Why Yes Those Are Leg Puppets

So a few weeks ago my friend Chelsea called me up out of the blue asking if I was doing anything. When I told her no she wanted to know if I wanted to help a friend of hers by taping a performance piece of hers.  Considering I did not really have anything else going on that day or for the week I figured why not. I got in the touch with the performer Veronica and learned that her movement piece is with her legs but is also sort of puppetry. She puts on an act using both of her legs to tell a story. We found out that the performance space was in Davis Sq and with that Chelsea and I headed out to see some Leg Puppets.

Unemployment Adventure Month 1

So it has been just about over a month since I ended my job at my production company. It’s also  the first time since probably spring break of Senior year that I have had nothing to do for this long. Its been pretty fun though actually not having to get up and go to the same place everyday, granted most of the time I just get up and stay at home but the commute is a lot shorter. Most of the time I have been just relaxing seeing friends and what have you but in this past month I have done some shooting related things.

I did shoot that fun/interesting Bar Mitzvah back in the beginning of the month. This company recently hired me again to help them make a end of the year holiday video. As projects go it was not the most challenging in the world it was just taking a bunch of clips and putting them together using Animoto of all things, but hey I got paid very well for one day of work and considering I do not get a regular pay check any more I was happy to do it.

The funny thing about this place that  hired me to tape this Bar Mitzvah is that I have actually known them for a while. Way back while in School I saw them at a job fair looking for Emerson kids to do internships. I remember meeting the owner with my friend and expressing interest in working with them. The owner clearly liked my friend more then me because she was a proper dressed up lady and while I was dressed up nicely I still had some blue hair left and she could not get over the fact that I had an industrial piercing and said all of that would have to go if I was to work for them. Well here we are 3 years later and my friend is one of there partners at the company and suddenly she does not care how my hair or ears look they just need shooters.

Very recently and tragically a good friend of mine lost her husband in the war and had to come back home. She asked me if I would be willing to video his coming home ceremony for family who could not be there. I’ve taped allot of things but nothing as somber this. It was another experience but I really do not wish it had to be because a close close friend of mine had to loose someone. I thought about writing more on this one but, I just don’t really feel comfortable doing so.

And finally my friends and I have been putting the final touches to our third episode of our web series With These Hands. We finished taping a few weeks ago and now I am laying down the ground work for a rough cut. I do think that if I continue to have more free time I will try to do things like learn more After Effects, and Maybe build a website or at least a new demo cut of my work.

So while it has been a month of relaxation I still managed to get some new video taping and experiences. So as a generic woo hoo 2011 phrase lets see what this years Adventures bring.

The End of Cats

So today was my final day on the show I was working on. Its weird to think that something I have been so invested in since March is now finally over. But to be really cliche and hokey “every adventure must end at one point”.

For the most of it I have been involved in the paperwork and organization of the show which is all very crucial just a little on the slow side of things. However today I was able to wrap up every log and every release. The final episode will be going off to the big company soon and then all I have to do is wait for the show to finally air on TV.

See it’s that last part that seems so unbelievable to me, seen on tv. Something I worked on that I spent two months of my life on is going to be on tv, national tv. People from all over the country and the world is going to see this show. Its going to be on a top network, Animal Planet if no one could tell at this point. It seems so unreal to me but at the same time I feel so humbled and proud that I have worked on a show that will be seen by so many people. I was organizing mailing address to everyone who we featured on the show earlier and I realized just how many people we have interviewed and how many people are now involved in it. It’s a little over whelming.

I’m sort of at a loss of words, well loss of words and constant repetition, hence why this post is a little repeating in feelings and words. The idea that I have been out of school for two years now and I am going to have a full network show under my belt. But still the idea to go from attending classes to being asked to travel the entire country for a show is a little crazy but in the good way. And you know I hope I get asked again to do more of the same. Tell me you want me to go off to another part of the country or hell even another part of the world and I will probably do it happily. I know I still have a long way to go in my carrier until I have made it to the spot I want, but I am already doing something I love and something I have been wanting to do since I first laid eyes on a camera back in High School.

So what now? Well now that my show is done, I now enter work limbo. My production company has a few other shows going on but they are already currently being worked on. And really this time of the season there are not allot of new shows going into production or old shows starting a new season. However that means I do not really know when I will start a new show. So that means I will be going back whatever freelance I can, and then just hanging out. Really I will be happy to have some time off and just relax. But it is going to be weird not having my daily life revolving around cats.

Speaking of Cats I really hope all who have read this will enjoy the show. It is called Must Love Cats and it is going to premiere next year in February on Animal Planet. I think people will really enjoy it.  if any of you are interested you should totally check out our Facebook fan page.

http://www.facebook.com/mustlovecatsfanpage

It has been a great time and I can’t wait for the next Adventure.

 

Adventure Day 69 – The Last Cat

So I really have been lying last week and a half was in fact my last shoot related with our show. I know I have said this like two times before, but this time I’m really really realllly sure (maybe). Anyways this shoot was not a new segment but more of adding on to an additional segment.

You might remember how when we went to Plymouth to shoot various things related to Cats and Plymouth, that was the whole basis for our shoot last Tuesday, it was to add more to the segment. So I geared up a equipment van one last time as we headed out to the different parts of MA.  One funny thing is you know you have done this a few times when the people at the Avis rent a center recognize who you are. When I first picked up our first van there was a small issue because I am technically under 25 they could not rent me a vehicle, so after a few calls we were able to sort out how my company had an agreement that even though I was under 25 I could rent a van. The first few times I did this we would have to go through this process. At this point now not only do the people there know me they don’t even have to look anything up they just set up the account and give me the keys heh.

We started out not that far out from Boston. We had an interview segment where we interviewed a author of a new book all about cats. This book also relates to cats in Plymouth. It was a very nice and informative interview. Sadly we did not have our host with us this time, and while it sucked not having him there. Because it was just our producer asking questions our interview was pretty quick. One simple set up on a porch a half hour later were all done and were heading out to our next spot.

After the interview everything else was just getting B-Roll of different cats in different barns doing things that cats during plantation times might do. We made our way to 3 different farms along the way each farm farther then the previous one. By the time we made our way to our third barn I was all the way out on the Cape. Each B-Roll segment was really good. Each cat was unique and did different things that will look great for the segment. Everyone we met with was super friendly and I even got to see some beautiful horses which made me want to go riding again.

By the time we were back at the main office it was already nightfall. However it was a good shoot with some good elements that only make the show stronger. So now that that is all done I could say we are now all wrapped with our show. However considering how I have now said that twice in the past and I have been proven wrong so I will just say Its been another great shoot for our great show.

If another shoot happens I will be sure to tell you all about it. Now I go back to the regular work of putting all the post pieces together.

Look at that almost close to 70 adventure day’s total how awesome is that?

The Stats & The Future

Sorry for the week of no posting, since I have been back my life has been a whirlwind of activity and I realized if I do not post soon I may not for a while. So here we go.

Since I have been back life continues to roll on for the show and life in general at a great pace. I was very fortunate to get last Wednesday off so I can have some time to recoup and recover from the crazyness of that final episode. However by Thursday I was head first in it all over again. The travel and the production side of the show might be over but we are not over by a long shot. Because I was there for the most of the show I know what went on so thats where my new responciblities come in. For every person we interviewed, every place we went too, and every picture we took someone had to sign a release for it. Its now my job to go through alllllll of them and make sure they are all accounted for and organized. Considering how many places we went and how many people we saw its going to be quite a bit of time to get them all done. However I think its sort of a nice change of gears really. Don’t get me wrong I absoloutely loved the time on the road and the chance to see all the amazing things I have now seen but I am happy for the stability of just going to one place and focusing on the goals that need to get done. There still might be one or two adventures left to shoot in the upcoming month but I still don’t know off the top of my head. Now for the Stats for this amazing Adventure.

Number of States I Stayed & Drove Through:

New York
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Indiana
Illinois
Wisconsin
Minnesota
South Dakota
Wyoming
Montana
Idaho
Washington
Oregon
California
Arizona
New Mexico
Texas
Arkansas
Mississippi
Oklahoma
Kansas
Colorado
Nebraska
Iowa
New Jersey
Delaware
Maryland
Virginia

Total: 28 States

Number of Miles Traveled:
First Trip: 15,560 miles
Second Trip: 2,100 miles

Podcasts I listened too on the way:

This American Life
Car Talk
Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
The Moth Podcast
Coverville
A Prairie Home Companion
Stuff You Should Know
Stuff You Missed in History Class

Books I listened too:

The Gospel According to Biff – Christopher Moore
The Little Sister – Raymond Chandler
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter – Seth Grahame-Smith
I Drink For A Reason – David Cross
Lord John & The Private Matter – Diana Gabaldon
Lord John & The Hand of Devils – Diana Gabaldon
Lord John & The Brotherhood of the Blade – Diana Gabaldon
Bite Me A Love Story – Christopher Moore
The Road – Cormac McCarthy
Eric – Terry Pratchett

Total of 10 books all thanks to Audible.com

How Much Money Spent on Gas: Estimated Over $800 Dollars

How Many Cats Seen: I think I can say with all confidence and certainty I saw close to over 2,000 cats, and I make no exaggerations. I think I have seen close to well over 25 different breeds of cats as well. All of them freaking adorable.

This is just some stats I could think of off the top of my head. I really can’t put into words what this trip has done for me, it has taught me so much not in just of my profession and what I have to do to continue in it. But it really opened my eyes on my options and wants in life. I was thinking about it I’m just now 24 years old and I have already seen so much of this country and small parts of the world that I am truly grateful. I am also hopeful though that this luck will continue and as I go on I will see more of this country and of this world.

So even though this particular trip might be over this adventure is not over at all. I originally started this blog to chronicle my adventure for this show, and while I will still be doing that I am going to just keep it up for general travel of life, weather its something interesting at home or maybe across the world.

Giant thanks to everyone who has supported me and has read this, it makes me feel really glad knowing that not only are people interested in hearing about what I do but want to know more. So to all of you that have been following me in my adventures I urge you to continue still.

As Calvin once said to Hobbes

“Its a magical world, Hobbes Ol’ Buddy”

“Lets go exploring!”