Digital Short- Screenshot

Digital Short Script

Begin MuteMath song "Typical."

The following text plates fades from black, then fade out after 3-5 seconds.

"The Film Industry in Nashville employs thousands of people"

Cut to next slide...

"A culture exists within the industry"

Next slide...

"I set out to explore that culture by working on several shoots over the past few months"

Next slide...

"The following is a look at what life looks like on set.."

Cut to Timelapse of Rodney Atkins water tower scene.

Next show photos of the Rodney Atkins shoot and video as well. This will be interlaced with actual footage of the final product to contrast behind the scenes with the final video.

Then cut to photos of Gloriana "wanna take you home" video.

Show video of the final product cutting back and worth between it and the still set photos.

Now I'll show a video that I worked on for "Leeland." Cut to set photos and then back and forth between the actual final video product.

Finally, show Martina McBride behind the scenes. Cut back and forth between behind the scenes video and the final video product.

Fade to black.

Project update

At this point in time, a few weeks out from the deadline I've done a lot in terms of getting my project ready. I've gone out and physically immersed myself into the industry by working on several big name music video and commercial shoots. I've formed friendships with several crew members that have exposed me to even more unique opportunities and I've also interviewed several people to get their take on things. However, there are several things still left for me to do. I still need to somehow make sense of all this data and put it together into a tangible product. That for me seems to be the hardest part. I find that my research has lead to more and more questions, strangely- i feel that this is a good thing. As for the digital short presentation, I intend to summarize a few shoots that I worked on through the usage of photos and video clips. I'm a strong believer in learning by visuals and I think that most of my generation feels the same way.  Therefore, I intend to make the digital short as visually stimulating as possible to keep everyone's attention. I'll also add a bit of text at the beginning summarizing the goal of the short and my project.

Research Methods

I’ve always found collecting information to be more about instinct than any sort of formal method. That being said, I approached the research for my project from several different angles. Being that I had already worked in the film industry for a few months prior to the beginning of the project, it gave me a “foot-in the door” so to speak. I was able to reach out to some of the producers in town and get onto more sets. The producers in Nashville are truly the ones that control when/where you work. My method of collecting data once I was on set had to be discrete for several reasons. The first and foremost reason being that I was working alongside seasoned professionals that perform their jobs several times a week. If I had chosen a more direct and obvious method of gathering information for my research I probably would have gotten blacklisted from further shoots. Therefore, I chose to do less talking and more listening. 

Archival Material

Here are a few items that might be useful as archival material for my project:

• Forum posts
• News articles
• Magazines such as (American Cinematographer)
• Films and videos themselves
• Photos from set
• Older interviews I can find

Lives on a Boundary

I really liked Lives on a Boundary regardless of the fact that it was written several years ago. I feel that the author speaks about a figurative boundary that is, in reality, very real for many people. The boundary separates the haves and the have nots. Critical reasoning, vernacular , and literacy were all discussed heavily. Students that grow up in underprivileged areas may have the same potential and capability of those who grow up in wealthy areas, however they are unable to perform. The author argues that this wasn't solely money but culture that caused these differences. A difference in upbringing- poverty breeds poverty much as the rich stay rich.

I found the book very fascinating and I can see how the main points apply to real life. The style spoke in more of an informal conversation and was very easy to follow. Better yet the author's writing included imagery and great descriptive details that further aided in the story that was being told.  I grew up 10 miles from Flint, MI- the #1 most dangerous city in the country and I can tell ya that much of what I read applies. I think that every educator should read this book. Lives on the Boundary was a great read and I'm glad that it was included in the curriculum for 3rd year writing!

Online Observations

The advent of the internet over the last decade has really influenced the way we live our lives. Most importantly, its aided in research as it was originally designed to connect scientists and their servers. For my specific project I looked at a few Filmmaking forums. The idea of a forum is fantastic in my opinion. It allows you to connect with thousands of like-minded individuals who are all interested in a particular subject or field- in my case filmmaking. One website called "Reduser.net" is sponsored by Red Digital Cinema. Red is a company that has revolutionized the industry with the release of the first film alternate digital cinema camera. They sponsor a forum that not only educates and discusses their products, but also gives access to veteran filmmakers. Specifically, there is a thread called "Ask David Mullen" anything. David Mullen is a Director of Photography that has shot a TON of blockbuster feature films. The thread exists simply to ask him ANY question. He's really good about answering quickly. This is an incredible FREE resource to have. I've learned a lot about the changing industry and how to be successful (two tenants of my project) just by observing the behavior of other users on the form. I've also been able to learn from industry veterans.

Letter to a Friend

Attached is a letter that I wrote to my roommate that gave him an overview of my research project: 

Dear Alex,

I’m taking a class at Belmont this semester called “Third Year Writing.” Instead of writing several papers like the majority of the other sections, our professor is having us research a topic and write one large paper at the end of the semester. We have to chose a topic of interest that pertains to certain culture. As you know, I’m already actively involved in the film industry and have consequently chosen to write my paper about it. I plan on doing most of my research through observation while on various sets for music videos and commercials. In addition to that observation, I also plan on interviewing several people in the industry and getting their take on some questions. Some of the questions that I plan on asking are: how is the industry evolving? What makes Nashville a unique market? and finally What traits must one have to be successful in the industry? Not only do I plan on learning more about the market that exists in Nashville, but I also want this project to serve as a tool for me when I graduate. I want to know as much about the industry as possible before I dive fully into it.

As a friend and roommate I appreciate your advice and opinion on this project. 

Thanks in advance for hearing me out,

Jon

Glossary of Terms

Glossary of terms of the main crew positions on a film set in Nashville...

Producer- In charge of overseeing budget of a video, planning, and hiring crew for production. Also main liaison between client and crew.

Production Manager- The Production Manager supervises the physical aspects of the production (not the creative aspects) including personnel, technology, budget, and scheduling. It is the Production Manager's responsibility to make sure the filming stays on schedule and within its budget.

Interview- TK McKamy

I recently interviewed a director named TK McKamy about the film industry in Nashville. TK is new to the film industry and has only been directing videos for approximately two years in Nashville. He's experienced wild success over the past 6 months and he attributes it to a few factors such as having a drive. However, this has not come without sacrifice. "The worst part of my job is the toll that it has taken on my personal life. Its hard to find balance when you have to be so driven. I'm almost there- balance is near" the young director exclaims. TK also spoke of the uniqueness of the Nashville market. "The Nashville Market is interesting...its a boutique market and clients are definitely smaller."McKamy went on to further discuss the evolving industry. "Its much easier to break into directing these days due to the advancing cameras and broader media needs across the board.  However all the Shi#%y stuff  is making my stuff look even better." To conclude my interview, I asked TK what he lives by and he responded with the following statement "Over-deliver and exceed expectations. Work Hard- Play Hard. Most importantly- play hard while working." Wise words from a 28 year old that's already directed a video that went #1 for four straight weeks in a row on CMT.

Mental Map

Below is a mental map that I created of the hierarchy that I've found to exist in the film industry here in Nashville. There seems to be two paths: Production company and freelance. Most production companies sign directors full time- much like a sports team signs a player to contract. The director works exclusively for the production company and writes treatments for videos that are assigned to them. The production company also employes assistants and normally a director rep. The director rep. gets the director videos. After a video has been assigned to a director the freelancers are called up. A producer is hired by the production company and then the producer will hire other freelancers to fill each of the production departments for the video. See the below chart for a visual representation. 

Cultural Artifact- The Camera

The cultural artifact that I chose to write about is the motion picture camera. The motion picture camera is unique in more ways than you'd think. First of all, its an insanely advanced piece of equipment. It took a company and a group of designers and engineers a great deal of time to create- especially the modern digital cinema camera. In terms of the film industry- it is probably the single most important element to any film set. Without it, a video could not be created.

 The camera also says a lot about the person using it. In the industry, one does not simply become a camera operator. It takes several years to work their way up a figurative ladder to get to the point of becoming a Director of Photography (the person that operates the camera). The person who operates the camera has spent a ton of time perfecting their craft- working first as a 2nd camera assistant taking notes about each shot and loading and unloading equipment. The person then progresses towards a 1st camera assistant and learns the ins and outs of the camera. They also are responsible for making sure that everything is always in focus and keeping lenses and other support equipment in full working order. Being able to finally operate the camera is a big deal as a lot of a video's success depends on that person. I was fortunate enough to work at a camera rental house a few years ago and really learned the ins and outs of the camera world. Its an artifact that has evolved greatly over the past 100 years. Cameras used to shoot on film, now everything is digital. Its truly incredible the power and significance of this object. Never before has anything else been able to capture a slice of life and tell a story!

Project Ideas

For my class project I'd like to study the filmmaking industry in Nashville. The industry isn't nearly as large as in cities such as New York or Los Angles, but certainly exists. I plan on working in the industry upon graduation, so this topic thoroughly interests me. I feel that by researching it further, I will also have a leg up on others in the industry as I will know more about the culture that exists within. Primarily, I would like to answer the following question: What makes the Nashville Music Video, Commercial, and Corporate Video production market different than other markets that exist in cities (such as New York, Atlanta, or L.A.)? I will research the culture of the market by working on several shoots and interviewing key figures in the industry.

Immediate Culture

I went home to visit family recently and decided to observe the culture that exists between us. Home for me is in Grand Blanc, Michigan. A sleepy suburb of Flint, Michigan that is known for being the most violent and depressed city in the nation. This is hard to believe as Grand Blanc is still a nice town full of mostly middle class people like my family. My family consists of myself, my younger brother Matt, younger sister Rebecca, and my parents- Mark and Brenda. This year has been a transition year for everyone. My brother went off to college, sister entered high school and I will be graduating from Belmont in the spring. I can tell that my parents have been feeling the effects of this greatly.

Double Entry Notes

I was in the library the other night and decided to do some observations of what I saw. Double Entry observations of course! See the attached photo. Anyways, I came to ask myself the following questions afterwards:

• What surprised me?
• I think the thing that surprised me the most was the amount of time wasted by Belmont students in the library. It seems as if at least 75% of the students I observed were on social media websites or wasting time.
• What intrigued me?
• I was very intrigued by the students that seemed to actually be studying. They were able to zone out the rest of the shenanigans by putting on headphones and keeping to themselves. 
• What disturbed me?
• I think overall, the primary purpose of the library has changed. It used to be that students would only visit the library when they were serious about research. Now it seems as if the Library has changed to a social hangout where hardly any work gets done. This is truly sad in my opinion.

I absolutely love the show "Curb Your Enthusiasm." For those of you who don't know, Larry David (the star and main character), was the genius behind the show "Seinfeld." He is absolutely hilarious. In the above clip, Larry and his friend are eating at a Palestinian restaurant. They start looking around and a conversation begins about the posters on the wall- an obvious discourse as the posters are very pro palestinian. Humor comes in as Larry and his friend are both Jewish. Larry states that the chicken should be sent over to Israel to be part of the peace process. Yet another discourse as the conflict in the middle east is a serious matter to most Americans as well as people living overseas in the region. He concludes by saying that Jews who are cheating on their wifes should eat at the place and the next Larry David is sitting in the corner. Another discourse- cheating on spouses is frowned upon in America.

Writing "No-No's"

Throughout grade school and as a child I was taught several things in regards to writing. But two mandates stick out to me as more important than the others. Avoid run-on sentences, and never begin sentences with the word "and."

As a senior in college, and having written several papers, I find the first rule to be very true. Run-on sentences should be avoided at all costs. In the instances where I've gotten stuck, I normally am able to read the sentence aloud and fix it. I think reading your own work verbally fixes a lot of problems that are otherwise glossed over.

The second mandate that I find is often instilled into us is avoiding the use of words such as "and" to begin sentences. I must say that I'll sometimes break this mandate when writing certain pieces. Writing dialog for a screenplay, commercial or short film is an example. Dialog often doesn't always follow these rules.

In conclusion, the English language is quite confusing, often one of the hardest languages to learn. There  seems to be a set of rules that are "givens" that one must follow. However, I strongly feel that these rules should sometimes be broken.