Production Vlog "D" - #VideoDictionary

-Video Vix[o]n

"Red Hook Summer" Off the Hook

When I first saw this trailer, I thought "... oh boy, here comes another over exaggerated 'Spike Lee Joint' again." But as they say, you should never judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a movie by its trailer.

After watching "Red Hook Summer," I can safely say that I enjoyed it. It was a bright mix of comedy, realism and just deep enough that you can tell only Spike can write it. I don't know whether you can classify it as a "coming of age" film or an overall tale of different characters who lived in this Brooklyn neighborhood during the height of summer. All in all, there were a lot of truths spoken in the film, especially with the strong motifs of religious faith, hiding one's demons and looking beyond the bad things to find the good. The main character, Flik, captured all of this through his trusty iPad 2 and it helped him to understand and adjust to the new environment he was dropped into; coming from Atlanta to New York for a summer vacation.

I don't want to give too much of this movie away, for those within the NYC area who wish to watch it (though I believe the movie will stop showing soon), but if anyone does get the opportunity to see it, it is worth every laugh, thought and nod of agreement with the dialogue that is raised in this latest Spike Lee Joint.

-Video Vix[o]n

(Video) Resume Building

In my journey to finding a job in the corporate world, I've ran into dead end after dead end from not receiving any responses for job offers. This has lead to me being discouraged and a bit depressed (which is a reason for my lack in blogging, on top of laziness). I was reaching the end of my desperation when I realized that I have the tools necessary to give myself a creative and competitive edge in the job application process; a video resume. Here's what I came up with:



I realized that when applying for jobs, I was just another sheet of paper on the heap of  resume one poor soul must sift through in order to find the right candidate. With this visual representation of myself, employers know exactly what they're getting; a young man with enough experience and drive to work hard and become an asset to one's company. If they do choose to watch it, then it's up to them to decide if I have the right look and attitude for their business, something they couldn't do by just reading my name and previous work experience.

I don't know why I didn't come up with the idea before. I guess I never considered that my professional and personal realms can collide. From the interviews I've had in the past, I've always avoided mentioning my interest in video production to not alert potential employers that I have a deeper involvement in something else besides their business. It's sad that I have to through my passion under the bus in order to seem more invested in another person's vision. But, for me, the most important thing is to secure a position and work hard for a paycheck, which in these hard economic times, I'm okay with. There is always going to be a way to either incorporate or fit in my video work outside of work hours.

Ideally, if I had a choice, I wouldn't dismiss trying to finding a "9 to 5" and continue to be a starving artist, reaching for my goal, but I have to be realistic about my current situation and find a way to support my desires monetarily, while not sacrificing my dreams to the corporate realm. It all comes down to balance. If this video resume gives me the advantage to tip the scales, then consider me employed sooner then you think.

-Video Vix[o]n