making of “The Rise of a DJ” part IV: the finale.

Amazing. Relieved. Wow. This is what I felt after finishing my personal profile project (and the business one, for extra credit). I posted my finished project on our class blog (on the 18th) and I must say it is a great way to end the semester. I felt proud and accomplished, for this being the first multimedia project I’ve done on my own. My friends were all surprised when I showed them what I had done. I don’t think there is anything specific I want to vent about, or anything major I would’ve changed.

Making this project just stimulated my interest in wanting to do more multimedia projects on my own, in the future. I am so glad J226 required me to invest in a FlipCam, because I am now known as the Flip girl among my peers. I, literally, carry it around everywhere incase there’s something interesting to film. I cannot stress enough about how much I am grateful to have learned everything J226 has taught us. Otherwise, I would have NEVER been introduced (and taught how to use) to programs like Audacity, Final Cut, Soundslides, iMovie, etc. I primarily used iMovie for my final projects, and without this class, it would’ve just been another icon sitting in my dock, untouched and unused.

Going into this class was like diving into a pool of multimedia, and I’m really happy I got to experience it. I am, without a doubt, going to continue blogging, and try to make videos/audio slideshows even if it’s just for fun.

This has been a great semester. My classmates were awesome. I feel like going through all our assignments has helped us bond with each other in ways that no one else can understand! To Staci.. thank you for always being so patient and kind, and being able to help us one-on-one even with a lot of people in class. I have learned a tremendous amount from you. I hope to, someday, take another class with you again!!

the making of “The Rise of a DJ” part III: the production process

Man oh man. Going into production was scary for me: 1) because the only experience I have with video editing/making slideshows, etc is from class assignments, and 2) did I mention how computer illiterate I am? But I figured, if I could get through Audacity, Final Cut Express (Amen to Final Cut!), and Soundslides then I had some faith in myself of pulling a video together. 

I decided to utilize iMovie from my Macbook because other programs were not as accessible to me. And, oh my gosh, I think I’m in love! I was surprised at how smoothly I glided through iMovie. I love the concept of having a library (with all the thumbnails of pictures/video segments you use) and doing the “drag and drop” thing. It was fun playing around with different transitions, texts, and color saturation/exposure/contrast for each photo/segment. Some challenges I faced were trying to control timing. Timing of how long a segment would play/photo would show for, timing of how long a song should be playing for, timing of transitions, etc. 

Exporting was also scary because it would fluctuate from 20 minutes to 5 minutes 25 minutes, and so on. But, in the end, it exported just fine to Quicktime’s movie player!

the making of “The Rise of a DJ” part II: the reporting process

I mean, anything relevant to music and crowds of people is fun for me. While the -following Rob around- part wasn’t so difficult, trying to report and having access to get the story was a little hard. I knew exactly what my angle and pitch would be, but it was hard to sit anyone down and get an answer. I met with Rob at the Triple Crown lounge pretty early. There were two other DJ’s who would do their gigs before him. However, somewhere between Rob having to set up and get ready for his setup and the night just starting to begin, there was a crowd of people before I even knew it. This small cozy place just turned into a dancing machine area. 

Getting still- image photographs and video footage of Rob in action wasn’t so hard because there was so much going on, but getting Rob to answer my interview questions [for the video] was a little difficult just because it was too loud and he was occupied with dj-ing. To future students in the spring (taking Digital Newsgathering) I would say to find a separate day of meeting with your source(s) for the interview questions, and then another day to get b-roll action shots.

What would I do now? The main part of my video would be Rob answering the important questions I had to ask. So, I asked him if I could follow him to another gig the next day. That’s the thing about DJ’s…they never know what venue/environment they’re going to be in the next night. I found out he was going to be at the Pier (in S.F.) for a smaller party. Pier 39, here I come!

*to be continued…

(Continuation)
I just wanted to add the bit of me going following Rob to Pier 39…

This time, I wasn’t going to miss the chance of getting my interview answers from Rob. To my surprise, he was DJ’ing at a more quieter setting in a sports bar called Player’s Bar. It wasn’t packed at all, but the people there were already jamming to Rob’s set, as he was playing Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It.” 

I had to wait for Rob’s gig to finish, so in the meantime, I sat at the bar holding my FlipCam taking some footage of my surrounding environment. To my satisfaction, Rob gave very thorough answers to the questions I had for him. 

Finally, I had all the information and footage I needed for my project.

Production here we go!

the making of “The Rise of a DJ” part I

For my personal profile video/slideshow project, I decided to shadow Robert Chen - – a 22-year-old, Asian-American Disc Jockey. Rob’s been DJ-ing for about 1-2 years. And while that may seem like quite a long period of time, in the DJ-ing world it is not. However, after seeing Rob at his gig, he seemed like a veteran who’s been doing it for decades. He performs at various nightclubs/restaurants/lounges/bars in San Francisco.

Why did I decide to profile Rob? The DJ industry is a huge part of society I feel like people, usually, oversee. Within the industry, there are so many different categories of music that the dj chooses to play. The job isn’t just to click a song on a laptop or setting down that vinyl and letting it play. You have to know your era, the artist, what mixes well with what, timing, etc. Basically, if you can’t multitask, it’s over. First off, Rob is one of the few young people I’ve found that DJ’s big time in the bay area. Secondly, this is rare, but he can play hip-hop, house, oldies, you name it. Rob plays a wide range of music from an eclectic amount of choices. Whatever the place wants, he can play it. This really intrigued and inspired me to highlight his life and how he does what he does.

I plan to include an article, audio slideshow, and video for this project. I feel like my viewers should also view this project in the order of what I just stated. The article will give sufficient detail and background information while the audio slideshow will give images with some sort of “pleasing to the ear” audio. Lastly, the video will highlight what Rob does and give interview answers of what he thinks of the industry. (this is the part where I’ll have to follow him around!)

My first task was to follow him to a small, Indie lounge in Hayes Valley called Triple Crown. When walking in, Rob mentioned how he was a little nervous because the scene/music is not what he is used to stepping into, which is usually hip-hop. (I was nervous….the pressure of highlighting Rob’s life in a 3 minute video?!) I was curious to see what I would hold in my FlipCam by the end of the night.

*to be continued…

steve fainaru- a journalistic leader (extra credit)

A big sports fan with a love for writing, Steve Fainaru graduated from the University of Missouri. He is a Pulitzer Prize winner for international reporting. After he was done with school, he covered sports for the San Jose Mercury News. He also covered the Boston Red Sox for the Boston Globe, as well as, Wall Street and Latin America.

Fainaru then went back to school to achieve an International Affairs degree because he wanted to be a foreign correspondent. Fainaru wrote for sports again when he worked for the Washington Post.

In 2003, when the war started, Fainaru wrote his first war story. Fainaru tells his intense story about arriving in Iraq. His introduction of coming into Iraq was the epitome of how the way of life usually was in Iraq (security guns, armed men, etc). Right when Fainaru walked into the airport, there were no people except armed men.

Steve Fainaru explains that he is a man who loves to write and is extremely interested in covering important stories. He says that going into journalism, back in the day, was such a clear dream and vision. He was into reporting the news because of the depth of interest. There were also many job openings; but, most importantly, Fainaru wanted to write.

Now, the journalism industry has greatly changed. There is a great decrease in the amount of job openings, the newspaper industry is dying, and important stories are not being told.

Fainaru signed to be in Iraq for a year. He definitely experienced situations that people are normally not involved in. For instance, a man he wanted to interview was kidnapped. Another example was when he saw a hostage video with a man in the “usual hostage” pose saying they wanted the U.S. out of Iraq. During this time, Fainaru’s personal life was not the easiest of times either. H was going through a divorce and his father was dying. Therefore, Fainaru was not in the decision to go back to Iraq because of these personal situations. He stated, “Personal decisions are a part of what you do. It affects your life.”

Fainaru gives a genuine answer of not missing Iraq. On the other hand, he describes the addiction of people wanting relationships where others would want to die for you. People want meaningful friendships and that is why it is so addicting to join groups or go to places where one can easily access this.

 

twenty-something year olds take on the business world

Experience, Exposure, Etiquette. These are the aspects that Courtney Guerrero has faced and dealt with since working with Techlink Systems for the past year. Techlink is a middle-man company that recruits employees for companies such as Google, AOL, etc. Like many others in the company, Guerrero has started working in this fast-paced adult world as a post-grad employee. She explains being the youngest person, it’s hard and intimidating at first, however, eventually, you learn about yourself in ways that you would’ve never known.

my momma never made sandwich’s like this!

This week I was struck by a horrible fever/flu/whatever the hell it is, and spent everyday stuck in bed. Usually, when people are sick they don’t really have an appetite, and need to stick to the chicken noodle soup’s and orange juice. Well I’m different. Despite my body aches, dizzy head, impaired vision, and back pains, I was craving a heavy, mouth-watering Ike’s sandwhich. Damn you, Travel channel’s Man v. Food! 

It wasn’t hard convincing my friend to go along with me to Ike’s Place after watching the luscious sandwich’s on t.v. The drizzling rain and gloomy weather had lucked us out on the long line at Ike’s. Still, there was a good amount of people waiting, considering the rain. In line, I saw your mean-muggin’ thug, a lonesome grandpa, the high school gossipers, an adorable middle-aged couple all waiting to order that hot sandwich and grasp it in their hands. While Ike’s has no seating area, no one cares because every one of their sandwich’s are hot and baked with the “Dirty Sauce.” (house made aoili with blended garlic and 19 different herbs) (!!!!!!!!) 

My friend already knew he wanted the Shawn Michaels: angus beef and mozzarella sticks (yes, mozzarella sticks) in sourdough. I was torn between the Texas Five-O: roast beef, grilled pineapple, jalepenos, jack cheese, and barbeque sauce or the Eli Manning: Halal chicken breast, avocado, grilled mushrooms, pepperjack cheese, and zesty garlic and herb sauce. I chose the Eli Manning because the sauce sold me. Well, it’s not like I’m never going back to Ike’s to try every single one of their other creations!!! 

ps. Man v. Food guy, Adam Richman, did a S.F. segment and came to Ike’s to try the “Kryptonite” which is EVERYTHING. Everything meaning: Roast Beef, Corned Beef, Pastrami, Salami, Turkey, Bacon, Ham, Mozzarella Sticks, Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers, Avocado, and I’m sure there’s more but I just can’t remember. 

people waiting in the rain

someone's delicious sandwich with onion rings, jalepeno poppers, and mozzarella sticks inside

you can get EXTRA dirty sauce, if you please.

the Shawn Michaels

the Eli Manning

take a walk with me

Every restaurant and cafe in Hayes Valley has an outside seating area which makes the atmosphere open and welcoming

Hayes Valley is a neighborhood that’s amusing to tourists or residents of 20 years. The area I’m specifically looking at is 2 blocks away from my apartment. It’s streets filled with restaurants, cafes, boutiques, salons, and various other stores. Want a savvy haircut? There’s at least 10 different salons within four blocks. Need some exercise? Go to the yoga or pilates classes. Seems like the new accessory to people these days is either holding a baby or a dog. Have no fear because there are plenty of baby and pet stores. Hungry? From Japanese fine dining to American comfort food, a person will never starve in Hayes Valley. And, after you’ve finished eating at a restaurant, you can even digest by walking around the neighborhood while observing the beautiful apartment structures, browsing through the local bookstore, or picking up a macaroon for dessert on the way home.

Photo Slide Show

birthday’s are special to everyone

Getting ready for the special night is only half the fun.

Birthday’s are one day in the year where an individual can feel extra special. Whether it is our 18th birthday, where we are defined as a “real” man or woman, or our 21st, where everything becomes legal. And, as we grow older, we may not want to be reminded of our age, a birthday is that one night to celebrate with loved ones and be grateful of the past years we have survived. On October 16, two birthdays were honored in a South City S.F. residential home. This was not your normal party; instead, there was a dress code requirement to be “grown and sexy.” Neil Canlas, 23, was not only marking his date of birth, but also the fact that he graduated from college, in addition to starting a new beginning at a well-known business firm (Deilotte & Touche). Krystle Palisoc, an 21-year-old SFSU student, was celebrating her mark of being legal!

Photo Slide Show

i love my new neighborhood (part II)

I only have 1 other sibling, Sandra, in my family, and she’s 13 years older than me. Yup, she was already 18 when I was only 5. Other than the changing of my diapers, babysitting, and very seldom shopping outtings, we weren’t that close because of the huge age gap. One afternoon, I get a call from my mom asking me if I wanted to sublet my sister’s apartment with a friend. After living in this specific apartment for about 6 years, Sandra was moving to Chicago because of her new teaching job.

Would I take it? Hell yea, I would take it! After being discouraged about only finding places that went over my budget (which is expected in San Francisco) or the idea of having to move back home and commute, this was like a God-sent miracle! There was only one name that popped in my head of who I’d want to share this place with: Rosie, my best friend of 9 years. This was also perfect for Rosie because she’d recently found a new job in downtown S.F., and it would only be 3 muni stops away from the new apartment.

Now, about this 1 bedroom apartment… Although it is meant for 1 person, transforming the living room into another room makes it work for 2 people. The structure and architect of the whole place is a perfect rectangle. You walk through the living room to enter the bedroom to enter the kitchen. The kitchen is our sanctuary because we both love to cook and eat. It has an old-school feel to it with a brick wall behind the small, gas stove and linoleum floor, but that’s what makes it a cute kitchen. The abnormally high windows, in all the rooms, are beautiful to look out at even when it’s raining. You definitely know you’re living in the heart of the city when you can see your neighbors vacuuming, through the window, or hear conversations like they’re right next to you.

The best part of all this is that I can say I’m a resident of Hayes Valley. A neighborhood consisting of many single, older, sophisticated writers or something of that sort. Then there’s me and Rosie, the 2 twenty-something year olds who can fart and burp at the same time. But, we fell in love with this area because 1) it’s walkable to the Haight-Ashbury and Castro areas, 2) it’s 2 muni stops away from the Powell station aka UNION SQUARE (the domain shopping center of San Francisco), and 3) it’s 2 blocks away from the Hayes Valley restaurant and boutique neighborhood.

Let’s focus on number 3. Literally, this area has numerous restaurants next to each other with a couple of boutique stores in between. While we can’t afford anything in the boutique shops, we sure can eat. The restaurants range from gourmet burgers to comfort brunch food to authentic Brazilian food to wine bars to Chicago style pizza. Our goal is to try EVERY single one of the restaurants (which will be an easy task), but here’s the few that we have tried so far:

Paxti’s: a chicago style pizza restaurant. If you haven’t tried this type of pizza, please do. It’s basically the reverse order of normal pizza where the sauce is on top and the cheese is on the bottom. Oh, and it’s deep-dish, so you get all the goodness of toppings filled in between =)
Frjtz: I’ve already ate here twice. They serve Belgian style fries and you can choose different types of dipping sauces. Now, Rosie and I revolve our life around sauces, so this was an orgasmic experience for us. So far, we have tried artichoke truffle, lemon-saffron aioli, chipotle cream, and Thai chili ketchup. Don’t make me choose my favorite.
Paulette’s Macaroon’s: I never talk like this, but the only way to describe Paulette’s is: delightful and splendid. This cute shop specializes in making macaroons of every flavor, from Caribbean chocolate to jasmine tea. And to make this happy place filled with more sunshine, there’s a cute little French woman working everyday to help make us a 100 calories heavier.
Canto Do Brazil: This is food to a whole other level. I’m just gonna copy and paste 2 of the menu items I’ve tried from Canto, and that should be enough temptation.
-MUQUECA DE PEIXE: Fresh Red Snapper Sautéed in Lemon Juice and Coconut Milk Topped with Onions Red and Green Bell Peppers.
-GALINHA NA CERVEJA: Tender Half Chicken Marinated in Dark Beer Baked with Savory Brazilian Spices.

More restaurant updates coming soon!