Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Editing Away, Making It Happen!

Today I have the fascinatingly fun job of editing another Uppereast.com video. The owner of the site is casting to find more hosts/co-hosts for the UpperEast.com videos. Jake Sasseville and I will be spending spring break in NYC editing some trailers/teasers and whatnot from his 60 hours of Africa Footage, and during that time I'll get to "do" NYC!

I'm really excited about this, because Jake is putting me up, paying for my food and my travel, in exchange for which I do some editing for him on The Edge. I've been working on a list of things that I'd like to do while there.
Possibilities...
1. Ground Zero
2. Time Square
3. Statue Of Liberty
4. Visit TaraBeth at NYU
5. Central Park
6. Take in a Broadway Show
7. Gray Line
8. Toys'R'Us and ride the indoor ferris wheel
9. Eat at a Jewish Deli
10. B AND H Photo Video!
11. General Wandering and Exploring
12. Visit the top of a tall building (not necessarily the Empire State Building)
13. Check out the high-line in the Meatpacking district

More ideas to come!

Friday, February 23, 2007

Taxes, Money, And Life--It's all flowin' downhill!

Tax day is coming, financial aid applications are due and lots of paperwork is going to be doing. However, I shouldn't worry about that, as I've got several major editing projects to finish up, and some more editing to do over spring break in NYC!

I called Stewart Colley, my High School chemistry teacher and had a lovely bit of catch-up time with him. It's really great to have friends that are from a different generation who you can call when you are tired of your peers. What a great guy.

I also heard from Jake S. who has confirmed an edit suite for me while I'm in NYC, so I'll be able to enjoy NYC and edit for Jake while I'm down there.

And one last note, I'm going to be editing a sixty second spot for a competition, and I'll be working with a local edit house in Boston, called "Panache Editorial", and I'll be working with a professional editorial... how cool is that?

Well, I'm meeting with Katie M. to work on editing CMYK. Later!

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Important Things, That Could Help Everybody

Sometimes when I spend a whole day working on a project and teaching myself a new piece of software like Adobe Audition or DVD Studio Pro and figuring out all the little things I want to do as I do them, I think about all the things that I could do if I was focusing that energy on something big, something important that could help everybody.

Oh brother. I'd better get to bed.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Gentle Reminders

There are a lot of things that remind me and reinforce decisions I have made in the past. Just today in cinematography class, I was talking with Matt V. about the Emerson Channel and why we both left. I don't regret the decision at all, and neither does Matt.

I still believe that Kevin S. Bright, the director of the hit TV show "Friends" is inadvertently responsible for the destruction of The Emerson Channel. When he showed up, everyone let the channel fall to the wayside and The Zebro Show became priority number 1, even though people had prior obligations.

I was also reminded today why I don't want to be involved in on campus organizations--because unless you are one of the chosen few, you'll never get the high positions that you want. Needless to say, I am leaving my schedule open to continue allowing myself time for my post production work, and I'll be doing some film work near the end of the semester, but my desire to work in TV is really almost non=existent.

Sorry if this post is a little muddled. I'm actually working through the time consuming and tedious process of digitizing all my old VHS tapes and creating DVDs out of them. At the moment, I am digitizing a VHS copy of a middle school play I was in called "10 Brides Of Dracula". It's basically horrifying and embarrassing. It's the kind of thing I should be destroying while I have the chance. But instead, I am preserving it so that one day my children have something they can make fun of about me.

I'm also working on a homemade birthday gift for my brother, since I have no money, and it's also one of the only things I could think of he would really like. David, if you are reading this, I will get your birthday gift to you, but it might be a little late.

Well, I've got a lot of work before me. It's fun though, so It's really not even work!

Monday, February 19, 2007

Long Weekend, Presidents Day Dreams

Well, this is day four without any classes or really anything major to do. I still haven't done the writing I'd like to do. So be it. I've been listening to Joni Mitchell a lot, and she has such beautiful music, with great messages. I sometimes wish I could do sound the same way--singing is something I love to do, but I don't do it nearly enough, and when I do I don't do it "correctly" so it doesn't improve my skills.

I'm down to about 12 dollars and a jar of change, but now I have no money on my T pass, so I can't even go anywhere.

It was a strange night... it got very cold, and since for the first time in weeks I went to bed at a reasonable hour, I slept somewhat fitfully and woke up a lot. And again I had weird dreams. I woke up at about 7am and laid in bed thinking about my dream and thinking that I should haul my butt out of bed and write it down. Alas, I did not, and so all that remains is a faded shadow of ideas. Visions crossing paths in the night. I only remember that the dream had a magic to it, about the realigning of something amazing. I remember only one image from the dream, which was a forest of pine trees, and something being placed and said which caused all the pine to turn a brilliant white, in all directions, spreading through the woods like a fire.

"Woke up, it was a Chelsea morning, and the first thing that I saw
Was the sun through yellow curtains, and a rainbow on the wall
Blue, red, green and gold to welcome you, crimson crystal beads to beckon

Oh, won't you stay
Well put on the day"

Joni Mitchell sings with such an awareness, a heightened sense, that she could certainly empathize with what I felt as I slept through the night. For those who don't know, Boston is a city that sleeps. At 4:00am or so, not a soul can be seen on the streets. My room got very hot in the middle of the night, and so I cracked my window. The pressure difference started making howling sounds in the window, but soon there was silence, and through my sleep and my dreams I would hear the scrape, scrape, scrape, of a lone person moving down the icy sidewalk. It was as if they were walking right next too me, even though I'm 8 stories up.

Today, I have goals, ideas and dreams. Will they come to fruition? Or will they wither on the vine?

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Another Day, Wasted.

Today I accomplished nothing.

No joke.

I woke up at about 12:30pm, and I sluffed around my room until about 3:00pm when I went for my first meal of the day, where I had a double cheeseburger and fries. It was good, but I realized that I was disgusting. That much sleep, no exercise, and disgusting greasy food, well--you see what I mean?

I received a call from Maxx H, who chatted with me for a while. It was good to here from him, but unfortunately he couldn't talk long. I completely understand though, since I do that to people on a regular basis, being the busy bee I am.


What else? I'm going to be writing a short script about pickup lines in addition to my BA project. I will then shoot and edit it to enter and hopefully win a competition being put up by Studica.com. By entering, I'll not only save 50 dollars on the cost of AVID, an editing program that I will be buying as soon as my check from Jake Sasseville comes in, but if I win, I'll make 500 dollars and some software. Sweet.

Unfortunately, I haven't been getting any writing done, I haven't edited any of my sound project, and I haven't been planning my cinematography project or my paper for my Gen-X behind the camera course.

Basically, I feel like a lazy worthless sack of crap. Not sure how true that is, but my dreams are getting more anxious every night, and my sleep patterns are way off.

Goodnight.

Friday, February 16, 2007

ProTools Sucks and other notes...

Today I attempted to work on my audio production project, using a very pro, very complicated software called "ProTools"

In about 30 minutes I was more frustrated then I'd been in a really long time. Partly because I was not really sure of what I was trying to do, and partly because the audio suites are set up with the computer monitor about 3 feet away from the viewer, high and at an angle, but mostly because I couldn't figure out how to do some things that should be incredibly simple. But in fortunately, I got so fed up that I didn't even finish what I was working on.

I should be happy with my current situation, because I have no other projects or distractions to worry about--leaving my time to brainstorm and write for my BA Practicum Script, and to brainstorm and create an outline for a 20 page paper I have due in a month.

Here are some reasons why I should be accomplishing a lot:
It's freezing outside, so I don't feel the need to go anywhere
I'm Broke (Current Liquid Assets: 15.77 and a jar of change.)
No editing projects are due at the moment
No real homework
A long weekend

So what am I doing? Not my audio project, not my writing. I'm listening to music on the computer and blogging. Argh.

In other news, I was offered the position of Warm-Up host in the EVVYs and I took it. It's not exactly what I wanted, but it's at least performing on the Cutler-Majestic stage. And that is something that I've wanted. One of the other benefits is that I get to write my own material. This is exciting because I'm going to get the audience ready to go... you know? Get them excited for the awards.

Anyway, I'm basically wasting my entire day. Why do I feel so guilty about this? Whatever.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Editing Away, Everyday.

Every day, I seem to be editing away.

Swordplay, CMYK, The Edge, Uppereast.com, Women In Motion. It's consuming me and my time... but I don't really mind.

I was joking with my friend with today that since what I'd really like to do someday is direct, I will edit for Scorsese or Tarantino and they'll be like "Ezra, you're so talented, why don't you direct your own feature, I'll help you get financing".

Hahaha, right. Seriously, it seems like all I'm ever doing now is editing--and that's not a bad thing, but I'm still not sure if I should be broadening my horizons more or not. I've planned to go to New York City over Spring Break and help Jake Sasseville by editing clips of his Africa trip into promotional pieces of 2-5 minutes in length. In addition, during that time I am going to be working with Joe Collesano on making our BA Practicum film idea/pitch, so that we can get into the program. I can't wait, partially because I want see NYC, which I've never really done, but also because I'll get to make some great contacts through Jake, and meet some of the people I've been working for remotely.

When I go to NYC, I'm also going to visit B and H photo, which will be amazing. For those who aren't into that sort of thing, BandH is like Toys'R'Us store of Video and Photography and lighting. Basically, I'll spend a whole day there.

Got a big agenda coming up. I'm pretty content with what I've got on my plate at the moment. Maybe I have found what I really want to do. I mean, I really love having my own workspace and editing. I like it a lot more in a way than stressing out about all the little details and relying everyone else to do their part of the work or risk having the whole project fall apart.

I'm really nervous and excited about the whole BA Practicum project, but what makes me nervous is that if I am going to be working with a close friend on a project that we'll both be pumping in excess of 5,000 dollars into, it had better be damn good.

How do you make a good film? Well, you've got to have everything be extraordinary... sound, lighting, story, cinematoraphy, direction, acting, production design... it's all got to be seamless, flawless and above all, moving the compelling story forward.

It's a tall order, but I think I can do it. I'm talented... I just have to go for it, and stop worrying about the what-ifs.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Three Out Of Four Ain't Bad!

Well, I didn't blog yesterday, as some of you may have noticed, but hey, as the title of this post suggests, I'm still doing pretty well.

Anyway, I'm been having more dreams, and they are all anxiety ridden. I keep dreaming about stress and fear, probably because I'm very nervous about the future. I can tell myself in my mind that everything is going to be alright, but my mind doesn't seem to listen. I'm going to have to start taking skullcap again.

Church at 2:00, but I've got to see if I can get some things done so I can leave at 1:00 to get there for the 1:30pm choir practice.

Last night we had a big 20th birthday party for Richard Feindel at CPK (California Pizza Kitchen). It was a grand old time and the food was delicious. I wish I could eat that well everyday. The best part was when we Richard walked in, because we were all seated in this big common area just out side the restaurant, because there were over 30 people, and that was the only space they had. We screamed "Happy Birthday Dick" and started clapping and singing happy birthday, basically everyone in the whole place was watching. Hilarious.

This one's probably going to be short, but hey, when you post daily, the amount of new data gets a little thin. Later!

Friday, February 09, 2007

Wierd Dream, Bad Night Sleep, and a Rude Awakening

Last night I taught an AVID editing workshop on campus, and three students had RSVP'd. Only one showed. So we had a nice one-on-one session and I taught her all the basics. After the workshop, my friends and I went to Cold Stone Creamery for some ice cream. I got Cake Batter and Mint Ice cream mixed, with oreos. YUM!

Then I went home and worked on a DVD of the Uppereast.com videos. I finally finished it and went to bed at about 4am.

Four hours later, I was awoken with some cramps. Probably due to eating a big bowl of that rich ice cream. Needless to say, after some time in the bathroom, I was finally able to go back to bed. But by this time, it was very difficult to fall back asleep.

I finally fell into a fitful sleep, and had a very strange dream. Some of you might be familiar with my Earthquake in Boston post from this summer, and this was a similar dream. I was living in a city, perhaps some sort of bizarre combination of Detroit, Boston, and New Haven. It was a big city, and it was rocked by an earthquake. The damage wasn't that bad--few buildings came down completely, but parking structures and other buildings were very weakened. The odd part came in the aftermath.

Everyone started to die.

I'm hazy on exactly what caused this in the dream, but I remember that, like Detroit, people started disappearing and the city emptied. No one came to help, and I knew that no one would... the death was not going to stop because it was undoubtedly greater then just the city.

It was summer, and if I remember correctly, I was living with my wife or maybe some other people, and that the death skipped our apartment. We didn't go out and lived off what food we had in the apartment. As the days passed and more people died, I would look out from the windows (our apartment was on the fifth or sixth floor) and watch as gangs of boys, without parents, would wander the street, breaking windows and eating what food they could find.

Law enforcement was obviously gone, and I was afraid--but not so much for myself, but for the safety of those around me. I was enveloped with the magnitude of what was happening around me.

The gangs became more violent, because they began to starve. The supermarkets were empty, and no trucks came to replenish them--everyone was gone. Boys staggered in the street, crying and calling the names of dead mothers into abandoned buildings. They would fight over the remaining cans of food until someone was hurt or killed.

I carelessly started eating a sandwich--presumably we had some source for supplies, either our own pantry and rooftop garden, perhaps a generator,though I don't remember where it came from--near a window that faced the street.

I was spotted by a group of boys.

They screeched and screamed. "He's got flour and dough, he's got sugar, he's got..." they began to scream. I ducked and closed with windows and the blinds, and told my wife/the female in the dream to get down and bolt the doors. Only, I couldn't remember if the door was locked, and so I ran and turned the bolt--it was locked, and I had just unlocked it--which allowed the door to be pushed open at that very moment.

But instead of a wave of starving boys, it was just one, and he begged for help as he pushed his way inside. Either because he was already inside or because of the sadness of sorrow that I felt for him, we took him in. He started to live with us.

I don't remember much after this point in the dream. Within the dream, I was thinking like it was actually happening, and trying to get out of the city. I remember some how risking driving a car out of a parking garage (damaged by the earthquake) and drove around the city, and almost getting cornered by a gang in a dead end street.

That's my dream, and I wish I could remember more. It's really fascinating to see what dreams I can remember vividly, and what dreams dissipate like smoke when I open my eyes. Not wanting to get over analytical, I think there is a reason that I keep dreaming about disasters and helping people. Maybe that's what I'm supposed to do, help other when the world falls apart. My father had visions of that sort of thing when he was my age, and maybe I'm seeing the same things.

At the same time, who doesn't think about the demise of civilization from time to time?

When I finally got up around noon, it was involuntary as well. There was a black man on the street corner yelling something incomprehensable, but very loud. It sounded like either "Satan Savior" or "Save me Satan" or "Savior Save Me"--honestly I have no idea. The police took him away. It's my hypothesis that he was on drugs of some kind because he was shaking violently at some points.

After that initial excitement, I went to lunch, and have been cleaning, organizing, editing, and doing other work all day. Hope all is well, and that your enjoying the renewed vigor with which I am updating my weblog.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

It's Morning In America!

Well, I told you yesterday that I was going to try and write for 15 minutes every day, and here's day one. I titled this post "Morning In America" because it seemed clever at the time. After all, it's morning, and I'm posting in my weblog.

Arguably, it is pretty late in the morning, and most of America has been up for several hours. Whatever.

Armed with some organic vanilla yogurt for breakfast, I'm ready to face the day. Two classes: Gen-X: Behind the Camera, and Introduction to Audio Production. Both are nice classes, but I don't have a long enough break in between to get lunch, which is frustrating, because I don't like eating lunch at 2:00pm.

I e-mail the creator of the NSP "Don't Worry Be Happy" video, (see previous post) and I received permission to have it on YouTube, but he recommended that I contact NSP because they are the actual owners. As soon as I can I'll find someone (probably in PR) and contact them.

Anyway, class is coming up so I better let this post go. I realize it kind sucked, but, oh well.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Whoa!!!! New Web Presence!

So it's official: I've got a website. If you type in http://www.ezrahorne.com you'll see the framework for a new exciting web presence.

It's amazing how much the computer takes up in time and energy. I've got videos to edit for myself, my class, Jake Sasseville, Uppereast.com, and films. I've got DVDs to burn, VHS tapes to import and convert to a digital format, websites to build and design, videos to upload to Youtube.com, building and maintaining web presences on Facebook, Myspace, Blogger and more.

Basically, real life has been supplanted by the digital realm.

For those of you who know me, you'll be aware that I'm always working on something, and recently I transferred "Don't Worry Be Happy" from VHS and uploaded it to Youtube. All Nature's Sunshine Employees should check this video out. I'm not sure of the exact year this was made, but I believe it was before 1986 because my Dad is in it and he stopped working there in 1986.

You can view my other recently uploaded videos by going to my YouTube User Profile.

I'm going to try and write on this weblog for at least 15 minutes a day. It's a lofty goal, but I think I can do it. After all, I spend so much time doing nothing of import, I can at least spend some time updating my friends and family on the excitement happening here at Emerson.

Tomorrow I will be teaching a workshop on Avid editing for EIV. Hopefully I'll be an effective teacher and get my fellow students really excited about this. After all, Avid is industry standard, and despite all the hype about Cold Mountain being edited on Final Cut Pro, Avid was actually still used in the finishing process of the film.

My roommate Joe and I are going to be making a BA Practicum film in the Fall. However, before we can do that, we have to come up with a terrific idea and then pitch it in March, so that we can get accepted into the program. After that, I'll be taking out a loan of at least 5,000 dollars so that together we'll have a budget of 10,000 dollars for a short. It's not a lot of money, but hopefully it will be enough to make us a really nice calling card film for when we go to Los Angeles in Spring of 2008.

My roommate has started to get sick, so I'm trying to fend it off to keep myself healthy by drinking lots of liquids and taking my herbs.

Well, that's all for now, but I'll post again later!