Um...what should a "Work Reel" look like?

Great question!  Did you know that Professors Biddle and Smith have a library of professional work reels sent to us by Director/Cinematographer Carolyn Chen, and Director Cinematographer Chris Piazza?  Really, it's true!  Ask either professor to check-out a few DVD's to look over, and then we'll be happy to talk about how to design yours.

Long Live The Rebellion!

CHILLER DARE TO DIRECT!!! VOTE OFTEN!!!

Summer was kinda blah, so a group of rebels got together and made a short video for the Chiller Network's "Dare To Direct" Contest.  Chiller Network is on Direct TV and other cable/dish packages.

So, they made a fine horror film that YOU can vote on!  It's a delightful romp called "Teddy Needs An Eye".  Starting September 2, you can view the videos, make comments, and vote-vote-vote!!!!  The site is www.chillertv.com.  Look for the "Dare To Direct" section.

Rebels, if you find another contest to participate in, let's do it!  Get folks involved and let's kick some video!

Shake the hands of Sonny Dixon, Glenda Smith, and Dan Keever!

Welcome back, Rebels! It's been a long, hot summer and I'm certain everyone is ready to start the classroom grind...yes?

Well, if you're going to be using the facilities (especially the 142 audio rooms), make sure and thank Sonny, Glenda, and Keever. All three of them worked through a brutal summer to get facilities ready. They all deserve big thank you's from all rebels.

Also, the IT department of Cletus, Myrna, and Neal have added many new improvements and have worked just as hard as the engineering crew.

All the stuff we use has to work somehow...and thanks to these folks, it's all working very well.

Long Live The Rebellion.

Fox Maulder, Rorschach, The Question and why you need to be careful!!!

Old as I am, you begin to see things come back around. My college years were filled with characters such Fox Maulder (The X-Files), Rorschach (Watchmen), and The Question (the trench-coated reporter turned hero/conspiracy-theorist for The Justice League): characters that questioned everything and understood their own value in the world. Time for all DV Rebels to do the same.

It is time to question what you are offered: Is this really a good opportunity for me? What does this person (what do these people) want from me? Shouldn't I be getting paid for this? If I am volunteering for this, why are they treating me this way?

Yes, many of you are still students or are recent graduates looking for opportunities in order to build skill sets...and people who want to take advantage of you know this. They know that you are scared about being able to get a job, and they know you have access to equipment they are not willing to pay for. So, what are the steps to keeping yourself (and the school you love) safe?

- You are worth more than you think. If you begin to question what you know and what you're worth, see Jenn Smith or Biddle immediately!

- Internships. When you look into internships, talk with Jenn Smith, Biddle, Miss Shannon, Dr. Hollifield, and/or Mr. Bentley. An internship should provide you with something you cannot get on a daily basis here at Grady College. Ask rebels such as Ashley Kruythoff, Zack Goulet, Chad Mumm, Rachel Kohl, or Megan "Mitch" Mitchell. They will tell you that an internship should provide YOU with something. If any internship asks you to provide equipment from Grady like you're in a class, or for help from other students, you need to avoid this. Why?...

- Free work. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! Your professors and many places that provide internships see you as developing talent/professionals: others see you as free work. This is bad for many reasons. First, this is taking away from local production companies that need the work. Yes, we know many bad production companies that do shoddy production work that you could do much better and with more professional results...but for every bad company, two very good ones exist. Bad or good, these are people who were in your situation many years ago and now want to stay working. When you are approached to do something free with Grady equipment (or your own equipment), you are being taken advantage of in a way that will create an unprofessional relationship with Grady College (which you are the most important part of) and the local production community...which provides jobs for graduates. Second, places (and internships) that ask you to do this "free" work are often not the best judges of quality. Without the guidance of a Smith, Biddle, or qualified internship coordinator, you could develop some very bad habits. No one at Grady College wants that to happen.

- "Oh, they sorta volunteered me...." This has happened to me since 1985...and I learned to volunteer myself out of things by 1986. Yes, it's nice to provide things to organizations and events we're involved in, but if you're asked to do a video or something with your "new awesome Grady skills and equipment", it's time to take a critical look at what you're doing for this organization. Even if you have your own equipment, "volunteering" soon turns into an endless list of changes in quality, deadlines, and "how many DVD copies can you make for us"? If you volunteer to make something, use your own stuff and get all deadlines and such IN WRITING!!!! I have many students who will tell you horror stories about soccer videos, weddings, organization kits, fundraiser videos, etc. NONE of these students had a good experience.

- Commercials. No. Not at school, ever!!! Legal problems and it's how local companies stay in business! The Grady College faculty/staff will not allow these companies to be alienated. If you score a commercial on your own, terrific! But, you'll need to produce it on your own, with your own stuff, and DON'T DO IT FOR FREE, EVER!!!!!

- "I wanna do something outside of class." GOOD! That's what storytellers do! They don't wait for the classroom to dictate what to do and when to do it! But, like anything in any department, don't try and skirt the law! Talk to Biddle, Smith, Keever, or Dr. Hollifield and be completely honest! Have a written proposal, timetable, etc. just like you've been taught in Smith, Biddle, Keever, Kavoori, etc. classes! Students in independent studies have no access to Grady Equipment, so you'll have to make a good, professional case...just like out there in the real world. Get used to inquisition. It's not to stifle your creativity, it's to build your skills.

- Rent stuff. NYU, Columbia, UCLA, etc. students are required to rent equipment for work they do outside of class (or FOR class in some cases...I had to rent my Steenbeck to cut student films way back in '88 - '91...and buy all my own take-up reels and leader.). Learning how to budget for a rental (and schedule for a rental)is a very valuable skill that impresses places that need production supervisors, line producers, etc. Many places around the area (especially in Atlanta) can rent equipment to you for a very reasonable rate. Check the sites, make some fake budgets for projects, keep 'em on file, and then you're ready to give some fairly accurate production budgets off the top of your head. How long will you let others provide for you?

There's nothing wrong with being skeptical about people who want work from you. Maulder, Rorschach, and The Question are considered vital characters in the world of fictional because they question what is offered and seek what is considered "the truth". As a film maker, you need to do this as well. Take chances, question authority, gather your resources, and tell good stories.

Long Live The Rebellion.

Bungee Cables + Safety Gear + Van = THERE'S SO MUCH BLOOD!!!

Shooter and the "Lowbar Road Cam". Note the amount of bungees and the safety cable. Good stuff!


No, no real blood (but a hilarious new motto for us). In the grand experimenting tradition of The DV Rebellion, some of us decided try some "road shots" by renting a U-Haul van and opening up the side and back doors. It was glorious.

Chatter, Shooter, and Biddle scouted the week before to find a nice, calm, not-too-busy road to try this on...and good ol' Watkinsville came through for us. We scouted on a weekend afternoon (same time of the week and day we'd be shooting) and found the right road and scenery, a good turn-around point, and a RACE-TRAC loaded with a wide variety of sodas and Taquitos similar to our beloved QT on 316. We also checked the weather reports for the week to make certain we'd get the same (or at least similar) weather. The next weekend, we rented the U-Haul and loaded it down with equipment.

Chatter took the side door. After an elaborate bungee strapping that kept both the back and side doors open, Chatter secured himself with a bucket-and-sandbag-seat. We also wired him up with a side monitor so he could stay safe and not have to hug the camera all the time. Another cool trick is to buy a wheely-cart (the cheap, plastic ones at LOWES or HOME DEPOT) and look for models with small "slots" when you turn the cart upside-down. These little slots can hold tape, tapes, tools, cleaner, etc.


Chatter: Producer turned DP.

Shooter originally shot out the back with the hi-hat (which wasn't securing the camera properly, but Shooter made it work). He used the sandbag-on-milkcrate-seat. On the second pass, we switched the mounting the camera onto the safety bumper with bungees and a safety line. Both sets of shots are amazing.

Finally, we mounted the camera and Lowbar onto the side of the van with bungees, tape, and a safety line. Shooter sat shotgun and watched the footage from an attached monitor. The shots of the yellow line and on-coming traffic are very cool, and hilarious to watch while shooting.


The mirror-mounted camera. Note the silver safety line.

$100 dollars later, we had some incredible B-roll and tried some amazing new taquito flavors (Spanish Omelet and Pepperoni Pizza!). This is fun to try, especially if your film needs car-driving-shots. If you have the cash, the best way to get shots of people driving/riding in a car is to place the car onto a towing rig, mount the cameras, tow and shoot. That'll be our next experiment. From this experiment, here are some thing to remember:

- Bungees are useful, but deadly...like snakes or cranky babies. Make sure people are holding them securely while you stretch them and are not in the path of the recoil...Chatter almost lost his face...THERE'S SO MUCH BLOOD!!!

- Secure the camera with safety cables.

- Be prepared to pay for anything you break. It's not your stuff if you use school equipment. You break it, be a true DV Rebel and be ready to replace it.

- Driver needs to pay attention to the road and look out for hidden Watkinsville stop signs...stupid stop signs.

- Make certain all camera ops are secure...and when stuff comes flying at them...they have the time and ability to duck-and-cover.

- The U-Haul on Atlanta Highway...love them.

- We love the QT on 316...but the RACE TRAC in Watkinsville...very close second.


If you want to see the footage, ask Biddle for a look-see.


Long Live The Rebellion.

An Open Letter To Moms And Dads Of DV Rebels.

This letter is based on a similar letter that a fine organization known as the CDC (The "Career Development Center"...one of the best organizations I've ever had the pleasure to work with at my former employer) would send to parents of recent graduates who chose to go into the field of production. This is my spin on it.

Dear Parents;

Although it seems as though your pride-and-joy has come home to raid your refridgerator and stay up late watching your cable television, I assure you their job search is harder than you think...or might have been lead to believe.

As a 20+ year veteran of this business (radio, television, film, post-production, audio recording design, shleping coffee, etc.), please hear my words with great weight: this business is extremely competitive and nothing (absolutely nothing) is guaranteed. It could be weeks, months, possibly but hopefully not longer, before an opportunity in the business becomes available. Thousands of students graduate from college to be in "The BIz"...and it can only support so many new people because the veterans don't want to leave.

So, what can you do to truly help? First of all, stay positive that your kid chose the right path. It's not a clear path and they need your support. Let them relax, but don't let them get lazy. Encourage them, but don't pester them. If they're up doing research and sending out resumes, show 'em you're noticing. If MARIO KART is all they're doing, SHOW 'EM YOU'RE NOTICING!!!

In this business, money doesn't flow like water for people starting out. Some jobs they take might be "On Spec"...as in, "Ya do this one for free!". It's experience and they need it...provided it's the right experience. A soccer video for the neighbor is not the experience they need...getting coffee on a film set, logging tapes at CNN, working on a low-budget film for festivals, etc. are the experiences they need.

Now this is the scary one: they may need to move to a strange and foreign place (say Atlanta, NYC, Los Angeles, Ireland, Dubai, etc.) without enough funds and no contacts in order to get the initial job they need/want. This is a big risk...but this business runs on a common theme: Big Risk Means Big Notice. A gigantic failure yields big notice and lots of experience the same way a big success does. Students who want to do this need to embrace that theme...and as parents, you have to be ready for this. My parents had to deal with all of my successes and failures. They are just fine, and I'm fine, too. Had I not taken the risks I did, I never would've worked on all the amazing (and awful) films, shows, etc. I had the opportunity to be a part of...and I wouldn't have the career I'm enjoying right now.

Finally, don't let your bundle-of-joy default to graduate school due to fear of not finding work. Graduate school is NOT (and SHOULD NOT be) like undergraduate work. If your recent graduate does not have a plan for finding a job, not having a plan for graduate study can be even worse. Graduate school is a big decision, not a default to avoid pressure.

Getting started is difficult, and your kid needs your support and encouragement...you'll know if they're being lazy.

Long Live The Rebellion.

It's your job, not your mom's job!

I do enjoy when students past and present call me about job and graduate school opportunities. It's an excellent high to hear persons excited about new opportunities, new locations, "dream jobs", etc. However, when disappointment hits, it hits hard...right in the gut.

A former student called the other day to say they had a great job interview and I was elated. Unfortunately after about 5 minutes of "hearing from a student bliss", they dropped the bomb on me:

"I really liked this place, but mom and dad weren't too impressed with the place and the people who interviewed me."....(long, dramatic pause on my end of the phone).

While parents are a critical part of the "touring undergraduate facilities" ritual, taking them to a job interview is about as big of a no-no as you can get...and taking them to tour a graduate program you might be interested in is even worse...trust me, just ask for a bib and someone to permanently hold-your-hand while you study there.

The brutal truth is that you've now reached that crucial point where you can consult with your parents, mentors, and friends, but you do not drag them (or accept an offer from them to come along) to job and/or graduate school interviews/tours. It's extremely unprofessional and makes you look needy and immature. Trust me. People notice and write those types of things down for discussions later.

Be smart, be confident, and be professional. If you think you can handle a career or graduate school (and I know all of you can), you can do it by going alone and showing how capable you are to people. Take someone with you, and they don't see the professional you are...unless that is the type of professional you want to be...(long dramatic pause)....I hope not.

Long Live The Rebellion.