The View from the Brown Couch Week 2

I was lucky enough to have company on my third evening visit to Modelinia for the tape run. As we sat down on that lovely brown couch, my company said to me, "This is a really nice couch." I knew it wasn't just me! What do you think?



That night, it was absolutely fantastic to have company because the tapes took the longest that they had taken yet. Not much went on that third night aside from anxiety. I saw some familiar faces, said some hellos, and sat patiently with my co-intern until we found ourselves, again, racing for the studio arriving in time for the show to run.

I would have the following two nights off from doing the tape runs. As I would later learn, my co-intern showed up even later to the studio both those nights. I prepared myself for Thursday--the final night of Fashion Week--to be the longest wait yet (but hey even the smallest mistake in edit could create a terrible show). As I showed up to pick up the tapes, I was instantly told to "Get comfortable." So I took my position in the front lobby on the beloved brown couch.

Since I had plenty of time, I reflected on my week.

With my day off on Wednesday, I headed up to Columbia University, walked around the campus, and then looked on to the Gossip Girl set as Chase Crawford and Leighton Meester filmed a scene. Three young girls were standing in front of me giggling and enjoying their February break from school. As Leighton walked off the set, the three girls, with no fear, approached her and asked for a picture. Leighton told them that she would only take the picture if it was a group picture. I saw the three girls faces all drop as they realized that they had no one to take their picture for them. So, I sacrificed my own picture with Leighton to take the camera from the girls and take their photo for them. --I remember when I was 13, and taking pictures with the members of Dream Street was all I had wanted to do as my "posse" (as we called ourselves then) followed the band around on their tour. This picture really seemed to make the day for these girls, so it in turn made me smile.




My mind came back to my present situation. I looked at my cell phone, in order to check the time, and I realized I still had plenty of time before I would be heading anywhere. I saw some more familiar faces again, made some more conversation, got a glimpse of the president of the company, and said hello to a lot of a strangers.

After two hours of sitting, and waiting, the first tape was done, and I was off. The tapes would make it to our studio in time, and our week of anxiety and mad dashes was over.

Fashion Week and I had quite the love-hate relationship, but in the end I would miss my second dose of workouts for the day, the opportunities to see the world within a fashion corporation, and the opportunity to interact with people who had such a passion for something, other than what I had ever had a passion for--fashion.

So as the the wonderful Fashion Week was coming to an end, so were my thoughts of being thankful for my hair cut, my gym membership--and that glorious brown couch.

The View from the Brown Couch

All I could think as I walked into Modelinia’s office was “God, I am glad that I got my hair cut last week.” I didn’t meet one person in that office who wasn’t well put together from his or her hair cut right down to his or her shoes. It makes a statement. In fact, the whole office makes a statement as everything from the office doors to the green and white mix of paint on the walls shouted beauty. There was no appearance of clutter either, which of course whispered, “We are classy in every aspect.”

I felt as though I had just walked out of the real world and into the movie, The Devil Wears Prada; only here, people were greeting me with smiling faces and offers to grab me a Vitamin Water from the back…My complexion must have been begging for vitamins.

However, even sitting there in the entrance of the office, I didn't feel completely out of place—my haircut, my choice to sport my most non-casual black boots, twill pants, and a purple top definitely had something to do with that.

I was picking up tapes so that our station could air footage from New York City's much loved Fashion Week. The woman I was meeting to pick up the tapes from offered to invite me back, but then explained that space was tight and it was hot and there were many people. I understood, so I took a seat on the most perfect couch and waited patiently for the tapes. As I looked to my left, I saw the most perfect pillows and a light that looked like it had just walked down the runway itself. I looked to my right, and I saw the secretary's desk, and in front of me, I stared into the glass doors that offered a reflection of only myself in this office. I almost felt better looking, just sitting in an office that had Model in the title, even though everything around me was threatening me with insults. My skin was pale and my face was bare of any make-up, but I didn’t let it affect me as I sat and waited. The industry treats you well if you keep a smile on your face and take the delays with a grain of salt. The truth was I wasn’t going to make it to our studio by the 7:45 deadline, and we knew that from the moment I walked in the door, so I made my phone calls, sat back, and waited, all while thinking…”Thank God that I had gotten a haircut.”

As the time inched closer to deadline, I reached for my phone to see how much time I had. Then I was handed the tapes, and the races were on. The train felt extra slow while I mentally prepared myself for a run I didn’t know my legs would make. The distance wasn’t the issue. It was my choice to wear boots on the ice filled streets something I had never been met with before in any of my training for sports—an obstacle course, fantastic. I jumped off the subway, took a peek at the map, so I wouldn’t be disoriented coming out of the underground, I took off for the studio, rang the bell, and handed off the tapes. The show was out of my hands now. When 10:00 came around the episode would roll. As I turned away from the studio, I reached for my hood and threw it over my head. Then I could only think to do one thing…call my mother and thank her for my gym membership. Suddenly my haircut mattered a little less than something else.

Part 2

My second trip to Modelinia was short and sweet. As I rode up the elevator, I knew this would be much simpler than my first trip—I just had to trade 1 tape for another. Bada bing bada boom. It would be another 7 hours until I’d have to return and race the clock again. This time I sported black pants, a red shirt, and a new suit jacket that I had bought on sale at Urban Outfitters—tagged at 80, I bought it for 20! I felt good—I felt snazzy. That is how you know it will be a good day—you feel snazzy.

I used to feel snazzy in my field hockey jersey on games days in high school, but this was a different snazzy—a work world snazzy.

As I returned to Modelinia for my third visit in two days, I wondered if I would look snazzy to these people. I had picked up a few compliments at work, but when I arrived there was no time to feel snazzy or anything else. The editors were hard at work to make sure I would get everything to our studio on time, or close to the time that I had gotten there the night before.

They looked at me and apologized for the delay. With a smile, I said it was okay, and walked back out to the brown couch that I had made myself so comfortable on the day before. This couch was something you dream about having in your living room—or what I dream about having in my living room. I remember my mother once offered to buy things from her favorite hotel in Rhode Island. I was ready to make an offer in this office.

I continued my waiting, by again analyzing the office. In addition, I talked with one of the employees, an HR representative, and we just talked about how great the NYC life is and other little things. She left and soon I just sat back to admire some more. And I thought to myself “I still feel snazzy—it’s still a good day”

As I sat on the brown couch I remembered how my friend interned at Vogue last year, and I thought, she must have felt what I am feeling now, every day, only in piles and piles of shoes! The office was a bit more dead than it had been the night before, but this was somewhat calming—I could take in all my surroundings, watch people as they walked by (maybe thinking, wow she looks snazzy in that jacket) and listen to the silence of the office. As I eventually stood up to retrieve the tapes—this time only one tape—I began my dash, and quickly thought, “I wish this snazzy jacket was a cape which I could use to fly…” And again, I was off, on the subway train, out of the underground, and at the backdoor of our studio. When 10:00 came around, the new episode would air—and I would sleep—feeling thankful for my haircut, my gym membership, and my snazzy coat…and I would dream sweetly of that brown couch--at least until next week's adventures.

Get the skills you need, to get the job you want

Picture Courtesy of NYC Media Group

“If you’re not excited about something…what’s the point?”

As I sat down at the picnic table in the back of the office, to enjoy lunch, with one of my producers on a cold Monday, we got to talking about the endless possibilities in New York City, and all the things that you can see and do. She mentioned that she had read a blog entry of mine and discussed an intern she had met last year who did many of the same things that I am doing. We determined that this was called “interning within the internship.”

It inspired me to write my first essay in what felt like months. It was what I needed to get the fingers typing thoughtful ideas again. And that’s what every day here is—an inspiration to write down film ideas, television program ideas, documentaries, stories, narratives, essays—there is inspiration in every page of the city.

Last week, I was inspired as we wrapped on our last episode of the Job Hunt, which began airing last Tuesday night. On Friday, we shot our second to last episode of the series which focuses on my generation and the troubles we will find in the job market, and how to avoid those troubles. All the advice that was given was more than helpful, and as I sat at the teleprompter I took several notes:


- 1 page—2 page at most resume.

- Cater the resume to the job you are applying to.

- Remember you dream job, but remember that maybe right now isn’t the time
for your dream job. Baby steps.

- Network: Use Facebook as a means of impressing employers by posting other work experience, links to things that are
relevant to the job market you are pursuing, becoming a fan of their pages. Use Twitter to follow people in that
company, whether it is HR or the business department, follow the company, so that you know what is going on. Get
on LinkedIn, which is a bit more professional than either of the two forementioned. On here, you can see what
companies have browsed through your profile.

- Follow up on resumes. Don’t sit at home and think that just because you spent three hours sending resumes to the cyber
world that you are going to get a job. You need to be proactive.

- Never just walk into a business and expect a meeting. Follow-up with emails and phone calls.

- Dress to impress.

- Make sure that you are doing the job search well in advance.

- Take advantage of websites like www.urbaninterns.com, www.craigslist.com, and www.mandy.com.

- The more internships you have, the more experience you can put on your resume, the more likely an employer is to give
you a shot.


The job world may appear to be shrinking, but it’s not non-existent. In fact, new jobs, new titles, and new opportunities are opening up in novelty areas every day. A job that didn’t exist ten years ago, is now here—and in another two years, there will be jobs that we don’t have now. It's time, as "Gen Y" to throw ourselves out there: blog, network, follow-up, dress well, and take advantage of every opportunity; mold ourselves into a multi-talented workers--and attain the skills we need--to get the jobs we want.

It's all about the experience(s)

When I first came to New York City, it was all about the glorious idea of this awesome internship, and needless to say, the internship is beyond awesome thus far. But I think part of coming to New York City for the internship involves much more than just the internship itself, but all the other avenues that I get to explore and experience while in the city. This week I got to visit new places, converse with strangers, and learn things that I hadn’t even really thought about before, and I think that is what truly makes the overall experience of the internship as rewarding as it is.

One of my tasks since coming here has been to visit as many television show tapings as possible, try to get experience shadowing at talk shows and late night shows, and become well-accustomed to the production world. I took a break from that this week. That, of course, may have been hindered partially because I found myself bed-ridden Wednesday due to either the 24 hour bug or food poisoning. Either way, my break from the TV world, this weekend, was a solid one.

Saturday, one of our freelance producers, who recently graduated from NYU’s grad program, had a showing of the documentary that she worked on through out grad school. Her documentary followed guns in churches, in Kentucky. She examined the differences that people in the south feel towards guns as opposed to the way people in New England or the tri-state area really think about guns. The overall idea was excellent and the way that she went about it in a lighter (not so dark) mood, really helped to get the story of these people in the church in Kentucky across. But in going to the showing, I not only got to view my producer’s documentary, I also got to view many other student documentaries including one on recycling in NYC, one on a home-schooled family in Massachusetts, one on a type-2 diabetic mother, and two which hit even more larger topics such as illegal immigrants who attend public school but then find troubles after and families who take in elderly war veterans and try to help them to recover. Each of these films offered me something that I didn’t know before. Whether it was that broken glass that gets recycled becomes part of our roads or that illegal immigrants are working in accordance to get a bill passed called DREAM—I was able to take something and care a little bit more deeply about it, something that my documentary teacher at URI had explained is the purpose of making documentary.

In addition to the documentary showing, I also visited the Tim Burton exhibit this weekend, where I saw some of Burton’s earliest drawings and writings. All I could think as I looked through his drawings was “wow what a hobby.” Some of his earliest works represented pictures that I recognized from the big screen—and of course others didn’t but were still rather amusing.

The best part was the life size statue of Edward Scissorhands, which serves, with no doubt in my mind, to be his best film. The work that had to go into that film and how beautiful it turned out is absolutely beyond me, and from the sketches I saw, it seemed as though it was a project he did not want to get wrong—and he didn’t.

After this weekend, I am sure that I will take advantage of many more free showings like that at NYU, and will probably take even more advantage of museum special exhibits…. Who knows what sorts of ideas may pop up for my own greatness.

Standby

Standby
5...4...3...2...1

I think I got that down to a science now as we jumped into shooting our new series called Job Hunt last week, in which host Tory Johnson discusses with various panelists different techniques of how to get a job in the low economy right now.

My responsibility on the shoots is to run the teleprompter and help the guests out as needed. Of course, I always wish I could write in fun things on the teleprompter such as: Libs is amazing.

The show is extremely helpful, especially to someone in my shoes, specifically because, soon, I will be searching for my own job. I have learned what to put and what not to put in my resumer, how long the resume should be, how to format the resume, and how to get it into the hands of the right people. I have also learned new networking sites such as LinkedIN, and I have also learned the best way to speak to someone via Skype or iChat for a job interview. All this information is necessary as the economy stays low and the job hunt for those unemployed or just leaving college increases.

Last week, I also had the chance to get to know a few my producers a bit more. I learned that one taught in Jamaica for a bit, and that another taught in Japan for three years. I also learned that one producer grew up in Mexico and also lived in Spain and Yugoslavia. All of their advice to me was to travel--and enjoy life--that's what your 20's are for. And they are absolutely right. I can't wait to get my feet out the door and flight tickets in my hands for this summer. Am hoping for a trip to Munich for enjoyment, and Haiti for help and documentation.

One disappointment this week was that I learned that many of the producers on the Job Hunt show are freelance, which means that they will not longer be with us after the Job Hunt. It is from many of these people that I have already learned a lot about the industry, gained a new nickname "Cheerios," and seen how television is run. I hope that I will get work with them on future projects.

But in good news--my co-workers have all taken a liking to my Jeans Video---and I now go by ceLibs and Libs at work, which makes me that much more comfortable.

Last thing worth noting is that I have found a home here. It reminds me a lot of Rome...I don't mind my time that I have by myself, and the days seem to go fast--I think that is how college should have always been for me. Whether it's Chicago or NYC where I end up in the next 6 months, I know a big city is all I want--and all I need.

Week 2 of Production

Before coming to New York City, I was convinced that if I walked by a celebrity on a street, I would have no idea it was a celebrity. This happened to me twice this week. As I looked on at the set of Gossip Girl for a quick hour on Monday, Taylor Momsen walked by me several times, and I did many double-takes, but still was convinced it wasn't her. The next day I saw fan pictures online, and of course--it was her.

On Thursday night, NYC Media helped put together an event at the Apollo called Fighting for Justice in which a choir opened up the show before a presentation of the documentary called Fighting for Justice which features two New Yorkers who helped break the boundaries between black and white. Following the film, there was a guest panel. Sitting in on this event were two well known people--Billy Cosby's wife and Tamara Tunie who plays the coroner on Law and Order SVU. I had no idea.

But maybe I had no idea, for a good reason. It had nothing to do with these celebrities who were sitting there, sure in a way it did, but the night wasn't about who showed up, it was about the idea that people did show up and that people care to see these movements and the change that has happened over the years.

As I helped to check-in guests, I could hear the choirs performance echoing through the auditorium. I knew this was a night to remember for everyone who sat in on this event.

This week also brought with it, not only missed encounters, but more projects to focus on as the new show we are putting together gets close to being filmed and edited together for it's premier in February. This week I helped transcribe more film, researched New York City job fairs coming up, and New York employment and unemployment rates. Other projects included digitizing film, researching New York City factoids.

I also began my own project this week, in which I hope to start planning out a bit more, but it was the first time I took my video camera out since settling down from the craziness of moving in. Am hoping to write up a story-board and get moving on this as soon as I have a new battery and new DV's.

It's already been two weeks since I have moved here, and with the time moving fast, I can easily say that it is going to be a fantastic semester filled with missed-celebrity spotting, new opportunities, and plenty of surprises.

Production of the world--beyond the camera

There are certain events in our lifetime that we will undoubtedly remember every detail of. For me, these events include the first time I missed an episode of Full House, the moment I verbally committed to a college for field hockey, the night in which I made my high school graduation speech, the very first step that I took off the plane in Italy my junior year of college, and the exact moment that I watched the twin towers fall. Only one of these experiences I have shared with millions of other people, and we have all experienced in different ways.

One of my favorite things about meeting new people is hearing their stories, taking a trip through a part of their life, and seeing what makes them the way they are. What has a person been through? What stories has that person heard? Where has that person traveled? What is their typical day like? And what could be a disruption to their typical day?

The answer is a traumatic event. I have had many discussions with people about the falling of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Some people seem numb to the fact that it happened, and in others I can still sense devastation. As I walked out of the subway system at the Chambers Street and World Trade Center stop, I realized that I was walking where thousands of people had ran in fear just eight and a half years ago. Later in the day, as I looked out the window of my internship building, I realized that some of my co-workers, my producers, my new mentors may have seen the entire event from a front row view. This terrified me.

As I reached to put my folder away, I realized that I had been met with the tantalizing view again. I looked at my fellow producer, sitting at her desk, and asked how long she had lived in New York. Her response was that she had moved here in the 70’s. My next question was if she had been in our building when 9/11 occurred and her response was no, that she had been doing free lance on the upper west, but that for some time that year, and the years prior she had taken the subway into the World Trade Center and walked through the World Trade Center every day to work, but that it is a day she could never let go of.

I watched her eyes, carefully, as she continued to tell me her story. At the end of each sentence, she paused, taking a breath, as if with each breath she was envisioning that day perfectly. I can imagine that many New Yorkers remember the day in a similar way. She continued telling me the story by jumping to the weeks following before adding on to the day itself. She said that for weeks she envisioned herself walking up through the subway station and seeing the faces of the workers in the shops on the bottom floor--for weeks that's what she saw.

As she continued on telling her story, I realized that what I felt that day compared in no way to what people felt, who were here and part of the entire experience. I felt in a way, really badly at the moment, because speaking about such an event must be traumatizing, in itself, but she didn’t seem to mind telling the story, just so long as she could pause every few moments to re-gather her thoughts.

The story got more intense as she discussed the moments following the first hit and the experience that she had in those following minutes. Before she had known about the second plane crashing into the WTC, she walked down the street and next to her was an Israeli man. As she got into this story, the pauses got longer. The Israeli man turned to her and asked her in a commanding way “You know who did this right?” And her response was no. The words that came out of his mouth next were shocking…”It was those sand N……” I was taken aback as that sentence came out of my producer’s mouth—nearly as shocked as she must have been.

As she continued her story, she mentioned that this was the first moment in which she realized that this could be an act of terrorism…and that she was in such disbelief. The days that followed brought to my producer very somber times. She spoke of a time that she got on a bus, in the city, sat down, rode for a little, and then watched a fireman get on the bus. In the moments that the fireman stepped from the road to the bust, the entire bus went silent. New York City was still in a state of shock.

In the days following my producer’s story, I can honestly say that I am in a little bit of a state of shock as well. When I look back on the events that I remember every detail of, nothing adds up to something as huge and terrible as the trauma and turmoil that the people of New York City felt in those moments of the attacks. My conversation with my producer came at a time when a catastrophic event was taking place across the world, in Haiti. It is these moments, these events, that really build character and personality, that really build a person and broaden the understandings of things around them.

When put into perspective, this story is just one of the millions of stories of people who witnessed the event with VIP access. It is my experiences at the office and my experiences in and around the city that are going to make my internship the most memorable. As I learn about the production world filled with cameras, teleprompters, and sound systems, I learn about the production of the entire world and how we all run—and I think that will be equally as rewarding as the moments I spend behind a camera or at a desk helping to put together a show. It is just one unbelievable story in a library of others that I look forward to hearing in the coming months.