pretty bad, and the waiters were the worst I have ever encountered in any given town. I should have just bought lots of food at Albertsons and took that around in a backpack, but I did not. The hotel was pretty bad because the walls were really thin so sound traveled very well, and the maids did not clean up or replace your towels unless you somehow ran into the maids. I had a good overall impression of the movies, and I only wish I could have bought more tickets (online). The people who went were all really cool, and it was just an amazing experience.