Party In The UGA: Prepare to be judged!

I've tried not to be preachy on this BLOG for THE 136, but at this point, something must be said...and many of you have asked me to say it...so, I shall do so with your blessing...

Anyone who has taken a class with me has sat through the following diatribe on the first say of class:
"You cannot pretend that your work, whatever it is, will ONLY be viewed by your parents, your family, and your bestest friends. What you
make WILL be judged by those who do not know you, by those who wish to make fun of you, and by those who once they find out
YOU made it will hate your work just on principle. Like Mark Borschardt so aptly put it, 'You can't go around to every theatre and
say, "Sorry, folks! We tried!"' That is not professional, not logical, and simply not realistic."

Yes, we're all waiting to be judged on the "Party In The UGA" shown on numerous websites. We all know this was not a TELE ARTS project, but we all know that people will see it and immediately wonder how Grady College (or the Film Studies Program...we love them, too!) could allow this. Well, neither did, but we'll all take some heat for awhile on this...some already have.

So, why even bring this up? Because this is a good lesson in knowing your audience. I know (from a trusted and reliable source) this video was meant for a select group of people, and they enjoyed it. That's a good thing. Throwing this up on YOUTUBE and expecting people who were not a part of the same experience to judge this the same way: not the smartest move.

Once you put something out there for the world, you cannot expect the world to go, "Oh, wow! Well...they tried! Maybe it was supposed to be silly." Seriously? No one in TELE ARTS watches videos made by others that way, why should we think others watching our videos would?

Remember, 136, when WE create and distribute, WE know we will be judged on what we've created. WE will not provide excuses. What is on the screen is what people see. How they react, redistribute, and repurpose is something we can only control by making creative, professional works.

If you make something for just you and your friends, for the love of Myron...keep it between you and your friends.

Long Live The 136!

TeleArts Apps

Greetings, Rebellion!

Casey O'Donnell (The Gaming Gee...I mean "Guru") and I are currently looking into a variety of potential apps to create specifically for TeleArts. These might include apps for casting calls, seeing equipment availability/rules, paperwork, etc.

If you have any suggestions, post 'em here. Feedback from those in the trenches would be much appreciated.

Final Cur Pro, Color, etc. training! GET SOME!!!

Yes, our AATC/AATCe is fully functional!!! If you want training, go to the website and sign-up! More classes coming soon, so bookmark the page and check for classes! Woohoo!

http://www.grady.uga.edu/appletraining/

FORMS!!!! GLORIOUS FORMS!!!!

Hey, Rebel! You lookin' for forms such as casting sheets, storyboards, sound reports, etc.? Well, here's a great resource to help you find templates:

http://www.filmcontracts.net/

Seriously, this is a good resource to find standard forms for pre-production, production, post, scheduling, casting, etc. Look it over, bookmark it, and love it!

Garrett Murck gives his thumbs-up! And who doesn't trust Garrett Murck?

GOTCHA!!!!

OF COURSE IT WAS A JOKE!!! HA!!!

C'MON!!! IT'S APRIL FOOLS DAY!!!

New look and new stuff coming soon!!!! WOOHOO!!!!

The Last Post

Rebellion, I am pulling the blog as of 4/1/2010. No, this is not an April Fools Day joke. The blog goes down as of 4/1/2010.

With all of you on Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin, Twitter, etc. and doing an exceptional job of staying in contact, there is no need for this blog.

I only have one piece of advice, and it's based on what many students and former students have come to me about lately: "Professor Biddle, I really want to teach!". Allow me to be blatantly honest...if you can't handle being a PA or an Assistant, then you don't want to teach...especially at the university level.

The explanation on why is not something to blog about, just know that if you've been in a PA or Assistant position...that's teaching.

Take care, everyone.

Love your family. Enjoy your job. Run screaming when your job is "...like a family"!

Hello, Rebellion!

Before the barrage of new technical insights, reports from graduated members, plans for the 2010 NYC Trip, and other forms of production fun & frolic, here's one more warning as many of you head out into the world: Your job is NOT a family.

I've heard this MANY times, and I've always taken special precautions to avoid falling into the "Well we're just like a family here" mentality. I warn you now (and as always, take it or leave it) your job is NOT a family (not even the joke of "Yeah, it's a dysfunctional family!" *pathetic laughter followed by people sharing pictures of cats and having cases of "The Mondays"*).

Your job is your job. Where you work is a professional business that produces a professional product. Your family loves you: your job does not. Your family can guilt you into things that you don't want to do: your job should NEVER have that type of mental hold on you and force you into that type of guilt. Yes, being friends with people you work with is not unprofessional, and neither is having fun where you work...but that doesn't mean the relationships are "family" and not "business".

If where you work sees itself as a family, then you're not going to be treated as a professional, and you need to be ready for that. You'll be asked to do things like a parent would ask, or demand of a child...and the appreciation you get will most likely NOT be in the form of a professional reward. When you look for a job, look for a place that sees itself as a group of professionals. That place is the best place to grow professionally. The companies and productions I worked for that acted as professionals were the BEST placed I worked for, and my best professional connections and friends came from those places.

Long Live The Rebellion!