Producer's Log: Just a Quick Update

I'll be back a little later. I have a script to finish first!!!

Producer's Log: Making Mistakes

So I shot this little video on Sunday, but due to the fact that we were shooting again all day yesterday for this week's episode, I haven't had a chance to post it until right now:



This week knocked out another round of learning at the new job. Maybe not the political faux pas of two weeks ago, but costly errors none the less. Lesson learned? ASK QUESTIONS. I always kind of charge into things, wanting to show people I know what I'm doing (even if I sort of don't) and it's never presented itself as an issue until now. But sitting at the edit desk Friday when your boss tells you that what you've done won't work and you need to fix it over the weekend, you begin to realize that it sometimes is better to ask questions first rather than later. I will say, I never felt unsure of what I was creating, but now I know that I need to evaluate every little detailed aspect of my work either with my crew or boss(es) in order to prevent such errors in the future.

Moving on to yesterday's shoot, it was a whirlwind day starting out at a flu vaccination press conference and ending up at an animal shelter:

(And boooo! because I forgot my camera in the car when we went to the shelter. So many cute puppies too!!!) Some great interviews and sound bites came out of both shoots, so I am very pleased... even though we have to finish shooting today because the camera battery overheated before I could do my host stand-ups. Sigh.

In other news, the station that I work for, LA36, has had their budget once again cut by the City of Los Angeles. If you have a second and are on Facebook, please head to THIS LINK and become a fan of our station... we're the last hope for public access in this town!!!

So I'm off to finish shooting, but if I can figure out how to upload some of the show we shot last week I'll have that up soon as well. See you guys soon!

Producer's Log Day: First Episode (Almost) in the Can!

Okay, so let me start this off by saying if you go back a few posts I finally got the weirdly messed up html coding on Thurs. Sept. 10th to work and there is now magically an entry there! (Wonder why it didn't post to the top? This is exactly why I'm not an IT guy... though sometimes I wish I was. Well, not the guy part. Except maybe a little when I go camping.)

Anywho...

Went and shot our anchor stand-ups for the show yesterday to wrap everything up, and I snapped a few stills while we were there:


You know, that's the only thing about these "virtual sets" that I'm not crazy about. Looks great after post, but just not as exciting for the stills I share with you guys!!!

I also shot this little update as a follow up to yesterday last night, and all I can say is here it is:



OH! And I went to the USC v. Ohio State game in 3-D at the Galen Center last weekend and will have a post with pictures and chaos from that as well up at some point today. Heyyyoooo!!! (Sorry- XL Slurpee is never, wait, always? no probably never a good idea. Except most of the time. Maybe I should take a lap now before my hyper spreads across the interwebs...)

Producer's Log Day: 4? 5? I don't even know anymore! (Eeeep!)

So I've found something out in the last two, nay, three days here. In order to stay on top of this blog as well as my massive pile of weekly work, I am going to have to work really really really hard. But I will do it I say! For the people!!! So anyway... let's get a recap going up until today. Monday was so insanely busy there wasn't a second to shoot, and I pretty much forgot until I woke up at 5:45am Tuesday for our first interview shoot only to go "OH SCHNIKES! THE BLAHG!!!" and that dear readers, is when I shot this little gem:



And then? And then? Well, I grabbed clothes and ran out the door to meet my crew bright and early for our first (and at that time potentially only) interview of the day. I had my fingers crossed that our second shoot would pull through later after lunch, but I'm not gonna lie- I was definitely worried pretty much until 1pm when I finally received confirmation that they were able to find a break in the afternoon schedule for us. So somehow we pulled everything off yesterday, and I couldn't be happier. Stay tuned for thoughts from our in-studio shoot later... this project's really coming together fast!

Producer's Log: Day 3

For the record, I am loving my job. :)

(More to come this weekend when I finally get internet set up at home!!!)

USC SCA Gets a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star!

I took a little trip back over to the Alma Mater today to witness the USC School of Cinematic Arts receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star on the sidewalk next to the new complex on campus. Really hot day, but really cool ceremony... and maybe I did sneak into an invite only luncheon afterward, but hey! A gal's gotta eat sometimes right? (Besides- quite a few "honarary guests" didn't show up and the food was already there. It was just going to go to waste. You can't make me feel bad!!!) Anyway, here are a few pics I took at the event.

the honored guests:

and the sheriff of Hollywood:
(on a sidenote, Dean Daley got her start in TV and now basically runs this town. Who knew? I think I want to be her when I grow up...)

and a Hitchcock!

and the students and faculty that make the school what it is:

and of course, I couldn't do a SC posting without giving a little shout-out to my old TV8 crew:

All in all, good times. Here's the actual star unveiling (uncovering?) video I shot- it was a REALLY bright day today. Now onward and upward!

Producer's Log: Day 2

So today was a little bit of insanity, but rest assured, it's all working out. I was really tired last night after work. Got home, washed my face, got ready for bed, and then realized... oh yeah, I wanted to update you guys! So being the producer that I try to be, I've stuck to my word and shot a little video journal piece, sans hair and makeup, attempting a re-cap of day 2. Not my most brilliant on-camera work by far, but hey- sometimes it's just good to be real. :)

Producer's Log: Day 1

So P.S. Happy Labor Day everyone! I totally forgot to mention that a) Friday was my last day of old FTJ (full time job) and b) nothing was getting posted Friday night because I went out to celebrate the new transition and am smart enough to know that nice cameras and Hollywood outings don't always mix and c) nothing was going to get posted over the 3 day weekend because I still have not set up internet at my new place.

BUT!

Rest assured chillins, I will be posting Monday through Friday unless there is a holiday or unless I am doing something so super important on a weekend that I must write about it.

Sooo... okay! On to Day 1 at the new job.



First day was pretty mentally exhausting, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. Lots of research for stories, lots of trying to avoid my constant search for cohesion between topics (as I'm used to doing with "WHLA?",) and LOTS of trying not to feel overwhelmed by everything at once. Though I've gotta say, the minute I began to break the project down into little bitty steps, it started to make a lot more sense. Prior to arriving at this realization I was pretty much at a total loss, trying to create a format for a show without any stories. But, as I have mentioned before (and as I should've know better!!!) the story always comes first! And the moment that I went back to this fundamental logic was the moment that everything began falling into place.

So now, armed with a pack of post-its and a handful of note pads, I am ready to tackle anything that comes my way... I hope?