New Offer

So, yesterday was a full and interesting day, as any summer day should be. It started off with me waking up slightly earlier than normal to open up the backstage area. For the IMDC this is where it does it's media environment teaching. Teachers have access to DVD's, VHS, PC and the web, ability to plug in their lap top, and something called a Wolf Vision that is a high speed overhead projector. anyways had to be there earlier due to one of our producers being gone on vacation. Opened it up and started on my logging and capturing of video for this huge project that was video taped three years ago with 40 tapes, some ranging from 10 minutes to 2 and a half hours presentation and b-roll shit. So started that off and then got some DVD and VHS orders for some duplications. we have 2 duplication towers and each one has its own quirks with them. Both made by Condre(?) and one has a drive for the master and 6 for duplication and the other has the ability to load up the project on a hard drive and use 9 for duplication. the one with the hard drive is nice, but I can't figure out how to get it to duplicate from DVD to DVD and not load it each time on the Hard drive. Anyways made a few copies of some DVD's and a huge Betamax tape to a VHS. I don't think those were the good ole days when you had that fuckin camera on your shoulder shooting all day. If the tapes were that big,I'm not quite sure how big the camera was.
That was most of the morning, except I forgot to lock up the backstage after my shift, but no big deal. Nobody mentioned anything to me about it. I only work half days till 12 Monday through Thursday so i took a run around one of Madison's pristine lakes. South of the campus there is Lake Mendota, and it has a small bay with a nice area to run. Well it's that time of the year where the bay has turned from a lake to an algae field. Luckily it hasn't started smelling yet. There's very little water circulation that goes from the bay to the lake, so I guess that's what explains it. That or the fact that the lakes are surrounded by a city(that will definetaly...defenately...definitely be a topic I'll have to address.). Oh back to yesterday, Uhmmm worked out and laid in a pool to get some sun, I had till 4:30. I was going to help out with one of those shoots for instructional video for people with disabilities(Help me with an acronym somebody). This time it was waiting patiently in line at a bank or some shit like that. Pretty basic stuff. The only thing that I had to do was the normal production assistant stuff but this time I had to go pick up the talent. Not a big deal. Well, while i was doing the shoot, I got a phone call from Jennifer Barber about contacting her on account of a film being made in Madison Wisconsin. This is the original E-mail I sent her:
Dear Ms. Barber,
My name is Joseph Sanchez and I'm writing this e-mail with regards to your film "The Heir". I talked to Charlotte Frascona about any projects that were underway that could further my experience and she let me know that you had a film that was in the works with plans of being shown in the Wisconsin Film Festival. I'm interested in helping out, but I wasn't given any details about the project i.e. what phase of production you are in, what format you're using, or exact dates. I was told you're looking for help with cameras and grips, and that it's opened up for a credit. As I've said, I'm very interested in helping with the film, and my experience in media is VERY broad, so I've included my resume in the hopes that we can talk further about your project. Feel free to call at ***-**** or you can e-mail me back at this address. I spend most of my day in a basement, so e-mail is the best way to reach me from 8:30a-4:30p
Sincerely,
Joseph Sanchez

I hate television. I hate it as much as I hate peanuts. But I can't stop eating peanuts.
-Orson Welles



Just an inquiry, I wasn't given much information originally. To back track a little bit; the way I came into contact with this project in the works and Jennifer is that I was looking to fill time in my summer. I went to my academic adviser and she let me know that there was a project in the works this summer. I had just put my resume together and was looking to exploit all avenues. Sent it off with the letter and yesterday I received a phone call. This was about 730, had no dinner yet, but I was willing to make that sacrifice. I drove back into Madison for the 3rd time that day and sat down and talked with the writers/directors/producers. Had two beers(high life and a shiner bock) and just talked and listened. I was given a script to look over as well as a press release and let them know. They wanted to know how serious I was and I told her(by this time it was just Jennifer) that I will not respond within 2 days so that I may fully mull it over. So that's where I'm at in this point. I read a short piece last night before I passed out.
See, the thing is that it can come with a credit attached to the project. But it's one lousy credit, and then I have to write a paper over it? What the fuck ever. Oh, and then PAY for the credit as well. I'm HIGHLY thinking it's not worth it. I'm leaking much harder on just volunteering for the experience. And it's not really volunteering for the Resume boost experience, but the actually doing it experience. There's hopes that it will be put into festivals, so thats cool, but it'll be my first work on a full length film.
So that's where I'm at, this is where we're at. I need to read the script and decide how I want to pursue this. They seem to have the passion to make this movie and the stamina to keep the morale high. It should be good and in the least interesting. I plan on doing it, just not quite sure if i want to pay and get a credit or not. I told them I'm more of a Broadcast man, but I'd be ecstatic to work on a movie. I think that's all for now. there shall be more to come I'm sure