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Issue #28
by L. Swift and Jeff McQ
The day that Alex Arnold walked out of his job was the day his life changed…
About a year after graduating from Recording Connection at Crystal Clear Studios in Philadelphia, Alex wasn’t doing much with his newfound skills. Finally, he made a break for it and quit the last in a string of dead-end jobs, deciding instead to focus solely on getting work doing what he loves. Well guess what?! Alex was rewarded with a wonderful gift from the universe–to pursue his dream as an audio engineer.
But was it the universe, or just our favorite Philly mentor, Joey Heier?
Joey has been mentoring for RRF for more than 20 years, and his decades in the industry have given him plenty of connections. Right after Alex quit his job at a local sandwich shop, he got a “random” phone call from Joey, setting him up to work as the lead audio tech for Burnt Sienna, one of the top bands in the Philadelphia area.
Over the past couple of months, Alex has been at the helm of Burnt Sienna’s soundboard, doing live sound and mixing as their lead tech. He says he was very nervous on his first day, but his training soon kicked in, and he quickly got the hang of things. Since starting with the band, he’s already had the opportunity to work his first large show as a live sound engineer when Burnt Sienna played the New Jersey Freedom fest in front of a crowd of over 6000 people!
Now, Alex is glad to be doing what he loves and credits the training he received at the Recording Connection for his current success. “I really found myself a great opportunity with this school right around the time I was second guessing my choice to quit university classes for good. What’s the
point of having a degree you can’t do anything with? I couldn’t have done this without everyone [at Recording Connection].”
Congratulations, Alex!
The answer is… Larry King!!
Larry went from being a janitor in a Florida radio station at age 24 to becoming one of the broadcasting industry’s biggest and most familiar icons!
He fully endorses RRF’s mentor-apprentice approach of training up new talent.
This supporter is a full-service entertainment company with a unique ability to become involved in a film’s development at any given stage.
This company has worked with major directors that include Sofia Coppola, Steven Soderbergh and Terrence Malick.
Recent major credits for this company include The Bling Ring, The King’s Speech and Side Effects, among others. One individual supporter within this company also worked on Wrong Turn and Donnie Darko.
There are the clues! Can you guess our new best friend?
The Film Connection is pleased to welcome yet another mentor to teach our film students in San Antonio TX: Albert Hill, owner and director at Silver Fox Studios!
Located in downtown San Antonio, Silver Fox is a full service video production facility specializing in creating amazing video products for their clients. The studio features state-of-the-art HD 2.64 recording, editing services, Internet broadcasting, video conferencing and more. Silver Fox offers video services for a wide range of applications and specializes in providing services for the widely-growing field of the Internet, including streaming and live HD Internet Broadcasting.
Albert is looking forward to being a mentor with the Film Connection, and we can’t wait to see what our students will achieve thanks to his expertise! Welcome, Albert!
Back in June, Film Connection apprentice Timi Gray had the amazing opportunity to go on a week-long trip in Newark, NJ with her mentor, George Stover of Adventure Productions in Baltimore, MD, to shoot for a children’s show called AquaKids. As a new apprentice without much experience, Timi was understandably nervous. “In the beginning I had butterflies in my stomach because I had no idea what to expect,” she says. “I was so afraid of not being able to catch on to the tasks that would be assigned to me. However, as the journey began I soon learned I had no need for any anxieties. George Stover is the absolute best, fun loving, professional I’ve ever worked with…He treats me with such gentleness as he introduces me to various tasks.”
Timi says that not only George, but also his team members and staff on the shoot and back at the studio, were very helpful and accepting of her as she learned the ropes. “Each day was filled with adventure and I was in awe at everything I was doing and learning,” she says. “George had me to stay close to him as he explained how to take shots, how to take B-roll, how to handle each piece of equipment, and just watch as he directed each person. George made learning fun and easy because no matter how many times I asked questions or when I didn’t know something, he was always gentle and patient.”
With this patient approach, it didn’t take long for Timi to begin overcoming her lack of knowledge and experience. “George began to focus more on allowing me to take charge of the assignments I was given which allowed me to become more independent and not have him to show me things all the time,” says Timi. “Once I learned his style, I was able to anticipate what he needed without him having to ask me.”
Since returning to Baltimore after the Newark trip, Timi has continued to learn and grow, spending two days a week in the studio. Additionally, because she was such a big help on the last shoot, George has invited her to join the team for another shoot in Connecticut!
“I haven’t even been in the program very long, and already I’m learning so much!” she says. “Film school is the best thing that has happened to me concerning my creative gift!”
Way to go, Timi!
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