Editing At It’s Best

After working on the same thing at work for nearly 2.5 hours, here I am.  I just had an energy drink (something I rarely drink because I would rather run on raw energy instead of injecting it into my blood stream via liquid), and I’m still feeling creative. In a ways.

Therefore, I had to do something while waiting for 2 videos to render at work just so I can make a little more progression on the project.  Instead, one computer crashes and another stops working for a long period of time.

So I give you a short video on what it’s like to edit videos…or at least what it’s like to (try to) stay cool when everything around you is not staying cool.

Passion

This Clint Eastwood character inspired me to go for things, even when few people had faith in you. Because in the end, your work will speak for itself.

Within the past month, I have talked about one particular conversation with almost every person I know.  “What are you going to do now?”  It’s funny to think that some people, no matter how much you’re looking to carry a simple conversation with, are no more interested in hearing about your life other than hearing if you’ve “succeeded” or “failed” in their eyes.

The funny thing is, people judge succession and failure based on their own views.  It doesn’t matter if your passion has taken a different route than most people, you’ll either be categorized as a winner or a loser.

So why should people care what others think when they’re trying to pursue their passion?  You should view this just as another person should value your succession and failure: in a case-by-case basis.

Growing up, I loved Clint Eastwood movies.  Nothing could beat his stone cold facial expressions and nobody could pull off the silent rage quite like his rebel cowboy characters.  So it would make sense why so many of his movie phrases have become ingrained in my life.  One thing I couldn’t agree more with is when he is explaining to his fellow comrades in Unforgiven how he has changed through the years by saying, “I ain’t like that no more.  I ain’t the same.”

While I haven’t evolved into an outlawed rebel riding through towns and killing innocent people by the way of the gun, I still see this as something that is true for all of us.  We all mature and change, along with our morals and ideas.  However, our passions typically stay the same.

For myself, I sounded crazy growing up when I explained filmmaking was in my future.  Just like the kids from Super 8, I was viewed as another wild-eyed dreamer, but I never let others opinions stand in my way of producing short films, skits, and other video related material.  So here I am, in the middle of working on several film projects, in charge of a handful of large multimedia projects at work, and progressing towards starting up a video/film production studio.  I’m constantly working towards my passion by doing all of these things.

But people still have their doubts.

A good friend of mine recently told me that if you work on a job just because it’s a job, there’s nothing special about it.  However, if you work with a mentality of loving something, it’s more than a job.  That, in itself, shows you’re living out your passion.

I’ve spoken to several people lately who believe others don’t or won’t understand their true passion.  And to be honest, there’s a good chance they may not understand what you want until you do it.  So do it.  Follow your passion, and don’t be afraid to go against the grain (so long as it’s nothing too wild like living out a rebel cowboy lifestyle…).

The best advice I can give a person on this topic is that success is valued within one’s heart.  You are only as successful as what you believe you are.  If you let people dictate what you love and how you love, you’re not as happy as you would be if you did what you love.

While most passions require you to undergo many challenges, accept them.  Most nights I only get 4 hours of sleep, but I do it because I love all the work I put on myself.  Last week I spent a total of 36 hours of editing videos within the course of 48 hours.  I also declined a few invitations to hang out with friends just to get ahead of editing video.  Some times it’s not easy following what I love, but that drives me even more to do it.

The biggest challenge you face is yourself.  You determine what’s too much work and how much you can accomplish.

So let me end of this note from one of America’s number one bad boys, Dirty Harry.  “Opinions are like assholes…everybody’s got one.”

If you let someone’s opinions shape you, you’re failing to achieve your true passion.  But if you go for the gold and shoot for what you love, that’s when you succeed.  You’ll find success within failures.  But if you never try it…who will ever know if you were destined to achieve your passion?

- The Driver

Joplin Optimism

As many of you can tell, the stories I experienced in Joplin a week and a half ago were more than positive; they radiated with optimism.  Even though the community has been hit hard by a tornado, they’re not letting the devastation stand in their way of supporting each other and showing the one thing nothing can ever replace: human kindness.

Enjoy some more of my “midnight ramblings” about how we can help, and how I helped (ever so little) by using my ability to share with you some very touching stories.

“Through Regression…

Comes progression.”  That quote from a former broadcast journalism professor still rings in my ears.  I fell in love with that phrase immediately, because the older I become, the more I see how it’s the simple truth.  I’ve experienced many setbacks and obstacles in my fairly short life, but when you see people truly devastated like those in Joplin, Missouri, it becomes a phrase of hope.

Every single person I met who was affected in Joplin told me they were positive they would rebuild along with the community.  One starts to wonder if it’s true, but you’ll start telling yourself that you’re a fool for not believing so if you spend a little while in Joplin.

While staying in Joplin for a couple of days, I spoke with so many people and got to know some so well that I started to feel like I was becoming one of their close family members.  Once you see Joplin citizens battling through the destruction by showing love and support, it’s truly something to behold.  That’s why shooting video within the course of those days was just a small amount of help I can do for the community; to show the outside world the stories of those fighting the good fight within the city.  When I tell you that nothing I’ve ever shot compares to this, it’s true.  This can’t be acted.  This can’t be faked.  And overall, the stories are real.

This is a short clip I pieced together last night which gives you a small, 2 minute glance into the world known as Joplin, Missouri.

Joplin – Strength Of A Community

I always thought nightmares were supposed to wake you up in the middle of the night.  Not the image of a porcelain angel sitting on the remains of a home’s foundation with the sounds of birds chirping in the background.  I never would have related waking up at 3 in the morning to something that seemed so subtle.  Until tonight.

I spent the last two days shooting video in Joplin, Missouri.  I’m sure you know the story if you’ve watched or read the news lately.  A story of a middle-sized southern Missouri town getting ripped apart and split open by one of the worst tornadoes since the 50’s.  What has happened to be one of the largest natural disasters in recent memory, it is also turning into one of the most victorious stories of past century.

I heard so many people say, “Words just don’t do the devastation justice.”  I’ve come to disagree with that phrase, because underneath the destruction and disaster, you find something that’s much more powerful.  It’s hope.  Believe it or not, there’s such a strong feeling of support, love, and companionship that has been with this community long before the tornado took away most of the town.  The strength of the community has only grown through mayhem.

Underneath the destruction of Joplin lies a strong sense of community and faith. This picture clearly represents that with the phrase "God Saved Us" spray-painted on the remains of a home.

Since a good majority of my life was spent not too far from that part of Missouri, witnessing all of the personal accounts of love has only reinforced the perception I had of southern Missouri.  If anybody knows southern Missouri, you understand there’s a deep sense of religion correlated with hard work.  Most people in the area are in touch with their religion that in turn it helps them achieve hard work.  I don’t see how stories about the area don’t include some aspect of religion.  It’s such a large part of people’s lives in Joplin, and it’s also one of the driving forces to rebuilding the community.

One of the women a colleague and I spoke to said even if there was no support from people outside of the community, the local churches would rebuild the town.  That spoke volumes to the nature of how people feel about their religion empowering them to continue progressing towards the future of Joplin.  As a matter of fact, I heard more people say “God bless” instead of “Goodbye,” as I finished hugging them and walked away.  It’s something you have to be immersed in before you understand it.  It’s not just something you say to a person, it’s something the people of Joplin really mean.

Another thing I was blown away by is the community outreach Joplin has received since last week when the tornado hit.  People from around the nation, and even outside the country (yes, we did meet some Canadians) were pouring into Joplin to help.  Some would go directly to a government site to volunteer, while others would load up a flat-bed truck with chainsaws, ropes, and other gear so they could drive up and down streets offering individual victims of the tornado a little help.  I couldn’t believe people from Indiana, Ohio, Illinois (and the list goes on and on) who volunteered for a day just to help with some of the relief.  While you would probably think “lucky” is far from how Joplin residents felt, so many people told me they were “blessed” and “lucky” to get so much help from outside community members.

Walking through rubble and sometimes standing on mounds 10 feet in the air where a house once stood wasn’t the culprit why pictures don’t do the city justice.  It’s really the heart-warming feeling you get when you speak with someone who’s lost everything.  So many times I walked away from speaking with a person who lost their home, their cars, their job, and sometimes a good friend to the tornado, and they were still able to smile.  Then they were able to turn around, rake up a pile of debris from their home’s ruins, and joke around with volunteers while cleaning up the area.

This picture I took of a porcelain angel sitting on top of a house foundation keeps popping up in my mind lately. It truly represents the people of Joplin. Through devastation comes hope.

So next time you hear about the devastation in Joplin, I think so many of the community members would rather focus on the strength of the community rather than the devastation.  They may have lost their homes and so much more, but I never met a person from Joplin who’s lost hope in restoring what was once their hometown.  This is something that pictures can’t describe.  Feelings, emotions, and faith – all human reactions that are shown through the glimpse of a photo are just a fraction of what you see and experience when you walk through the once identifiable streets of Joplin.

The best way to understand how the people of Joplin survived, and are still going strong, can be summed up through the words of one woman who survived the tornado with a few minors cuts on her leg even though her entire home now lies in thousands of pieces.

“Never take things for granted…because [some of those things] may not be here tomorrow.”

Thoughts On Joplin

As a former journalism student, I learned that everybody has a voice. I’m taking this time to raise awareness for those in need in Joplin after tornadoes ripped through the southern Missouri town.

Here are a few websites to go to for more info to support the town:

One Mizzou: http://www.mutigers.com/genrel/052411aad.html?utm_source=Homepage&utm_medium=Homepage&utm_campaign=homepageBanner

United Way: http://www.uwheartmo.org/

Just One Last Story

Few writers sleep (even if they proclaim to be writers like myself) more than a few hours a night. For example, Edgar Allan Poe...need I say more? *Read "The Raven" to get more insight on this*

It’s 3 am.  When I started writing this, it (was) 3am.  When I finish and post this, it will be a little later; but I just wanted to point out how strange it sounds to say this.

When you’ve been working and/or have kept yourself busy for nearly 75 hours, shouldn’t you expect your mind to eventually get to a point where it just shuts off?

No.  Not mine.  Ever since a wee-kid I remember my mind wandering from one subject to another, and turning random thoughts into daydreams.  Little did I know at that age it was the beginning of my storytelling.  It was interesting to take various ideas that didn’t really mean anything and combine them to actually create something, in a fictional sense.

And here I am, doing the same thing nearly 20 some years later.

One of the phrases that I really don’t like to hear is “things rarely change.” It’s mainly because the phrase is very true, but more importantly, I just don’t like to hear it taken out of context.  Seriously, how often have you heard someone say randomly, “Yeah, you know, things rarely change,” while they’re already performing a mundane task like eating an apple while watching Titanic.  Of course things don’t change if this is something you’ve repeated for the past 5 years every Monday night.

However, the older I get, the more I despise it for following me.  For years I’ve toyed around with writing original stories.  I wasn’t that good at it when I was younger, but I just needed a way to let it out and write it on a piece of paper.  I’ve always had a fascination with developing stories from scratch, creating characters that aren’t real, and turning those things into something that may very well impact our reality.

I have saved notebooks since the age of 8 in which I scribbled short stories along with horrible illustrations that seem to depict a wicked Frank Miller comic.  Believe me, the dialogue definitely seems like it came from an 8 year old, but the stories hold up just as strong as if I came up with them today.  It’s amazing to look back at some short stories I’ve written as a child just to realize I started writing fiction long before I perfected writing nonfiction (such as writing news stories that I’ve written throughout my college career).

Now I understand that a writer (whether a novelist, a poet, a journalist, or a blogger) seeks out a platform to voice what he/she sees and hears in his/her head.  I’m making it sound like they’re hearing voices in their minds 24/7…but they kind of are.  It’s the fact that once they get in that mode, nothing can stop you from releasing it.

Insomnia definitely doesn’t help matters when it comes to feeling the urge to splurge your story ideas.  As a matter of fact, most writers do suffer from insomnia.  While more than just writing causes my insomnia, it’s the aspect of sitting down at a computer and typing away until story I have in mind is spelled out in a Word doc.  Nights when you have reached a point where you just want to put aside all other work just so you can let your mind wander into the realms of storytelling, it’s a beautiful thing.

Especially nights like tonight.

Sure I could snuggle up in my cozy bed while listening to the birds chirping outside, but I can’t relax long enough to cease my stream of thoughts.  Instead, I have to write a few pages in a new screenplay because I know I’ll forget it by morning.  Then two hours later, I force myself to sleep…if I haven’t fallen asleep on my computer by that time.

No matter how you slice the pie, stories are what all of us humans long for.  Whether it’s the unrealistic underdog story of a small basketball team taking 1^st place at nationals, or hearing about the local shooting and robbery at the local Wal-Mart, all of these stories derive from the epicenter of storytelling.  An ability to entertain one person for hours is a skill that takes ages to critique.   Just finding a way to entertain is the main issue.

I could talk for hours about storytelling and how this small facet of life refreshes the daily grind and makes it more interesting.  There are so many small details with writing that makes me strive to write every night.  Just the idea to jot down a few things can really make a difference in how a story is told, because some of those things will never be conceptualized again…unless you have a photogenic memory.

For tonight, I’m hoping sleep sneaks up on me soon, because I personally feel like my body should call it quits after nearly 3 full days of work and fun.  But no matter how hard I think about trying to sleep, if there’s an idea or a need to write, it will keep me awake until I sit down at a computer and begin to type.

Oh, I almost forgot.  Next time you want to hear a good bedtime story, ask a writer to tell you one.  Even if they’re a writer who does it for pleasure, like myself, and it’s the same plot line every night, you’ll be entertained because it will be different every time you hear it.  After all, that’s what keeps us all awake.  It’s a never-ending story…of stories.

- The Driver

*I am not a professional writer, but I can be if you want me to be…use your imagination…*

A Trip Back To My (Summer) Homeland

I know I didn’t talk about it much, but I took a little trip across the pond two weeks ago.  It was the second trip I was able to go on myself, and it was extremely rewarding. 

“Where did I go?” you ask.  Well, I went back to Ireland and traveled around the country for 5 days, then hoped on a cheap plane to go back to my romping grounds, London. 

I’ll spare you the small details, mainly because the story can be seen and read on the Missouri Abroad Project website.  I wrote the article and provided a few pictures to them, but expect me to update this post this weekend and post some other awe-inspiring photos.

Hope you enjoy it.

- The Driver

Down The Road, Around The Corner (Optimism Part 3)

This is Neil Armstrong. A very optimistic man. Sometime you're wanting a good story, ask me about his story why he thanked a "stranger" when he landed on the moon.

Don’t worry avid readers, I haven’t forgotten about you!  The past few days have been pretty bittersweet, and mostly worked-filled that has left me a little sleep deprived.  But that also brings me to write the newest addition to my never-ending quest to show how optimism forms the best parts in our daily lives.

This blog post will be slightly different than the other two, but for good reason.  It’s inspired by those who ARE optimistic in dire situations.  It’s those people that “get knocked down but always get up again.”  One of the key terms that I have studied in one of my courses lately has been “drive,” which in definition terms is a strong stimulus that spurs our interest to seek a way to obtain something we desire.  Does everybody have this “drive”?  Is the “drive” obtainable through learned or innate behavior?  Most importantly, is a “drive” what reinforces our optimism?

I didn’t mean to bombard you with so many questions, avid reader, but let me put it this way: Next time you are having a bad day and everything starts going to Hell, just remember the opening chorus to Incubus’ song, “Drive,” when it reiterates “whatever tomorrow brings.”  Why?  Because no matter what tomorrow, today, or yesterday will bring, is bringing, or has brought to us, we’ll always find a way to “livestrong” as Lance Armstrong famously penned. 

That drive is the motivation behind our optimism.  It keeps us striving for something that we may never reach, but at that moment, we are satisfied to the fullest.  Those that are extremely driven continue to live off that drive, even when our optimism takes a serious punch.

Look at Gabby Giffords, the Arizona senator who was shot in the head and remained in serious condition for days after the shooting that occurred earlier this year.  Look how far she’s come.  She has now been able to regain her ability to sing.  Optimism at its best.

Another example that I love to use (beside MJF) is Lance Armstrong.  Sure he’s had some rocky personal matters, but look at what the guy’s done with his professional career.  While it’s been considered that he’s taken performance enhancements, the guy had testicular cancer and still won Tour De Frances.  He pushed forward even when it was highly doubted that he could even compete with other top athletes. 

In the end, I don’t ask myself if I’d ever do something that these people have done to regain what they have almost have lost.  Instead, I see this as an inspiration to strive for things that I am pursuing in life.  Even if I never reach them, it’s something I’ll never succumb to say because it’s not true.  I’ll reach them.  As Lance Armstong said,

“Anything is possible.  You can be told that you have a 90-percent chance or a 50-percent chance, or a 1-percent chance, but you have to believe, and you have to fight.”

Optimism is inspiration.  I recommend you try it out sometime.  And sometimes the most inspirational people are those living in your very household, living just down the street, or working in your office.  Sometimes you’re curious, just ask me in person who are my top 3 regarding those that I find most inspirational.  It may surprise you.

A great link to extremely inspiring people. I recommend reading this.

Until then, keep up the optimism. 

- The Driver

*If you couldn’t tell, music greatly influenced this post.  For the song that inspired me the most, check it out below.*

Optimism Enlightenment

After last night’s blog post and the stream of responses, texts, and calls I’ve received, I have decided something big.

Optimism is here to stay.

I’m going to keep speaking about optimism by hearing what act of kindness you have done lately.

Write in the comment section, and let me know something you did today!!!