I am ENGAGED!!!
Briefly, I'll give you a few of the details: at 12:35 a.m. on Saturday, February 9th, 2008, Sarah Lynn Harrison accepted my proposal to marriage. We are now engaged, witha potential wedding date in June 2009.
The ring, as you can see in my Myspace profile pic (www.myspace.com/andrewgilbertson), is the FANTASTIC craftsmanship of Jed Meyers, jeweler extraordinaire!
More details will surface as time goes by, I'm sure... but for now... that's the big news! I'm engaged to the woman of my dreams!!!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Employment History
Well, I come before you this time around a humbled man, given a great gift and reminded that my faith is not all that it could be... and that God can truly do anything... not just the impossible things that I can CONCIEVE of. So, prepare for a long and complex tale of woes and struggles... and ultimately, a happy ending that only God could bring about!
To begin with, I started out my time in Pennsylvania rather sloppily. Not that I meant to, really... I just wasn't working hard enough not to, I'm ashamed to say. I had a three month deadline before I would have to move out of my Aunt and Uncle's (where I am staying) and either into an appartment or back home to Washington. I set myself up a routine of checking online job websites, including Craigslist and a number of others... but that is all I did. And I was pretty sloppy with that, too, apparently- often getting a late start in the day.
It took a strong letter of rebuke from concerned parents to jar me from that. It stung, but it was exactly what I needed to hear. So, I started 'pounding the pavement,' as in-person communications do tend to be the best way to get a job. So I searched. My reward? About a week later, while I was out on my searching, I get into an accident and total the car. Well... God has a purpose in that, I'm sure... I just don't know what.
At that point, I hit a bit of a slump again, but was very fortunate to have my Grandfather sell me his car (as he was just preparing to buy a new one) a transaction that, with insurance and title-changeover proceedures, has taken about a month to achieve but is now complete... minus paying off the car, of course.
By this time, a second month had about slipped past, and I was just a little over a month from my deadline, Nov. 1st. (Technically, 3 months would be Nov. 6th, but I decided not to argue the point considering that my relatives had generously opened their home to me, be it for 90 days or 84.) And then, finally, the job searching began to get results. And by God's twist of irony, what results would those be? Call-backs... from the internet job-searching. I think it was very much a matter of simply humbling myself, of being willing to get out and search in person, to do the hardwork, to break out of my comfort zone and do what needed to be done, that God was waiting for before He opened the doors He had for me.
So, I now had interviews. A pair- a studio in Lafeyette Hills, PA, and another one in Cherry Hill, NJ. (Right across the border from Philly.)
The interview at Lafeyette Hills didn't go so great. They had been advertising a full time position but were really looking for more of a contractor. And their interview- whether it really was harsh, or I was just percieving askew that day- was frustrating and demoralizing- it almost felt like a trial, or a session of "Good cop, bad cop." As they said, "To separate those who really have talent from those who just think they do." That was frustrating.
Much better was the interview in Cherry Hill. Friendly people, work I knew how to do inside and out, a great location, a fun company, they even used the same editing software I do (Adobe Premiere on PC, unlike the other place, which used Mac and Final Cut Pro.). It was far closer to the Harrisons- about half the drive time even if I lived on the opposite side of the city somewhere. Getting there, on the other hand...
The thing is, this is litterally RIGHT on the other side of the river from Philladelphia. Which means... you have to cross THROUGH Philly to get there, and over the bridge- there simply is no other route from this direction. And apparently, the streets and highways of Philly were designed by Saducees, because they do not seem to believe in redemption- you make one wrong turn, and you are very simply... in deep trouble. There are hardly any exits, and certainly no clear signs for freeways after you exit, and CERTAINLY no reverse routes to get BACK to where you made the wrong turn... I am finding this to be the case very often on the east coast. The very worst is what I have taken recently to calling "Wilmington, Helleware"- a nightmarish state, that one... the bane of direction givers, online map websites, and sense of direction-finding alike... I have not visited there once without getting lost and spending 20 minutes going around in frustrated circles. Literally. And this includes routes I've been on multiple times before. But second to that are the highways around Philladelphia. And so it was that I found myself, out of time, a few minutes from my scheduled interview, lost somewhere in New Jersey driving along a road (hitting all red lights of course) seemingly devoid of ANY freeways entrances, having just turned around from pursuing a direct-line course back towards Philly, which I could see, only to end at a dead end at the docks on the river that kept me from it... I was miserable. Let me tell you... I have heard several people tell me how well I have been handling all of the stress- and believe you me, the last three months have had just about every stress that moving out on one's own COULD have, and then some- and I can only conclude it is because they only have my own verbal reports to rely on and haven't seen me in person, on the verge of panic every other day, or out pacing around the field for what feels like hours but is probably minutes with the only thing running through my head being something to the effect of "HelpmehelpmehelpmeGodpleasehelpmeohpleaseGodhelpmehelpmehelpmeGodpleaseohGodohGodohGodohGodhelpmeplease..."
Or, as was the case in this particular instance, broken down into frustrated sobs, the burden of everything I'd been experiencing of late all come to a head upon my shoulders (how that for a turn of phrase?), crying aloud my frustrated prayers in a ragged shout. I felt very much like Captain Picard in "Q Who," when the Enterprise first encounters the Borg- as they ship is being pursued by the inexorable, undefeatable Borg cube, past their maximum speed limit with the Borg still gaining, damaged, helpless, Picard turns to the gloating Q, asking him "What is it you want, Q? You want me to admit that we are not ready? For the moment, I admit that. You want us to admit that we're frightened? Oh yes, we are frightened! You want to hear me say I need you? D***IT, Q, I NEED YOU!" At the moment, Picard has to swallow all of his pride, be reduced to utter humillity, because he knows that the circumstances are simply not those that he can handle on his own, ever. He is willing to do that, but also angry, frustrated that things have even come to the point where he has to do so. Likewise, I was crying out to God "I cannot do this alone! I know that, Lord- I've never claimed to think otherwise! Please, PLEASE, just HELP me!"
Two things happened at once. One, I was flooded with a peace that I had not known for quite some time. Two, I turned a corner in the road and came face-to-face with a sign for the exact freeway route that I had been looking to get back to. At that moment, I was almost sure that Cherry Hill was the job for me. It was like God had just sent a beacon through the darkness and said "I am helping you- this is what I have prepared for you."
The interview seemed to bear this out. The people were friendly. The work was good. I knew everything down pat that they asked me in the interview. They gave me a test edit and I aced it- even adding a few special touches that I think impressed them. The job sounded fun, location ideal- one of the guys even asked me how I did the effects on Fresh Snow Clones- his co-workers were as impressed as I was that he actually went all through my website, not just the demo reel, and actually remembered the name of one of my movies- in fact, as we passed one of the work computers, I did a double-take as I saw several of my movie files downloaded on the desktop! As I left there, I was actually singing "I feel good!" by James Brown and dancing around on the elevator ride down.
Time passed. I got in the accident, totalled the car. Got a new one. Things were looking lousy. Had some difficult personal situations as well... spiraling into depression which, thank God, my best friend snapped me out of- like my parent's letter about the job situation before it, it stung, BADLY- but it was also just what I needed to shape up.
Cherry Hill called, and offered me the job. There was more dancing and singing. Rejoicing. Calling of friends and family to tell them the good news. I changed my Myspace name from "The Seeker" to "The Employee." I was on top of the world- searching for appartments, making budgets, and very, very happy.
Of this were a movie, you could almost see the "Until..." coming.
The offer letter arrived, and... I was being offered $17 an hour, as agreed upon, for an initial month and a half trial period of 3-day a week work (a somewhat difficult proposition, as that came out to the equivalent of working a 40 hour week for $10 an hour- not enough to finance moving out during that first month, when I would need it the most!), and then transitioning to full time at... $25,000 annually. About $12 an hour. NOT enough to make a living on... well, technically, scrimping, saving, finding an appartment where rent/utillities were combined $500 a month... but only if you forgo tithing, which isn't an option. I had to tell them that I simply couldn't afford to take the position. Then they offered that if they dropped the health and dental benefits, they could pay $30,000 annually (just under $15 an hour.) THIS, I could work with! The celebrations were back on, making a living was viable again- and then they wrote and said that benefits were determined by some national census, and dropping the benefits would mess up their rates, and something, and something else, and bottom line, $25,000 with benefits was their best offer. I had to say no- I want the job, but I just couldn't mae a living off of it!
I was, suffice it to say, crushed. Very depressed. My Myspace name changed from "The Employee" to "The ^@*&%@#ing Bowling Pin"- someone who keeps getting set up and then knocked down- which really DOES seem to be my story for the last 5 months or so, over and over again... I have been 'screwed over' as the saying goes, by so many jobs of late...
Anyhow, back to square one. I found this out just as the One Month Left mark hit.
Then, another pair of interviews cropped up. One in Malvern, PA, maybe 10 minutes away from where I am staying, and the other in Kutztown, about an hour north- the wrong direction, farther away from the Harrisons, but hey- if it would be a chance to work here and stay... everything had seemed so perfect, so ideal with the Cherry Hill job, as if it had been God's perfect gift, every aspect perfectly tailored to be just right for me, bring me closer to the Harrisons, etc... but now I had moved from a matter of 'ideal' to a matter of survival.
The Malvern sent me a sample car comercial to put together from their sample script- they provided about thre graphics and a jingle clip, and the rest was up to me. I think I knocked it out of the park, personally- especially given what I had to work with. However, as the days and weeks passed, I began to wonder if anything would come of it. Finally, I was called in for an interview. The environment was friendly and relaxed, the work interesting and fun, and the people quite friendly. I was asked to cut another editing demo, a car comercial, with a few more resources this time- and despite some technical issues, everything turned out quite well. I left confident.
Meanwhile, I went up to Kutztown. Cow country. (Actually, the air smelled strongly of them, in fact!) A small, rural town- anyone familliar with Daton, Washington will know what I mean when I said I found Pennsylvania's hillier counterpart.
The job was in fact not a video editing position, but a graphic effects position using Adobe After Effects (another specialty of mine.) Apparently, a lot of Casinos are snapping up flatscreen and plasma TVs as the prices plummet- only to discover that even though they have a huge allotment of them cheap- they have no content to show on them. Thus, the job would entail creating graphic art- simillar to screensavers or the Windows Media Player art styles, synched to music, to play on the screens. It would also involve getting stills, trailers, and other first-look advanced-copy promo materials from a number of Hollywood studios and putting things together for promotions for the casinos as well. As it turns out, I was called in first among the interviews because of my No Line Cinemas animated logo, included on my demo reel- it impressed the owner, suggesting to him someone who knows not only graphic design, but also Hollywood and it's style- both valuable traits for the position. Things went swimingly. This was now three weeks from my move-out deadline. This Monday, the 15th, is the two-week deadline- by which time if I did not have a job, it was plain that I would need to begin preparations to move home come the 1st.
The time ticked on... I was supposed to hear from Kutztown by Monday, and Malvern by Friday... and when Wednesday had come with no word, and I was beginning to panic again, images of tearful goodbyes with my best friend playing in excrutiating loops within my head throughout the day, I finally called wrote to check in. Meanwhile, I new I would need some temporary cash, be it for moving to an appartment, or driving back across country- so after seeking to no avail a number of temp agencies and video contract positions, I finally began at the beginning of this week to seek employment at Giant and Rite Aid... Rite Aid accepted me, and I was preparing to start- when the studio from way back when, Lafeyette Hills, contacted me to come in for some contract work to help with a project. Even in the area of temporary work, the principle was the same- only when I humbled myself to do the 'lowly' work I didn't want to do (not that I look down on working in a grocery chain- I was just trying to find something higher-paying to start with) did God bring things through for me in the very area that I had once sought them! This temporary work pays twice what Rite Aid would have.
Thursday, all I heard back from Kutztown was an enigmatic "What are your salary requirements?" I responded, and waited... and the next day, I got my answer at last. "We have decided to pass on your services," they said. Cherry Hill had contacted me back, stating that they had someone else that could fill the position, but if I accepted by noon Friday, I could still have the job for the $25,000 plus benefits. It was maddening- I HAD a job offer... it was just one that wouldn't pay enough to live on! So, it was all down to Malvern- only they stood between my staying or failing and returning to Washington.
Thursday night, I got my answer... Malvern said no. I was in full-blown panic mode, tearful at the thought of leaving Sarah, in disbelief and shock and frustration that everything had fallen through this way. And yet, there was still one tiny ray of hope- if Lafeyette Hills would take me on full time. As it turns out, everyone else at the studio, besides the 'good cop' and 'bad cop,' were extremely nice, very friendly, and fun- the environment reminded me of my first job at ACT Video Productions- even down to the cheerleader-style-cheer-to-drum-up-business routine at staff meetings. It seemed like a wonderful place to work- they were impressed with my editing, and said they could certainly use another editor full time- buit still didn't think they had the budget to bring somone on full time. They said I would have an answer Saturday.
With hope existant but slim, I went on Friday and got the title to the car and business at the DMV finally taken care of at last. I also called Sarah, leaving on vacation- a frstrating irony that in this, the crunch time, the grimmest moment, I wouldn't be able to see her through it. But she reminded me, as we both kept saying, that God could work things out- I had a list of things (My work, my finances, the car situation, and a number of personal issues) that I had the feeling I would know one way or another by Friday... and at the moment, the car situation was the only one I did- and that by the end of the day, I could still have all my answers... and of course, that even if I didn't, He was still in control. I halfheartedly agreed and continued through the day, checked my e-mail... and found that Cherry Hill had CAVED! They have agreed to hire me on at $30,000 without benefits; which I can make a living off of! Less than an hour after Sarah reminded me of that fact, God did indeed work things out.
And now I feel rather foolish- I knew at the time that it was what He had worked out for me. And yet I allowed myself to fall into the trap of believing that since things looked impossible from a human perspective, that God wasn't going to work things out! Already I can see so many of the reasons why He worked things out the way He did- if I hadn't believed I would be strapped for cash because I was alternativeless, I might never have gotten past my initial bad impression at Lafeytte Hills, whom, though they cannot bring me aboard full time, are happy to have me for the two days a week that I am not working at Cherry Hill for the first month and a half, thus solving that cash flow problem! And I do now that, honestly, had the job at Cherry Hill come through any earlier, even a day... I probably would have taken the credit for it. Already, it's easy enough to think "I played hardball, I stuck to my guns, and they give in- I saw their bluff about 'another candidate' and I held out and I WON!" But as I came to admit so many times during the last few weeks, I knew that if this job situation worked out, it would be solely due to God' grace, not my own efforts- and God's choice of timing in working this out leaves NO DOUBT in my mind that it was due to Him... there is no one else to whom the credit can go. So now, all of the 'dream scenarios' of this 'ideal job' have been realized, PLUS several of the pitfalls, like the cash shortage for the first month, have been filled in, too! Truly, God is good! (Of course, He still was even when everything was depressing and frustrating and altogether hopeless-seeming... but now it is easier to see it!) Even the appartment/room to rent that I had been looking at ($500 a month for rent and utilities combined) back when Cherry Hills was looking like a likelihood has remained unfilled for two weeks, leaving me with an easy option for find housing in the area!
So, that is my tale. I do not know how often this blog will be updated now; the three months are drawing to a close, the big situations have nearly all been resolved... I am sure there will still be things to blog about- when I move out, for instance, and am truly starting 'on my own'- but at least for these initial chronicles, this tumultuous time of trying to get established, this first three month 'trial period,' God has truly brought about a happy ending!
One last thing: Assuming a little bit of html formatting works out here... feel free to check out my website any time (newly updated with 'Heroes!') but be sure to at least check out this awesome logo just created for me as a gift from that most talented and incredible web designer, Susannah Gilbertson!
To begin with, I started out my time in Pennsylvania rather sloppily. Not that I meant to, really... I just wasn't working hard enough not to, I'm ashamed to say. I had a three month deadline before I would have to move out of my Aunt and Uncle's (where I am staying) and either into an appartment or back home to Washington. I set myself up a routine of checking online job websites, including Craigslist and a number of others... but that is all I did. And I was pretty sloppy with that, too, apparently- often getting a late start in the day.
It took a strong letter of rebuke from concerned parents to jar me from that. It stung, but it was exactly what I needed to hear. So, I started 'pounding the pavement,' as in-person communications do tend to be the best way to get a job. So I searched. My reward? About a week later, while I was out on my searching, I get into an accident and total the car. Well... God has a purpose in that, I'm sure... I just don't know what.
At that point, I hit a bit of a slump again, but was very fortunate to have my Grandfather sell me his car (as he was just preparing to buy a new one) a transaction that, with insurance and title-changeover proceedures, has taken about a month to achieve but is now complete... minus paying off the car, of course.
By this time, a second month had about slipped past, and I was just a little over a month from my deadline, Nov. 1st. (Technically, 3 months would be Nov. 6th, but I decided not to argue the point considering that my relatives had generously opened their home to me, be it for 90 days or 84.) And then, finally, the job searching began to get results. And by God's twist of irony, what results would those be? Call-backs... from the internet job-searching. I think it was very much a matter of simply humbling myself, of being willing to get out and search in person, to do the hardwork, to break out of my comfort zone and do what needed to be done, that God was waiting for before He opened the doors He had for me.
So, I now had interviews. A pair- a studio in Lafeyette Hills, PA, and another one in Cherry Hill, NJ. (Right across the border from Philly.)
The interview at Lafeyette Hills didn't go so great. They had been advertising a full time position but were really looking for more of a contractor. And their interview- whether it really was harsh, or I was just percieving askew that day- was frustrating and demoralizing- it almost felt like a trial, or a session of "Good cop, bad cop." As they said, "To separate those who really have talent from those who just think they do." That was frustrating.
Much better was the interview in Cherry Hill. Friendly people, work I knew how to do inside and out, a great location, a fun company, they even used the same editing software I do (Adobe Premiere on PC, unlike the other place, which used Mac and Final Cut Pro.). It was far closer to the Harrisons- about half the drive time even if I lived on the opposite side of the city somewhere. Getting there, on the other hand...
The thing is, this is litterally RIGHT on the other side of the river from Philladelphia. Which means... you have to cross THROUGH Philly to get there, and over the bridge- there simply is no other route from this direction. And apparently, the streets and highways of Philly were designed by Saducees, because they do not seem to believe in redemption- you make one wrong turn, and you are very simply... in deep trouble. There are hardly any exits, and certainly no clear signs for freeways after you exit, and CERTAINLY no reverse routes to get BACK to where you made the wrong turn... I am finding this to be the case very often on the east coast. The very worst is what I have taken recently to calling "Wilmington, Helleware"- a nightmarish state, that one... the bane of direction givers, online map websites, and sense of direction-finding alike... I have not visited there once without getting lost and spending 20 minutes going around in frustrated circles. Literally. And this includes routes I've been on multiple times before. But second to that are the highways around Philladelphia. And so it was that I found myself, out of time, a few minutes from my scheduled interview, lost somewhere in New Jersey driving along a road (hitting all red lights of course) seemingly devoid of ANY freeways entrances, having just turned around from pursuing a direct-line course back towards Philly, which I could see, only to end at a dead end at the docks on the river that kept me from it... I was miserable. Let me tell you... I have heard several people tell me how well I have been handling all of the stress- and believe you me, the last three months have had just about every stress that moving out on one's own COULD have, and then some- and I can only conclude it is because they only have my own verbal reports to rely on and haven't seen me in person, on the verge of panic every other day, or out pacing around the field for what feels like hours but is probably minutes with the only thing running through my head being something to the effect of "HelpmehelpmehelpmeGodpleasehelpmeohpleaseGodhelpmehelpmehelpmeGodpleaseohGodohGodohGodohGodhelpmeplease..."
Or, as was the case in this particular instance, broken down into frustrated sobs, the burden of everything I'd been experiencing of late all come to a head upon my shoulders (how that for a turn of phrase?), crying aloud my frustrated prayers in a ragged shout. I felt very much like Captain Picard in "Q Who," when the Enterprise first encounters the Borg- as they ship is being pursued by the inexorable, undefeatable Borg cube, past their maximum speed limit with the Borg still gaining, damaged, helpless, Picard turns to the gloating Q, asking him "What is it you want, Q? You want me to admit that we are not ready? For the moment, I admit that. You want us to admit that we're frightened? Oh yes, we are frightened! You want to hear me say I need you? D***IT, Q, I NEED YOU!" At the moment, Picard has to swallow all of his pride, be reduced to utter humillity, because he knows that the circumstances are simply not those that he can handle on his own, ever. He is willing to do that, but also angry, frustrated that things have even come to the point where he has to do so. Likewise, I was crying out to God "I cannot do this alone! I know that, Lord- I've never claimed to think otherwise! Please, PLEASE, just HELP me!"
Two things happened at once. One, I was flooded with a peace that I had not known for quite some time. Two, I turned a corner in the road and came face-to-face with a sign for the exact freeway route that I had been looking to get back to. At that moment, I was almost sure that Cherry Hill was the job for me. It was like God had just sent a beacon through the darkness and said "I am helping you- this is what I have prepared for you."
The interview seemed to bear this out. The people were friendly. The work was good. I knew everything down pat that they asked me in the interview. They gave me a test edit and I aced it- even adding a few special touches that I think impressed them. The job sounded fun, location ideal- one of the guys even asked me how I did the effects on Fresh Snow Clones- his co-workers were as impressed as I was that he actually went all through my website, not just the demo reel, and actually remembered the name of one of my movies- in fact, as we passed one of the work computers, I did a double-take as I saw several of my movie files downloaded on the desktop! As I left there, I was actually singing "I feel good!" by James Brown and dancing around on the elevator ride down.
Time passed. I got in the accident, totalled the car. Got a new one. Things were looking lousy. Had some difficult personal situations as well... spiraling into depression which, thank God, my best friend snapped me out of- like my parent's letter about the job situation before it, it stung, BADLY- but it was also just what I needed to shape up.
Cherry Hill called, and offered me the job. There was more dancing and singing. Rejoicing. Calling of friends and family to tell them the good news. I changed my Myspace name from "The Seeker" to "The Employee." I was on top of the world- searching for appartments, making budgets, and very, very happy.
Of this were a movie, you could almost see the "Until..." coming.
The offer letter arrived, and... I was being offered $17 an hour, as agreed upon, for an initial month and a half trial period of 3-day a week work (a somewhat difficult proposition, as that came out to the equivalent of working a 40 hour week for $10 an hour- not enough to finance moving out during that first month, when I would need it the most!), and then transitioning to full time at... $25,000 annually. About $12 an hour. NOT enough to make a living on... well, technically, scrimping, saving, finding an appartment where rent/utillities were combined $500 a month... but only if you forgo tithing, which isn't an option. I had to tell them that I simply couldn't afford to take the position. Then they offered that if they dropped the health and dental benefits, they could pay $30,000 annually (just under $15 an hour.) THIS, I could work with! The celebrations were back on, making a living was viable again- and then they wrote and said that benefits were determined by some national census, and dropping the benefits would mess up their rates, and something, and something else, and bottom line, $25,000 with benefits was their best offer. I had to say no- I want the job, but I just couldn't mae a living off of it!
I was, suffice it to say, crushed. Very depressed. My Myspace name changed from "The Employee" to "The ^@*&%@#ing Bowling Pin"- someone who keeps getting set up and then knocked down- which really DOES seem to be my story for the last 5 months or so, over and over again... I have been 'screwed over' as the saying goes, by so many jobs of late...
Anyhow, back to square one. I found this out just as the One Month Left mark hit.
Then, another pair of interviews cropped up. One in Malvern, PA, maybe 10 minutes away from where I am staying, and the other in Kutztown, about an hour north- the wrong direction, farther away from the Harrisons, but hey- if it would be a chance to work here and stay... everything had seemed so perfect, so ideal with the Cherry Hill job, as if it had been God's perfect gift, every aspect perfectly tailored to be just right for me, bring me closer to the Harrisons, etc... but now I had moved from a matter of 'ideal' to a matter of survival.
The Malvern sent me a sample car comercial to put together from their sample script- they provided about thre graphics and a jingle clip, and the rest was up to me. I think I knocked it out of the park, personally- especially given what I had to work with. However, as the days and weeks passed, I began to wonder if anything would come of it. Finally, I was called in for an interview. The environment was friendly and relaxed, the work interesting and fun, and the people quite friendly. I was asked to cut another editing demo, a car comercial, with a few more resources this time- and despite some technical issues, everything turned out quite well. I left confident.
Meanwhile, I went up to Kutztown. Cow country. (Actually, the air smelled strongly of them, in fact!) A small, rural town- anyone familliar with Daton, Washington will know what I mean when I said I found Pennsylvania's hillier counterpart.
The job was in fact not a video editing position, but a graphic effects position using Adobe After Effects (another specialty of mine.) Apparently, a lot of Casinos are snapping up flatscreen and plasma TVs as the prices plummet- only to discover that even though they have a huge allotment of them cheap- they have no content to show on them. Thus, the job would entail creating graphic art- simillar to screensavers or the Windows Media Player art styles, synched to music, to play on the screens. It would also involve getting stills, trailers, and other first-look advanced-copy promo materials from a number of Hollywood studios and putting things together for promotions for the casinos as well. As it turns out, I was called in first among the interviews because of my No Line Cinemas animated logo, included on my demo reel- it impressed the owner, suggesting to him someone who knows not only graphic design, but also Hollywood and it's style- both valuable traits for the position. Things went swimingly. This was now three weeks from my move-out deadline. This Monday, the 15th, is the two-week deadline- by which time if I did not have a job, it was plain that I would need to begin preparations to move home come the 1st.
The time ticked on... I was supposed to hear from Kutztown by Monday, and Malvern by Friday... and when Wednesday had come with no word, and I was beginning to panic again, images of tearful goodbyes with my best friend playing in excrutiating loops within my head throughout the day, I finally called wrote to check in. Meanwhile, I new I would need some temporary cash, be it for moving to an appartment, or driving back across country- so after seeking to no avail a number of temp agencies and video contract positions, I finally began at the beginning of this week to seek employment at Giant and Rite Aid... Rite Aid accepted me, and I was preparing to start- when the studio from way back when, Lafeyette Hills, contacted me to come in for some contract work to help with a project. Even in the area of temporary work, the principle was the same- only when I humbled myself to do the 'lowly' work I didn't want to do (not that I look down on working in a grocery chain- I was just trying to find something higher-paying to start with) did God bring things through for me in the very area that I had once sought them! This temporary work pays twice what Rite Aid would have.
Thursday, all I heard back from Kutztown was an enigmatic "What are your salary requirements?" I responded, and waited... and the next day, I got my answer at last. "We have decided to pass on your services," they said. Cherry Hill had contacted me back, stating that they had someone else that could fill the position, but if I accepted by noon Friday, I could still have the job for the $25,000 plus benefits. It was maddening- I HAD a job offer... it was just one that wouldn't pay enough to live on! So, it was all down to Malvern- only they stood between my staying or failing and returning to Washington.
Thursday night, I got my answer... Malvern said no. I was in full-blown panic mode, tearful at the thought of leaving Sarah, in disbelief and shock and frustration that everything had fallen through this way. And yet, there was still one tiny ray of hope- if Lafeyette Hills would take me on full time. As it turns out, everyone else at the studio, besides the 'good cop' and 'bad cop,' were extremely nice, very friendly, and fun- the environment reminded me of my first job at ACT Video Productions- even down to the cheerleader-style-cheer-to-drum-up-business routine at staff meetings. It seemed like a wonderful place to work- they were impressed with my editing, and said they could certainly use another editor full time- buit still didn't think they had the budget to bring somone on full time. They said I would have an answer Saturday.
With hope existant but slim, I went on Friday and got the title to the car and business at the DMV finally taken care of at last. I also called Sarah, leaving on vacation- a frstrating irony that in this, the crunch time, the grimmest moment, I wouldn't be able to see her through it. But she reminded me, as we both kept saying, that God could work things out- I had a list of things (My work, my finances, the car situation, and a number of personal issues) that I had the feeling I would know one way or another by Friday... and at the moment, the car situation was the only one I did- and that by the end of the day, I could still have all my answers... and of course, that even if I didn't, He was still in control. I halfheartedly agreed and continued through the day, checked my e-mail... and found that Cherry Hill had CAVED! They have agreed to hire me on at $30,000 without benefits; which I can make a living off of! Less than an hour after Sarah reminded me of that fact, God did indeed work things out.
And now I feel rather foolish- I knew at the time that it was what He had worked out for me. And yet I allowed myself to fall into the trap of believing that since things looked impossible from a human perspective, that God wasn't going to work things out! Already I can see so many of the reasons why He worked things out the way He did- if I hadn't believed I would be strapped for cash because I was alternativeless, I might never have gotten past my initial bad impression at Lafeytte Hills, whom, though they cannot bring me aboard full time, are happy to have me for the two days a week that I am not working at Cherry Hill for the first month and a half, thus solving that cash flow problem! And I do now that, honestly, had the job at Cherry Hill come through any earlier, even a day... I probably would have taken the credit for it. Already, it's easy enough to think "I played hardball, I stuck to my guns, and they give in- I saw their bluff about 'another candidate' and I held out and I WON!" But as I came to admit so many times during the last few weeks, I knew that if this job situation worked out, it would be solely due to God' grace, not my own efforts- and God's choice of timing in working this out leaves NO DOUBT in my mind that it was due to Him... there is no one else to whom the credit can go. So now, all of the 'dream scenarios' of this 'ideal job' have been realized, PLUS several of the pitfalls, like the cash shortage for the first month, have been filled in, too! Truly, God is good! (Of course, He still was even when everything was depressing and frustrating and altogether hopeless-seeming... but now it is easier to see it!) Even the appartment/room to rent that I had been looking at ($500 a month for rent and utilities combined) back when Cherry Hills was looking like a likelihood has remained unfilled for two weeks, leaving me with an easy option for find housing in the area!
So, that is my tale. I do not know how often this blog will be updated now; the three months are drawing to a close, the big situations have nearly all been resolved... I am sure there will still be things to blog about- when I move out, for instance, and am truly starting 'on my own'- but at least for these initial chronicles, this tumultuous time of trying to get established, this first three month 'trial period,' God has truly brought about a happy ending!
One last thing: Assuming a little bit of html formatting works out here... feel free to check out my website any time (newly updated with 'Heroes!') but be sure to at least check out this awesome logo just created for me as a gift from that most talented and incredible web designer, Susannah Gilbertson!
Monday, October 1, 2007
The $73 Burrito
Well, not much new to report at present- job situation still in flux, finances questionable- and apparently scraping a curb while turning is enough to blow out a tire, so leaving Taco Bell, I incurred another $72 expense I didn't need getting a new tire. As it turns out, the car jack I had was a worthless thing which warped as I jacked it up, eventually having the top half leaning at 45 degrees, ready to collapse and drop the car on me at any moment- after jacking it up twice on that deathtrap and not being confident enough to work with those conditions, I had to sit in the Wawa parking lot for an hour or so, panhandling new arrivals to borrow their car jack- of course, I was two stores down from a trie place... but they were closed for the weekend.
Finally, a tattoo-covered burly fellow with a big truck that I almost didn't approach turned out to be a good Samaritan, luckily having kept in his car by accident a jack to small for it, but small enough to be used for mine. Turns out he was a tire guy himself, and was able to help me imensly. I continued on to New Jersey with a 'doughnut' tire- a max speed of 50 MPH rating, which as you can imagine made me EXTREMELY popular with other drivers, especially on the freeway!
Finally, on Sunday, I was able to go down to Pep Boys to purchase a tire for $72- Sarah Harrison came to keep me company, which made the ordeal a bit less frustrating- and the clerk afterwards apparently saw me coming from a mile away...
"Andrew Gilbertson?"
"Yes."
"Here are your keys... that'll be $572."
"WHAT?!"
*Clerk and Sarah crack up laughing*
"Just messin' with you, man- that'll be $72."
Thankfully, the hospital bill expenses for the treatment of a heart attack were narrowly avoided.
So, at present, I am continuing on- I have a second video interview tomorrow, and still negotiationg (rather unsucessfully) with the original job opportunity over wage conditions, which are difficult; my total gross is a liveable wage, but as they are planning on giving me about 5/6ths of that total wage plus medical and dental benefits equal to the last half, I am actually looking at a wage that is slightly less than feasible for independant living- UNLESS I were to save about $200 a month by ceasing to tithe... which I have to say is one heck of a test of character to have to go through if that turns out to be the case. But since dropping my tithe isn't an option, I am continuing to pray that God will either allow some loophole where I CAN exchange the benefits for the extra equivalent cash (which they are balking at) or that He will open something up with this other video job which is not quite geographically where I'd like it, but... if it can earn me a living, then I would jump at the chance!
And so, for this week, as Dorris Day said, "That's all for now, Vladimir."
Finally, a tattoo-covered burly fellow with a big truck that I almost didn't approach turned out to be a good Samaritan, luckily having kept in his car by accident a jack to small for it, but small enough to be used for mine. Turns out he was a tire guy himself, and was able to help me imensly. I continued on to New Jersey with a 'doughnut' tire- a max speed of 50 MPH rating, which as you can imagine made me EXTREMELY popular with other drivers, especially on the freeway!
Finally, on Sunday, I was able to go down to Pep Boys to purchase a tire for $72- Sarah Harrison came to keep me company, which made the ordeal a bit less frustrating- and the clerk afterwards apparently saw me coming from a mile away...
"Andrew Gilbertson?"
"Yes."
"Here are your keys... that'll be $572."
"WHAT?!"
*Clerk and Sarah crack up laughing*
"Just messin' with you, man- that'll be $72."
Thankfully, the hospital bill expenses for the treatment of a heart attack were narrowly avoided.
So, at present, I am continuing on- I have a second video interview tomorrow, and still negotiationg (rather unsucessfully) with the original job opportunity over wage conditions, which are difficult; my total gross is a liveable wage, but as they are planning on giving me about 5/6ths of that total wage plus medical and dental benefits equal to the last half, I am actually looking at a wage that is slightly less than feasible for independant living- UNLESS I were to save about $200 a month by ceasing to tithe... which I have to say is one heck of a test of character to have to go through if that turns out to be the case. But since dropping my tithe isn't an option, I am continuing to pray that God will either allow some loophole where I CAN exchange the benefits for the extra equivalent cash (which they are balking at) or that He will open something up with this other video job which is not quite geographically where I'd like it, but... if it can earn me a living, then I would jump at the chance!
And so, for this week, as Dorris Day said, "That's all for now, Vladimir."
Friday, September 28, 2007
Sorry for the delay....
Well, an awful lot has happened of late. I keep meaning to sit down and write out the details, but keep being distracted by other things. The long and short of it is this:
1. I was in an accident (no one hurt, my fault, rear-ended another driver) and totalled the car. Man, hitting an airbag feels like getting slapped across the face!
2. I went to Philadelphia and saw Wicked on stage with my Best Friend. Scary alleys! Great play! NO resteraunts that don't serve alchohol!
3. I got a new car, though the process of trying to get the title changed over is proving... trying. And of course, now I have to pay it off...
4. I finally, after all this time, appear to have been hired for a video job... but now the job conditions appear to be changed from what I was originally offered, putting me in a finanical situation that will be difficult, if not impossible- and I am still expected to move out of the place I am staying and into an appartment by November 1st! So, all in all, things keep going up only to go down and then back up again... it's impossible to tell whether things are going wonderfully or terribly at the moment! But, I do believe God is with me, and is going to work this out. Prayers are appreciated; There are, of course, dozens of details to each of these stories, and should I have the time, I will indeed write them out. Meanwhile, as soon as I know something, I will update this poor, neglected blog.
1. I was in an accident (no one hurt, my fault, rear-ended another driver) and totalled the car. Man, hitting an airbag feels like getting slapped across the face!
2. I went to Philadelphia and saw Wicked on stage with my Best Friend. Scary alleys! Great play! NO resteraunts that don't serve alchohol!
3. I got a new car, though the process of trying to get the title changed over is proving... trying. And of course, now I have to pay it off...
4. I finally, after all this time, appear to have been hired for a video job... but now the job conditions appear to be changed from what I was originally offered, putting me in a finanical situation that will be difficult, if not impossible- and I am still expected to move out of the place I am staying and into an appartment by November 1st! So, all in all, things keep going up only to go down and then back up again... it's impossible to tell whether things are going wonderfully or terribly at the moment! But, I do believe God is with me, and is going to work this out. Prayers are appreciated; There are, of course, dozens of details to each of these stories, and should I have the time, I will indeed write them out. Meanwhile, as soon as I know something, I will update this poor, neglected blog.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Heroes Released!!!
Ladies and gentleman, it is with greatest pleasure that I can make this announcement to you- after a little over 3 years from it's inception, No Line Cinemas' first feature-length movie, Heroes, is now online and viewable at www.nolinecinemas.com. This re-worked version features a re-edit of the original 2006 release, new CGI effect courtesy of Rustwood Studios, new scenes, and an original score by composer Matthew Milne. This has been a long time in coming- now, I hope you enjoy it!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Extra, Extra, read all about it!
Well, today was certainly a unique experience for me. It began with waking up at 4 a.m. and setting out on a two hour drive which became a two-and-a-half hour drive when I made a mistake with my Mapquest directions in the dark and ended up stranded, going the wrong way on the freeway with no off-ramp to turn around in sight. So, even though I left an extra half-hour of time, I ended up ariving with less than 30 seconds to spare at my destination- the Bayonne High School in Bayonne New Jersey. If you're wondering where it is... it's basically the northernmost part of New Jersey, period. Litterally- the school sits at the edge of a beach, and across the water, you can see Manhattan.
I was there, completely clean-shaven for the first time since I started growing facial hair, in dress clothes that included a borrowed long-sleeve white buttondown shirt, to be an extra in 'The Sophmore,' a Bruce Willis film that will, I assume, be coming out in the next year or two. I, along with everyone else there, were portraying high school students.
After a series of long waits in the Hockey Rink 'holding area' for non-SAG extras (Those not suplied by the Screen Actors Guild) and a number of lines and forms, I was called off along with the massive throng of my fellow extras to the wardrobe department. The whole setup was located inside the school, having taken over nearly every classroom, and at every corner were single-sheet-of-paper signs pointing arrows to various production departments. I arrived in wardrobe to be given a black cardigan sweater with school emblem (which was fairly tight and extremely warm- welcome in the hockey rink bleacher area!) and a marron tie which I, of course, had no clue how to tie. After fumbling with it for a few minutes, I decided that since only about the top inch could be seen above the sweaters neckline, I could get away with looping the exposed portion into something that slightly resembled a tie-knot and leave the rest stuffed haphazardly under the sweater.
Finally, about three hours after my arrival, we were led into the cafeteria of another building, our main 'holding area.' It was comforting to note that already our situation was being labeled with the same terms given to livestock.
The room was filled with desks, already full, and we (the second group of extras to arrive) had to make due with standing around in the back half of the room. I finished my book far too quickly and soon began to notice what many others already had, to their dismay... it was hot. Really hot. And a thick sweater, or suit-jacket as others wore, did not help the sweltering temperatures any! As it turns out, I didn't even need to borrow the long-sleeved shirt- it was completely hidden by the sweater except for the collar, and my own short-sleeved version would have served fine. I was certainly wishing I had short sleeves as we baked in the early morning!
Finally, we were called in for our first shot. We were lined up in rows; I was in row A (near the back), situated as extra #113 next to a girl who didn't know her number and directly behind one of those guys unfortunate enough to have a face that you really can't tell what gender they are. After a few minutes, they started things rolling.
We were background for one of the teen actors to come stumbling past- I'm guessing, actually, that his character was late for our assembly- and the row he decied to run down was right in front of us, so perhaps I'll even be in the final shot- you'll be able to tell by the red folder (which had my mapquest directions to and from the shooting site) which I was holding in every scene.
As for what we were doing... just my luck- we were singing in a group. Only, to keep the sound from the actor's microphone uninterfered-with, they cut off the music as soon as 'action' was yelled, so we had to pretend to be singing, try to keep time with the imaginary beat, and look to a woman standing on a box to wave her arms as the cue that we were again supposed to mouth shouting "America!", our part of the chorus. Of all the things I cannot do... pretending to sing and dance aloud convincingly is pretty high on the list. I can hardly do them convincingly when I'm NOT pretending to! Nonetheless, I did my best to get into it- the director kept calling for "more energy this time," so I started bobbing up and down with the beat- meaning my lack of rhythm could now be preserved on celluloid for all the generations to come.
After that we were marched back into the 'holding pen' to hurry up and wait for another half hour. The extra-director (sort of our liason to the director) came in and said "Well, for this next shot, I need short people. So everyone that's, like, 5-2, 5-4, come to the center of the room." A lot of girls came forward, and the extra-director called out "We need a couple of guys, too!" I heard a number of people shouting encouragements, "Go on, man!" "Go for it!" behind me to the people around us as I went back to my book- until one of them tapped me on the shoulder and I realized they were all talking to me. "Don't be shy, man- go on!" she said. Thanks allot! I stalked into the middle of the room grumbling- I'll have you know I am 5-9! And I was hardly the shortest guy that stepped forward. but apparently I looked that way enough to my surrounding co-extras... that really had me steamed!
We were called in for another shot, lining up in our same rows, and we did yet another session of "America!"s. Then, we returned to the break room. There were some sandwiches set out because it was lunchtime, but they were quickly descended upon and by the time half my group got to them, myself included, there was nothing left.
Finally, they called for people that hadn't been used yet, and almost all of the seat-bound group of extras raised their hands, so they were ushered into the other room for filming... and we stole their chairs. I took a seat up front where I could observe an absolute beauty that I can only recal being bested twice in my life... the boom/crane-arm mounted camera. I was suprised by how many of the components I recognized... I guess I didn't expect Hollywood equipment to have common video components!
Finally, we were called in for our third shot, which ended up being our last. In this one, the principle of the school (represented by the same lady on the box) was in the middle of giving a speech- "When I look at you, I don't see juniors or seniors... I see Friars! BANG!" 'Friars' was the name on all the cheerleader unifroms that I saw, so I'm sure it's the fictional school team- and the BANG! was shouted by the extra director as a cue that the principle had just been shot. Our job... was to dissolve into panicked chaos. Headless chickens, as he described it. I was designated as one of four or five people that actually looked backwards and realized that there was a shooter on the roof of the building opposite us. So, I pushed forward, as if to help the injured principle, turned, did a double take, and tried to fish my phone out of my pocket and pretend to call 911 while being slammed from all sides by rushing, trampling people. It was actually quite fun- you don't get to participate in mass chaos with like-minded individuals very often. The shot had to be done several times as the first few takes were not chaotic enough- people just making straight lines for the door- and a number of people were apparently smiling or laughing at the chaos. Once the smiles dissapeared, and the panic looked more real, and several groups of people were routed to farther-off doors to confuse the foot-traffic pattern a bit more, we got a satisfactory take. Somehow, I kept ending up fairly well in front of the camera, pulling out my cell in the middle of a thinnning crowd (without meaning to) so if they use that shot, there's a good chance I'll show up. Who knows.
After that, it was back to wardrobe to turn things in. I must say that the Catholic school dress uniforms were a lot more modest than what most of the women chose to wear, and I had to make an abrupt about-face while heading for the snack table (back in our hockey rink holding area) as one woman apparently had no compunction about taking her shirt off and changing right then and there. After returning my tie (which had been un-mangled by a touch-up woman before the first shot, though it took us about 30 seconds to get it undone from what I'd done to it first)- and apparently the art of tie-tying is largely lost in today's world, as I had at least three people ask me if I knew how to help them with theirs- I returned downstairs and made the drive back- all told, having spent 7 and a half hours as an extra, while filming three shots. I'm sure I'll be going to see the film when it comes out... if nothing else, to figure out what the plot was about! So, that was my busy day for Thursday- the next few plan to be equally so, and I will keep you all updated!
I was there, completely clean-shaven for the first time since I started growing facial hair, in dress clothes that included a borrowed long-sleeve white buttondown shirt, to be an extra in 'The Sophmore,' a Bruce Willis film that will, I assume, be coming out in the next year or two. I, along with everyone else there, were portraying high school students.
After a series of long waits in the Hockey Rink 'holding area' for non-SAG extras (Those not suplied by the Screen Actors Guild) and a number of lines and forms, I was called off along with the massive throng of my fellow extras to the wardrobe department. The whole setup was located inside the school, having taken over nearly every classroom, and at every corner were single-sheet-of-paper signs pointing arrows to various production departments. I arrived in wardrobe to be given a black cardigan sweater with school emblem (which was fairly tight and extremely warm- welcome in the hockey rink bleacher area!) and a marron tie which I, of course, had no clue how to tie. After fumbling with it for a few minutes, I decided that since only about the top inch could be seen above the sweaters neckline, I could get away with looping the exposed portion into something that slightly resembled a tie-knot and leave the rest stuffed haphazardly under the sweater.
Finally, about three hours after my arrival, we were led into the cafeteria of another building, our main 'holding area.' It was comforting to note that already our situation was being labeled with the same terms given to livestock.
The room was filled with desks, already full, and we (the second group of extras to arrive) had to make due with standing around in the back half of the room. I finished my book far too quickly and soon began to notice what many others already had, to their dismay... it was hot. Really hot. And a thick sweater, or suit-jacket as others wore, did not help the sweltering temperatures any! As it turns out, I didn't even need to borrow the long-sleeved shirt- it was completely hidden by the sweater except for the collar, and my own short-sleeved version would have served fine. I was certainly wishing I had short sleeves as we baked in the early morning!
Finally, we were called in for our first shot. We were lined up in rows; I was in row A (near the back), situated as extra #113 next to a girl who didn't know her number and directly behind one of those guys unfortunate enough to have a face that you really can't tell what gender they are. After a few minutes, they started things rolling.
We were background for one of the teen actors to come stumbling past- I'm guessing, actually, that his character was late for our assembly- and the row he decied to run down was right in front of us, so perhaps I'll even be in the final shot- you'll be able to tell by the red folder (which had my mapquest directions to and from the shooting site) which I was holding in every scene.
As for what we were doing... just my luck- we were singing in a group. Only, to keep the sound from the actor's microphone uninterfered-with, they cut off the music as soon as 'action' was yelled, so we had to pretend to be singing, try to keep time with the imaginary beat, and look to a woman standing on a box to wave her arms as the cue that we were again supposed to mouth shouting "America!", our part of the chorus. Of all the things I cannot do... pretending to sing and dance aloud convincingly is pretty high on the list. I can hardly do them convincingly when I'm NOT pretending to! Nonetheless, I did my best to get into it- the director kept calling for "more energy this time," so I started bobbing up and down with the beat- meaning my lack of rhythm could now be preserved on celluloid for all the generations to come.
After that we were marched back into the 'holding pen' to hurry up and wait for another half hour. The extra-director (sort of our liason to the director) came in and said "Well, for this next shot, I need short people. So everyone that's, like, 5-2, 5-4, come to the center of the room." A lot of girls came forward, and the extra-director called out "We need a couple of guys, too!" I heard a number of people shouting encouragements, "Go on, man!" "Go for it!" behind me to the people around us as I went back to my book- until one of them tapped me on the shoulder and I realized they were all talking to me. "Don't be shy, man- go on!" she said. Thanks allot! I stalked into the middle of the room grumbling- I'll have you know I am 5-9! And I was hardly the shortest guy that stepped forward. but apparently I looked that way enough to my surrounding co-extras... that really had me steamed!
We were called in for another shot, lining up in our same rows, and we did yet another session of "America!"s. Then, we returned to the break room. There were some sandwiches set out because it was lunchtime, but they were quickly descended upon and by the time half my group got to them, myself included, there was nothing left.
Finally, they called for people that hadn't been used yet, and almost all of the seat-bound group of extras raised their hands, so they were ushered into the other room for filming... and we stole their chairs. I took a seat up front where I could observe an absolute beauty that I can only recal being bested twice in my life... the boom/crane-arm mounted camera. I was suprised by how many of the components I recognized... I guess I didn't expect Hollywood equipment to have common video components!
Finally, we were called in for our third shot, which ended up being our last. In this one, the principle of the school (represented by the same lady on the box) was in the middle of giving a speech- "When I look at you, I don't see juniors or seniors... I see Friars! BANG!" 'Friars' was the name on all the cheerleader unifroms that I saw, so I'm sure it's the fictional school team- and the BANG! was shouted by the extra director as a cue that the principle had just been shot. Our job... was to dissolve into panicked chaos. Headless chickens, as he described it. I was designated as one of four or five people that actually looked backwards and realized that there was a shooter on the roof of the building opposite us. So, I pushed forward, as if to help the injured principle, turned, did a double take, and tried to fish my phone out of my pocket and pretend to call 911 while being slammed from all sides by rushing, trampling people. It was actually quite fun- you don't get to participate in mass chaos with like-minded individuals very often. The shot had to be done several times as the first few takes were not chaotic enough- people just making straight lines for the door- and a number of people were apparently smiling or laughing at the chaos. Once the smiles dissapeared, and the panic looked more real, and several groups of people were routed to farther-off doors to confuse the foot-traffic pattern a bit more, we got a satisfactory take. Somehow, I kept ending up fairly well in front of the camera, pulling out my cell in the middle of a thinnning crowd (without meaning to) so if they use that shot, there's a good chance I'll show up. Who knows.
After that, it was back to wardrobe to turn things in. I must say that the Catholic school dress uniforms were a lot more modest than what most of the women chose to wear, and I had to make an abrupt about-face while heading for the snack table (back in our hockey rink holding area) as one woman apparently had no compunction about taking her shirt off and changing right then and there. After returning my tie (which had been un-mangled by a touch-up woman before the first shot, though it took us about 30 seconds to get it undone from what I'd done to it first)- and apparently the art of tie-tying is largely lost in today's world, as I had at least three people ask me if I knew how to help them with theirs- I returned downstairs and made the drive back- all told, having spent 7 and a half hours as an extra, while filming three shots. I'm sure I'll be going to see the film when it comes out... if nothing else, to figure out what the plot was about! So, that was my busy day for Thursday- the next few plan to be equally so, and I will keep you all updated!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Same old, same old...
Still nothing new to report, really... just checking in! The weeks continue to move slowly as the job search continues. A change of heart and a lot of soul-searching is about the only thing occupying my time other than that. I am looking towards resurrecting an old audio drama project on the principle of Murphy's Law... I know if I can just get really interested in it, a job will pop up to take all of my time away. For once, I REALLY wouldn't mind that! This Saturday, I will be going to the local Rennisance Fair, so I will, with any luck, have something interesting to report next time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)