Advice for New Directors....and for Life in General

The past year I have had the privilege to help train new directors in Cedarville's video booth. While I've already shared much of my advice with the new directors, I've found it really applies to live outside the booth as well.

1) You're always learning.
        Never think you're finished because that's the moment you'll truly learn how little you know. In the video booth, this lesson comes in waves. You may learn proper framing and even create some fantastic transitions, but looking back none of those awesome shots were to the pace of your music. Perhaps you've mastered the art of cutting on a speaker's pauses...but what do you do when they refuse to slow down?
        This is a pretty simple translation to life; take everything in. No matter how old you are, how many books you've read on the subject or how many years you've been in the business-there is always more to learn.

2) Anyone can be a teacher.
        It's not just enough to be willing to learn, you also have to be willing to learn from anyone. Don't think so highly of yourself (or lowly of others) that you find yourself dismissing their opinions. Some people are gifted with talent and just because they've only been on crew for two weeks doesn't mean they don't have good shot ideas or that they can't handle themselves on a T-bar.
        Anyone who's worked in 3D can appreciate the idea of perspectives. If you only use one, you're only seeing part of the answer, but opening yourself up to all viewpoints and taking in multiple opinions is invaluable in gaining a fully detailed render. I mean where would we be without the 'marketplace of ideas'? (Shout out to those in the trenches of Media Law with me).

3) Watch the Program Monitor!!!!
        I have told this to every single one of the new directors I train and it is very easy to spot those who've chosen to ignore it. I took a couple semesters to figure this lesson out myself, but once I realized it my directing grew by leaps and bounds. There are a lot of screens to watch during an event. Between 4-6 cameras, possibly a graphic, maybe a playback or two and then the big ones: Your preview and program screens. I speak from experience when I say I understand getting caught up in all the other shots to care once something goes live...but that's completely missing the point! You're job as a director is not really to call shots, but to create transitions. How is your first shot going to transition into the next and then the next and then the next. You have to position the framing and direct the movement to align so once those shots gets to the program monitor (what is actually seen by the audience) you've made magic. Don't get distracted by all the little things to miss the big picture in the end!
         Life doesn't have multiple camera angles or a playback feed to worry about, but that does't mean it lacks details. Especially a time like college, when work and homework seem to never end; when professors are grading on minuscule grammar corrections and warning you about the importance of a well prepared resume-it can be difficult to see what all the hassle is for. Don't forget to take a deep breath and always glance at the program monitor.

4) Review the tape
       This is my final piece of advice for anyone wanting to learn the skill of directing live video. Yes, you're directing live, but that doesn't mean your lessons stop when the event is over. Watch over your reel! Most of what I learned came from watching my own footage and seeing my own mistakes. Even watching my directing of a youth camp from last March vs. a youth camp in Aug I can see an enormous amount of improvement in my directing style. I was more on beat, I was more confident, I kept an eye on program and I didn't hesitate.
        One of the best ways to learn is to make (and recognize) your mistakes. It's a scary concept, but it's very effective. Sometimes reading it in a book isn't enough to cement it in our brains. Even writing a paper on a subject may not guarantee that it sticks around after we've turned the assignment in. But somehow, making a mistake and acknowledging it seems to leave a little voice in the back of our conscious that's always there to remind us. Whether you choose to listen to that voice is a separate blog post all together!

Below is a clip my shader took of me during Lift Camp this past August. The bigger image on the left is preview, the bigger video image on the right is program- Notice where my eyes are! (When they're not trying to find a button that is) Also, I make a mistake near the end, but I recover and I paid more attention to what buttons I pressed in the future! See...always learning!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=822668749484&set=vb.141301058&type=2&theater

It is our Light, not our Darkness that most frightens us

I received the most adorable pair of boots for my birthday this year and I wear them all the time. Why is this important enough for a blog post? I'm six foot tall and my boots have heels on them. I've always gotten comments about my height, especially when I was younger. Apparently, because I don't have a Y- Chromosome, I shouldn't surpass 5'9''. Sorry boys. Seeing as I already have a height advantage on most men my age, I get even more comments when I wear my heels. What do I have to say in response? Catch Up.

I like wearing heels. They improve my posture, give me confidence and they make my butt look fantastic - why should I be depraved this feminine joy?

When I think about this issue it brings to mind a popular excerpt from the book 'Return to Love' by Marianne Williamson ( http://www.squidoo.com/our_deepest_fear ). "Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you." Yes, my heel issue is a very literal application of this quote, but let's try to expand shall we?

Have you ever felt that you should hide your talent because of those around you? It sounds like a silly suggestion, but I know there are those out there who understand. Maybe you were the smartest in class and the other kids teased you until you got B's like the rest of them. Perhaps there was an opportunity for promotion, but you didn't take the initiative to apply for it. Or maybe you were given an opportunity to really go for your dreams, but you hesitated. Why do we do this? Everyone thinks people fear failure, but as Marianne points out, success is scary too. "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."

Most people don't want to be picked out of a crowd or have the spotlight shine on them-they'd rather just blend in. Anyone who knows me knows I'm not one of these people, but that doesn't mean I haven't hesitated once or twice before. Success doesn't just mean better pay or your picture in the paper, it means attention and with that attention, responsibility. Once you reach a level of success you're expected to maintain that success, what happens when you're knocked off the pedestal?

This question is strong enough to make even the social butterfly that I am, question how bad I want that success. In the end, I convince myself to go for it; direct like a crazy person, apply to that internship, wear my heels! Because the only way to conquer this fear is to go for it.

The point of my rant: Find success and show off your talents because, "as we let our light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Wearing heels is just one little way I refuse to 'play small', what's yours?

The Drumroll of 21

    I turned 21 at the end of July so I thought it was time to pass on some wisdom I've gained since that day (which is ironic because I've actually lost my wisdom teeth since then - but that's its own blog post). Anyways, here is my infinite insight on the subject:

 

   You turn 16 and you're ecstatic because you can get your license, you can drive a car - you think you've finally achieved freedom. I say think because let's face it, you're still living under your parent's house so yes you can drive away....but you have to drive back.

 

    Then you turn 18 and you strut around the next month because now you're legally an 'adult.' You graduate high school, maybe you cast your first official vote, buy a lottery ticket and feel the thrill of wasting your money - but it was worth it because it was Yours! For some, 18 is when the real world kicks in and you've now got to find your life path. I decided to postpone the inevitable (an expensive endeavor) with college. For me, 18 was still just a sample of what true independence is.

 

    But now I'm 21. This is the age I'm going to graduate. This is the age I'm going to have true independence and freedom that everyone complains about wanting in high school, though now I can't remember why we were so eager for bills and long work hours.

 

   For me, these ages are like chapters in a book and Chapter 21 has a cliff hanger ending. Up until now I've always known what would come next, after 16 I continue high school till I graduate, then I turn 18 and I got to college. Now I'm 21 and I'm going to get a degree...and then what? There's no reading ahead in life. The only way to know who I'll be at 22 is to look back at the past 21 years. Like reading a mystery novel; there are clues all through the story, but you may not realize their significance until you get to the end (this is why I usually read mysteries twice).

 

   I'm extremely excited for my senior year of college and plan to enjoy ever minute of it, because I know what awaits me on the other side of my education. I don't plan to live in fear of this cliff-hanger ending, but instead in preparation of it.

 

  For all those who are dealing with the same excitement, anxiety, fear, joy, confusion, clarity, and all out giddiness of being 21 I say congratulations. Soak it in! Never again will you be on the precipice of independence - amidst the drumroll. Enjoy it while it lasts! Come summer it'll be time to jump in and hope you can swim (I'd settle for floating).

AE Rubix Cube: Puzzle Solved

           

      This passed week I got an email from my boss explaining the upcoming projects we had. In this email he mentions an idea they had thrown around of using a rubix cube to transition between different video clips....and then asked that I "throw an example together." I'm not blogging to complain about my bosses assumption that I could create and animate a rubix cube in mere hours - I'm blogging to brag that  I did it.
               After reading the email the first thing I did was open After Effects and create shape layers that formed a cube. Then, I proceeded to stare at my cube as my mind tried to turn it into a 3x3 impossible labyrinth. Null objects were my best friend during this endeavor along with Cmd. + D (duplicate). It was actually a rather simple job once I had thought about it, though I'm sure anyone who looks at my 50+layers would be at least slightly confounded.

              I'm extremely proud of myself for not only accomplishing this task, but doing so well within my deadline. This is just one of the reasons I love what I do: There's always the opportunity for the ridiculous and impossible, every project is a complex puzzle to solve, I stretch not only my mind, but my creativity. Come to think of it, my job is a lot like a Rubix Cube - good thing I learned to solve those back in High School!

Disney Challenge: More than a Tourist

         
         I had the pleasure of traveling to Disney World this past May with some of my college friends. We had an amazing time and made memories that I will always cherish, especially when I look at the pictures. This visit was a little different because this trip I gave myself a challenge. Seeing as I'm getting a minor in Photography, I thought it'd be a fantastic opportunity to test my skills. I mean where better than the Happiest Place on Earth right?

          I'm sure I looked like a full on tourist with my camera hanging around my neck, but I hope my shots turned out better than your average Disney Goer...I suppose you'll have to judge that for yourselves (Check out my Facebook for more shots).
          This challenge taught me so much about photography- things you can only learn through hands-on experience.
                   Lesson 1: You can take 40 pictures of the same 5 seconds and capture 40 different moments. If you're willing to trudge through the out of focus, badly lit, and goofy faces of the 39 bad moments you may just find that 1 magical perfect shot that you wanted.
                  Lesson 2: See things differently. Taking pictures at Disney doesn't mean you have to know it was Disney. The beauty of the parks is that they emerse you in a world. Look at this world and see what is beautiful, for me this usually meant lights. This photo (on the left) was taken in line for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

                  Lesson 3: Know your camera: Manual settings are a love/hate relationship. I kept my camera on manuel for the entire trip. Not because I don't trust the creative settings, they're actually very helpful, but it added to the challenge I had given myself. Having to not only know what each setting did, but recall it quickly to transition between dim inside shots and bright daylight shots was a crash course in my camera's abilities.
      Overall this trip was not only a fantastic vacation, but a great way to see how much I've learned in my classes and I'm excited to apply what I've learned as I continue on this journey called life. Though I'm happy to return to school this fall and continue my education, I wouldn't mind if my classes involved more castles and princes.
       

Seeing it All Come Together

Elliv 2013

         Elliv is a 'mock-awards' show put on at the end of every Cedarville University school year. Students perform popular songs with dancers, motion graphics and live IMAG supporting the performance. Our chapel is turned into an elaborate stage with lights, screens, and sometimes pyrotechnics (sadly none this year).
For many this event is a time to take a break from studying for finals and just enjoying the night.
       It's a little different for me.
            I've worked this semester on motion graphics for two different performances of this year's Elliv (one is featured in the image above). Motion graphics was a new adventure for me. I had dabbled in them before, but never attempted a full blown sequence. Having to not only create this content, but make sure that it followed the act's overall vision and not just my own was an exciting experience. Once the weekend of Elliv finally rolled around, I was excited to see my content integrated into the final production. However, I had to enjoy this content during a dress rehearsal because I was also directing live video for the event.

            There were six cameras, two video playbacks, and the challenge of keeping shots centered to fit onto the 1080x1080 cube in the center of the stage. Though I was standing in the video booth instead of sitting with my friends, and shouting instructions instead of shouting in excitement when one performer smashed his ukelele- I wouldn't change this experience for anything. Seeing it all come together for the final production is worth the hours of hard work (especially when you get to see it come together at 6 different angles). I've always heard that it is important to have a career doing something you love, which (as cliche' as it is) is very true.

New Workstation

Hello all!
I know; it's been ages since last I wrote and you all feel robbed of the beauty of my words. Well then this post shall satisfy you! I have recently made the most expensive purchase of my 20 years and no it wasn't a car...I should really look into getting one of those though. Anyways, it was a computer! Not just any computer, oh no. I bought my command center, or as I have titled it: The Master and Commander. Pair my new computer with my new Adobe software and I'm the happiest kid on my block (which is saying something because the kids on my block are having a snow day).
I've been spending most of my spring break working on projects for class and in no way does that upset me. My computer is insanely fast compared to what I've been using at school and I can have more than one window open without the programs crashing-It's fantastic!
I love my new computer and am crazy excited about the rest of the semester! I'll be posting soon with updates on what I'm working on now and maybe even some screenshots from my upcoming music video!
Here's a link to the computer I just bought in case you're in the market. I've only had this computer for about a week, but I would recommend it!
http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/workstations/z420_features.html#.UTb7dBysh8E