Week 10 EOC: The End

The class room experience hasn’t really changed since week 5. We still watch seemingly pointless clips and I still feel extremely confused on how to write a good business plan. I’m told not to be specific with numbers but I’m penalized in my final plan for not being specific. I’m told I can but don’t have to follow the questions given in the course shell to create my plan. I follow the questions because I have never written a business plan nor do I have any first hand resources to assist me. I get penalized because I’m “completely lost” in some areas, but was never shown how to properly do it. Overall I got a B on the project no gripes on that end but I don’t really feel like I learned how to effectively write a business plan. I have learned how to better break down the services I provide and how to market myself. This class has the right idea but I feel it was executed properly.

Week 9 EOC : Photo Challenge

Here am revising a session for The Art Institute of Las Vegas' AI Radio. I was the programming director for the show. a programming director is "the person who develops or selects some or all of the content that will be broadcast. A program director's selections are based upon expertise in the media as well as knowledge of the target demographic. Typically, a program director decides what radio program or TV program will be broadcast and when." In this particular instance I was in on a recording session for a commercial and during a break I had access to what had previously been recorded for the show.
"If the education of our kids comes from radio, television, newspapers - if that's where they get most of their knowledge from, and not from the schools, then the powers that be are definitely in charge, because they own all those outlets" I was making sure that our program the proper balance. It was mandated that 30% of our program material was educational and 10% was school centered commercials.

Week 9 EOC: Tennis Clinic

     Rob Johnson had a dream. It didn't involve the daily hustle and grind of a news room. Rob was working for An Orlando newspaper but he found peace on the tennis court. Rob just wanted to play tennis. He decided to ultimately quit his job and work at a resort as a tennis instructor. On paper this was great, he would charge $50 an hour the hotel would get 10% and Rob could get paid to indulge in his passion. He even invested $500 for custom "Coach Rob's EZ Tennis Academy" t shirts.
    Now lets start with the good. Rob was chasing his passion or so he thought. He already got in good with the resorts, and he had a quasi brand in motion. He was actually addressing a need in the market.
     Now the bad. Rob didn't take into account that most of his adult clientele would not seriously be interested in tennis but in the wasting time before they would venture off into other more popular resorts. As for his clientele that were children, they are children its hard for them to focus on tennis in the land of Disney World. Another thing he did not take into account was the weather of central Florida. tennis is an outdoor sport and the weather of Florida is quite sporadic, hot, humid and ultimately the average amateur tennis player won't want to play in it. Rob wanted to play tennis buts that's not what he was doing, Rob was in sales and education.
     This article was a very real situation and showed the importance of doing research and planning before you jump into your "passion." Rob's lack of research and planning cost him money yes but ultimately 4 years of his life, and time is not something you can get back.

Week 8 BOC: Photo Challenge

Professionalism is defined as “the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person.” At the Art Institute it was defined as being on time, prepared, and participating in class. I define it as going the extra mile to establish a relationship with the consumer. For me being on time is a big deal. In my mind being on time is being early, I was taught if you’re early you’re on time, if you’re on time your late, if you’re late your fired. I value a face to face conversation over a phone call e-mail or text message.  I feel the customer service aspect of a job is more important that doing the actual work in a professional manner. “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” I pride myself in being the ultimate team player, I am not afraid to compromise if it means repeat business. I value the overall experience and intend to pass that along to the customer.

week 7 BOC : Photo Challenge

Happy place is the debut screen play from Grover Cleveland. Produced in its entirety by Up N Up Media LLC. This story follows Jerry as he deals with hard times after graduation in his hometown of Des Moines Iowa. Jerry attended the University of Iowa and was a star baseball player who got injured in his last game as a senior. He was the stereotypical star athlete that had everything given to him on a silver platter as a result he has to rely on his work ethic and seemingly useless bachelor degree in Liberal Arts. The economy is weak as well as Jerry’s connections to even a part time job. Jerry finds solace in his faith and his fast pitch softball league filled with seasoned recently retired gentlemen from various backgrounds, who refer to themselves as The Skippers. Throughout his time with The Skippers Jerry learns what it really takes to be a man, not age, nor skill, but decisions.  He learns the Value of being faithful, both in relationships and responsibilities. The value of family and a great team. He even gets stronger in his faith. All goes well until a vicious tornado rips through the community taking the lives of the team who had a practice. Jerry was spared in the disaster because he had a job interview set up by the captain of the team. Ultimately Jerry finds relief from his grief in what’s left of the field in which they played on in which he deemed his happy place. Jerry gets the job as a lead of an urban redevelopment project and vows to pass on the knowledge and teachings of his fallen friends The Skippers.

Week 7 EOC: My resume and optimal resume

In my opinion optimal resume is a great tool if you have not started to build your resume. Unfortunately for those who have done the painstaking work to get the resume in tip top shape optimal resume is not of much use. That being said I would encourage everyone who is struggling with formatting and content to enter into the resume to try optimal resume. Not only is it fairly simple, but it gives you the opportunity to have it screened by professionals who know what employers are looking for in the resume of a potential candidate.

Week 6 EOC: Photo challenge

 "Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is produced A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air.This is most noticeable when the sound source stops but the reflections continue, decreasing in amplitude, until they can no longer be heard. The length of this sound decay, or reverberation time, receives special consideration in the architectural design of large chambers, which need to have specific reverberation times to achieve optimum performance for their intended activity. In comparison to a distinct echo that is 50 to 100 ms after the initial sound, reverberation is many thousands of echoes that arrive in very quick succession (.01 – 1 ms between echoes). As time passes, the volume of the many echoes is reduced until the echoes cannot be heard at all." I pride myself in the manipulation of reverb. So much so that I was given the nickname G-Verb. Many projects I have done have been laced with reverb. I can make someone who records in a studio sound like they are in an area in front of thousands!

Week 6 EOC: How do I see my role starting in the industry

Upon graduation I will be in a strange place. For the first time in 20 plus years I will not be obligated to be in a classroom environment. Scary thought to the say the least. that being said i will be venturing into my first real career experiences in my field. I see myself playing the background if I'm blessed to land a gig where I am not freelancing and in charge of all aspects of the project. What I mean is basically being a grip or production assistant, and on the audio side holding a boom or setting up a session. In this scenario I understand that I am an auxiliary and there to assist the lead as well as make things smooth for the crew basically I would be the ultimate underling. I feel that my big break will come while freelancing. I feel that I will get more work in that arena as well as building more projects for my personal portfolio. This will allow me to be seen and take credit for all aspects of my work as well as show my ultimate customer service, which in turn I'll lead to more jobs which will hopefully lead to me starting my own business.

Week 6 BOC: Monty Lapica

WHO: Monty Lapica

WHAT:   Founder, managing director, Thought Division Media Co.; producer, writer, director of multi award winning Film “Self Medicated”

“award-winning documentary film, "Self-Medicated," in 2004, but since then the Las Vegas native has made a name for himself in the advertising and multimedia services realm.” List of awards:

  Rome Independent Film Festival - Grand Jury Prize

  Australian International Film Festival - Grand Jury Prize

  Australian International Film Festival - Best Actress (Diane Venora)

  2007 Angel Award Winner

  2006 PRISM Award Winner

  WorldFest International Film Festival - Gold Remi Award

  Phoenix Film Festival - Sundance Channel Audience Award

  Phoenix Film Festival - Best Ensemble Acting

  Berkeley Film Festival - Best Feature

  Memphis International Film Festival - Best Feature

  Tahoe/Reno International Film Festival - Best Spotlight Feature

  Newport Beach International Film Festival - Best First Feature

  San Luis Obispo International Film Festival - Best Feature

  Zion International Film Festival - Grand Jury Prize

  Santa Fe Film Festival - Best of the Southwest

  Tiburon International Film Festival - Best Actor (Monty Lapica)

  Los Angeles DIY Film Festival - Best Feature

  Los Angeles DIY Film Festival - Best Director

  George Lindsey Film Festival - Best Feature

  Cosmos International Film Festival - Best Feature

  Flint International Film Festival - Competition Jury Prize

  Twin Rivers Film Festival - Feature Film Award

  Zoie Film Festival - Best Picture

  Big Island Film Festival - Best Feature

  Big Island Film Festival - Up-And-Coming Filmmaker Award

  Santa Clarita Film Festival - Best Feature

  Santa Clarita Film Festival - Fuji Best Feature Shot on Film

  Lake Arrowhead Film Festival - Best Feature

  Trenton International Film Festival - Best Screenplay

  BridgeFest Film Festival Canada - Best Feature

  Staten Island Film Festival - Best New Filmmaker

  Estes Park Film Festival - Best Feature

  Estes Park Film Festival - Audience Award

  Granada Festival de Cine - Best Screenplay

  VisionFest Film Festival - Best Feature

  VisionFest Film Festival - Best Actor (Monty Lapica)

  VisionFest Film Festival - Best Editing

  Tony Bennett Foundation - Inspiration Award 

  Charlotte Film Festival - Audience Award

“His company, Thought Division Media Company, creates television ads, and offers Internet and multimedia services for major companies worldwide.”

Created the Las Vegas International Film Festival

WHERE and WHY:  Las Angeles California because it’s LA. Las Vegas Nevada because “I took a look at the competition out here and noticed that it's not quite as competitive as the Los Angeles landscape. It felt like a good opportunity to bring our core services out here, to also offer some business out here in my hometown.”

WHEN  2004 - Present

HOW: “Initially we started as just a production company and the more commercial jobs we did, we found our clients asking us for referrals in other areas such as Web and mobile, so it made sense over time to start offering these services as well.”

Week 5 EOC: Midterm Evaluation

My classroom experience this quarter has actually been more enjoyable than previous ones. I have a new focus and thus have learned something’s that I missed out on when I previously took this class. I sometimes get agitated with the stories and seemingly pointless stats being thrown around because it takes away from the time in class that we get to do our work towards the project. The stories aren’t that bad they are just long and we cover a lot of subject matter in this class and time is of the essence. For me the time spent out of class is a little hectic seeing that I’m in portfolio presentation. I have not neglected my duties for this class I feel that I have went a step above by choosing a different location to run my business I cant really get local help I am limited to the internet and phones calls which aren’t as good as actually being in the city and physically seeing the needs you intend on addressing. The only issue I actually am having is with some of the more “artistic assignments” where the use of Photoshop and Illustrator come into play; I’m an audio student! Overall I’m doing well in this class and keeping up I am missing a few things but I have completed majority of what has been asked of me.

Week 4 BOC: Photo challenge

"A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later." Grover Cleveland stars in "Deprived Over The Movies" a strange tale of his high school years. Using pronouns as character names and odd angles in the photography on set this film could easy be described as a psycho fiction movie. "It's the movies that have really been running things in America ever since they were invented. They show you what to do, how to do it, when to do it, how to feel about it, and how to look how you feel about it." DOTM will expose life of the anti minority, the African American who grew up in the suburbs pursued education and never got into any serious trouble. This story will show the psychological effects that young men face in this unique situation. "Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't."This film will be marketed to young adults and adults 18-35. The film is shot in Las Vegas and Cleveland. it is Produced by Mike Turner, directed by Tyree Johnson, The director of Photography is ChyAnne Gibson of Shots by Phoenix. All Post production work will be done by Up n Up Media.

Week 4 EOC: Executive Summary

To be content is to be futile ALWAYS go higher.That is the mantra of Up N Up. It all started  in 2005 with a group of individuals who wanted to always show progression. From that came personal and professional trials,tribulations, success, failure, and a few college degrees.The creator of the idea (Grover Cleveland) saw more than a group of friends trying to stand out he saw an honest creative living. Grover (who graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Audio Production from The Art Institute of Las Vegas) went back to his home town and got connected with the educated creatives he trusted the most, his friends.
     Cleveland Ohio has a rich artistic culture filled with music, film, and photography. Thus there are companies in place to handle many of the higher profile clientele. That leaves a very large gap for those looking to get audio, video, photography. That's where Up n Up Media LLC comes in. We specialize in  the consumer who has an amazing vision but not the amazing budget to bring the vision to life. The beauty of it all is that they wont have to sacrifice quality or professionalism. 
     The most attractive thing that will captivate the market is the fact that its young ambitious creatives open to learning new things and a willingness to serve. All backed with a solid education.

Week 3 EOC: Where are you now and where are you going?

In the famous words of Winston Churchill " Success is not final, failure is not fatal, its the courage to continue that counts." I have had set backs but just like a rubber band I snap back.Right now I am a professional fighting as a student to get a degree at The Art Institute of Las Vegas. I am an adept, specialist of audio as well as customer relations. i am currently in Las Vegas. In just a few short months I will be in Cleveland Ohio taking up a position at Diamond Flower Studios Ltd. as the Vice President of Artist Development as well as the on site studio technician. From that position i will be building connections to lead to my next venture in life. I might even go back to Cuyahoga community College to take classes in visual effects. I just have to always remember that success is a process.

Week 2 Photo Challenge

    Here I am mixing for a recruitment event at The Art Institute of Las Vegas.I was using a yamaha MG 166cx mixer. I was mixing songs on an Android phone and an Amazon Kindle Fire. I am not a DJ by far, but I am exceptional at figuring out how to keep a crowd entertained. I have been The Art Institute's  go to guy when it comes to setting up audio for events. I have done all there student sponsored events for the past year. I take pride in the fact they rely on me for those situations. It feels good to know that if I'm involved that is one less thing they have to worry about. The best part about this gig in particular was that it was five days after I had an accident where my car was totaled, thus giving me the first sense of normalcy since that incident. This photo shows me in a good place, a place of peace, resilience, and comfort surrounded by audio equipment.

Week 2 EOC: Get Some Copyright Law Under Your Belt

     “All film deals are built on the foundation of intellectual property. Film Contracts are used to protect and/or effectively transfer such intellectual property rights as copyrights, trademarks, rights of publicity, or rights in ideas.” The following are websites that further die into the tricky subject that is intellectual property.

1)   http://www.law.stanford.edu/program/centers/ttlf/law/us/ip/

 This website is a good source for all the laws and acts that concern the protection of ideas and tangible property since 1962.

2)   http://schedule.sxsw.com/2012/events/event_IAP10206

This site speaks about the issues concerning intellectual property issues in social media. It takes from different college professors and individuals who have experienced these issues first hand and offer tips on how to avoid problems.

3)   http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/steveorjoey/news/?a=41001

This site is my personal favorite on the matter. It talks about one of the most famous comic book companies in the world; Marvel Comics, and there creator Stan Lee’s inability to profit from is intellectual property.

4)   http://www.hg.org/intell.html

This site gives a wordy definition on Intellectual Property as well as links to various governmental institutions in place to help protect such property.

5)   http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/term/82302.html

Finally this site gives a definition of Intellectual Property in more understandable and relatable terms.

Week 1 EOC: Sacrafices

As an audio professional the thought of a “steady job” is almost a thing of legend. There are also so many areas that can be explored for earning a potential living in the field. At the end of the day it comes down to who you know more than your skill set which actually evens out the playing field. As of right now I have already made many sacrifices. I have left my beloved home in Cleveland where I had a stable house hold and all my friends, to Live in Las Vegas where the weather is nice majority of the year but the city is fast and the people are rude. I made those sacrifices just for an education to be used as a key to get into the industry. While being educated I’ve sacrificed my time my money, and my health just for a degree that I haven’t earned yet! So as far as what I’m willing to sacrifice for this career of mine is actually more than what I just mentioned. I’m willing to pack up and leave my residence, yes break my lease. Willing to leave my girlfriend, yes abandon our relationship. Leave my family (again), yes have them wondering if I’m still alive. Basically I’m willing to sacrifice any and everything, and I plan on sacrificing any and everything because your legacy is not determined by you after you die it’s determined by those who remembered you. I want to be remembered as the scrappy intelligent little black guy who sacrificed it all in hopes of living comfortably doing what he loves.

BOC Week 1 Photo Challenge: Film Festival

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12920133/unfinished-for-business

This was a great project for me. I decided to create a satirical film highlighting the huge disparities  between professional work, "pro-summer" work, and how the buying public can care less about the two. On the heels of the SOPA and PIPA saga I felt this was appropriate. Many people of the buying public are similar to the colored in character in my film. In their eyes (and his) everything is fine and the incompleteness is adding character, the only thing that matters is if it's trending or a big name socialite endorses it or has been seen taking part in it. Whereas the incomplete character see's it from a professional standpoint. The character's are not finished, the setting is a non keyed out green screen, and the projected has been seen  as "done." As a professional the increasing amount of pro-sumer creation tools is making it harder for those who understand the process of professional creation and the art to be recognized as a professional work