Today I ran into chuck and he gave me a grievance about where my documentary was going. I stopped by to fill out my time sheet and he told me “Listen, this thing has to be about Titan Crew…not me” in his gruff voice. He sounded…well…pissed about what I was doing. This kinda of discouraged me. Not him saying that, but him not appreciating what he has done for so many people who have come through this major.
I told him “Well this documentary is about Titan Crew…and the only two things that have been consistent with it over the years are the truck and you.” He still didn’t seem very excited about it even after that, but how do you tell someone that they are a mentor whenever they don’t want to hear it? Easy! I had other people do it for me. I simply think it’s vital to document the his importance to a select group of people, even if he doesn’t want to see it. Also, Chuck is a behind the scenes type of guy and doesn’t like to be put on camera, and I respect that because I am kind of the same way. But what exactly is wrong with me putting him as the focal point to a group of people. Every crew needs its captain and Chuck is Titan Crews, plain and simple.
Aside from that, I need to think of some sort of title for this damn thing. I started out with Life with Chuck in the Truck, but now I think I want to call it Titan Crew…Join at your own risk. I think it really compliments the fact that no one expects it to be what this activity becomes to you. Titan Crew is kinda your dysfunctional family, and of course in a good way.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Capstone Continued
As I continue my journey down this path known as Capstone a.k.a the most stressful thing I have ever done in my life, I have begun to slowly feel more comfortable with what I’m doing. I have put together a mental timeline of how I want this documentary to go.
I am going to start off with two things, though I haven’t decided the order. I will have answers to the question of “Who is Chuck Chirozzi”, then “What is Titan Crew” both montage style with one person who repeated the question and then some answers. I chose this because I feel it gives a good introduction to what I am trying to accomplish of what Titan Crew is, but still keeps the audience interested in what is to come. Also there are a lot of interesting emotionally charged answers to it which will trigger responses, or at least I hope, from people who don’t even know what Titan Crew is or who Chuck is by relating the answers to people or situations they know of.
After that I am going to start off with a timeline of how the Titan Crew has gotten to the point that it is now over the past 20 some years. Here I will use a lot of Chuck’s interview stuff so people understand how and what it is today. I feel this is important because a lot of people just see it as being “Here”, which isn’t the case. Also in this section, which will be the main course of what I’m showing, I will include a story or two from alumni that I interviewed. This again is a good way to appeal to people’s emotions because of how they can relate to what crazy stories there are.
Finally, I am going to end it with why Titan Crew is so important to the major. A lot of people overlook the practical real world experience that you get from being in it. And, as has been stated by many people, it’s nothing like The County Line or Titan Radio. We are a dysfunctional group of people that somehow have a blast while doing something tangible. I am fearful that Titan Crew will disappear without chuck, and that is the last thing I or the current/former members would want to see. It would be like watching something that you created die, or get torn down.
So that’s my timeline…Lets just see how well I can portray it.
I am going to start off with two things, though I haven’t decided the order. I will have answers to the question of “Who is Chuck Chirozzi”, then “What is Titan Crew” both montage style with one person who repeated the question and then some answers. I chose this because I feel it gives a good introduction to what I am trying to accomplish of what Titan Crew is, but still keeps the audience interested in what is to come. Also there are a lot of interesting emotionally charged answers to it which will trigger responses, or at least I hope, from people who don’t even know what Titan Crew is or who Chuck is by relating the answers to people or situations they know of.
After that I am going to start off with a timeline of how the Titan Crew has gotten to the point that it is now over the past 20 some years. Here I will use a lot of Chuck’s interview stuff so people understand how and what it is today. I feel this is important because a lot of people just see it as being “Here”, which isn’t the case. Also in this section, which will be the main course of what I’m showing, I will include a story or two from alumni that I interviewed. This again is a good way to appeal to people’s emotions because of how they can relate to what crazy stories there are.
Finally, I am going to end it with why Titan Crew is so important to the major. A lot of people overlook the practical real world experience that you get from being in it. And, as has been stated by many people, it’s nothing like The County Line or Titan Radio. We are a dysfunctional group of people that somehow have a blast while doing something tangible. I am fearful that Titan Crew will disappear without chuck, and that is the last thing I or the current/former members would want to see. It would be like watching something that you created die, or get torn down.
So that’s my timeline…Lets just see how well I can portray it.
Monday, November 30, 2009
The Last Leg
I have finally finished up my interviews and have begun working on putting it together. I suppose the toughest part is figuring out how to put it all together in some sort of meaning. I have currently logged 91 gigs of interviews, about 12 people ranging from 20 to 40 minutes in length…and somehow I am supposed to get it down into 5-7 minutes in length. I believe that I have gotten myself into something I was somewhat not expecting, but at the same time I decided to do a documentary on the Titan Crew because of how much it means to me. It’s kinda like that project that you do the hard way because you think you’ll enjoy it more since you did it your way, until you are actually doing it and you keep asking yourself exactly why you decided to do it? If there is one thing I have learned from projects like that is that it's eventual outcome is your best and most fulfilling work.
Since this is something that is near and dear to me, I know that I will figure out some way to do this in a respectful and professional manor. The only problem is how? How do you do something a specific way without having any prior experience in it? How could I expect myself to succeed with something if I have never learned from my failures? I suppose the answer to that is…work. I will just have to dedicate myself to feeling the right way during this process. Till the finished project do we part. Now is the time where I have to begin thinking of how I want to cut around 4 hours of footage into 5-7 minutes… Let the games begin eh?
Since this is something that is near and dear to me, I know that I will figure out some way to do this in a respectful and professional manor. The only problem is how? How do you do something a specific way without having any prior experience in it? How could I expect myself to succeed with something if I have never learned from my failures? I suppose the answer to that is…work. I will just have to dedicate myself to feeling the right way during this process. Till the finished project do we part. Now is the time where I have to begin thinking of how I want to cut around 4 hours of footage into 5-7 minutes… Let the games begin eh?
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
My Minds Plasticity
The title was inspired from my psychology class, which taught me that your brains plasticity is how it takes your experiences and allows your brain to store them as knowledge for what to do in situations. I was hoping that by using it would make me seem more intelligent, but make your own assessment on that. With that said, I continue what Titan Crew has taught me.
Being director of WCN's live broadcasts has taught me that I can lead a group. When playing high school football, I was the leader of my defense, although my damn coach gave the pre-snap play calling to a brown noser, but I knew that I was always prepared to put those other 10 boys on the field in the right position to make the play. Titan Crew has helped me bring that ability into my broadcasting tool belt. Every Saturday, I have to be the guy that calls someone out for slacking, inspire them to make it through the game sometimes and make the executive decisions of what shots to take and when to run different stuff. At first, I was scared, I won’t lie. I was a junior when I started directing and my experience doing so was zero. As I continued to do it, I got a feel of what should be expected of each and every broadcast, and now that I am a senior, I feel more confident that the decisions I made are more often times than not the correct one.
Secondly, I have learned that this is my passion. As stated many times before, I love sports. I could go into news, or radio, but sports broadcasts are what I enjoy doing. I even love to shoot camera, which I was able to do 2 weeks ago. Football more than any other sports, there’s a bit of respect I have for the preparation put into every season, game, and play. Men sacrifice their lives in the weight room, while their coaches are cutting film for the next week’s opponent. There is a lot of work put into every game, whether it be football or another sport, and I feel that our job is to broadcast it the best way possible to the fans at home. That is my passion, and hopefully what I am doing after my tenure here at Westminster.
More to come, and hopefully it is good news. Goodnight and good luck…
Being director of WCN's live broadcasts has taught me that I can lead a group. When playing high school football, I was the leader of my defense, although my damn coach gave the pre-snap play calling to a brown noser, but I knew that I was always prepared to put those other 10 boys on the field in the right position to make the play. Titan Crew has helped me bring that ability into my broadcasting tool belt. Every Saturday, I have to be the guy that calls someone out for slacking, inspire them to make it through the game sometimes and make the executive decisions of what shots to take and when to run different stuff. At first, I was scared, I won’t lie. I was a junior when I started directing and my experience doing so was zero. As I continued to do it, I got a feel of what should be expected of each and every broadcast, and now that I am a senior, I feel more confident that the decisions I made are more often times than not the correct one.
Secondly, I have learned that this is my passion. As stated many times before, I love sports. I could go into news, or radio, but sports broadcasts are what I enjoy doing. I even love to shoot camera, which I was able to do 2 weeks ago. Football more than any other sports, there’s a bit of respect I have for the preparation put into every season, game, and play. Men sacrifice their lives in the weight room, while their coaches are cutting film for the next week’s opponent. There is a lot of work put into every game, whether it be football or another sport, and I feel that our job is to broadcast it the best way possible to the fans at home. That is my passion, and hopefully what I am doing after my tenure here at Westminster.
More to come, and hopefully it is good news. Goodnight and good luck…
I am Ron Burgendy?
Well slowly but surly, these wheels have been lubed up and churning. I have finally finished, for the most part, my questions for this documentary...and I am not talking about me asking myself why I felt this would be a great idea.
It took me half of my Psychology class but them damn questions are finally done. It took me so long because when writing interview questions, it is vital to ask a question that will pull some sort of specific response from the person being interviewed. This whole documentary is based on what the people did in Titan Crew, how they remember both it and Chuck and how it has effected them and prepared them for whatever career they are in. So I had to kind of look at myself and ask what the heck I've pulled out of 2 and 1/2 years of Saturdays spent watching our barely average Titans battle other meat heads, but I came up with a few.
I have learned to double task. Sometimes when directing, I have to be telling one person to change their shot, while following what the other camera's are doing, request for a replay, and tell the computer graphics girl to find the graphic for whoever made the play. That's a lot for a brain to handle, and even when, hypothetically speaking, the brain may be moving slower than normal..for numerous reasons. But seriously, it has taught me to trust my instincts and go with what I have learned from working it over the years from my many mistakes. It doesn't really hurt either that I spent 10 years of my life playing the sport. That, combined with all my knowledge on what to and what not to do, I feel that doing the Titan Crew has taught me a lot about myself, and the career choice I have made.
It took me half of my Psychology class but them damn questions are finally done. It took me so long because when writing interview questions, it is vital to ask a question that will pull some sort of specific response from the person being interviewed. This whole documentary is based on what the people did in Titan Crew, how they remember both it and Chuck and how it has effected them and prepared them for whatever career they are in. So I had to kind of look at myself and ask what the heck I've pulled out of 2 and 1/2 years of Saturdays spent watching our barely average Titans battle other meat heads, but I came up with a few.
I have learned to double task. Sometimes when directing, I have to be telling one person to change their shot, while following what the other camera's are doing, request for a replay, and tell the computer graphics girl to find the graphic for whoever made the play. That's a lot for a brain to handle, and even when, hypothetically speaking, the brain may be moving slower than normal..for numerous reasons. But seriously, it has taught me to trust my instincts and go with what I have learned from working it over the years from my many mistakes. It doesn't really hurt either that I spent 10 years of my life playing the sport. That, combined with all my knowledge on what to and what not to do, I feel that doing the Titan Crew has taught me a lot about myself, and the career choice I have made.
Its all in the Background
MAJOR STEP ALERT: I have decided to use a black background for my interviews conducted at the television studio. Why black you ask? For drama. I've watched numerous documentaries, or even documentary related material before I finally decided on the background. I was watching a documentary the other day, and it finally caught my eye. I have seen pretty much every color imaginable as background's along with settings, but the black was the most dramatic for a few reasons.
One reason that black is the right choice for me is because it solves my dramatic look problem I have been suffering from. As stated previously, I have been in search for a background that would give my documentary that intense touch to it. Black is the right choice because, as I have noticed, it makes the person being interviewed stand out. Blues can sometimes blend the interviewee in with the background and other colors, like green, can take the main focus away from the person being interviewed. Black is the absence of color, and it is exactly what I needed. Now this isn't intended to be a tear jerking documentary, but maybe a first person feeling would be nice. This is going to be intended for people related to Titan Crew so when they watch it, I want them to feel like they are back there, in their golden hay day with their old crew, horsin' around and remembering the fond memories of one another, Chuck and the Truck. With this background, it will help to give it that feel.
At this point, it's back to the grind. Trying to pull up some gumption to get this thing rollin. Good ideas and execution seems more difficult than it should, but with every thing that I finish, I begin to feel a bit better about how this is going to come together.
One reason that black is the right choice for me is because it solves my dramatic look problem I have been suffering from. As stated previously, I have been in search for a background that would give my documentary that intense touch to it. Black is the right choice because, as I have noticed, it makes the person being interviewed stand out. Blues can sometimes blend the interviewee in with the background and other colors, like green, can take the main focus away from the person being interviewed. Black is the absence of color, and it is exactly what I needed. Now this isn't intended to be a tear jerking documentary, but maybe a first person feeling would be nice. This is going to be intended for people related to Titan Crew so when they watch it, I want them to feel like they are back there, in their golden hay day with their old crew, horsin' around and remembering the fond memories of one another, Chuck and the Truck. With this background, it will help to give it that feel.
At this point, it's back to the grind. Trying to pull up some gumption to get this thing rollin. Good ideas and execution seems more difficult than it should, but with every thing that I finish, I begin to feel a bit better about how this is going to come together.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
In need of a miracle
Well one disaster averted...I found my camera I had lost since late last week. I wasn't freaking out or anything, since it had 4 hours worth of filler shots on it...no I just knew it would turn up. Wanna know where it was? In my hamper...Yeah when you live in a fraternity house you resort to all measures so your stuff (**Cough Cough** Rock Band Guitar) doesn't get jacked by an idiot freshman or an ignorant independent up to ruin your house. Needless to say, although it was rather unorthodox it got the job done. So now I continue with my Capstone saga.
Another thing was pointed out to me this week about capstone...and that is the fact of me needing to start doing some work with it. This is the part I have been dreading, and it's collecting the interviews. After all this good stuff, you know begging people to please get me their tape or to finally sit down for 5 minutes and answer questions, is to somehow figure out some way to put this stuff in an order that doesn't leave the viewer scratching their head asking what they just saw. As I have stated numerous times before, I am nothing more than an amateur film maker with enough experience to hopefully fall into a successful outcome. Somehow, even with experience, I am kinda freaking out for two reasons.
1. This is the accumulation of everything I have been taught at Westminster. It is supposed to be sparkling clean and up to professional standards. Oh, did I mention that if I mess it up then I will have to retake the class and stay a 5th year? So now I know exactly what your asking (going out on a limb and guessing that more than just my Capstone Professor reads this) Why would I choose something that I pretty much have no idea on how to do as this project...Well because Titan Crew is, in its own pathetic way, my life. I played football or 10 years, baseball for even longer, and have dabbled in almost every other sport. There is nothing out there better than sports, so if I'm going to have to do anything in this major, it's going to be something I enjoy
2. After this, I'm pretty much done. Real world check, and a lot like this capstone project I have no idea what the future holds for me. I could try to do news right? There is nothing I enjoy less than news, holidays and weekends of work, bitch work for entree level positions, snobby on air talent in small markets, and the packages are usually something less than interesting. Why would I do any of that and hate my life when I chose this major to make a difference and enjoy every second of it?! Now many would disagree with me (citing back to my Capstone Professor) but I'd prefer not to compromise for a paycheck (which who knows, I may have to do, just not right out of college hopefully at least). I could go out west, sneak onto a movie lot and pretend like I work there until somebody realizes and either keeps me or kicks my ass out. Exciting, but expensive and unrealistic. Now sports broadcasting, that's what I wanna do. The only problem is a majority of them are freelance. It may be difficult to pay of school loans while being "On Call" at all times.
The only thing I have realized about both those points is, they are just like my life. Flyin' by the seat of my pants, having no idea where exactly I am headed, but making the most of the present and hoping for the best in the future. It has gotten me into a college that was way too prestigious for my high school transcript, and accidentally, for numerous reasons, to this point. So you know what, I may not win the lottery...ever. But, let it ride...
Another thing was pointed out to me this week about capstone...and that is the fact of me needing to start doing some work with it. This is the part I have been dreading, and it's collecting the interviews. After all this good stuff, you know begging people to please get me their tape or to finally sit down for 5 minutes and answer questions, is to somehow figure out some way to put this stuff in an order that doesn't leave the viewer scratching their head asking what they just saw. As I have stated numerous times before, I am nothing more than an amateur film maker with enough experience to hopefully fall into a successful outcome. Somehow, even with experience, I am kinda freaking out for two reasons.
1. This is the accumulation of everything I have been taught at Westminster. It is supposed to be sparkling clean and up to professional standards. Oh, did I mention that if I mess it up then I will have to retake the class and stay a 5th year? So now I know exactly what your asking (going out on a limb and guessing that more than just my Capstone Professor reads this) Why would I choose something that I pretty much have no idea on how to do as this project...Well because Titan Crew is, in its own pathetic way, my life. I played football or 10 years, baseball for even longer, and have dabbled in almost every other sport. There is nothing out there better than sports, so if I'm going to have to do anything in this major, it's going to be something I enjoy
2. After this, I'm pretty much done. Real world check, and a lot like this capstone project I have no idea what the future holds for me. I could try to do news right? There is nothing I enjoy less than news, holidays and weekends of work, bitch work for entree level positions, snobby on air talent in small markets, and the packages are usually something less than interesting. Why would I do any of that and hate my life when I chose this major to make a difference and enjoy every second of it?! Now many would disagree with me (citing back to my Capstone Professor) but I'd prefer not to compromise for a paycheck (which who knows, I may have to do, just not right out of college hopefully at least). I could go out west, sneak onto a movie lot and pretend like I work there until somebody realizes and either keeps me or kicks my ass out. Exciting, but expensive and unrealistic. Now sports broadcasting, that's what I wanna do. The only problem is a majority of them are freelance. It may be difficult to pay of school loans while being "On Call" at all times.
The only thing I have realized about both those points is, they are just like my life. Flyin' by the seat of my pants, having no idea where exactly I am headed, but making the most of the present and hoping for the best in the future. It has gotten me into a college that was way too prestigious for my high school transcript, and accidentally, for numerous reasons, to this point. So you know what, I may not win the lottery...ever. But, let it ride...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)