Archive for December, 2004
What I Did in the Fall of 2004
Tuesday, December 21st, 2004Here is recap of this past semester’s activities.
- I am the Art & Design Producer for The 24th Annual EVVY Awards. I semi-jokingly say that I only stayed at Emerson because of the Honors program and The EVVY Awards. My responsibilities involve coordinating the design of creative aspects on the show. I also could be called the Style Synergy Producer. The goal is to have marketing involve script involve set/lighting involve graphics/web site/DVD and back again.
- I work three nights a week at Atlantic Research as a telephone interviewer. I received a dollar raise and several bonuses for my performance this past semester. Even more excellent, my good friend Jess Reynoso (who initially referred me to Atlantic Researcher) is now an evening manager.
- After realizing that new media majors were Emerson’s redheaded stepchild, I worked with Landon Medieros to create Emersive (Emerson Interactive). The organization has about five to ten regular attendees to weekly workshops on all aspects of new media. I hope to actually tap the brainpower for some creative projects next semester. Student organizations are the only reason to be at Emerson and Emersive aims to be the retaining factor for new media majors by offering a community of knowledge and talent.
- Continuing from the summer, I work in the Digital Production Labs. The DPL are Emerson’s best labs with the most knowledgeable student lab assistants. I enjoy my managers, fellow labbies, and nice students. When I’m not helping students on-duty, I am usually working on EVVY-related projects or learning new software. The DPL is my haven on Emerson’s campus and I’m often there when I’m off-duty too. I just have to keep avoiding Bob, who is making me learn Avid because the graduate students at Emerson are morons and the only ones who have problems with it.
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Continuing from last semester, I was re-elected Visual & Media Arts Senator for the Student Government Association. All academic departments have a voting member on the SGA. The SGA is responsible for overseeing all of the student-run organizations and their budgeting, in addition to being a liaison between students, faculty, and administration.
My biggest project for SGA this semester was authoring and passing a petition to Boston City Council members, the Mayor of Boston, and the Boston Police Commissioner demanding that less-lethal weapons be banned until specific safety measures are met. Emerson student Victoria Snelgrove was accidentally killed by the inappropriate use of a less-lethal weapon by the Boston Police Department during a riot after a Red Sox victory. SGA President Emily Garr sent the petition to the appropriate parties after SGA’s two-week deliberation. The response has been outstanding: the weapon that killed Tori has been banned from use in Boston.
The other project for SGA Senate this past semester has been the assembly of the first and only non-biased side-by-side comparison on the ongoing Emerson administration and faculty contract negotiations. Basically, I have a low opinion of most professors at Emerson, so I really don’t care what they demand. The administration is no better, but at least they make logical arguments. Some on SGA’s Senate agree with me, others are the exact opposite. Using statements from both parties, often with direct quotes, the SGA Senate was able to break down the issues for students who might be concerned.
- After offering my knowledge on MPEG-2 and digital video workflow to The Emerson Channel, I was hired to work in master control. The goal was for me to better understand the operation in preparation for a digital makeover. Reality is that these upgrades have been delayed indefinitely and I just changed tapes four times a week. BORING and USELESS but at least I was paid.
- I was the Chyron operator for The Ladies’ Room, Emerson’s version of ABC’s The View. Chyron is great hardware with the world’s worst software user interface. If only Apple could create a real-time broadcast graphics display engine…
- I was the Web Coordinator for Emerson Independent Video, but this did not actually equate to much this semester.
- November was busy with academic trips to New York City and Orlando.
World on Fire
Monday, December 20th, 2004Sarah McLachlan’s World on Fire made me tear up tonight. Just so many emotions to feel in this video… So little money and effort from America can do so much good in the world. I can’t help but imagine what a real outpouring of American generosity could do. I think of all the money spent on the Iraq War. I know that doing good in places that don’t hate us doesn’t help our national security, but one certainly has more of a warm fuzzy feeling than the other, at least until the Iraq situation improves. I also thought of Arthur and Cary producing their Cambodia documentary over Christmas break. I donated a few dollars in honor of my family to their art project with kids. I can’t wait for their return to hear the stories they capture.
Cradles to Crayons
Sunday, December 19th, 2004Because I was insanely busy this semester, I didn’t shoot (video) at all. When Cat Pasciak couldn’t find a shooter for a project after the semester ended, I volunteered because I’m in Boston until Christmas Eve.
I did not even know the project. I just wanted to shoot.
Cradles to Crayons asked Emerson to document a donation of 10,000 winter coats from GAP. Cradles to Crayons is a year-round organization for homeless children. They rapidly distribute everyday supplies to Massachusetts families in needs. The 24th Annual EVVY Awards gladly stepped-up to create the “thank you” video to GAP.
I loved shooting this project with super-freshman Elizabeth Alper. Over Saturday and Sunday, we documented the arrival, sorting, and distribution of these coats to children at an amazing city-wide Christmas party for homeless and low-income children. Cradles and Crayons reminded me so much of my involvement in the Network House for Women in Crisis because I could see the direct and immediate impact on people in need.
Web Cam
Friday, December 17th, 2004
A Testy Personality
Thursday, December 16th, 2004I took a Jung-Myers-Briggs typological approach to determining my personality. Here is the result of said test:
My Type is ENTJ
11% Extroverted: slightly expressed extrovert
44% Intuitive: moderately expressed intuitive personality
44% Thinking: moderately expressed thinking personality
44% Judging: moderately expressed judging personality
Read about my ENTJ nature here and here. This is *mostly* accurate.
Noticeable
Tuesday, December 14th, 2004Professor Hankin picked up on my uneasiness this morning. He asked me if I was okay. I said that I was fine. He pressed. “Do you want to talk outside?” I said that I just wasn’t 100% today with a faked smile, that barely held back a dam of frustrated tears.
I just want this semester to end.
Remind me
Tuesday, December 14th, 2004Someone remind me to post how much I hate college and how I’m going to fail at life.
It’s 12:53 AM
Monday, December 13th, 2004Hello from the exterior of my apartment building. My roommate has my keys. He’s supposed to be in the apartment to let me in. He’s not answering my buzzes. My cell phone is dead. Via someone’s unsecured WiFi, I’m online IMing a friend who is trying to call my roommate. My roommate is not answering my friend’s calls. The T has stopped running. It’s cold. No one else is entering the building to let me in. I hope to not spend the night outside. Especially when I have so much homework to do.
UPDATE: Arthur was able to get ahold of my roommate. Marc went out bowling “on a whim”. He “feels bad for me” and that he’ll “be back eventually”. Gee, thanks.
UPDATE 2: It’s 3 AM. Arthur has a car and picked me up. I’m crashing at his place. It’s good to have friends closer than roommates.
Runts
Wednesday, December 8th, 2004I just want to say how happy Arthur made me tonight.
I have been craving Wonka Runts candy for a little over a month. I have not been able to find them in any major grocery stores, convenience stores, or elsewhere. Actually, I did find a quarter machine in a video store in Brookline that had Runts. I spent my quarter and somewhat enjoyed the handful, sans my favorite banana flavor. NOT A SINGLE BANANA. I almost demanded my quarter back. But a bag of Runts now sits to the left of my iBook. I don’t know where Arthur bought them, but they’re so good. And now I have sooo much homework to do…
Jermywood
Wednesday, December 8th, 2004I’m so in love with MPEG-4. I thought that I would post some of my crappy projects in the spectacular format.
Jerk in da Box
This is my second Maya project ever, a modification of the second Foundations tutorial. Emphasis on 3D, not audio.
2004: Space Odyssey
This is my third Maya project ever, a modification of the third Foundations tutorial. Emphasis on 3D, not audio.
Honors Creative Project
This is my Honors Biological Evolution class creative project. I edited and attempted to rescue my partners’ poorly shot footage. I figured that a TV and ex-film major would have actually lit the scenes properly and used a shotgun mic. Oh well… leave it to the new media major who wasn’t there to try and make it not look/sound like crap.
