A month Later.

Wednesday July, 22

Hi Everyone!

I know, its been like a month since I posted last so this one might be a little long, and hopefully I can remember everything that has happened since then. Wow, July 5th. So I talked about 4th of July. I talked about the end of surfing, I talked about some of the internships stuff.

- 150 Hours Later
- Glassman Media
-Chiodo Brothers
-Outside Work
-Decisions for the future
-Family in for the weekend
-Art on Life group
-Comedy Sportz
-Tribe


150 Hours Later
So for my internships, for credit for the summer class (yes, I know I already graduated) I need a total of 150 hours of internship time. Luckily at the beginning of the summer I worked long hours for the reality show. I was clocking 20+ hours per week, and those hours add up fast. So once I started working with Chiodo Bros. I was clocking 32 hrs+ a week so I had lots of hours. So obviously I have completed 150 hours internship time, but I am hanging around to get more experience and face time with the people I am working with. The more I talk to people, the better idea of the industry I get. I was talking to someone today about taking classes, and getting credit- though I have already graduated- and they said “That is how you get places, you get ourself out there, you get face time with people and you volunteer for anything you can, they will say ‘Oh Cale jumped into editing and he didn’t have that much experience, well put him on _____’ and that’s more opportunities for you”. Different perspectives like that are why I’m still ‘volunteering my time’ (working for free).

Glassman media.
So at my internship for Glassman media, we went through several processes- okay I think I am getting a head of myself.

The Editing Process:
In order to get the most efficient editing process done there are two stages. The first are people who look through the tapes and create narration for the action, this is made up from interviews of the contestants. For example if in the show there was a paintball fight, Guy A would say “That was crazy” and Guy B would say “Well what happened was this, we went to the place and we played paintball and I got hit with a paintball and then I got out” wow that would be a great reality show. The second are people who take that narration and put it together with the reality footage for example, the footage would be of everyone in the car and play the audio “we went to the place”, when everyone is running around shooting each other with paintballs they would play the audio “we played paintball” then they would take a clip of someone jumping out of a tree on top of someone else and they would play the audio “that was crazy” then they would go to a close up of Guy B getting hit with a paintball and would play the audio “I got hit with a paintball”. So while you are watching the game happen you are listening to the guys describe it in an interview afterwords. So take that process and stretch it out over 20 different people and three weeks worth of footage. That is what is happening now.

So the difficult part is finding enough interview audio to cover everything that makes a good story line. We have done several things to make this easier, at first we just looked through the notes we took during the interview (see *Don’t look at them* section in the post on June 26th) to try and find specific interviews where someone would comment on something. Next we decided to type up these notes so you could search “paintball” in a word document if they is what you were looking for. After that we are just having the interviews transcribed- ideally word for word. So you could search someone’s name or “I got out” because you wouldn’t write that down on the notes.

We are using this program that captures all of our videos and sends them over a server to somewhere to get transcribed by people all over the USA. Pretty crazy but we keep running into problems with the system. Trouble shooting and problem solving are some of my greatest... well most fun... well... I’m learning a lot! It is pretty cool because while I am waiting for the tapes to capture I have time to talk to people and get their insight on the industry.

Chiodo Bros.
So I continue to work with this Chris guy on his projects. I am hardcore editing his stuff now, getting LOTS of face time with both him and Final Cut Pro, you might say I am becoming a Pro with Final Cut... at this point I’ll throw in the flag for a Groaner Foul (see the *Comedy Sportz* section). Over the past few weeks most of what I have been doing is editing these projects, I think one is an internet video and the other is a pitching tool, so I’ll let you know when the shows are up, or where to see them.

Both of the things I am editing for him are very Left Wing stuff, and very politically charged. Fortunately, I am not an Extreme Right Wing or Political person so... I am not getting offended by the things he is saying (I don’t think I would either way, I don’t get offended very easily- or I don’t think I do.)

This guy is a comical genius, because one of the projects I have been working on, makes me laugh every time I watch it, well every time I watch it with him, because he laughs at it. It definitely needs the group scene to reach its full potential of funny.

It is really neat to be in this studio, there is always something going on, usually getting ready for something, meetings or pitch work or setting up lights for a live recording... something, and the history that these guys have had in the industry and the productions that they have been a part of (Directors and Producers).

Outside Work
About a week a go, I was working long hours at the Chiodo Bros. trying to finish up an edit before I left. I got a call from Jackie, Our RA, who was looking for people to help out at her internship’s office. A reality company who needed transcriptions done THE NEXT DAY. So me and three others leave the apartment buildings at 8pm. $100 8hrs. not a bad deal. I figure it would be good experience and a little extra money. Albertson’s for caffeine, Popeye’s for diner then Santa Monica for a nights worth of work. We get into it, and things go slow. They needed 8hrs of tape in 8hrs (between 4 of us). I don’t know how fast people usually transcribe, but I spent 5 hrs on a 30 min. clip. I had to go through it 4 times because they wanted a separate sheet for each person in the interview, but I hope there are people who can do it faster. As far as the night went we were there until 7am, and still had a couple of hours not complete. I don’t know exactly how all that worked out but it was an experience nonetheless. So I slept in the next day and when I went into work late everyone asked if I was out partying the night before- “nope working” I said. But it was worth it.


Decisions For the Future
So the end of the UTLA program is coming up fast, August 5. Time to decide where I am going next. At the begining of the semester, one of my instructors made the statement “In this industry, you need to know exactly what you want to do, if you don’t you will get nowhere. If you try something and you don’t like it, you’ve wasted your time and have to start over.” Personally, I did not like that idea because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I, more or less, made up my own statement: “I can explore and feel around and see what I want to do, and I will go far”. As this summer progressed, I have realized my statement does not really hold up- people don’t do you favors, or offer you job positions because they need someone who is willing to do- people offer you job positions because they are excited to help someone do what they LOVE to do. If I go out and have the mindset, “I’m gonna do whatever comes up” nothing will come up- there are enough people in the industry who are fighting for those positions. On the other hand if I know what I am interested in right now, and want to do that, and am EXCITED about doing that, someone might pick me up for a job doing that. So a more apt statement might be “If you are excited about what you want to do, and focus on one thing at a time, you will make it in the industry”.

So how does this apply to me? Currently, I am trying to figure out where I want to be and what I want to do. Currently, my future goal is the This American Life internship in January. Six months, one intern, This American Life. On that note, if anyone has interesting things they have been up to lately, and don’t mind me recording them please let me know, or I might call and try to set up an appointment, so be on your guard.

The real question is where do I go until then? I want to stay in LA until Timmy gets here but if I can not find work, that might not be an option. If not, its not the end of the world, whats an airplane ticket for a visit? But if not LA, where? I mean, I’ve got Houston and Austin, but work? living situations? community?

I find myself getting so worked up sometmes. But if when a sparrow falls (two for a penny) God does not have complete control over it and is still sad, how much more do I mean to him? The flowers of the field don’t toil over food, shelter, or clothes, how much more am I to God. He has me in his hands, I have nothing to worry about.

Ill keep the blog updated as to what I am doing.

Family in for the Weekend
well not much more to say about that, my family is coming in for the weekend. We have some stuff planned but I will be most excited to just spend time with them.

WB backlot tour?
Vinnace Beach?
Food?
Museaums?
Family?
Yes please.

Art on Life Group
So I went to the “Art on Life” group again this past saturday, we watched “Rear Window” and discussed it afterwords. Good conversation and I actually started a good point, or concept whatever you want to call it. It was pure regitation form Film class but it was the idea of us looking down on Jeffreys for spying on others and judging them, while that is exactly what we are doing watching him, and casting judgment on what he is doing. Think about it for a while. It was here that I also realized a litle bit more about myself. We were talking about seeing other people through the windows and getting bits and pieces of their stories. Someone said “We Like finding Meaning in other people’s stories” I thought -YES. That is what I enjoy the most. I think that is a lot about what This American Life is about. I think that is a lot about what fellowship, community and friendship is about. I love that quote so I’ll put it in here again:

We like finding meaning in other people’s stories.

Comedy Sportz
Comedy Sportz is comedy improv or com-prov-ity in the style of sports, not about sports. Very similar to “Who’s Line Is It AnyWay” but so much better- it is live and just a better system. So I was in Comedy Sportz High School League in HS, we worked with CSz professional league Houston team. One of the guys who graduated SWHS a few years before I did and joined the Pro league, and came back to help with our team is a guy named Brian. Well he is out in LA this summer taking classes at Second City (comedy school) but he is on the LA pro CSz team. He played this past sunday and I went to see him. The LA style and arena is set up very well, and really neat. Small intimate location and great players. So I volunteered a couple of suggestions. In High School when we went to pro matches (required) and got discounts, we were asked to allow a majority of the volunteering to be filled by paying customers, fair enough, but since then I have been very weary volunteering. So when the oppertunity to play moving bodies came up, I hesitated.. reverting to past experiences, but when no one else volunteered, I raised my hand. I think one of the things I get nervous about participating is when I havn’t had much practice, yes it take practice to keep good at it, I get very centerstage, and find myself on my backside embarrased when I fail. But I took an Improv class this past semester so I was up on my skills a little, and performed well, by allowing the Pro players to shine. IT WAS FUN! I think that is definately an option of community to get involved with wherever I go.

Tribe
It sucks that this is at the end of the post becasue byt his time I am worn out of writing an djust want to get the post up, but Tribe has also been playing a major role in my time here in LA. We have been talking about so much and worship is actually worship. One of the neatest things they do is at the end of the sermon they invite you to worship in whatever way you feel led,

“If you want to sit quietly, please do. If you want to sing with the music, please do. If you want to take communion, it is avaliable to those who want to worship in that manner. There is an offering box in the back, if you are led to worship through that, please do so. This is a time of worship.”

I really appriciate the imprtance of worship, and all its many forms, and the true meaning of worship. That was an entire message one sunday, very convicting, very thought provoking.

well thats it for this post, hopefully ill post sooner and shorter next time.