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Becoming Resourceful

I celebrated 11 years of marriage to my wife, Michelle just a few weeks ago. We're trying to keep the budget tight, so this year we kept our anniversary celebration low key. I got a green screen (green fabric & a couple of floodlights - total spent - $30) and Michelle, she got the fruits of my first labor with that green screen - which you can see below.


I tried uploading this to YouTube, but thanks to some pesky copyright laws, they pulled the audio, so I deleted it. This copy is from my Facebook page. So, to clear things up - no, I didn't write or perform the song. I don't own it. It's owned by the Proclaimers. I don't make any money off of this website, or the content. Once I do, I'll pull this video.

Anyway, what I really wanted to do with this video is start building my online portfolio, complete with assorted multimedia products, showcasing my skills with Adobe After Effects, and Final Cut. Since I have a limited amount of work produced (since most of what I have is from school projects and very little freelance work), I really need to find a way to produce more.

So, while I was driving today, a thought occurred to me - What are my resources? What can I do with those resources to produce a handful of projects that can wow potential clients/employers?

Well, I have a green screen. And a Flip Mino HD camera. And I have my friends.

My friends?

Yes. My friends.

In college it was really easy to get help on projects, particularly video/film projects. If you helped someone, they would help you. Film Schools are great places to learn how to barter, as well as to multiply your skill set.

But now, as I'm older, and don't have any friends who are film students or filmmakers, finding help is difficult. Of course, that's because I didn't ask. So here I am - asking.

If there are any friends out there who want to stand in front of (or behind) a camera, and help me produce some work for my portfolio, you know where to contact me. No acting skills are required, and no prior experience as an art guinea pig is essential either.

I can't pay, of course, but I will offer you a copy of your work on DVD, and a meal. I may even barter doing work for you - whether it be mowing your lawn or walking your dog. Just one exception: I don't do toilets. Unless, of course, you really want to.

Interested? Let me know. Let's make some art together.

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