Final.

After 23 days of intense, fascinating, eye-opening work, my fall internship with Next New Networks has come to an end.  At the beginning of all this I was a film kid, versed in the art of aesthetic and eloquent story arcs.  Each shot had motivation, each decision by the director contributed to the overall message of the film.  I worked in a medium of hours, not minutes.  The little experience I had with television showed me a completely different perspective.  In film, the chair means something.  In TV, it's just a chair.  That's the best way to describe it.  TV is a medium of close ups, of action and of enhanced drama. 

Never before had I been exposed to Internet TV.  Sure, I watched videos on YouTube, but never did I attribute any method to the seeming madness.  Nearly twelve weeks have elapsed and suddenly my knowledge has multiplied tenfold.  As a mediated communication, Net TV differs from film and radio in all the same ways traditional television does.  The chair is oftentimes still just a chair, but how that chair is shot, cut and broadcast to the rest of the world is wholly different.  The Internet is unique in that a person can find a wealth of information from thousands of different sources without moving so much as five feet from their computer.  But, in that same regard, the information has to be good, really good, or else a person won't spend more than two seconds looking at it.  Information has to be delivered fast, clearly and with as few extraneous details as possible.

Next New Networks' programming epitomizes this concept.  My work with various shows has shown me a proven formula.  Videos usually run around five minutes and less is always, always more.  I can't tell the number of times I was asked to make something shorter, after already cutting it down to a couple minutes.  Such a neat package is unique to the internet.  The people at NNN understand their audience, understand that there are a million other videos out there that offer the same information, understand the low attention span humanity has now become acquainted with.  Their form of TV exploit it, giving people information fast and in short bursts, unlike other mediums that can often beat around the bush.

This is also a testament to the editing.  A fast paced editing style in TV or film portrays a certain mood  or dramatic pacing.  It communicates anxiety or confusion, action and intensity.  It's an aesthetic choice.  In the business of the Internet, without fast-paced editing, you might as well label your video dead in the water.  By having my hands deep into shows like Working Class Foodies and Your FX, I've learned the art of editing for the Internet.  Working Class Foodies is a cooking show unlike any other, showing recipes at breakneck speeds with helpful text and dialogue, in addition to two grabbing personalities in Max and Rebecca Lando.  They have created a show that caters entirely to the Internet. My success with them comes in part from my ability to analyze this formula and emulate it. People on the Internet don't have time to see someone dice an entire onion, just what to do with it after!  WCF is the perfect example of editing for the Internet, for speed and interest rather than aesthetic.  Only on the Internet could a show called 12 Second Cocktail (literally) be "aired" and be successful!

One thing I didn't mention too much in my blog was the actual communication, or lack thereof in some cases.  Unlike with television and film, a fan can't directly interact with the creators behind their favorite program or movie.  The Internet breaks the boundaries of creator and fan.  Grace Randolph, an NNN producer and show host, has told me on a several occasions that interactive elements to a show are the key to success and failure.  Fans like to feel like they can take part in something.  This is why ARGs and mini games in shows like Fringe are so popular.  Increasingly, people want to feel more connected to their TV, music and film.  Blame the Internet and networks like Next New. Every show has an interactive component.  For Beyond The Trailer, it's "One Sentence Movie Review".  For The Reel Good Show, it's a question from the host Bobby.  Backyard FX has a show dedicated entirely to fan-made effects and tutorials.  The list goes on and on and on.  Never had I been more aware of this connectivity until I joined Next New Networks.  Just as they exploit the expectations of the audience, they exploit the connectivity of the Internet, allowing for real, literal communication to happen between fan and artist.

So what about me?  Where do I fit into this master plan?  What did I learn about myself?  My internship only proved a point made clear from the moment I conceived a career in media: communication is key.  (Ironic, no?)  People's trust in me grew the more I acted comfortably in their presence.  To prove this I only need to look at my experience with Bobby Miller.  I was nervous, intimidated and shy around him.  Same as with the Fast Lane Daily crew.  I have worked with those guys the least in my 23 days at NNN.  They know I can perform the work, but my lack of communication with them reflects directly on my abilities to accomplish the job.  Compare that to my relationship with Grace, Rebecca or Erik.  All three come to me, seemingly enthusiastic about my help in their projects.  Sure, it's probably because they trust me and we developed a track record for success, but my level of communication with them plays a big part, too.

Coming back to Hofstra after a day of work in the city has only proven to me how ready I am to get out into the real world.  Am I ready with buying a house?  Buying a car?  Paying my own utilities and rent?  Maybe not, but my exposure to the industry, something every person harps on has shown me the ropes and how to be a better communicator at school.  I have yet to work on any serious productions since this semester, but next semester when I have half year senior film, I do not doubt that the experience I gained working at a professional level twice a week will bleed into my experience as a student.  What I've done, what I've worked with, that's the future of communication and media.  It pains me to say it, but it's true.  While other students are working away at post and rental houses, I've been opened up to a world of DIY indie filmmaking that transcends any that has been in the spotlight for the past decade.  As Fred Seibert told me, "What's out there now isn't indie filmmaking.  It hasn't been for years."  What the people at Next New do and preach, that's where the real indie mindset is. Buy a camera and laptop and you can make the world love you.  Just ask the director of Paranormal Activity.  Spare yourself the $15,000,000 and the production company contract.  That comes later. Much later.

Despite my enthusiasm towards Internet TV, it's not where my heart ultimately lies.  Film is what made me fall in love with a career in communication and offers me a means of creative expression that's been a part of me my whole life.  But working with Next New Networks, I have proven a lot to myself.  I'm a hard worker, I do things to the best of my ability and confidence in myself and my work isn't a bad thing but a necessity.  Labeling the Internet as a flimsy, substance-less medium is naive and ignorant.  Nothing from the Internet will win an Oscar or an Emmy, but the work is still work, is still a learning experience. It is still a valuable means of communication, albeit not the most graceful at times.

The work ethic I established at Hofstra has propelled me high up the list of Next New interns.  So high, in fact, that my request to return has been approved.  The way Ryan put it, it was as much their idea as it was my own.

Walking through the door at Next New Netowkrs in September, I asked myself whether I would thrive or fail.  Ryan's invitation for my return for the Spring 2010 semester was the best answer I could ask for.

DAY 22

Onwards!

DAY 21 - Lies! All Lies!

...the actual rough cut shouldn't take much longer than a few hours.  At least for the laying down of the process footage.  Monday will be fun indeed!

You may remember this excerpt from Friday's entry.  (If not, refresh yourself.)

I lied.  Completely.  100%.  Any illusions I had about a short day of work, about finishing the cut in record time, about reveling in the free moments as an opportunity to upload video from my own personal camera, all of them, garbage.  Okay, garbage is a little harsh, but I'm still amazed at how long it took me to cut together video for this upcoming episode.  Once again, I am choosing to keep the subject of the video a secret (unless it's out already) but it certainly should not have taken a day's length to be put together.

To be fair, a great deal of my time was awarded to my little sister who asked for my assistance with a college paper.  She wanted me to read through it, make corrections, give suggestions, etc and her being my sister, I could do nothing but try my hardest to give her the most thoughtful and helpful criticism.  Suddenly, it was 11:30/12 pm and it was time to shoot Beyond The Trailer!  I barely touched the footage that morning.

BTT had some bumps in it.  A photo shoot was done the week before, so the lighting set up was changed completely.  Certain lights we always use were replaced with large soft boxes which cast drastic shadows, at least too drastic for a YouTube talking head video.  Erik Beck showed up in the nick of time and fixed a few things.  To this day, after taking an entire course on Cinematography, uncertainties abound inside me when I approach a lighting setup.  There's just something so nerve-wracking about it...  With only two opens, the shoot went by in a flash and I could get back to working on the rough cut I barely started.

Looking back on it, an hour or so may have been left to my disposal as I vainly attempted to fix a few things, insert title cards and ponder music selection, but reservations prevented me from really taking a creative license with the video.  Something about my process, about cutting to the audio rather than the images themselves delayed me.  Which portions of the interview should I use?  What would Rebecca consider the most important?  Should I drop in clips of her saying XYZ while it's happening or of her saying it during the interview?  How personal should the video be?  (The Lando's shot the episode in Florida, where they are from, and had their Mom be guest chef, with father and grandparents interjecting on the sides.  Hence the personal bit.)  Burnt out as I was from the weekend and feeling the tension of finals week fast approaching, my tendency to take risks and my amount of enthusiasm was depleted.  Hopefully this will not happen on Friday.  I don't know what I'll be doing that day...

Not much else really happened on Monday.  My "last day" is next week, but I'm hoping I can extend the working invitation out to May instead...

DAY 20 - Looking Ahead

Twenty days at Next New Networks!  What a fantastic experience this has all been!  In due time, I plan on emailing Ryan asking when my official last day is and (drum roll) if I can continue into the Spring semester.  Great efforts are being taken to keep my expectations low, but after hearing the swirl of compliments, I am met with difficulty.  Coming in on Mondays to help Grace shoot would be a pleasure in the least, though the $20 train fare kicks the wallet pretty hard.

The work on Monday was easy and familiar, with Friday jitters pervading all of my faculties.  Unfortunately, the first couple hours of my day was occupied with mailing stickers and a button or magnet to people who responded to Working Class Foodies "Call to Action".  Two hours.  Between figuring how to export the address list to a Word template for labels and fighting with the printer to produce them correctly, I found a million reasons why I am glad to be in my field of choice.  It's busy work, which I don't mind entirely, but no reward was taken from such a repetitious and oftentimes frustrating task.  My partner in all this exhibited an air of cluelessness as well, making matters all the easier.

Thankfully the rest of the day was full of substance, and by substance I mean another WCF rough cut.  Distractions in my personal life kept pulling me away from a narrow working mindset, but by the tie 6:00 pm rolled around, a majority of the video was logged and the actual rough cut shouldn't take much longer than a few hours.  At least for the laying down of the process footage.  Monday will be fun indeed!

I failed to mention in my last entry commentary on the compliments and advice Grace had offered me. In terms of pitching a show, I was opened up to this different world of "getting started".  All through film school, students learn that in order to get your movie made, you either raise the money and do it yourself, or you shop your idea, script, rough cut, essentially "pitching" it to executives or men with suits and money in the hopes that your dreams are fulfilled.  This business is impossible, it's tough, grueling and 90% of the time, people are left with a frown and shattered ambitions.  They simply aren't good enough for the silver screen or the tube.

But wait!  The Internet has come to save you from obstruction in this wash of communications!  There is no guarantee your efforts will be seen by millions, but with an insurmountable amount of effort and determination, that goal is entirely more possible than if one went door to door in Hollywood or New York.  As Grace explained the pitching process and how to create a good framework, model, outline, etc for a show or network at NNN, I was opened to this extreme possibility that it could actually happen.  Armed with enough brains and creativity, I could have a show at Next New.  I'm not saying this is my dream, that the end is definitely there or that it could even really happen, but the concept of starting out with something legitimate so early out of my schooling is nothing short of exciting.

This is all due to the nature of the Internet and its role in mediated communication.  With websites like YouTube and Vimeo, there is no excuse why a person can't have their videos and ideas discovered and showcased to the entire world.  Who knows who may be watching and what may potentially come of it.  The very nature of broadcasting media has been changed, to the point where there is an overload of expressed creativity!  How many people have used their YouTube video as a means of fame or success, even if it only lasts 15 minutes?  How many people have manipulated it for the greater benefit of music, film, television, etc?  After being preached to about the grueling gears of the LA film scene, the Internet scene draws so many irregularities it's hard to keep up.  Granted, not everyone becomes famous overnight.  As much as the potential is there, the failure is also present.  Overloads of videos and personalities makes it hard to distinguish between one or the other and the true art becomes lost amongst the failed dance impersonations, video blogs, funny moments, muffled camera videos. ripped television shows, film clips and on and on and on.  Suddenly, advertising becomes more crucial than ever.  The very nature of it is changed when considering the internet.  But that is an argument within itself, one I've seen both sides to and learn more about as I watch NNN thrive and grow across its YouTube channels.

Did any of that make sense?  I hope so.  My brain reeled at the thought of my own show, my own production, my own anything at the ripe age of 22.  I don't care what I'm doing, as long as it's something I am happy. Keeping my work ethic handy, never forgetting the crucial elements of "making it" and "what it takes", I'll hopefully be ready for my in five short months.

EDIT: Here's the Princess and the Frog video!  I'm gratefully credited as "Director / DP"!

The Princess and The Frog Movie Review: Beyond The Trailer 

DAY 19 - The Princess and the Frog

So much happened Monday but I have no time to relay it all in detail.  But I will, promise.  In the meantime, watch the Your FX video.



UPDATE:  Monday was Beyond The Trailer day, 1,000 times moreso than usual.  Whether this was mentioned or not, Spencer and I were asked to accompany Grace to the Ziegfeld Theatre to shoot reviews for Disney's new 2-D animated film, The Princess And The Frog.  These reviews make up the second portion of BTT, following the studio segments I shoot.  The appeal in this is the chance to hear what regular, average people have to say, as opposed to sifting through countless reviews by stuffy newspaper critics who seek out themes, motifs, structure, and character arcs rather than personal enjoyment.  And personally, I don't think this sort of show could exist anywhere but the Internet.

The Princess and the Frog is showing at the Ziegfeld and one other theatre in Los Angeles as part of a special two week engagement prior to its wide release on December 11.  Smart move Disney, charging $30 and $50 per ticket!  If you are going to risk going back to 2-D in an animation market busting at the seams with 3-D animation, you might as well milk it for all it could be worth!  I'm getting side-tracked...

At the studio, Grace and I shot the opens as usual, key emphasis on Grace and I, since Spencer "hit heavy traffic" and decided it wasn't worth coming in.  Running the prompter, the camera and paying attention to audio is something I had done before, but never for the entire set of opens.  Do I mind?  Not in the least!  Gives me a greater sense of accomplishment and helps me broaden my abilities.  There's something comforting in the fact that you can do one thing well enough to split the time with something completely different.  I could probably run the camera and sound mix in my sleep now so running the prompter doesn't interfere at all with those now comfortable duties.  Does that make sense?  Some of the opens seemed rushed and short, but Grace seemed fine with what the results were, given the time and circumstances.  This weekend doesn't have many huge releases, just mediocre, so she wasn't completely upset if one didn't come off as strong as it should.  Once we rapped in the studio, Grace commandeered another intern named Rachel (who I had no idea was an intern) and we taxied our way up to 54th St.  Then things got interesting...

We were shut down by Disney.  Well, not shut down, more like a delay of game than a full on rescheduling.  While setting up the camera and getting prepared for the onslaught of joyous children leaving the theatre, a man in a dark jacket with a police badge came outside and told us we couldn't shoot.  "This is private property and it's against the law." he said with a gentle force.  Grace whipped out the business cards and put on the charm as she explained her show and her intentions with it.  "We are just a review show for Next New Networks. We won't force anyone to be on camera if we don't want to..." etc, etc.  The man, whose name was Anthony, looked over the information and proposed that he would "call corporate" for clearance.  Seriously.  He seemed to be transferred from one person to another until he was put in contact with a high-up from Disney HQ in Los Angeles.  How crazy is that?  Minute after minute went by and we watched as the showing's audiences walked right past us, full of countless adorable children who would never get the chance to see themselves on YouTube.  After about ten minutes of anxious waiting, Anthony came back and told us we had the go ahead to shoot, but it had to be at the next showing in three hours and he had to be present to make sure nothing was said against the 2-D film.  I explain this all in such great detail because of the obvious: how many people can say they were "shut down" by Disney?

The next few hours were spent eating lunch at a nice nearby diner, returning to the studio by taxi, reshooting the open for Princess And The Frog (Grace thought the original open was "too snarky" and didn't want to give Disney any reason to force her to shut down the episode once it aired) and returned back to the Ziegfled for a 5:50 shoot, losing Rachel in the process.  It was Grace and I, on the forefront, ready to shoot some children.  Err, videotape some children.  One after another explained with childish sensibilities how much they loved the movie and why, spurned on by Grace's encouraging "Wow, that's cool!" attitude.  The sun long gone, the tungsten light coming from the classic overhang created a professional Hollywood mood and the background was always filled with children and parents.  These elements, though seemingly unimportant, just made everything look better!  The excitement was infectious and I sincerely thought I was a part of something big; the return of Disney 2-D!  (Did I mention I spoke to the VP of Disney in the process?  And by spoke I mean said a few nervous words.)

Now here is the fabulous part of the day.  While eating lunch, I brought up to Grace an idea that was kicking around in my head.  Next New has plenty of subjects covered except one integral one: video games.  Being a gamer myself, I understand it's excessive popularity and there is a great amount of overlap between people who watch New Next programming and who play video games (or so I hope).  Once my idea was in the open, Grace broke down exactly what I need to pitch a show, what numbers and information I have to present, who to present it to, the format, special interactive options, anything you could imagine.  Saying I was appreciative of the information is an understatement.  Planning for the show isn't at a high point, the idea is still in the fetus stages, but there is definitely potential for growth.  This could be the break that I need, the start of a career.  Stay down, hopes!  Disappointment could come in from any angle...

Fabulous Part II: Grace sent an email to Ryan explaining the length of effort I put in on Monday.  "The shoot wouldn't have happened without Brittany" were her exact words.  And, once again, she quoted Ryan saying, "Everyone is fighting over Brittany."  Could my ego get any bigger?  Could I be asking for anything more?  Fingers are crossed tight with the hope that I can extend this internship another semester.  Every day the appeal is greater and greater.  It's not Hollywood, it's not feature films but it's something and in this digital age, it's important.  There's a lot I need to start pondering over the next couple weeks...

DAY 18 - Montage!

I'm finally getting to this entry the night before Day 19 even begins.  Actually, it's 2:05 am on Day 19. I'm going to go through this quickly, since I sadly have more work to complete before I begin to think of shutting my eyes for a night's sleep.  Pardon the watered down, Spark Notes version.

Day 18 saw me doing some of the usual and some of the interesting.  Beyond The Trailer went really well, without a hitch for the first time in a couple weeks.  All the equipment worked fine and spirits were high.  If I had a $1 for every Twilight joke we made...

Back in the day, when my editing equipment consisted of Windows Movie Maker (which to the non-editing crowd, is a simplistic piece of shit), much of my time was dedicated to cutting together clips from animated films or TV shows and timing it to music.  "AMV" was the proper title.  Monday was a continuation of what I had begun on Friday: creating the effects montage for the upcoming episode of Your FX.  I had the chance to do the same thing my much younger self found pleasure in, but instead of movie clips, I was utilizing the hundreds of fan-submitted clips and putting them to a catchy, up-beat royalty-free music.  The end result is quite the work of art, if I do say so myself.  The process was easy for me and all the techniques I learned when a younger, more naive editor came to the forefront.  Erik watched it and seemed pleased so I'm happy about that.  Needless to say I'm anxiously awaiting it's completion.

Also shot the opening scene for the Thanksgiving episode of the Reel Good Show.  Not my best work.  Skipping a crucial step (actually listening to the audio being outputted), led to the tragic mistake of only one person's Lav mic being recorded.  Upon finding this out, we had to shoot portions of the opening over again.  Bad news for my tired arms and my "rep".  Bobby just makes me nervous.  I beat myself up about it for quite some time.  But, despite my shoddy camerawork and sound mixing, the show turned out well and a tad more humorous than others have been.  Not that other episodes aren't funny but this one is more...translatable humor?  Tangible?  Accessible?  You know what I mean. Here's the episode:

Reel Good Show Thanksgiving Special

DAY 17 - A Lost and Forgotten Day

Entry coming soon.  In the meantime, enjoy an old photo of the office. Just pretend those back walls have lots of pictures on them.

EDIT: It seems I completely forgot to add to this.  Much apologies.  I imagine it wasn't too much out of the norm.