The University of Blog

I’m packing to return to Columbia again. I feel like I’m always packing. First it was for London earlier this year, then it was for Denver and now it to return to school once again. I’m pretty excited to move into my new apartment. To be fair, my mother moved me in on August 1 while I was in Denver, but my car will be completely full with stuff, and I get to organize a new apartment. In my four years at Mizzou, this will be my third apartment and a great improvement over the past apartments. It’s a bit further from campus, but I think it will make up for that in its cleanliness, cool factor and the in-house washer/dryer.  MUCH better.

While I’m packing, I realize that once again I’m in a transition phase. I’ve gotten used to being in Lawrence and spending time with the rents. Now I get to return to Columbia to live on my own and fend for myself. I’ll be searching for a job over the next few days if there aren’t shifts available at my previous job.  Once I spend some time downtown Columbia and taking notes in class, I’ll get back into the swing of things pretty easily. It’s senior year. This is my last year in college. The last year before I enter the real world. It’s the year to continue to figure out what to do after I graduate and the last year I can say I’m in college. It will be a good year.

It’s not too often that someone is given a glimpse into the world of television. It seems elusive and untouchable. What happens behind the screen is almost magical. It’s like it just appears. But I have been lucky enough to see how the whole process works for Food Network Challenge. It’s just amazing how many people it takes to get an episode out. There are producers, writers, field producers, line producers, cameramen, lighting technicians, casting and many more pre and post production folks that make it all flow seamlessly. Yes, there may be hiccups along the way. Deadlines are firm. A show needs to be delivered by the time it is expected from the network. That may mean working round the clock it get it done on time. This can lead to emotions running high, but the result is so rewarding.

When I look back on my time at High Noon, I realize just how much I was given the opportunity to do. I worked on set both for Food Network Challenge as well as Disaster House. Working on set allowed me the opportunity to ask the cameramen and the director questions about what they were looking for, how they were capturing it, and take pictures on set. On Challenge, the field producers offered great insight as to what they were noticing and getting out of the competitors. When I met with casting directors both for House Hunters and Challenge, I observed them interview decide whether or not a person would be good on camera. I’ve prepared show binders. Even though that this process is tedious, it has showed me the information the producers need when they go into a shoot.

It’s true that I haven’t had much hands on experience. While I wasn’t sent on coffee runs, I definitely made copies. However, I stuck though it. I asked if I could sit in with executive producers and editors to ask questions and soak up their lessons learned. Through that, I have gained some insight into development and how to be a great producer. In a nutshell? It involves being highly detail oriented and paying attention to every aspect of production from the lighting to how the names are spelled in the credits. It will take ahwile for me to be that detail oriented, but I can focus on it in my projects this next semester.

So…. all in all… a great experience — Fulfilling, fun and rewarding. While there were times that I dreaded making another copy, those times would pass and more interesting tasks would cross my path, which I really learned from. Successful mission.

There is something so fantastic about being with family after not seeing them in awhile. Sure, I will see them in two weeks when I come back to Lawrence, but it’s really great to have them visit Denver. It gives me a chance to do everything that I’d like to do/see/experience in Colorado.

Yesterday, we made our way up to Pike’s Peak. We hopped on the Cog Railway and climbed thousands of feet to reach one of America’s most majestic fourteeners. Was it a spectacular view or what! My goodness. We could see Kansas from that point. It was easy to feel a bit lightheaded up there. Hiking it would be a challenge for sure. We took the railway back down and then drove through Garden of the Gods.

We made it to Ft. Collins and tried some beer at New Belgium and Odells. Then the last touristy thing that I hit with my parents was the Botanical Gardens of Denver. We walked among a variety of plants. My favorite was the Japanese garden. Unfortunately, a woman dropped her camera into the pool, but the lotus flowers were really spectacular.

My family enjoyed the trip and it was good to have them here. It certainly felt like a family vacation. In fact, it reminded me of our camping trips in Yellowstone.  So, even though I will see them soon, I think it is nice for them to see my life in Colorado. It is nice for them to see everything I’ve accomplished here, and even though they may not want to admit it, I’m sure it’s nice for them to see how independent I am here.

What will I miss about Colorado? Well, the internship has been a rewarding experience, but at the same time, it is not what I will miss most. Being from Kansas, we do not have this type of impressive beauty there. Looking out of my backyard in Lawrence, I could probably see for miles since it is so flat.

However, here, the mountains are absolutely spectacular. On Saturday, I took a hike into Rocky Mountain National Park. We found a trail complete with a waterfall. Roundtrip was about seven miles. After seeing two snakes and getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, it was a relief to see Cascade Falls. I just took some time at the falls to enjoy the scenery and acknowledge the fact that indeed, I can return. Colorado will be here after I graduate. Colorado will be here when I go on family trips. It’s not going anywhere. I can return.

Today, I took photos of an African elephant. That is probably the only time in my life that will happen. She was beautiful. And no, if you are wondering, I did not suddenly take a trip to Africa (I wish). Instead, she was brought on set for DIY’s Disaster House. The show recreates disasters that happen to houses in an interesting way and then demonstrates how to fix the damage. Since first shooting, they have dropped a piano through the roof, had Clydesdales tear up a wall and had roller derby girls in the living room.  It might not be life changing hardcore journalism, but it sure is fun helping out on set.

When taking photos on set, it is important to pay attention to where the photographer is shooting so you avoid walking in his shot, but you still get what you need. For the DIY network, the photos of the host are used for press to promote the show. The others provide a step-by-step guide for users to see online. It was a good refresher on how to use the camera since first learning my freshman year.

Some other highlights of my week were learning more about the other aspects of production. I sat down with a casting agent and listened to her interviewing a potential couple for an upcoming FN Challenge show. When an editing bay was free, I jumped in there and strung together a sequence. I also played with the ISIS system and created a string-out from saved footage. A string-out is what a writer creates and strings together how the show will look before it goes to an editor to add footage and finesse. Just continue to knock things off my list…

Each day counts. With about three weeks left, there is a strong need to maximize my time at work talking to people, asking questions, watching and learning. Everyone has something that you can learn from. Whether it is finding out the way an editor edits, attending a casting interview, or assisting on any type of shoot, it is great to learn more about the entire process. Today I learned about casting for both Challenge and Cake Boss. Since these shows each have their strengths, it’s fun to be able to work for shows other than FN Challenge to see how those shows operate. High Noon is a powerhouse in production and is a great resource for learning as much as I can about television production. In addition, Denver is a great place to live. I wouldn’t mind returning after I graduate. It will even be pretty hard leaving in three weeks.

My friends from Columbia visited this week. I have been roommates with her since freshman year. This summer is our first time apart in quite some time. It’s bizarre and great to have visitors. Bizarre because I knew no one out here initially. To see someone that I’m so familiar with in another city when we aren’t roommates anymore shifts my thoughts. Playing host is also a challenge. It’s necessary to make sure to pack in a lot and figure out what would make them most happy. I did plan a pretty good weekend–
Friday night: hanging out in the hipster bars in South Broadway
Saturday: hiking, Brews and Blues on Old South Pearl Street near DU. Saturday night: dancing at Rock Bar
Sunday: Whitewater rafting on Clear Creek (class 4 rapids on cold water), shopping downtown
Needless to say, they left very satisfied and loving Denver.

Fourth of July always brings back memories. My usual is towing lawnchairs to the Kansas River   and setting up near the music. My mom and I would enjoy the local musicians while slathering on bugspray and prepare for the fireworks display. After watching another impressive display of  manmade lightning in the sky, we would then head home and eat our Fourth of July cake (poundcake with tons of  whipped cream and colorful, festive berries decorated in an American flag).

This weekend was different. No family, but that didn’t make anything less festive.  Luckily, Friday was a holiday from work. To celebrate, I went on a hike in the foothills. If there is anything that can clear your mind quickly, it would have to be outside enjoying nature. It was my first official hike in Colorado, which will be repeated again soon. I then saw Wilco at RedRocks. Most likely the coolest venue that I’ve been to/will ever go to. I listened to music while watching the sun set over Denver. On the Fourth for dinner I decorated my salad with the same berries that once made our Fourth of July cake. I then headed downtown to watch the fireworks display. Instead of seeing only one display, any way you looked, you could see fireworks lighting up the sky. It was for sure a successful evening.

The next day I got in a game of tennis by my complex and then jumped in our community pool. That alone would have made for a pretty great Sunday, but I then went to a BBQ in Washington Park. I felt the grass under my feet as I played frisbee and catch under the Colorado sun and ate delicious grilled veggies and chicken. I’m not sure a weekend gets much better.

There is nothing quite like waking up at 5 a.m. I got used to waking up early last week, but each time the alarm goes off before 5:30, it feels like death. I go through the motions to get up. I wash my face, throw on some clothes and get in the right mindset. This morning I went to the gym to cycle. Once I was through the motions and finished my workout, I realized that it was probably worth it getting up that early. There is something about getting up before the sun even shows its face that is awful but so hardcore. I’m in the elite crowd of early risers. And it is not just about fitness that motivates me to go out, but the desire to try something different. Pushing your comfort zone is important to have new experiences. And while I realize that I don’t want to necessarily be an early riser in my life, I do realize that working out in the morning puts me in a good mindset for the rest of the day.

Last week was one of the most rewarding weeks of my internship. The days were long, but I was involved in something that I cared a lot about. Since the cameramen are all freelancers, it gave them an opportunity to work as part of a huge team. I spoke with the field producers, audio producers and the supervising producer to gain a more complete picture of how the show works – at least the production of it.

It was really cool to see these chefs make competition cakes as well as sugar creations. Watching their impressive skill was inspirational. I don’t have nearly the skills that these competitors do, but it is enjoyable to watch and admire. After the last day of shooting, I celebrated at Keegan Gerhard’s restaurant dBar again. I tried the chocolate cake and fell in love.

This weekend after the shoot, I took a day and relaxed by first going for a run though Cherry Creek. I then checked out the pool for the first time and went to see the movie UP. It was so well done. I’m normally not one for animated films, but I enjoyed the unique concept and the characters. Today, I went to Boulder and walked around downtown for a bit and had lunch with a friend from Lawrence. I then attended Pride Fest in civic park. One thing that I can count on living in a big city is that there will always be a festival going on over the weekend. Pride fest was certainly filled with enthusiastic people celebrating in a variety of ways. Fun to see for sure.

2 days of shooting done. 2 full days left.

I’ve learned that the job of a production assistant includes doing whatever they need me to do. We remove tripods from the floor when the cameramen don’t need them any more. We take care of the crew and provide water and snacks. We run and get batteries and new tapes as they are needed. I’ve ALSO learned that there is the potential to get really tired after each shoot (Tuesday’s shoot lasted from 5:30 a.m.-11 p.m.).Tip: wear good shoes because you WILL be on your feet all day.

Today, I sat in on one of the interviews, which I will get to see more of tomorrow. It was cool to see how the episode producer got the contestants to say what they needed. My goal is to learn as much as I can about the entire process of what goes into the production of a television show. Being in the studio is probably the best part. We met Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, who was a guest judge for our Simpson’s Cake competition. The judges were so sweet. Kerry Vincent was nice to everyone and had great stores to share. The host Keegan was so down to earth. After the shoot, we checked out his restaurant D Bar in uptown Denver. The delicious desserts will bring me back for sure.