Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Well guys, I think there's no better way to end The Fort Lauderdale Adventures than with the last episode I posted. I had the beginnings of one other video, but perhaps I'll let that be in the bonus features on the DVD when it's released in November (though it might get delayed - I'm still arguing with MGM over a few legal issues).However, I didn't get a chance to make any closing comments about my marvelous summer, so I would like to make a few right here and now. But before I do, I want to mention a few things about the video series over all. First off, this is camera that I used to record the videos, and I absolutely love it. And I used Windows Movie Maker for almost every single episode. Second, if you didn't catch on to this (or didn't watch enough episodes to notice), "we'll see what happens" was the catchphrase of the whole series. I noticed I kept saying that about halfway through, so I decided to keep up the tradition for the rest of the videos whenever appropriate. Ok, now on to the thank yous.
To the RIMterns: you were awesome. It was a blast to be able to hang out with you guys throughout the work day (sometimes probably a bit too much) and also get to spend time together on the weekends. I already miss intern lunches, Boomers, multiplayer MS Paint, 244 balloons in my cubicle, and giving Zully a hive five every time I walked to the snack room.
To the Coral Ridge Kids: you were also awesome. Before I left for Florida, I actually prayed that I could find a solid group of people to play volleyball with, and God definitely delivered. Between you guys and the RIMterns, I had some of the best community I've ever had during the 12 weeks I was in Fort Lauderdale. And that's pretty amazing considering I didn't know a single person before I got there!
To my Indian friends: thanks for introducing me to Bollywood, Sikhism, cursing in Hindi, and 23 year-olds that can't swim (and look hilarious when they try). Sorry I never made those quesadillas – perhaps that can happen soon and maybe we can even finish that Indian (was it Bollywood?) movie we only got half way through! But I'm not holding my breath – you're all a bunch of haramis anyway.
To the Scarpettis: thanks for being so hospitable to me and becoming a bit of a family for me as I settled in down there. I had a tough time finding a permanent place to live, but y'all made it easy for me as I worked it out - plus I'll always remember our music sharing sessions and good discussion!
To Dewey and Emily: thanks for being absolutely amazing interviewees - far better than what I expected from anyone.
To Cory: thanks for being a great roommate even though I was MIA most of the time. It's amazing how many people I met down there that I think I would actually regularly keep up and hang out with if they lived in Atlanta, and you were definitely one of them. That snorkeling trip is one of my favorite memories from the whole summer. I hope I meet you again during our future travels...
To Tom: Thanks for keeping up with my videos all the way through the summer and adding to them with your humorous and thought-provoking comments. I have to admit, I shot multiple videos anticipating what reaction I would get from you.
To everyone else who watched my videos: thanks so much for keeping up and allowing me to (hopefully) entertain you!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
(For anyone that hasn't watched Episode 25 of the Fort Lauderdale Adventures yet and cares, watch it before reading this article.)First off, Dewey and Emily, if you are reading this, you were amazing. I was totally blown away by your improv at the end.
For the rest of you, I thought I'd quickly fill in on how that interview took place. Basically, after Tom challenged me to the task, I started planning on who/how/when I would do the interview. I had the intention of conducting it a couple of different times at coffee shops when I went out to read, but it never really worked out. There wasn't anyone that particularly looked interview-able and I still wasn't sure what questions I was going to ask. From the beginning though, I knew that my last question would be "how do you feel about Daniel Wilkinson?" and that I would prep the interviewee to simply say "he disgusts me" or something like that. That's the only part of the interview that I wanted to rig – the rest I wanted to be candid answers.
Anyway, I had started to lose hope in doing the interview since it was coming to the end of my time down there, but then it just kinda fell in my lap on the Keys trip (which was the day before we left to come back to Atlanta). When we are at that restaurant from the video, Hetty, Rebecca, and I started taking lots of pictures, and Dewey and Emily, whom we didn't know at all, came over to ask us to take a picture of them since "we looked like picture-taking kinda people." After I took their picture and they walked back to their table, I realized I had the perfect opportunity. Here were two people that are sociable enough come ask us to take their picture, and now I already have some basis to talk to them as well.
So, I went over, told them about this video series, and asked if I could interview them real quick. Keep in mind that before the interview, I didn't even know their names, let alone they were honeymooners or anything – I literally knew nothing about them except that I had just taken their picture for them 2 minutes ago. Well, they agreed to the interview of course, and that's when I told them about the last question I wanted to ask at the end of the interview, and how I wanted to say something like "he disgusts me." At first Emily seemed like she thought it would be kinda mean haha, but after I explained that Daniel was my roommate and best friend and that we joke around like that all the time, both of them quickly caught on. However, Dewey asked me if he could elaborate on his answer rather than just say, "he disgusts me." I said, "of course," but I had no idea what he had in store.
Anyway, you've seen the video and you know what Dewey and Emily came up with. Basically, it was 100% improv on their part with no direction or cues from me at all. Since they improvised it for the first time during the taping, I wasn't any more prepared for their answer than you were. It was hard to keep from laughing as this ingenious story was unfolding before me, complete with convincing acting!
In the end, I couldn't have been happier with the interview. When I stopped the recording, I already knew it would be one of my best episodes. So thanks again so much for the amazing interview Dewey and Emily!! And I hope you had a safe trip back to Nashville and that you found a job, Emily!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Way back when, in the comments for episode 4, Tom asked me to interview someone random. I finally deliver.
