RedEye Learning Center

Labor (of Love)

Emily M. — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:26:59 +0000

The past two weeks have found me sifting through mountains of political ads and movie Western clips to try and find some semblance of a common thread. This week is the American Association of Political Consultants Pollie Awards fiesta. The Pollies award good campaigns and RedEye has been charged with showcasing the video spots in an amusing way. The theme of this years Pollies is Western, so we are montaging clips from the political ads with clips from classic movies like High Planes Drifter, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, less classic westerns like O Brother Where Art Thou and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and even less classic Westerns like Blazing Saddles and even Back to the Future Part III.

When I began this project, it was with zeal and excitement, and 2 weeks later, the video has become a labor, albeit a labor of love. It has taught me that editing is never a complete process, and it is sometimes very indecisive. I have changed and changed back and changed again. I have watched this 3 minute video so often that the parts that are supposed to be funny make me want to take an ice pick to the computer. But it was all worth it – the final product, with input from numerous people came leaps and bounds from the first mess I hobbled together by myself with no direction. It has led me to imagine the importance and difficulty of editing comedy shows and movies. Given how naturally hilarious I am, I have always known that timing is one of the most important elements of comedy, but I never thought before how editors must maintain that cadence when splicing together some of our favorite comedies. Now that I’ve thought about it, this seems obvious, but there it is – I am once again exposed to the inner workings of creative endeavors I’ve taken for granted for years.

Emily

Super Tuesday

Emily M. — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:12:23 +0000

Hello all! And to residents of Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia – happy Super Tuesday!

Residents of those states can be sure to see plenty of ads today telling them why one candidate is better than another or why one candidate is just a downright threat to liberty and justice for all. Well we here at RedEye have some experience with campaign advertisements, and while we love to see the mud fly, we understand that all this negative energy can really block up your aura and mess with your karma – or something like that – so we’re happy to give you something else to think about.

Take your mind off the battles that really matter with some that don’t matter at all! Here are some elections we would be glad to vote in:

Elmo v. Big Bird

Both candidates put an emphasis on education. The campaign has been long and plagued by a series of negative ads. Elmo has been called a red communist and Big Bird, despite his seemingly wide array of talents, is criticized for his naiveté.

Daffy Duck v. Bugs Bunny

Bunny hopes to advance production in the agriculture industry and has spent countless hours campaigning with carrot farmers. Duck is adamant about his position against domestic oil drilling, fearing it will contaminate local water supplies.

Belle v. Jasmine

This race has shown that Disney Princesses can turn ugly. Jasmine’s leadership is too monarchical for some. Belle’s husband Beast makes Americans remember the Clinton campaigns of the 90s.

Mr. Peanut v. Chiquita Banana

Peanut, with his fancy wardrobe, is known as a friend of big business and the Upper Class. Chiquita Banana supports the North American Free Trade Agreement and hopes to make immigration laws less strict.

Harry Potter v. Edward Cullen

Potter supporters thinks he has the magic touch when it comes to politics, but opponents argue that he’s in his own world. Cullen is sometimes lauded for his zeal in sinking his teeth into America’s problems, but he is criticized for being cold and almost dead on the campaign trail.

Tell us what you think below in the comments section or on Twitter! And check back in for some mock campaign ads of these and more face offs!

And if you’re looking for some help putting together a real campaign ad, give us a call!

Happy voting!

Emily
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RedEye Report: Winter 2012

RedEye — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:08:37 +0000

No one likes winter in the District. You never know if there’s going to be a Snowpocalypse, or gusty winds. But this year, winter was manageable, at times, even cozy. Which suited RedEye just fine. Less time complaining about the weather meant more time focusing on creating the high quality productions that you’ve come to expect from us.

Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who’ve kept us busy during the beginning of 2012, for which we’re ever thankful.

One particularly exciting project that we’ve been working on is an upcoming episode of BET’s Lift Every Voice with First Lady Michelle Obama. Lift Every Voice is a half-hour program that features testimonies from some of mainstream and Gospel’s biggest and brightest stars. The show focuses on each guest’s faith and the role it plays in their everyday life. The First Lady (or FLOTUS as we cool kids have taken to calling her) sat down with LEV host, Corey Condry, to talk about her faith and her Let’s Move initiative to “create a healthy generation of children” through balanced meals and increased exercise. We at RedEye were so inspired by her message that we took it upon ourselves to Move! You can check out those disastrous results on our blog.

Having such a special guest gave us the incentive to step up our editing game. This past fall, Lift Every Voice (with our help) underwent a mini-makeover to HD with a newer, sleeker look and expanded reach into the cyber world. Over the course of the season we’ve had wonderful creative freedom from BET producer Christian Teelucksingh to take the post to a new level.

Lift Every Voice airs every Sunday morning at 10 am EST on BET Networks. The upcoming episode with Michelle Obama will air on Sunday March 4, 2012. Check it out!

RedEye is proud to be working with the Department of Education on a monthly web series called School Days. Each month ED summarizes Secretary Duncan’s work with this video blog. The January 2012 edition was released a few weeks ago and February is now in the works. After spending over ten years on the Golden Hammer Awarded Satellite Town Meeting it is great to be back in the swing with School Days. We hope you take five minutes to check out the videos on the Department of Education website! You can expect a new one each month. Its a great way to see your tax dollars work for you.

Another big project this month has been a video for the Department of Veterans Affairs promoting their Personal Identication Verification (PIV) card. It’s been a very intense project from start to finish. We filmed twenty people in four locations throughout the District in one day. Currently, it’s heading in for the final 508 compliance and the client is thrilled.

With the campaign swinging into full gear, RedEye is revving up for political season. We’re ready for the mud to start flying!

Keep up with the latest from RedEye by checking out our

Learning Center on the RedEye Post website!

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Oscars 2012 – Reflective Cinema

Emily M. — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:57:13 +0000

I’m not quite an old soul [read: hipster], but I was raised with an appreciation of what you might call grand old things [read: pretentious things]. I enjoy going to the opera and I will take Humphrey Bogart over Brad Pitt any day. I get defensive when older people assume that my generation gets bored with black and white films. Hello?! Haven’t they seen Pleasantville? But seriously, I’m crazy for the old movie magic of Gaslight, the passion of Casablanca, the blind patriotism of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the mystery of The Maltese Falcon and The Third Man. When I was young and couldn’t sleep, my dad would bring me downstairs and cuddle with me as we watched whatever was playing on TCM. I have a particular memory of Arsenic and Old Lace, every child’s favorite bedtime story.

This is why I’m so happy that The Artist and Hugo were the big winners at the Oscars this year. Many of the movies nominated were not just period pieces but odes to the glory of old times and old cinema. Despite the rumors that crowds demanded their money back when they learned that the movie was in fact silent, The Artist‘s win for Best Picture proves that American’s have not completely sacrificed their attention spans to Vampire Dance Moms…

(this show would be a guaranteed success)

Sitting in the movie theater watching The Artist with my father brought me back to the dark living room of my childhood and I was captivated by the excitement and passion of the movie, even if there was no dialogue to be heard. But this silent movie has come ages from City Lights. Charlie Chaplin was undeniably and unwaveringly wonderful, but the silent films of the early century could always rely on the wonder of the audience at the technology that they could watch moving pictures. The Artist had to fight the audience’s disdain at the simplicity and bore of silent pictures. It had to call back to an older time, using the technology of today, and satisfy an audience that was used to seeing this technology stretched to its limits. Jean Dujardin, whose face is naturally emotive (I think his face is what Gaston’s or Flynn Rider’s might look like in real life) allowed us to see and feel George Valentin without feeling that we needed dialogue to understand his moods or story.

The Artist was not the only movie at this Oscars to wax nostalgic. Midnight in Paris showed us that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the space time continuum. And Hugo. Hugo was not just a children’s movie. Hugo was a testimonial to the saving power of the movies and how wonderful they can be in the eyes of children. I know I know, if you love it so much then why don’t you marry it? I admit my rhetoric is a little strong, but I can’t deny that I love movies, and ever since I was little and sitting up at night watching TCM, I have found the magic in them.

Given my love of film, people may wonder if my experience at RedEye has been like touring the sausage factory. To these people I say, yes I’ve read The Jungle and yes I’m still eating hot dogs. Or more straightforwardly- seeing some of what goes in to making the final product has made me even more awed at how the final product has come out. I’ve learned that putting together film is not just a technical maneuver but an artistic one as well.

Emily

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Why They Come To RedEye

Emily M. — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:50:35 +0000

After three weeks of working at RedEye, I can declare firmly and proudly that it is fun and exuberant place to work. Clients drop by to drop something off and end up sticking around for half an hour to chat. The RedEye offices are a magnet of good feeling and creative energy. That said, its been a hectic couple days, Christian and Senita from BET’s Lift Every Voice have been in and out of RedEye, sorting out footage and perfecting an exciting interview with the FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States – all the cool kids are calling her that).

Michelle Obama talked about her family life, as well as her two big initiatives Let’s Move and Joining Forces. Joining Forces is an initiative launched by Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden and aims to support America’s military forces and thank them for the sacrifices they make. Let’s Move is “America’s move to raise a healthier generation of kids” by making sure that kids are eating healthy and exercising at home and at school. It has been a particularly busy morning, between cutting together the interview and scouring the internet for photos and videos of everything Obama. I have seen every video on the Lets Move YouTube Channel, countless photos on the White House flickr, baby pictures of Sasha, even one of the Presiden’t class pictures from prep school. Ask me a question about Let’s Move. I dare you…

But this wasn’t really a tiresome task. The Obamas are as fun to look at as the Kennedys. Watching clips of them, you sometimes can’t help but smile. They’re dynamic and charismatic – this out of the mouths of babes. I particularly enjoyed watching clips from Let’s Move. You may remember, depending on your age bracket/level of coolness, a flurry on the internet when photos and videos surfaced of the First Lady dougie-ing. Well that show of coolitude (I just made that word up and I really think its gonna be a thing) happened while dancing to Move Your Body, a song Beyonce wrote to accompany the Let’s Move! Flash Workout; this dance is SO FUN.

I learned the dance this summer and I like to think that when people watch me do it they see someone who is excited and enjoying herself, not an uncoordinated limb-flailer, but the dance is SO FUN that it doesn’t even matter how bad you are at it. Beyonce has truly accomplished something here.

Well after this long day of work, we here at RedEye decided to unwind by moving our bodies, and you will get to see our… what’s the euphemism I’m looking for?… passionate? eager? dance moves exclusively on the RedEye blog:

If you’d like to see how the dance is meant to be performed, you can check out the official music video, Beyonce surprising a dancing middle school, or this extremely feisty little girl.

Emily

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Bad Singing for a Good Cause

Emily M. — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:22:24 +0000

Today is the momentous first anniversary of Rebecca Black’s Friday. Speaking of bad singing (har har har) …

The first season of How I Met Your Mother, in an episode called The Pineapple Incident, asked a question that I know is one that is on everybody’s minds:

Drunk Ted: Why do they call it karaoke anyhow? Was it invented by a woman named Karey Okee? These are the kind of things I think about.

Trudy: ‘Karaoke’ is Japanese for ‘empty orchestra’.

There you are! Mystery solved! Karaoke is a fun activity for drunk people and teenaged girls, but the American Association of Political Consultants Mid-Atlantic Chapter uses karaoke for good! The Mid-Atlantic AAPC website lauds the annual event as “the one night when Democrats, Republicans, the media and those who just don’t care can put their differences aside and sing badly for a good cause”.

And the cause is certainly a good one. Part of the proceeds from the Karaoke in the Capital debauchery goes to support Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation which donates musical instruments to schools with under-funded music programs. I was a band geek myself in middle school and high school. I rocked the clarinet: one of the lamest instruments in the band. But I was in audition band so… yea… it was pretty awesome. But as a former member of a band, I can testify on the merits of a good school music program. Band was a release from the regular pressures of the day, and even though we didn’t notice it, we were actually improving our minds. Music is self-expression, working with a group to create something beautiful, spurring creativity. If you’re not one for all that fluffy individuality stuff, then I will tell you that there are links between music and improved spatial intelligence, language and reasoning skills, and the ever important higher standardized test scores.

Check out some Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation videos…

MHOF in Action and Students and Teachers Thank MHOF … they’re pretttty cute.

If you’re looking for a good laugh, and want to applaud someone for embarrassing themselves for this great cause, I direct you to Karaoke in the Capital’s YouTube channel. Having uploaded these videos, I can tell you that some are more painful than others, but! I will give you my favorites:

One man’s rendition of Super Bass (with three back up singers in pink dresses that match his tie) is the most viewed on the playlist, and its no surprise why.

A little woman with a big voice sings Pour Some Sugar On Me.

A woman breaks out into Hair throwback medley of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In

A man plays a REAL. LIVE. FIDDLE. Does this break the rules of karaoke? I dunno but its awesome. Charlie Daniels would be proud.

Also some dudes shout out to Herman Cain (remember him?) with Imagine There’s No Pizza and some other dudes shout out to Bieber fever with a blacklight Baby.

RedEye friend Bud Jackson helped put together this event and it was definitely a success!

Emily

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How To Be A Successful Production Assistant

Valeria V. — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:51:05 +0000

I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes being a PA gives me a real warm fuzzy at the end of the day. I love when the shoot is over, and the rest of the crew says “Thanks! Had a great time working with you, or something as equally polite. Although being a Production Assistant is, for the most part, the lowest rung on the totem pole, it’s a great way to observe, learn, and make great contacts along the way — which is great for people that don’t have contacts in the industry. So, here’s what I’ve learned about having successful PA gigs.

1) Act like this is the best gig in the whole wide world

There is one thing that people always remember, and that’s your attitude. What’s paid off for me, has been having such a good attitude, that if you didn’t know any better, you might be thinking that I had been taking copious amounts of uppers. It’s a risky move — true — maybe the people you’re working with don’t want anyone on the set to be happy. But that’s all the more reason to plaster a smile on your face, a bounce in your step, and a willingness to do whatever is required. Just throw in a few jokes or puns throughout the day — and you’re golden.

2) Learn To Be Like a Genie.

A true Genie is available at it’s Masters beck-and-call at any time. A Production Assistant is exactly like a Genie. When you’re done setting up a light, or putting makeup on someone, and the camera is rolling, you’re out of sight. Either observing what’s going on, or preparing for the next event. But your Spider-Sense is constantly tingling. The minute the camera is turned off, you’re right back at the producer’s side ready to strike, or reapply makeup, or plug something in, or put on a light. And then we vanish again until someone rubs our lamp.

3) Know the Production Schedule better than anyone else

The better you know the production schedule, the better you will be able to predict the needs of everyone on set, making you an integral part of the team. You’re like the Production Mama Bear, and everyone loves a Mama Bear and hires them over and over again. If you see that the video is going to be shot in a corporate environment, make sure that there’s lint-rollers and extra dress-code friendly items on hand. If you know the camera man is a Diabetic that always forgets to take a snack, keep oranges close-by from the craft-services table. It’s your job as a PA, to remember all the things that everyone else forgets.

Welp. Those are my three main tips … and although they’re simple, they pay off. It’s just good old-fashioned manner and intuition. It’ll take you farther than you ever suspected. What tips do y’all have?

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Make ‘Em Laugh

Emily M. — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:39:53 +0000

Last week I sat with Valeria as she put together a short clip of an interview on BET’s Lift Every Voice inspirational talk show. She had the raw footage up in Final Cut and began splicing up clips, not looking at the big screen on the wall behind her where Martha Munizzi, gospel singer extraordinaire was answering questions, but by listening to what Martha was saying. “First and foremost,” she explained, “you’re telling a story”. Martha could look great but this wasn’t a photograph. We got movin’ pictures now sonny! We wanted Martha Munizzi to look good, but the priority was making sure her story got told: that poorly executed sound didn’t get in the way of the audience being able to enjoy her words.

Last night, I went to see Laughter on the 23rd Floor at The Keegan Theatre. The play was written by Neil Simon as a reflection of his time as a writer on Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows. The play is not so much a comedy as an account of comedy writing during the McCarthy era, told through the eyes of some notoriously funny people. (Characters are based off the likes of Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner).

Neil Simon was funny (this we know from The Odd Couple!). The words were funny. But his jokes were not always able to shine through. It wasn’t the sound but the sometimes poorly executed humor that got in the way of the audience being able to enjoy the jokes. The play was at times overacted and some joke deliveries made me think “well that could be a funny joke, you just told it wrong!” To be fair, that could be my own pretention getting in the way, but I think the performance was missing subtlety. If only Valeria could control that on Final Cut!

Emily

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My 1st blog ever!

Olivia Y. — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:43:22 +0000

My 1^st blog! Yay! OK, the reason why I am finally writing one is because I enjoy reading them and I have something to share.

I feel like I am from a bygone era. I am no Jane Austen but I love her and period dramas of any sort. Ok, the Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, Elizabeth Gaskell sort. Add Downton Abbey to the mix. But I digress. I don’t look my age but I feel far older at times because I admit, I am rather traditional and a fuddy-duddy if you can call it that. I love adhering to the old and I reminisce about it – not everything old but in general. I am comfortable with what I know and change is an affront in all measures of the word.

But life and working at RedEye has solidified what I have known for a while. Change is necessary and change is good. Learning new things is good. What makes you uncomfortable and challenges you force you to grow. It teaches you to come out of your shell and not just be a better person but be better skilled at your job as well as taking it up a notch or notches.

I am being rather vague but here are specifics in 2 categories. The 2 amazing people I work with and what they have taught me in the 10 short months since I started working here.

Valeria: She is amazing. Valeria is a breath of fresh air. She is lively, she has spunk, she speaks her mind and does so articulately and most importantly, with humor. She is a whiz at learning new things and she forces me to go through my days with a feather on my foot as opposed to a brace. Valeria has taught me to branch out into the forum and world of the here and now, the arena of youth – hence change, social media, blogs and google. It’s not that I don’t google but now if I don’t know anything, I know to say to myself. GOOGLE IT!

Laura D: Lady boss. Laura is a visionary. Laura has years under her belt but is still capable of churning up ideas that are new and exciting. She leaves you thinking, now why didn’t I think of that? I thought I knew how to edit until I started working at RedEye and felt I was back to edit 101. Laura is encouraging, she is fast, she has a great eye for detail and she is a maestro at what she does. Did I mention that Laura is fast? But you betcha, she is kickass good as well.

Oh! And these ladies break out in song every so often. I love it! Why don’t I join in when I am dying to? I am afraid to break the office glass.

RedEye has already taught me so much and it only feels like a heartbeat since I started. I can’t wait to learn more from these two effervescent personalities who grace my path each work day. Oh! And I haven’t even mentioned the laughter, the food talks and awesome feeling of being home away from home whilst at work. But let’s leave it to my next blog.

TTFN, Y(e)O.

The very one - Jane Austen

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Taste of Jamaica

Emily M. — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:38:25 +0000

One of the great things about being in a city is the myriad restaurants and cuisines that are so readily available. I love to cook and eat and though I am no Anthony Bourdain of Food Network’s No Reservations fame, I am happy to sample frog legs or olive oil ice cream. My three roommates and I decided that this semester we would try a new cuisine every week. This is a scary adventure for one of my roommates, Kelsi, who tends to restrict her diet to chicken and pizza.

This week was our first foray into the dangerous world of non-American cuisine. Don’t worry, we didn’t go too far, only to Jamaica, which we found on the corner of H St and 6^th St NE at a place called Taste of Jamaica.

At first glance, Taste of Jamaica, with the requisite Bob Marley poster hanging on one wall and the reggae music playing through the speakers, checks out as authentic Jamaican. I ordered my boneless chicken fricassee through a small window in the glass wall that separated me from my server. I watched as the woman behind the glass slopped ladlefuls of an unappetizingly dark brown chicken stew onto the red beans and rice already filling the Styrofoam carton that was my plate.

I paid for my dinner and Woman-behind-the-glass turned away. It seemed to me to be just a moment too long between when I paid and when I should be given my dinner. This is where I made my big mistake. My brain told me that I needed to get my dinner myself. I reached through the tiny window and attempted to pick up my Styrofoam dinner. This was clearly an affront. “No.” Woman-behind-the-glass said, and her husband backed her up with a death glare. Of course, there was a reason for their glass cage, and though a girl from Connecticut was probably not it, I had clearly broken a code.

If my first moment with Jamaican food was Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull than my first bite of Jamaican food was Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was just the right amount of sweet and the sticky brown sauce turned out to be buttery and bursting with Caribbean spices and a hint of barbecue. Jamaican food and I were absolutely getting along. A better metaphor may be When Harry Met Sally, where Sally is Jamaican food.

But I know the question on everyone’s minds – what the public is really clamoring for I’m sure is what Kelsi, the picky eater, had to say.

Well at first glance Kelsi gave taste of Jamaica a:

But after her jerk chicken, Kelsi gives Taste of Jamaica:

And how much more could you really ask for?

Emily