What the Hell is an Archival Assistant?

First I read the show’s script to I can generate a list of archival material that might be needed for the show. Next I get an archival wish list from my producer. The producer’s wish list is just as it sounds… a list of archival material that the producer would love to have in the show. 9 out of 10 times the list is comprised of really stupid non-existent things that look good in the producer’s head. I once got a request from a producer fro earthquake footage… simple right, but not really. It had to be footage of an earthquake in Egypt (Alexandria Harbor to be exact) in the year 1400 BC… Eh yeah now how can there be film of something that happen um like forever before cameras were even invented? And believe it of not, but some producers will get mad if you can’t find it (but this producer was nice). So I start searching stock footage film companies, and historical organizations. Because the History Channel is super cheap it is also my job to keep the total archival budget under $10,000 (which isn’t a lot to work with). The best situation would be if I could find free material that the producer likes. For free stuff I usually go to government groups like NARA, NOAA, or LOC. Bust not everything is in the public domain so next I search the stock houses. My favorite and always first stop is Streamline Films (Rick DeCroix is the best and he gives candy when you order a master). A cheap (and for us good) rate is $15-$25 per second. A medium rate is $30-$45 per second, and really expensive (which we will only pay this if the footage is crucial and can’t be found anywhere else and there is no way I can negotiate a better rate) is $50+ per second… and by + I am talking 450 euros a second. Well after I find footage and stills I order screener tape (low quality with watermarks copies) and have them sent to the editors to well edit the show together. After the editors have a rough cut (first draft) of the show it’s my job to read the EDLs (edit decision list). The EDLs are a hard copy print out of every shot in the show, and the time code for when the shot begins and end. I then estimate the cost to licensing all of the archival material in the show. Hopefully after all of that the editors will have a fine cut (second draft) ready to send into the History Channel for program notes. Then after the editor makes the final adjustments to the show from the History Channel’s notes I get another EDL and copy of the picture locked show. This is when the fun stuff happens. I have to sort all archival material by source. Then I have to go through each clip, shot by shot to make sure that the image listed in the EDL at any given time code matches the original screener tape. Next I have to order masters (broadcast quality copies of the screener tapes). After all the masters have been ordered I have to licensing all the archival material. Since working at LWDG I now know more about copyright laws than anyone would ever want to know. After all that’s said and done… sometimes I have to put together the rights bible (proof to the History Channel that we have all the rights they ask fro, for one of their shows). The Rights Bible consists of all the releases (personal, location, and material), all the licensing agreements, and a copy of the credits, music cue sheet, and a copy of the script. So to sum up my job… I search for archival material (footage and stills), I obtain the rights to use the archival material (if I don’t know who owns the rights I then have to do research until I find out), and then I have to prove to the History Channel that I did my job correctly. Now I am not the only person who does this kind of work… I’m just the only person in house, which does only archival. So I get a lot of phone calls asking for help and copyright issue questions also. Well that’s what I do in a nutshell.

Christmas Blues...

I don’t know why I get my hopes up for Christmas. Very few people get me. Soooooooooo again I was disappointed with the gifts I got from my family. I’m glad that my family remembered me and I am grateful to even have a family and gifts and all that jazz. But am that difficult to figure out? Okay so my Daddy tried. He tried really hard, but he was shopping in the wrong department… He bought me kids clothes… um like size 14/16 large child… kids clothes. I did get two Bob Mackie Barbie dolls. And my mother is turning into Joe Simpson… she bought me a bunch of clothes that barley cover my chest. Oh and the big kicker is that My parents bought my Grandmother a diamond pendent necklace, and a DVD recorder. And I got a survival crank radio/ cell phone charger, and hooker gear. I am led to believe that my mother wants me married off so badly that she is advertising all my assets to every man, while my dad is desperate to keep me as his baby. My sister I love her… I liked the gift she got me, but I am just not that supplicated yet. I am a mess. I’m trying to be a grown-up, but it is a very slow process for me. I still have five (5) gifts that I need to give out to people… hint, hint Toshia & Gavin, Sarah & Damon, oh and I got a little something for Scott… I don’t know why, but I was at the mall and I saw it and thought of him (that’s how most people get on my shopping list). I have the BESTEST friends… thank you Katie for my Play Boy Bunny earrings… I’d also like to thank everyone for saying that they liked the gifts I got them (even if it’s a huge lie). I know that gift cards are sometimes seen as a copout, but I put a lot of time and thought into picking out the right stores. It wasn’t easy when no one sent me a wish list as to what it was they really wanted. Well my sister did and I only got stuff that was on it. So as far as this Christmas… I spent a total of a little over a G in gifts in all. I had a Merry Christmas, even though I feel like something is missing.

Ben & Brian

This is Brian...









and this is Ben...









The two of them came all the way to New Hampshire (from Alaska) just to drink at the bar. After counting their quarters for the video games...


The four of us (Brian (Ben's best friend), Ben (Roz's new step brother), Roz & Myself) went to the Brick House...


Roz ordered her first Guinness...

and well you know the rest if you read

This is Like Soooo Old

Anyway... Wednesday (because the boys were leaving Thursday) we (we meaning Roz and I) went out with the boys again to the bar... After a little brother bashing...



... which was long overdue...


... the four of us went to Kelly's Row??? And I got plastered. THE END

Work Boys... Gotta Love Em'

Okay here are the reason why I am so crushing on the boys at work... in no particular order:

Nick the IT guy- He tames the iMac when I can’t
Hot Boy Chris- He gives me my paycheck
Hot Boy Adam- He looks like he could be a bad boy
Hairy Adam- I’m always crawling under his desk
Rock Star Corey- He offers his services to me all the time (help ordering masters, and research services… you dirty minded people)
Ryan (no nick name for him yet)- He’s the Boy next door/ Good guy type
Editor Tony- He’s cute… You would never know he is such a tech geek until he opens his mouth
Fat Joe- No he’s not fat its just some stupid offensive nickname big boss man gave him… He’s hardly around so I can never remember if I think he’s cute or not (it is one of those “its all in my head things”)

Okay I had another busy weekend…

first Friday night was my boss Sarah’s going away party. She moved to Washington DC for grad school. Okay it took me like forever to find the place… these people are always choosing different restaurants every time, and they want to party on Friday nights when parking in Portland is so near impossible… anyway I finally find the place and I stay for like a hot minute. And on my way back home Scott calls. Since I was driving on the highway and I couldn’t find my ear bud I didn’t answer the phone… and the dude didn’t leave a message, but I saw the number in my phone (and at this point in time I don’t know who called) and called back… When he answered (still I didn’t have a clue who it was) I said why didn’t you leave a message? And since I was bored (by this time I was in South Berwick and I could drive with one hand)… long story short we decide to go see, “Kiss, Kiss Bang, Bang.” Okay so I get to the Strand and OMG Scott is such a little hottie… I know I was shocked also. I thought he was cute like in HS and that one class we had together at KSC, but I really couldn’t remember. If you check out his myspace pictures they really don’t do him justice. In fact that’s why I was shocked he was sooooo cute… he just must not be photogenic. Anyway so we go and get our tickets, and I pay for both of us, and he’s like surprised… Dude, “Shortie got a job, shortie got a car, shortie can pay her own rent…” LOL I love that song. And its not like it was a date… On a date I believe that the man should pay… anyway he offered to buy popcorn, but yuck I never eat anything from a movie theatre, I learned my lesson the hard way. Okay y’all know I shouldn’t be given too many choices or I’ll never make up my mind… I’m the most indecisive people in the universal. Then Scott informs me that I have to sit on his left. Okay right then I should have told him that this isn’t a date…
Let me just break this down for all you guys who one day may want to date me… 1) for a DATE with me I must have at least 24 hour notice… I need time to pick out a cute outfit, shave (just in case, but I seriously doubt you would even get there, but still), and other girlie prep work stuff. 2) You have to ask me out somewhere specific… have a game plan before you call. It can be something simple as a movie, bowling, maybe just dinner. I don’t care. 3) You WILL PAY… oh yesss I said it… I’m a traditional kinda chick. And 4) FYI… if I ask you to do something because I’m bored then it is not a date. Unless I’m your girlfriend I wont ask a boy out on a real date. Just remember just because we may not be out on a real date that doesn’t exclude the chance that I might make out with you.
Anyhow… the movie was good, and then we leave the Strand and Scott said, “I’m sorry I didn’t put the moves on you.” Oh, oh, oh I forgot to mention that my right ear needed to be popped, so I could only hear about a third of whatever he said. But back for not putting the moves on me… what the hell is wrong with me?? Whatever… your loss. I’m good real good (kidding). And that was just Friday…
On Saturday I had to help Mrs. Stallworth. First it took the old biddy (I love the woman to death, but my goodness I’m too young for this) to the bank, and then the super market. She proceeded to tell me that when she dies I must look after her 46-year-old crack baby daughter. Mrs. Stallworth’s daughter can take care of herself. She’s not handicap in any way, but she is just one of those hurt because she was adopted and her biological family didn’t want her loss souls…Then Mrs. Stallworth can’t get her key to work in the door. OMG after a half hour I try taking the screen door off from the front door. Turns out she doesn’t have a key to that door. Then Mrs. Stallworth breaks the side screen door and what would you know she has a key for the dead bolt, but not the knob itself. After three hours we finally get the key to work. I have to run home and burn Katie’s stuff to a disc, but the desktop burner doesn’t want to read the blank disc… or any disc I put in the drive. I had to flash drive (which is what I got Tommy for Christmas) the files and use the burner on my mother’s laptop. I leave so I can get Katie her disc and I forget her Christmas present… I get to the mall (I hate the mall) I spend a half hour looking for a parking space. And I did find one rather close so I was glad about that. I get Katie her disc and we go to buy wine for her “in law’s” (Todd’s parents) and I needed a bottle of White Star to bring to the company Christmas party… Anyway we get our stuff and she drops me off at my car… Here comes the icing on the cake… keep in mind that I still have to shower and change, do my hair and all that mess for this Christmas party that I have to drive an hour to get to. I left my keys in Katie’s car. Wouldn’t be a big deal… I could just call her on my phone, but oops… my phone is in the car. Soooo I run inside the mall to see if Roz was still at work and DA says, “She left 5 minutes ago.” But God was looking after me that day and I called Roz who was still in the mall parking lot and she called Katie who was all the way to route 4… I got my keys and got home to get ready. So now I’m driving I do such a rush job to shower and dress… I finally get on the road and after driving an hour to Cape Elizabeth I spend another hour driving back and forth looking for the big boss’ house. I stay at the party like an hour. Oh and Monday morning I caught flack from Rock Star Corey for not saying goodbye when I left…While driving home Roz calls and invites me over. And ol’girl uses a bait and switch on me… I was promised alcohol and ended up getting nuthin’ but baby snot in my hair LOL… Whatever … So I gave Becca the present I got her (speaking of baby gifts I still have to give Gavin, and Damon their gifts, hint, hint to their mother’s) well turns out that Becca was afraid of her present. I should get her something she really likes, but I think she is just too young for me to shop for. This is getting very long so I’ll shorten Sunday… I woke up around 6:30 am watched TV (R. Kelly’s trapped in the closet)… went home (showered, changed) went over to Ann’s house (saw her kids, OMG her daughter was sooo super sweet… she she’s old enough for me to shop for I got her a Sleeping Beauty doll, and all she wanted to do was brush her hair. That little girl must have thanked me like a million time, and she could say my name) then I drove to Manchester got Katie her gift (that if I was thinking I should have gotten it to her the day before) drove to Keene to give Tommy his gift (more about my trip to Keene later) and then I came home… slept for two and a half hours and went to work bright and early Monday morning.

This is like soooo Old...

This weekend I got to experience two polar extremes of the music scene. First by pure accident… I like to call it serendipity…Roz, Ben, Brain, and I were just looking for a bar and purely by default (since we only knew of one bar) we ended up at the Brick House. Duty Free was playing… I think I’m in love (with the music). I had a great time… well I did until the guy in the jacket with the red strip started dancing towards me with that intense look in his eyes. Oh and let’s not forget Ben (Roz’s step brother) trying to pimp Roz and Me out to the creepy young ugly dude, that sat in Ben’s chair when he turned his back.
That was on Saturday night, and on Sunday I went to see UnScarred, at the Station in Portland, ME. It was cool. I’d never been to a metal show before. UnScarred rocked hard. I must admit that I was a little distracted by the “dancing” of the audience. It being my first metal show, I guess that’s just part of the scene. It was wild. In the middle of the dance floor there were young men wailing and flailing their arms and legs in the air. Jumping and spinning in midair. It was like watching Cirque du Soleil, but a tiny less graceful, and without the classical soundtrack.
I think I fit in more at the Duty Free show… I got a lot less stares. I also noticed a difference between the bands. I work with the Bass player for UnScarred in fact I’m listening to his Fall Out Boy on iTunes right… what was I saying? Oh yes, so Corey got the whole UnScarred together so I could take a picture. OMG there was this annoying fan… He totally messed up my photo. I swear if my boss Sarah weren’t there I would have kicked that stupid, stubby jerk’s ass. I am one chick you don’t want to mess with… I will mess you up… but with the exception of Corey (who is just the coolest, and super sweet) I felt a little coldness. Like I was just not cool enough to be taking their picture. The guitar player from Duty Free (Eric T… something) came up to Roz and me in between sets, just to say hi and stuff… and when I say stuff I mean swag. But personally UnScarred has better swag. I need to work on gaining some street cred… I can’t wait until UnScarred gets there zip up hoodies in stock. I’m so all over that.
So in conclusion Duty Free was hot… I could dance to it (a little) but I fit in with their fans… UnScarred has better shit (y’all need to check out their website it’s the “S”). I had fun at both shows and I defiantly want to see both live again.

Wish List Update...

Because I ain't got no shame... Here are my Christmas (or when ever) Wish Lists... buy buy buy...

Hot Topic

Delia's

Claire's

Bloomingdale's

Sephora

Amazon

I Am... Me...

I am shallow, fake and filled with self-hatred. I know once I learn to accept myself for who I am I will be happy… but it’s not that easy. Just like a drug addict just cannot put down the needle, and an alcoholic cannot just put down the bottle, I just cannot wake up one morning and love myself. I need help, and so far I haven’t been able to find anyone who can help me. I used to shop. A lot… really a lot a lot. And the high I got from it made me feel great and powerful. I would turn into a monster. I would look down on sales people. I wouldn’t look them in the eyes. I wouldn’t talk to them, unless I wanted them to wait on me.
I’ve been to 6 therapists in my lifetime… none of them could help me. I would spend forty of the fifty minutes explaining my situation, and answering their stupid questions. I know what my problems are; I just need to know how to fix them.