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.