Digging in Garbage

I waited to post this entry a little because I knew the activity I would be participating in this week would pay off with a great story. It did not disappoint. I have a college friend named Tripp Crosby who is also an Atlanta resident. He was also a Media major at Asbury. And he was and still is very good at what he does. Tripp until recently was working for Northpoint Community Church (Andy Stanley's Church) as a video video editor. He is now on his own. I had run into again recently and asked if I could be of assistance on any upcoming projects. I wasn't looking to be paid, I was looking to learn. He taught me many things in college about video production and I still have a lot to learn now. He was happy to have additional help, so he gave me the time and place to be and the shoot was all set to happen.

Now Tripp has been able to land several video projects with Christian hip hop artists. This project was another Christian hip hop music video. The setting was a subsidized apartment complex in a less than desirable part of town. We were to be shooting in the dumpsters behind the complex. Nice. The storyline of the song/video was that three guys in suits were to try and put a meal together out of the garbage, only to be interrupted by a chef welcoming them into a legitimate feast. You can derive the Biblical symbolism here. So we had a crew of about 8, with three actors and we shot from 6:30 pm until about midnight. Long night. Not to mention the fact that the whole time we were there, it smelled like rotting garbage. At least the temperatures were nice outside. Among my duties for the evening: moving lights, moving sandbags, setting up props in shots, running gear back and forth from trailer to set and vice versa, and my favorite; running interference with the random homeless guy who decided he wanted to be a part of the crew. I now have a good bit of experience talking with random homeless guys who very rarely make any sense. But as long as you nod and pretend you understand that seems to satisfy the conversation.

It was a long evening but very interesting to watch Tripp work with his director of photography, his actors, and the other crew. I was able to see how they planned to pull off this field shoot with minimum budget, and still get what they wanted. It required some creative lighting and a nice camera. I unfortunately was not able to be a part of the other shoots which included the green screen with the rapper, or the banquet shot at a local hotel, but it was an interesting and educational evening.

Stacey update: She had her first official residency interview today with Morehouse's Pediatric Program. It is not her first choice, because its focus is a little different than hers, but she could achieve the end result by being there. Plus its in Atlanta. She is the shining star of the Peds program at Morehouse, and so they would love to have her in the program. This begins several months of her traveling to various programs and cities to interview for Residency programs.

Finally this weekend we are planning to attend the Smyrna fall festival. Stacey wants to go to get the full spirit of the season whatever that means. I'm going because it advertised fair food. Fair food is the one reason to go to a State fair or a fall festival. I take that back. There are two reasons to go to a State Fair; fair food and people watching. People come out of the woodwork at State Fairs. The ultimate scenario: sitting on a bench with grilled corn and a funnel cake while watching people enter and exit the woman with a snakes body tent. Now that's a hot date right there. Sadly I don't think the Smyrna Jonquil City Fall Festival will have a woman with a snakes body tent or a five foot man eating chicken (reference to The Little Rascals Movie - ask my Dad about his reaction to that scene, its a legendary Cobb family story) But hopefully they will have grilled corn or a funnel cake.