kyle.tv

So my “Crashing the Conventions: The DNC” piece has made it through in the iReport Film Festival competition.  You can check out the video here.  But please go put it at the top HERE.

Check it out!!

And he found his home today!
(Or rather his home found him.)

Byeeeeeeeee Lunchbox!!!

I was in my kitchen last night doing a rare thing: cooking.  I had the front and back doors open, some chicken on the grill, and some brussel sprouts in the microwave.  I’d just come in to wash my hands from putting the chicken on when I turned around and saw this:

This isn’t a picture from my house but it’s definitely what I saw as I turned around… a bull dog walking in from the hallway.  I was like, “huh?”  I waited for an owner to come in behind him or for someone to shout “hello, who’s home?”  But there was nothing.  Just a dog.  A slobbering, stocky, little man of a beast… who decided to come chill at 1113 for a minute.

I continued with dinner and ate it out on the front porch so Dog could be out in the yard.  I figured someone had to be looking for him but no one came.  Martha came home, named him Brutus, and then he joined us in the living room.  He tried to cozy up to us on the couch (Martha let him) but, as cute as he is, he’s also hella stinky.  I sorta pushed him away.  But he chilled out with us all night just as if he lived there forever.  It was really quite weird.  I got up this morning and he was happy to say hello.

So, the Mystery of the Bull Dog.  That’s one more thing happening at 1113 on top of everything else.  I tell you… just when I think it can’t get weirder at my place, it does.

I’ll let you know what happens.

A new post.  Heh.  I promise.  In the meantime, go look at this.

Georgia is one of a handful of states that allows early voting (also see below, last pic, to see if you can vote early in your state) so me and my buddies Stella and Drew decided to go down and vote today.  It was packed!  There were probably 40 people sitting around waiting their turn. It was 3pm on a Friday afternoon so I was actually a little surprised to see that many people.

Most of them (95% I’d say) were African-American.  I saw entire families get off the elevator and walk in… looking confused as if they’d never done this before.  There was one white family who brought their 2 kids.

It was inspiring.  I was so happy to do it!  I know I’m a dork when it comes to politics and voting but shit… it felt really good to see Obama and Biden’s name on the ticket and then select them for my Presidential ticket.  I also voted for Martin ’cause he rocks too.

This episode of “Adventures in Freelance” is brought to you by The Weather Channel.  A former colleague of mine contacted me awhile back and wanted me to produce a package for her series, Forecast Earth.  It’s one of The Weather Channel’s only original series and it’s all about climate change and such.  They do a “Grassroots Green” segment that showcases “homegrown heroes” for the environment.  My friend put me in touch with one in Alabama – a 17 year old named Josh Morrison.  Apparently he was already quite accomplished in the environmental world so I was sent out to get the story.

I did a bit of research and ended up talking to Josh’s mom, Renee.  She told me about how he started an organization called “Geeks in the Woods” and how he’s spoken at environmental conferences and such (at the ripe old age of 16).  She told me that Josh would be helping out at a Nature Camp for kids here soon so I made arrangements to meet them there.  I figured that would be a good place to start.

I hired my friend Jason to help me shoot the piece and we headed out to Jacksonville, Alabama the night before.  I made reservations at the University Inn right there on the main strip so I surely expected a treat.  When the older, Southern gentleman checked us in and said we could get “adult beverages” right down the way, I knew I was right.

The next morning we go meet Josh, meet his mom, meet his class of 20 kids (freakin’ adorable), and talk to a bunch of people.  We shoot all day, have some fun, and it basically turned out really nice.  Here are a couple pictures:

I’m including the package below too so you can see.  I’m going to include two versions though.  The interesting thing about freelance (or whenever you do one of these) is that your work is subject to someone else’s vision.  Meaning, they can change or add it as they see fit.  For my piece I was always supposed to deliver the “barebones” while they then supped it up with graphics and such (just so you know why it’s just the basic story).  Once The Weather Channel got it into their hands though, they added a few things.

Here is my version:

Here is how it aired:

And here is us goofin’ off in the middle of the shoot:

Overall, I’m quite happy with all versions.  It was a fun shoot.
Now I just need to find the next one!!

The Great Schlep!!!