A Little Slice of Mary Kay

Ok. It's done. Again, more computer problems. I actually had to call my IT boyfriend to have him remote access my computer from Long Island to fix it for me because Audacity hates me. Movie Maker wasn't so bad though. I actually had to leave my computer open all night last night just so that my dad's interview piece would actually upload to my blog. I may have to do that again. Let's see, it's 5:30pm now.

I am quite happy with this piece. It really came together as like a human piece about the women who make a living being Mary Kay beauty consultants. I also plan to send this piece to the head consultant who was kind enough to let me sit in on her session to do this piece so she can show it to the group if she would like. I really hope they like it as much as I do.

So, here it is: Being Part of Mary Kay.

Fail.

And after over two hours of sitting here watching/listening to other people's pieces and waiting for my video to stop "uploading" and actually upload, I gave up and went home. Then I tried it again at home, and left it alone for 3 hours. I came back to an error message that my blog does not like my video. Woohoo.

So now I'm trying the "post it to YouTube" route. Hold please.

Well, embedding the YouTube video didn't work. Screw it. Go to the link. Thanks.

Mary Kay Project Link

Interview with My Dad

Yes. I finished it. A few days ago actually, but I finally got around to fighting with my computer to make it into a file that I could post on my blog. Now that that is finally done as well, here it is!

I like it. It turned out better than I had originally thought it might. I like the blend of talking about the economy, his struggles as a lower working class small business owner, and just being a guy worried about providing for his family and not killing himself trying to do so. It's a pretty good tribute to my dad, showing that I really appreciate everything he goes through and I want to share that journey with the world.

As for the pic, it's from the day that Help Me Howard found him on a street while he was cleaning windows and Howard found a woman to give $1000 to who in return gave it to my dad. He was seen as a struggling man who could use the help and he couldn't have been happier. It's only too bad I couldn't include a clip from that day as well, because we do have it on tape from the weekly commercial on TV! Very cool, and very funny. And was definitely the inspiration for this piece.

So, without further ado, my dad.

Now I'm going to bed. I'll fight with my computer to post the Audio Story Slideshow piece in the morning. Night.....

Coming to a Close

Now that we have finally reached the end of this semester, it is time to start thinking about whether or not I'm actually ready for my final deadlines!! So let's run down the list.

Project #1 - Finished, handed in, seen by class. Am I happy with it? Well, I think it was a pretty good first try at something I was completely unaware of before the class ever started. So, I'd give that a check.

Reality Radio Readings - All read and commented on. Good stuff. Will definitely be referring to that book in my future should I ever have to do an audio story again.

Project #2 - Tape recorded, snippets to be used have been selected and documented. Now I just need to order the selections and put them together in layered tracks with my ambient and natural sounds. Not done, but on its way.

War Reading - Read most of the book. Would like to finish it, though it will most likely be after the end of the semester. It may not be my favorite bit of reading, but I don't like to leave a book unfinished. I have certainly learned a lot from Junger though in terms of his entire piece of multimedia storytelling.

Project #3 - Tape recorded. Next step is select the snippets, order the selections, and layer the tracks. At least its started right?

So, current status update? I have a couple hours of work left to do but it's all stuff that I feel confident will be in good shape by next Thursday at 630pm. Here goes nothing.....

Story #3 - Check!!

Yes. I finally got it done. I spoke to my friend about going with her to her next Mary Kay meeting, spoke with the beauty consultant director in charge of her group, and last night, went to the meeting to get some tape and pictures!

So last night went very well. I interviewed some of the Mary Kay beauty consultants and took pictures of the girls, the guests, the products, and the event. I got a lot of great tape about how they got started with Mary Kay, what the benefits are for such a job, and what they've learned from their experiences. It was all very positive and upbeat.

I decided over the weekend that I really did like this idea because it was like a modern-day version of the Kitchen Sister's piece on the tupperware parties. The Mary Kay girls talked about being independent, having a flexible work schedule, and earning great rewards like free products, substantial incomes, and even cars!

I enjoyed doing this piece, which was what was important for me when deciding what to do in the first place. I think I was able to feel better about it after remembering the tupperware piece and liking the modern day parallel. I was able to get a better idea about how I wanted the piece to go; less in the direction of focusing on the economy like my second piece and more focusing just on it being a highlight piece about a specific group. It made it more unique for me in terms of the three pieces I have created this semester.

So that's it. Three pieces planned and taped. One piece done, the second piece almost done, and the third ready for editing. I guess the next week is gonna be pretty busy.....

Story Idea #3??

The end of the semester is fast approaching and I could not be more stressed out. LOL

Ok. Back to business. Over the past two weeks, I have been giving much thought to my ideas for Story #3 whilst trying to finish my piece for story #2. It's coming along, and so far I'm pretty happy with it. I just need to finish it asap so I can get one more thing crossed off on my list.

As for Story #3, I borrowed the ComKit over the Thanksgiving break in hopes that I would be able to get the audio and pictures while home on Long Island. First I tried to make it in time for my mom's bowling league night in order to do a story about the women there and get some great photos of the psychadelic bowling. However, holiday traffic ruined that plan.

Then I wanted to test out the "what are you thankful for this year" idea, but no one who wanted to share was around this thanksgiving, making that a bust as well.

Then I had an idea to go out on Black Friday and interview the nut jobs running around for the sales. Or I even wanted to take the equipment with me that Saturday to document my cousin's preperation for her wedding during our bridesmaid dress shopping event. Neither happened.

So now I'm here, thinking of ideas that I actually find interesting. And that's when it hit me. Maybe now would be the perfect time to revert back to my early in the semester idea of doing a piece of fiction. I would create a story that could be read audibly by characters and tape some friends reading the parts out loud. Then I could take pictures of this cast of characters in shots I think are representative of the story. This could work. However, I still don't really like it.

My problem is that I actually liked the ideas for my first two pieces before doing them, and I continued to like them while working on them. This one, I've had ideas I've liked, but missed out on the working on them part. And I have plenty of ideas I don't even want to work on. So where does that leave me?

With no ideas and no work. Awesome.

So now it's crunch time. I need to get this done asap because I have enough to worry about trying to finish my thesis. So here are some ideas I have that I absolutely need to pick from, because well, I'm out of time.

One. Documenting young girls who are turning to self-made businesses such as Mary Kay because they need all the work they can get during these economic times. Not a bad idea, and a friend of mine does this, so I definitely have an in. They meet Tuesday nights and I think it would be a good visual piece as well.

Two. Well. There really is no two. So I guess, One it is! Oh boy.....

Junger's War: "Fear" and "Killing"

While perusing through Junger's site recently, I found that the combination of information on the book, information on the movie, and connection between interested peoples/fans to the actual people in the documentary research made for a multi-layered and workable piece of multimedia. However, after my perusing and reading to the end of Book Two: "Killing", I still find myself very uninterested in this particular subject.

Yet, I must still evaluate them as a unit to assess how they tell the story of these men fighting a war in a far away, and very dangerous, part of the world. Each element does a particular job to express the harsh realities of a place so few people truly understand, let alone have heard of. I am one who had no idea that there could be such a distinction when referring to specific places where US soldiers were being deployed to during the war. I had no idea that there actually could be a place with such a terrible story to tell. Junger does a great job of capturing all the elements of that place by really showing the unaware what the realities of the situation are.

For example, the book itself goes through terminologies, names of places, and ranks and names of many soldiers that Junger came in contact with. We are able to see that though the unit as a whole is important to defeat the enemy, it is the many individual parts that make up what the whole really is. Each weapon, bunker, mission, soldier, officer, location, and attack come together to show us that war itself is not more than the sum of its parts.

The movie then acts as more of a visual stimulator. The book does a good job of making us aware of the impact war can have on people and places, but the movie really shows us the realities of a situation that seems so far away. And then the site itself, connecting real readers with the real-life characters from the documentary, takes those realities and shoves them straight up your nose. Together, with each step, we are more and more thrust into the reality that a war fought over seas is anything but far away.

Overall, I find that this way of telling one story in multiple medias really brings its impact to the heart of those that experience it. I may still be bored while reading jargon and names I don't understand or recognize, but I am able to appreciate the effort it took to bring those pieces to a light that will have a greater impact on the people it was created for, as well as about.

Brainstorming Ahead

Now that I have spent the past week working on my Audio Story piece, and cramming in some thesis writing time between working at the diner and the writing center, all while thoroughly being completely distracted by the fact that Harry Potter 7, part 1, comes out tonight at midnight and I am waiting for my brother to arrive here in Philly from long island so we can go together to see the movie tonight, I am ready to start thinking about this next project that I will have about 2 weeks to work on. Awesome.

So. Ideas for my slide show audio piece. Well, if I thought they would've let me, I would have loved to bring the audio recorder and a camera to the Harry Potter premiere tonight to get stories from the attendees about their Harry Potter experiences. But, I'm pretty sure the theater will not allow me anywhere near that movie with any kind of recording equipment. Oh well.

Other ideas? I've been thinking about doing more of a sentimental type piece, by recording the things that my family is thankful for on Thanksgiving. But I don't want the cookie-cutter responses. I want the real stuff. The stuff that really shows what people have to be thankful for this year. Especially as compared to the audio story piece I've been working on about my dad. What kinds of struggles are other people going through and how do they remain cheerful during such a difficult holiday season?

Another idea would be to describe one person by using photos of them doing different things, quoting them with things they commonly say, and basically putting together a personal profile of one person in an abstract type of way. I'm not really sure how well this would work, but I'd like to be able to show who a person is in a very fictionesque type of way, by showing instead of telling. That way my audience could make their own assumptions and conclusions from the material I give them. I think that might be an interesting idea to pursue, but I'm not sure how well it would go.

I still need to think about some things, but I hope that I will be able to create an interesting way to combine audio and still photos to really tell an interesting story.

Reading Junger's War (Book One)

I have recently begun reading Sebastian Junger's documentary novel titled War, and have just finished Book One: Fear (which will be followed by Book Two: Killing and Book Three: Love). So, what do I think thus far?

Well, for one, great book to read for boys. It has a lot of gun and war terminology, definitely some good jokes about the natural instincts and behaviors of the male species. However, as one who is anything but interested in war and its politics, I am not impressed.

Yes, Junger did some amazing research. Yes, he captured war life in a way that felt both natural and surprising. But did he capture a wide audience, outside of war enthusiasts and documentarians? Not so much.

So far, Book One has been about getting to know the soldiers Junger has met during his time in the Korengal Valley. We see how they live their day-to-day lives while deployed in Afghanistan. They clean their weapons, sleep, eat, work out, go on patrol, build new outposts, and defend themselves against the enemy. That's about it. It is a constant repeat of just surviving until you can go home, either in a plane seat or below in a wooden box. Either way, going home is the only thing to look forward too.

The way that Junger easily navigates through narrative, description, internal thought/comment, and reflection allows for a piece that does come together nicely. He shows us that documentary can be personal and not just factual. By being able to describe the situation from his own point of view, as well as including the viewpoints from the American soldiers, he was able to craft a documentary with a very established human element.

I still don't really find this particular book and subject that interesting, but I guess it's not really about that. What am I learning from Junger about multimedia storytelling? Well, I'm learning that shocking is interesting, repetition is boring, and too much detail can be confusing. Keep it simple and let your audience draw their own conclusions. After all,  it's their emotions you want to insight anyway, not your own.

Hashing Out My Story

No, we do not have class tonight.

Yes, I still need to figure out today what I'm doing for this Audio Story.

Why? Because I'm taking out the ComKit on Monday, driving to Long Island, and going to work with my dad the next day to get all my taping done. I have to do this in one planned day because, well, I simply live too far and am just too busy to go back for a day two before this is due. So, with a fire lit under my butt, here goes.

In class last week, Prof Lyons suggested that I might spin the story to be more of a father-daughter thing, about pride and being lower working class. Do I think this applies to me and my father? I guess. I've known my whole life that I wanted to be more than my parents. I wanted good grades, an education, a college degree, and a life not spent always feeling like we were living beyond our means just to survive.

We never really had a lot. But we weren't without either. My parents did everything they could to make mine and my brother's lives happy and comfortable. That's kind of a hard thing to do on two entry-level salaries. My dad has been a window cleaner almost his whole life. 40 some-odd years now. My mom has bounced between such jobs as in data-entry, clerical work, being a substitute assistant for the school district, and finally working her way up to a teacher's assistant position in the school district my brother and I attended our whole lives. She has finally hit the point of making a livable salary for a mother with two kids in college.

My dad, on the other hand, has been losing more and more business lately. His self-owned and operated small business is a dying breed. He's a window cleaner who cleans store-fronts and the occasional building or house. In these days of a "do-it-yourself" mentality, that certainly includes windows. Businesses are opting out of their $50 a month contract with my dad to add the simple responsibility to another employee's list of things to do. Are the windows as clean? Not really. But who cares? They're just windows.

That brings me to myself. I have been a working girl my whole life too. Camp counselor, concession stand worker, bagel girl, waitress, and bartender are just some of the jobs I've had since I was 14 years old. None of them were anywhere near what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, but they got me through years of needing my own money to help out the burden on my family. And I was happy to help. I know how to work hard and I don't mind putting in the necessary effort to get through each day. I'm proud to say that I'm smart enough and determined enough to successfully make it through life with something to show for it.

But has that affected my relationship with my father? I don't really know how to look at it. My dad is very proud of me, especially when it comes to my education. His favorite thing to talk about is me and all of my accomplishments. He rattles them off to whoever will listen like stats. I've been honored by being as important to him as his favorite sports teams. He writes down little notes about things I've done to keep in his wallet to remember to talk about later. And his bedroom wall at the head of his bed is covered in framed degrees, honors, awards, and certificates, one of the few things he spends money on that isn't considered "necessary". It makes me proud to know how proud he is of me. And it always keeps me striving for more things to give him to be framed.

So, has my father been an influence in my life on who I am and who I want to be? Absolutely. He may not be smart or knowledgeable, but my father knows that I am and is proud to know that I am his daughter.

Ok, now that I've gotten all that down, what does it all have to do with my audio story? I think it may just be the angle I had been looking for. My dad's small business is falling apart and he blames his lack of a retirement future on his own lack of a proper education, as well as the current economy. I think that's where I want to focus some of my questions for him. Not only do I want to know how he's being effected by the economy, I also want to know why he continues to work so hard anyway, instead of giving up, something he probably feels like he should do considering his deteriorating health. I want to know not only how his life has changed in recent years, but also how he finds the motivation to keep moving forward anyway, and how his determination has been tested. For the struggling man, how does one keep going?

I hope all of that makes sense. And I hope I've finally reached my focus. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes.....

Prepping for My Audio Story

This week's readings had some key ideas that I feel I should be thinking about while prepping to do my Audio Story. First, I'll start with some of the notes I got from each of the readings:

Emily Botein, "Salt is Flavor and Other Tips Learned While Cooking":

• Keep some little bits of ammunition to help you get moments of surprise. This can be when your guest becomes the most animated and gives you the conversation he hasn't rehearsed in his head.
• Salt is Flavor: sometimes, a little is enough. Let the tape speak for itself.
• Silence, or a pause, "sounds the way people speak. Meaning, sometimes they don't... Pauses break up the rhythm and add complexity. Pauses help us to listen better" (181).
• "Good Tape" is in the ears of the individual.

Jay Allison, "Afterword: Listen":

• What stories do I have to tell? What voice will I use to tell them?
• "Stories define each of us. They have the power to divide or connect us as individuals and communities" (184).
• Create an "illusion of companionship" between your subjects and your listeners.
• Listen. And, if you will, speak up! (195)

So what does all this mean to me and my new quest? Well, I think it makes some of the differences between an audio interview and an audio story clearer, sort of. I think that one major difference is that the audio story will be more of a chance for listeners to really connect with the voices they hear. They need to be transported into the story itself, at the time and place it happens, to really feel affected by it. The interview, conversely, was more of a chance to see what would happen as the interview progressed. This story will be more about getting to that deeper issue while talking about the topic at hand.

So, what is my story? My story will be speaking to a larger issue from the point of view of one individual. In this case, I will be working with my dad. He will be talking about his recent experiences as a small business owner and how his work and life is being effected by the current economy. Do I want this to be about our current economy? Of course not. That would be boring. But from my dad's personal point of view, I think I could get a lot of good, really interesting stuff. As long as I keep him from talking in major tangents, that is. Wish me luck on project #2!!!