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.