I took the Lucky Star with Jess to Boston on Friday evening. We arrived at 11:30pm and split off from there. I kissed her goodbye outside of the station, and she went back through the glass doors to the subway. I walked to Chinatown and was struck by how nice it was outside, a crisp 50 some degrees, and thought of an old coworker who said his perfect weather was 56 degrees.
I met with Alex and her boyfriend Dom at their apartment after trying to get them to meet me by the gate. I dropped my bag off in their apartment and we went to Taiwan cafe. I ordered pig ears which I haven't had in the East coast for years, and both her and Dom ate them. Alex and Dom seemed to be enjoying their time together, with my sister talking more naturally. Dom had just put together a reel for class, and I told him about my experience with reels.
After dinner we went back to their place on Essex. I was struck by how close it was to the restaurant and its location in general. We watched a bit of Batman and didn't speak much, and they retired before the film was over. I turned off the movie pretty soon after they had gone to bed, and laid on their leather couch with a fleece blanket that looked like the snuggy body blanket that's sold through infomericals. There was a lot of noise coming from the street below, drunken people and some shady activity. Drug dealers stand in a parking lot adjacent to their building, immediately below their bedroom window. The bathroom also sporadically made this loud noise like gas escaping, and these distractions kept me awake for a while.
I woke up to that same bathroom noise at around 7:30, and with the light so bright from the windows I couldn't fall asleep again. Dom had some filmmaking books that I paged through. Alex got up and was out with me around 9:30, and made me tea and cereal and was sweet in her hospitality. She did some calls for her stage managing work, and I went on the internet and not so subtly asked what she wanted that she couldn't afford. She mentioned a PSP, and I decided to get one and drop it off for her.
I said goodbye to Alex and Dom and walked towards the Prudential center, making my way down boylston along Boston Common. There was some sort of baseball event going on at the diamond, and I cut through the garden which looked well groomed and pretty. Couples were taking photos by the statues, and as I walked over the bridge I paused for a photo with the sun right behind the subjects, and I thought about how dark they would look in contrast. Near the end of the park on the Arlington side there's a fountain and I threw a couple of pennies in there.
I bought the PSP at gamestop after gettling disoriented in copley place exchange. I called Alex and said I'd forgotten something at her apartment, and she kind of guessed at what I was doing. I dropped off the PSP w/Dom and met up w/my father who was in town buying groceries, and we made the trip back to Northborough.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
A year flies by
Incredible how quickly time passes. Safe to say my first year in New York has been a success. I returned to work at Essence for a fair rate, and have made a lot of videos promoting their brand. Through the job I traveled to Chicago, and New Orleans, and saw formidable Beyonce in concert.
I also took a trip to Puerto Rico with Jess, watched my sister move into her new place, received a few college application essay drafts from my brother, and painted my apartment. It still feels pretty bare in here.
In general, I felt a lot of the time was a wait for summer, and when it came it came wet and fast, and left as discreetly as it arrived. Fall is almost officially here.
Recently I did a shoot in Westport, Connecticut, with a director I met through Essence. I was very impressed by the serenity and the wealth of the place. It was a cooking show pilot featuring two grandmothers, and took place at their home. Pictures below:
The two "Mimi's." That's how they were referred to by the kids. That's the director, Jason, on the left, with another shooter whose name I've forgotten.
Their porch. After the shoot, which went well into the evening, I sat on one of those chairs and looked at the vast view, listening to the water rush up.
I also took a trip to Puerto Rico with Jess, watched my sister move into her new place, received a few college application essay drafts from my brother, and painted my apartment. It still feels pretty bare in here.
In general, I felt a lot of the time was a wait for summer, and when it came it came wet and fast, and left as discreetly as it arrived. Fall is almost officially here.
Recently I did a shoot in Westport, Connecticut, with a director I met through Essence. I was very impressed by the serenity and the wealth of the place. It was a cooking show pilot featuring two grandmothers, and took place at their home. Pictures below:
Their porch. After the shoot, which went well into the evening, I sat on one of those chairs and looked at the vast view, listening to the water rush up.
Their back 'yard' was a private backbeach. We ate smothered steak, mash potatoes, and roasted corn at that table, long after the sun had set.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Two Weeks In
On Monday of my third week I was feeling good, and eager to hear if I could get some money now that my trial period was up. I didn't have much work to do during the day, so i sat around and waited for a chance to check in with D, the producer.
She didn't mention anything the whole day, and by the late afternoon I decided to ask her. I was a little unsure of how to broach the "i'm on the team and am i going to get compensated for this week" conversation, so I found a pause when the other video directors were out and got her attention.
"Are we going to be able to do a check-in today?" I asked.
"What do you mean?"
"About what you want from me here. I'm assuming we're going to move forward..."
I let the sentence hang. It was a weird moment. She said that she wanted to check in next Monday, which she had told me previously, and I'd misunderstood. Sorry, I said. I felt a little embarrassed.
At the end of the day she did speak with me though, and said they could pay me $400 per week for six weeks. Steady money, woohoo! I was a little worried about money so I was happy to take anything.
The next day I spoke with my property manager who gave me the low down on my tenant who'd been MIA since early October, and was two months past due on her rent. He ordered an official notice to quit, and then got an order of eviction, which threatens a court date unless she pays. She has two weeks to give an answer, or show up in court on December 4th. Then the judge will decide whether to evict. And apparently she can still work out a deal in court, and avoid eviction. What a long process.
Tuesday night I went with two video directors to film a birthday party in SoHo, for celebrity hairstylist Ursula Stephen. She's responsible for Rihanna's bangs, and charges tens of thousands for her work. The magazine was trying to score points with her by filming her party I guess. We showed up, set the camera up on the tripod and interviewed personalities as they came in. Many of them were radio people, but Free was there (y'all might remember the single 'Ladies Night' from way back with Missy, DaBrat, MC Lyte, or you might not) and Michelle Williams, the third member of Destiny's Child.
The party/shoot was fairly unexciting. I chatted with this dude who looked like Cedric the Entertainer in a velour blazer, who at the end of the night kept exclaiming, "you're Asian! You're Asian!" We got back to the office by 10:15, and I was glad to be done. I cut two short pieces from that evening with another director, you can view them here:
Afterwards I went to Gina's, to catch the very tail end of a potluck. We're trying to do one every week. I arrived close to 11pm, and ate eagerly. Jess was there, and we took a cab home. Gina's about a 25 minute walk from my place, but the weather was frigid.
The next week I cut together footage from a conference that the magazine hosts. On Wednesday night I went to a potluck with the same people, this time at another house in Cobble Hill. This was hosted by a married couple, in their late twenties, who lived in a walk-up (no elevator) on the fourth floor. They lived in a railroad style apartment, where all the rooms are right next to each other without a hallway, so it's like a long rectangle. The theme of the night was cranberries, and the food was delicious. I made cous cous with yams and cranberries, and jess made a salad with goat cheese. The hosting couple were Russian, and they served shots of vodka on a silver tray with small silver cups with ornate designs. I abstained from the heavy stuff. Dmitri seemed to love his vodka, and wanted to throw a party focused purely on the drink.
On Friday evening I saw an old friend from Diamond Bar. He joined the military and served a couple tours in Iraq, and is a staunch republican and fairly conservative. We've stayed in touch over the years and he called me to say he was in town. I met him near Penn Station, and we went to grab a bite of pizza. He talked about the political work he was doing (he had been the campaign manager for a man who was trying to run for a seat in the house of representatives) and now he works for a non-profit group that advocates for veterans. As we ate our pizza another patron in the restaurant got into a little bit of a yelling match with one of the workers. "How bout you never come back here?" the cook screamed. "I won't!" the man screamed back. Then he sat down and ate his pizza.
We grabbed a beer while he waited for his train and he spoke a bit about being in Iraq. He said a lot of different things, and by the end of it his hands were shaking a little. "I'm just talking out of my ass" he explained, embarrassed. I felt bad for him. I remember earlier he told me that veterans don't want to be seen as victims of an unjust war. He was proud of what he did. I had thought about enlisting in college, and the more I talk to people who've served, the more glad I am that I didn't. As he entered the gate to catch his train I gave him a hug goodbye, and he wished me a happy thanksgiving. I wished him a good one too.
She didn't mention anything the whole day, and by the late afternoon I decided to ask her. I was a little unsure of how to broach the "i'm on the team and am i going to get compensated for this week" conversation, so I found a pause when the other video directors were out and got her attention.
"Are we going to be able to do a check-in today?" I asked.
"What do you mean?"
"About what you want from me here. I'm assuming we're going to move forward..."
I let the sentence hang. It was a weird moment. She said that she wanted to check in next Monday, which she had told me previously, and I'd misunderstood. Sorry, I said. I felt a little embarrassed.
At the end of the day she did speak with me though, and said they could pay me $400 per week for six weeks. Steady money, woohoo! I was a little worried about money so I was happy to take anything.
The next day I spoke with my property manager who gave me the low down on my tenant who'd been MIA since early October, and was two months past due on her rent. He ordered an official notice to quit, and then got an order of eviction, which threatens a court date unless she pays. She has two weeks to give an answer, or show up in court on December 4th. Then the judge will decide whether to evict. And apparently she can still work out a deal in court, and avoid eviction. What a long process.
Tuesday night I went with two video directors to film a birthday party in SoHo, for celebrity hairstylist Ursula Stephen. She's responsible for Rihanna's bangs, and charges tens of thousands for her work. The magazine was trying to score points with her by filming her party I guess. We showed up, set the camera up on the tripod and interviewed personalities as they came in. Many of them were radio people, but Free was there (y'all might remember the single 'Ladies Night' from way back with Missy, DaBrat, MC Lyte, or you might not) and Michelle Williams, the third member of Destiny's Child.
The party/shoot was fairly unexciting. I chatted with this dude who looked like Cedric the Entertainer in a velour blazer, who at the end of the night kept exclaiming, "you're Asian! You're Asian!" We got back to the office by 10:15, and I was glad to be done. I cut two short pieces from that evening with another director, you can view them here:
Afterwards I went to Gina's, to catch the very tail end of a potluck. We're trying to do one every week. I arrived close to 11pm, and ate eagerly. Jess was there, and we took a cab home. Gina's about a 25 minute walk from my place, but the weather was frigid.
The next week I cut together footage from a conference that the magazine hosts. On Wednesday night I went to a potluck with the same people, this time at another house in Cobble Hill. This was hosted by a married couple, in their late twenties, who lived in a walk-up (no elevator) on the fourth floor. They lived in a railroad style apartment, where all the rooms are right next to each other without a hallway, so it's like a long rectangle. The theme of the night was cranberries, and the food was delicious. I made cous cous with yams and cranberries, and jess made a salad with goat cheese. The hosting couple were Russian, and they served shots of vodka on a silver tray with small silver cups with ornate designs. I abstained from the heavy stuff. Dmitri seemed to love his vodka, and wanted to throw a party focused purely on the drink.
On Friday evening I saw an old friend from Diamond Bar. He joined the military and served a couple tours in Iraq, and is a staunch republican and fairly conservative. We've stayed in touch over the years and he called me to say he was in town. I met him near Penn Station, and we went to grab a bite of pizza. He talked about the political work he was doing (he had been the campaign manager for a man who was trying to run for a seat in the house of representatives) and now he works for a non-profit group that advocates for veterans. As we ate our pizza another patron in the restaurant got into a little bit of a yelling match with one of the workers. "How bout you never come back here?" the cook screamed. "I won't!" the man screamed back. Then he sat down and ate his pizza.
We grabbed a beer while he waited for his train and he spoke a bit about being in Iraq. He said a lot of different things, and by the end of it his hands were shaking a little. "I'm just talking out of my ass" he explained, embarrassed. I felt bad for him. I remember earlier he told me that veterans don't want to be seen as victims of an unjust war. He was proud of what he did. I had thought about enlisting in college, and the more I talk to people who've served, the more glad I am that I didn't. As he entered the gate to catch his train I gave him a hug goodbye, and he wished me a happy thanksgiving. I wished him a good one too.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Hours worked
My first paid week and I put in a lot of hours.
M: 9:30-7:00 - 9.5 hours
T: 9:30-10:00 - 12.5 hours
W: 9:30-9:30 - 12 hours
R: 10:00-6 - 8 hours
F: 9:30-7 - 9.5 hours
Total hours: 51.5
At $400 a week, that's a little under 8 dollars an hour. Phew. I am ready for the weekend.
M: 9:30-7:00 - 9.5 hours
T: 9:30-10:00 - 12.5 hours
W: 9:30-9:30 - 12 hours
R: 10:00-6 - 8 hours
F: 9:30-7 - 9.5 hours
Total hours: 51.5
At $400 a week, that's a little under 8 dollars an hour. Phew. I am ready for the weekend.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Interviewing
After completing my demo reel last week, I applied to a bunch of listings off of Craigslist for editing/video internships and got a few callbacks. One of them was from Essence magazine, another from a boutique marketing firm called iconceptmedia. I don't know if it's supposed to be one word or not.
I met with Essence on Monday. Essence magazine is part of Time Inc, and their main office is in midtown manhattan, at the southern border of Central Park. There are a few media offices on that street, including NBC studios in Rockefeller Center. The Time building is big, with a few different Time publications on each floor. Essence was on the fourth. To get in I had to show my ID at the ground floor desk, take the elevator up which opened to a closed off hall, and then call an extension on a red phone to get let into the office. I got a kick out of the whole process. The woman who originally contacted me let me in, and she turned out to be an assistant to the producer. I waited in the reception area for a while, which was fairly swanky. I felt a little self-conscious and out of my element.
I spoke with the producer, a woman in her thirties named Dorothy who was friendly. Essence.com has a TV channel and they have a lot of extra footage that needs to be cut. Then she explained the pay schedule, I'd be put on a 2 week unpaid trial period to see how I fit in with the crew, and after that I'd be paid ideally 350-400 per week to assist the team, for a period of 6 weeks or so. She also said they worked a lot of hours. I met the crew, three directors who all seemed younger than I was by a few years, but were apparently really talented. She asked me to come in later in the week to speak with the director of the online division and I said goodbye.
On Tuesday I met with the marketing company, which was renting some space in Laguardia college in Queens. It took me a while to get there on the train, and then walking through a college building to get to their space was confusing with all the kids walking around. I kept wondering if I was in the right spot. I found their office eventually, which was a couple of rooms. Two people worked in one, and the CEO was in another. He had no idea who I was (I was scheduled by an assistant who was nowhere to be found) and someone else was scheduled at the same time, which I thought was a little careless. That feeling carried over through the interview, as he pitched his company's vision: an online fashion network, featuring up and coming designers as well as the established, with lots of videos and original content, set to launch in November. He said a lot of business idioms like "build from the ground up" that I found distracting. I wasn't very confident in his ability to build an audience and monetize the site, and wasn't buying how original and different it was going to be. And I didn't believe it was as great an opportunity as he said it was.
He wasn't offering any money, asked if I could shoot for him with my own camera, edit at home on my system b/c they hadn't gotten proper equipment yet, and then recommended I get an income so I could keep doing work for him. I felt like it was exploitation, and the idea that talented people would put themselves out like this made me a little upset. It probably showed in my face because he kept implying I didn't seem interested enough. I wanted to talk about how sad it is that you can squeeze people for all their worth by dangling some abstract incentive in their future, but didn't think it a prudent move. I thanked him and went on my way. Jess later responded when I mentioned my anger, "this is how things are done in NY." Damn.
On Thursday I got a callback from a staffing agency, which had posted an ad for an executive assistant to a prominent producer. I thought it might be a good connection and I sent in my resume. I went in to see them at 2, and man it was a sad scene in that office. Lots of people who looked like sadder versions of me, sitting in their suits looking for work. Of course I thought I was too cool for that place. Being here has reminded me that I have an EGO, haha. Anyway, they made me fill out a whole bunch of forms; it felt like applying to a mix of Target and H&R Block. I was sent to a computer room to test my microsoft word and excel skills (apparently I'm a regular user) and typing speed (104 WPM and no mistakes!). I eventually spoke with the recruiter at 3:30. The whole process took an hour and a half! My big ego was offended.
Then she told me the assistantship gig was for FRANK MILLER, author of the Dark Knight Returns and Sin City and 300 and general graphic novel God Amongst Ants. My disposition made a 180. Hell yeah I'll get book flights for Frank Miller. They wanted someone who was interested in production, and said the previous assistant had moved on to work on one of his projects. It sounded great, and I said I was down, and she said she'd pass on my resume. I came out thinking what a city, where you can hook up with Frank Miller on Craigslist?!
I'm not too hopeful about that potential gig b/c I signed in with about 8 other people applying for that same job, and I think the listing had been posted several weeks ago, so they have lots of people to choose from. Who wouldn't want to work for Frank Miller's projects when graphic novel film adaptations are so hot right now?
I went back and spoke with the Essence director on Friday. This is one of the directors of the site, high on the food chain guy. He was very frank and decisive. I asked him about the site and future employment and his job experience and he was frank about everything. "You're in spring training" he said. "Trying out for the team." Afterwards I spoke with the producer again, and she reiterated how much work it was going to be. Election night is an overnight at the magazine. She made it sound like generally I was going to work through dinner. But she also said after 6 weeks my reel will have a lot of celebrities and that I'll always be able to get a job b/c of it.
I left feeling pretty good, if not overwhelmed. I'm typing this in bed right now, Jess asleep beside me–it's 4 a.m. I'm just excited I guess. I start my new gig with them on Monday.
I met with Essence on Monday. Essence magazine is part of Time Inc, and their main office is in midtown manhattan, at the southern border of Central Park. There are a few media offices on that street, including NBC studios in Rockefeller Center. The Time building is big, with a few different Time publications on each floor. Essence was on the fourth. To get in I had to show my ID at the ground floor desk, take the elevator up which opened to a closed off hall, and then call an extension on a red phone to get let into the office. I got a kick out of the whole process. The woman who originally contacted me let me in, and she turned out to be an assistant to the producer. I waited in the reception area for a while, which was fairly swanky. I felt a little self-conscious and out of my element.
I spoke with the producer, a woman in her thirties named Dorothy who was friendly. Essence.com has a TV channel and they have a lot of extra footage that needs to be cut. Then she explained the pay schedule, I'd be put on a 2 week unpaid trial period to see how I fit in with the crew, and after that I'd be paid ideally 350-400 per week to assist the team, for a period of 6 weeks or so. She also said they worked a lot of hours. I met the crew, three directors who all seemed younger than I was by a few years, but were apparently really talented. She asked me to come in later in the week to speak with the director of the online division and I said goodbye.
On Tuesday I met with the marketing company, which was renting some space in Laguardia college in Queens. It took me a while to get there on the train, and then walking through a college building to get to their space was confusing with all the kids walking around. I kept wondering if I was in the right spot. I found their office eventually, which was a couple of rooms. Two people worked in one, and the CEO was in another. He had no idea who I was (I was scheduled by an assistant who was nowhere to be found) and someone else was scheduled at the same time, which I thought was a little careless. That feeling carried over through the interview, as he pitched his company's vision: an online fashion network, featuring up and coming designers as well as the established, with lots of videos and original content, set to launch in November. He said a lot of business idioms like "build from the ground up" that I found distracting. I wasn't very confident in his ability to build an audience and monetize the site, and wasn't buying how original and different it was going to be. And I didn't believe it was as great an opportunity as he said it was.
He wasn't offering any money, asked if I could shoot for him with my own camera, edit at home on my system b/c they hadn't gotten proper equipment yet, and then recommended I get an income so I could keep doing work for him. I felt like it was exploitation, and the idea that talented people would put themselves out like this made me a little upset. It probably showed in my face because he kept implying I didn't seem interested enough. I wanted to talk about how sad it is that you can squeeze people for all their worth by dangling some abstract incentive in their future, but didn't think it a prudent move. I thanked him and went on my way. Jess later responded when I mentioned my anger, "this is how things are done in NY." Damn.
On Thursday I got a callback from a staffing agency, which had posted an ad for an executive assistant to a prominent producer. I thought it might be a good connection and I sent in my resume. I went in to see them at 2, and man it was a sad scene in that office. Lots of people who looked like sadder versions of me, sitting in their suits looking for work. Of course I thought I was too cool for that place. Being here has reminded me that I have an EGO, haha. Anyway, they made me fill out a whole bunch of forms; it felt like applying to a mix of Target and H&R Block. I was sent to a computer room to test my microsoft word and excel skills (apparently I'm a regular user) and typing speed (104 WPM and no mistakes!). I eventually spoke with the recruiter at 3:30. The whole process took an hour and a half! My big ego was offended.
Then she told me the assistantship gig was for FRANK MILLER, author of the Dark Knight Returns and Sin City and 300 and general graphic novel God Amongst Ants. My disposition made a 180. Hell yeah I'll get book flights for Frank Miller. They wanted someone who was interested in production, and said the previous assistant had moved on to work on one of his projects. It sounded great, and I said I was down, and she said she'd pass on my resume. I came out thinking what a city, where you can hook up with Frank Miller on Craigslist?!
I'm not too hopeful about that potential gig b/c I signed in with about 8 other people applying for that same job, and I think the listing had been posted several weeks ago, so they have lots of people to choose from. Who wouldn't want to work for Frank Miller's projects when graphic novel film adaptations are so hot right now?
I went back and spoke with the Essence director on Friday. This is one of the directors of the site, high on the food chain guy. He was very frank and decisive. I asked him about the site and future employment and his job experience and he was frank about everything. "You're in spring training" he said. "Trying out for the team." Afterwards I spoke with the producer again, and she reiterated how much work it was going to be. Election night is an overnight at the magazine. She made it sound like generally I was going to work through dinner. But she also said after 6 weeks my reel will have a lot of celebrities and that I'll always be able to get a job b/c of it.
I left feeling pretty good, if not overwhelmed. I'm typing this in bed right now, Jess asleep beside me–it's 4 a.m. I'm just excited I guess. I start my new gig with them on Monday.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Walking across the Manhattan Bridge
Today I decided to go into Chinatown to get my hair cut. I thought it'd be fun to walk instead of taking the train, crossing over the Manhattan Bridge to get into Manhattan. It took me about 15 minutes to get to the bridge, and then I took the pedestrian walkway, which looks like this:
It took about 10 minutes to cross the bridge. I was going at a pretty brisk pace, because I was meeting Jess after she got off work to sit before her class at 6:20. Here are some pictures from the view of the bridge:
Once I got into Manhattan you could see lots of graffiti on the rooftops:
I made it into Chinatown and got a haircut from an older woman. They are mostly Cantonese in Chinatown, but she spoke a bit of Mandarin and I did my best to talk to her. The haircut was only $8. Woohoo!
I started walking North to meet Jessica. On the way I picked up some dumplings. They sell pot stickers 5 for a dollar, which hits the spot. I got some vegetarian ones for jess too. While walking I heard someone yelling '10 dollar, 10 dollar! bike 10 dollar!' A man was trying to sell his bike on the street. I have thought about getting a bike, and 10 dollars was too good of a deal to pass up, so I stopped him and bought the bike. Take a look, can you believe I got it for so cheap?
I met with Jess later and she laughed at my on-road purchase. I gave her the dumplings and we talked a bit before she had to go to class. Then I biked over to the Franklin D Roosevelt highway where people jog and bike along the coast. I found an area with bars and things where people were working out, and I stopped in and did some pullups and pushups. Eventually, I biked back across the bridge home. A good trip!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
feeling significance
standing on the sidewalk outside my building and staring up at my newly empty second story apartment i feel it a bit, the feeling of significance. moving everything out my apartment was significant, driving my things down to brooklyn is significant. renting out my place is significant. tonight, in the quiet of my friends condo, when i am finally alone, i feel it a little more, this is significant. my life should be significant.
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