Up and available for viewing as of last night :-)
Feedback has so far been 100% positive!... but that's also primarily friends and family.
The subject, Marianne, is a good friend of mine and was kind enough to be the guinea pig for my first episode. I am happy with how it turned out. I feel I should have been more meticulous with the interview process: I forgot to ask her to do a few things that would have made editing easier, but that is my fault. I honestly lucked out having Marianne for the first episode - the perfect subject for Part 1. I learned a lot of how I'm going to do subsequent Modern Portland's from her so a big thanks to Marianne. Other well deserved thanks can be seen in the end credits on the first video. I need to especially thank the people that helped me get permission to shoot at Pacific University Oregon on such short notice.
Plugging the video into the social network pipeline has been harder than I thought it would be. I need to hit up forums and the like its just I really don't know which ones are the right ones since I'm so new to the area. I'm hesitant to just hit all of them up for fear of being overwhelmed. Probably my second weakest trait for the series. My first? Sales.
I haven't really 'sold' the marketing potential that Modern Portland has to anybody yet. It's just not my thing! Sales to me is hard - I know I have a good product and it'd be other humans that I'm selling to... humans just like me, that have gone out on a limb and really put themselves out there professionally, but it isn't something I'm comfortable doing. I really am scared of not being able to do that part of it at all. Grants are my next best bet. I met a guy at ultimate frisbee pick-up named Dan, and he seemed conveniently knowledgeable about different organizations that would be interested in giving me a grant or two to do what I'm doing. I gave him my email but have not heard from him. I need to get on that...
Speaking of need to get a move on... the second episode has more or less hit a wall. I need to be more vigilant on my search for people to interview. I feel that these first 3 parts are going to be the hardest. Maybe I should loosen up some parameters on this second episode. I was being pretty specific. I am looking for a couple, low to mid 30's, both employed, a young kid was 'optional' (for my purposes :-P), and have lived in the city for 3 - 5 years. I met up with my new documentary film buddy, Matt, today to help him shoot for his Rhino doc and he had another captain of the team there with him, Mario. Mario brought up a good point: Most people move to Portland in their 20's, so you would be hard fought to find 30-somethings that have only been here for that short amount of time. I am going to touch base with the captain of Tire Fire, Mike, about getting in touch with some older couples. He seems pretty established and has a 9-year-old kid. He is also a teacher and would know a lot of families. I would ask him to be my next focus but I need to try to reach out beyond the ultimate community.
Overall, it does not look like Modern Portland will be a weekly thing... at least not yet: I'd need to establish a pretty good rhythm for that to happen and it might be possible later on down the road. But not now. Right now I need to concentrate on making a quality product, using local resources, and saving personal resources.
Portland Facts: Portland is actually very well known for having so many nicknames! A few good ones are Stumptown, Bridgetown, Little Beirut (?), Beervania, Beertown, P-Town, Soccer City USA, Portlandia, PDX, and the most common, The City of Roses, which became the official nickname in 2003. [source]
Friday, October 14, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
First Episode Oct 13th!
Oh geez... that's not that far away, either!
I had my first 'on the field' experience with all my new equipment last Thursday. I followed around a grad student that is originally from the Midwest and is new to Portland. She will be the subject for the first part (of three) of the first episode. I have to say that it went really well! I always shoot too much video so I won't get to use 85% of it, but that's alright. Stock footage!
This was what my first day shooting was like:
I'm going all out for this video. I'm getting b-roll of stuff I don't necessarily have to get - makes it feel more complete. And I want this to be complete. I worry that I won't have as much time for my next part (2 of 3) for the first episode, but I'll just have to pull it together. I hope to get all 3 parts of the first episode out over the next 3 Thursdays. That's one a week! I have to do this for myself though. I have to see if I can handle such a grueling schedule. It might not sound it, but it is quite grueling for just one person to get everything you need for something like I'm doing and turn it over and out in that time frame and still have it be a quality product.
Editing has been a chore for sure. I keep finding things I can make better now that I have the time to produce in post. Overall, I know this is going to come down to the wire. I wanted to have a tease for the first episode done by today, but editing for this first episode keeps taking priority. For tonight, I believe I'm going to try to complete it as much as I can (with only 2 things left to shoot) and then work on a tease from the ground up tomorrow first thing. Should be done by the end of the business day... Like I said; it's hard doing this by yourself...
Blog Post Afterthoughts: Having the audio and video collected seperately has not been as hard as I thought it would be. ALSO! I am now being followed by the Mayor of Portland, Sam Adams! This of course after being turned down for an interview... I'll get him for a future episode though, for sure :-)
Portland Fact: Portland was named after the town in Maine after Francis Pettygrove, one of the city founders, won a coin toss and go to name is after his hometown! The other founder, Asa Lovejoy, wanted to name it after his hometown of Boston. The coin they flipped to make the decision is called the "Portland Penny" and is on display at the Oregon Historical Society Museum.
I had my first 'on the field' experience with all my new equipment last Thursday. I followed around a grad student that is originally from the Midwest and is new to Portland. She will be the subject for the first part (of three) of the first episode. I have to say that it went really well! I always shoot too much video so I won't get to use 85% of it, but that's alright. Stock footage!
This was what my first day shooting was like:
- I got up at 5:30am and made myself presentable.
- Rigged up a carrying strap for my tripod (looks awesome).
- Got to the subject of Ep1:Pt1's house at 6:30am.
- She left for the bus at 7am.
- Followed her on to the bus and got a day-pass.
- Rode ~25mins to Pioneer Square.
- Got on the Max & rode for ~45mins.
- Got to her college and hit a snag...
So, I enter the building with the subject and we are immediately greeted by a security guard. He asked if we had permission and we said, "Not really" kind of coyly. I had to stop filming at that moment but getting the subject in the classroom was essential (though I didn't really think so at the time). The guard let us go up to a person's office that could help us. From there we were led to numerous people all bending over backwards to get help me get what I needed. It was actually a fantastic experience, even though I'm not a fan of bureaucracy. The people of this university never made me feel like I was inconveniencing them at all - very polite, proactive, and courteous. End result was I ended up staying/following the subject around all day, in the classroom, in a lab, and even got to relax and talk to her on the ride home. I got tons of great footage and she gave me a great interview at the end of the day!
I'm going all out for this video. I'm getting b-roll of stuff I don't necessarily have to get - makes it feel more complete. And I want this to be complete. I worry that I won't have as much time for my next part (2 of 3) for the first episode, but I'll just have to pull it together. I hope to get all 3 parts of the first episode out over the next 3 Thursdays. That's one a week! I have to do this for myself though. I have to see if I can handle such a grueling schedule. It might not sound it, but it is quite grueling for just one person to get everything you need for something like I'm doing and turn it over and out in that time frame and still have it be a quality product.
Editing has been a chore for sure. I keep finding things I can make better now that I have the time to produce in post. Overall, I know this is going to come down to the wire. I wanted to have a tease for the first episode done by today, but editing for this first episode keeps taking priority. For tonight, I believe I'm going to try to complete it as much as I can (with only 2 things left to shoot) and then work on a tease from the ground up tomorrow first thing. Should be done by the end of the business day... Like I said; it's hard doing this by yourself...
Blog Post Afterthoughts: Having the audio and video collected seperately has not been as hard as I thought it would be. ALSO! I am now being followed by the Mayor of Portland, Sam Adams! This of course after being turned down for an interview... I'll get him for a future episode though, for sure :-)
Portland Fact: Portland was named after the town in Maine after Francis Pettygrove, one of the city founders, won a coin toss and go to name is after his hometown! The other founder, Asa Lovejoy, wanted to name it after his hometown of Boston. The coin they flipped to make the decision is called the "Portland Penny" and is on display at the Oregon Historical Society Museum.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Portlanded
Things are really moving along! In these past weeks I've:
... regarding Mayor Sam Adams; I will get him in another episode for sure :-)
Pretty fantastic if you ask me. A fun story I'd like to share about the :30 teaser trailer (the Fremont Bridge): I had just bought both my camera and my tripod and having bought my laptop the day before I found a nice coffee place to do some Modern Portland networking. After sitting there for a while I looked up and though, "I have what I need to shoot a teaser trailer... why don't I do that?!" The sun was on it's way down and I probably had half an hour of sunlight left. The only acceptable shot was of the Fremont Bridge, since that is the one on my Logo. That particular bridge is the second most Northern bridge in the whole city! I'm sitting at the corner of SW 4th Ave and SW Adler St! I had a decision to make; run and beat the sun or shrug my shoulders and save it for another day. Side note - I was not driving to the Fremont Bridge. Traffic would have been terrible! I throw my laptop in my car and run to the river. I turn North and start sprinting! The sun is already behind the buildings to my left... I ask some passing bikers if I'm going the right way. They say, "Yeah, but you'll want to get higher than river level to get a good shot! YOU'LL NEVER MAKE IT" [Ed.: So they didn't actually say that last part, but it definitely makes writing this more fun!] After running for what felt like eternity (in my street clothes, camera and tripod in hand, gasping for breath) I finally make it to the Broadway Bridge! It's just South of the Fremont Bridge. I set up on the side facing my prize view just as the sun hits the Fremont Bridge and calls for some fantastic lighting! The camera did not capture how sweet it looked. I was standing there as bikers passed me on the bridge laughing to myself... I probably looked like a mad man! But that's alright; I had the entire walk back to my car to just be smug for myself ;-) After getting home, I check out how far I actually ran. It was just over a mile! Good thing I've gotten into jogging this past year! All in all, it's a memory that won't be fading any time soon...
Last Thursday marked a big day for me: I finally bought all necessary equipment to start shooting! Here is my Equipment Listing Video (posted from my personal channel):
Pretty interesting stuff, eh? Yeah, ok, not really... I think you have to appreciate video production. But trust me, this is all good stuff. Here are some specifics:
- Bought all necessary equipment
- Shot and edited 2 (a :30 and a :15) teaser trailers
- Made an equipment listing video
- Set a date for the first episode
- Got shot down by the office of the mayor for an interview
... regarding Mayor Sam Adams; I will get him in another episode for sure :-)
Personally, the housing situation is still pseudo up in the air. I'm at a house right now, but just for the month of October. I'm hoping these two guys that I'm talking to will get back to me. They're month-to-month and looking to get out of the Pearl District because rent is too high there.
Still haven't talked pricing with any businesses yet. I have 3 business cards currently waiting to be used, but they just sit there. I'm waiting until I have more to show for and maybe that will get them a better idea of what I'm going for. That's what I'm telling myself anyway. Honestly, that part is my least favorite out of all this. Sales just isn't my thing. I'm making myself do this, though, because, after all, I believe in the product!
Speaking of 'The Product', here are my two teaser trailers that were done with Adobe Premiere:
Pretty fantastic if you ask me. A fun story I'd like to share about the :30 teaser trailer (the Fremont Bridge): I had just bought both my camera and my tripod and having bought my laptop the day before I found a nice coffee place to do some Modern Portland networking. After sitting there for a while I looked up and though, "I have what I need to shoot a teaser trailer... why don't I do that?!" The sun was on it's way down and I probably had half an hour of sunlight left. The only acceptable shot was of the Fremont Bridge, since that is the one on my Logo. That particular bridge is the second most Northern bridge in the whole city! I'm sitting at the corner of SW 4th Ave and SW Adler St! I had a decision to make; run and beat the sun or shrug my shoulders and save it for another day. Side note - I was not driving to the Fremont Bridge. Traffic would have been terrible! I throw my laptop in my car and run to the river. I turn North and start sprinting! The sun is already behind the buildings to my left... I ask some passing bikers if I'm going the right way. They say, "Yeah, but you'll want to get higher than river level to get a good shot! YOU'LL NEVER MAKE IT" [Ed.: So they didn't actually say that last part, but it definitely makes writing this more fun!] After running for what felt like eternity (in my street clothes, camera and tripod in hand, gasping for breath) I finally make it to the Broadway Bridge! It's just South of the Fremont Bridge. I set up on the side facing my prize view just as the sun hits the Fremont Bridge and calls for some fantastic lighting! The camera did not capture how sweet it looked. I was standing there as bikers passed me on the bridge laughing to myself... I probably looked like a mad man! But that's alright; I had the entire walk back to my car to just be smug for myself ;-) After getting home, I check out how far I actually ran. It was just over a mile! Good thing I've gotten into jogging this past year! All in all, it's a memory that won't be fading any time soon...
Last Thursday marked a big day for me: I finally bought all necessary equipment to start shooting! Here is my Equipment Listing Video (posted from my personal channel):
Pretty interesting stuff, eh? Yeah, ok, not really... I think you have to appreciate video production. But trust me, this is all good stuff. Here are some specifics:
- Sony a55 with a 18-70mm lens
- 16gb SD card in the camera
- QuantaRay tripod + monopod
- Asus Republic of Gamers Laptop
- Intel quadcore i7 processor
- Nvidia Geforce GTX graphic card
- 1tb harddrive
- Adobe CS5 installed (includes Premiere, Photoshop, After Effects, etc.)
- Logitech Wireless trackball M570 mouse
- A Zoom H1 handheld recording device
- 16gb miniSD card in that
- Audiotechnica Pro70 wired Lav Mic
- 10 ft of XLR cable
- 3 pin XLR to 3.5mm jack adapter
And that's about it!
Tomorrow is a big day. I have my first interview. I've decided to split the first interview up into 3 parts. The first part is the interview I'm doing tomorrow: the Newcomer to Portland episode. I actually still have to find someone that's been here for a few years with a significant other, and a family that has been here their whole life. I feel the latter might be tougher than the former. But that is for another day! I have the first interview tomorrow and we will just have to go from there!
The first episode will premiere on October 13th. It will be entitled
Modern Portland: The Series Has Portlanded! pt 1 of 3!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Modern Portland: A Series of Short Films
This YouTube video project looks to document what makes Portland, OR great! Whether it be weird, cool, funny, serious, or inspiring Modern Portland wants to capture it in a series of Documentary Shorts.
During each episode we will be diving into a subculture of Portland and exploring the people that make what they do (and where they do it) possible.
The first season is looking to be launched mid-October. The first episode will be entitled "The Series has Portlanded"... Stay tune!
"Modern Portland believes in the idea that everybody belongs somewhere. The purpose of this documentary series is to help those that belong in this fantastic city find their home"
YouTube
Facebook Page
Twitter
Please like/fav/follow/subscribe to my links above! Thank you!
Launching in mid-October! Stay tuned...
During each episode we will be diving into a subculture of Portland and exploring the people that make what they do (and where they do it) possible.
The first season is looking to be launched mid-October. The first episode will be entitled "The Series has Portlanded"... Stay tune!
"Modern Portland believes in the idea that everybody belongs somewhere. The purpose of this documentary series is to help those that belong in this fantastic city find their home"
YouTube
Facebook Page
Please like/fav/follow/subscribe to my links above! Thank you!
Launching in mid-October! Stay tuned...
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