BDC in Richfield

Well, that was fun! I've returned from a day long tour to Richfield, Utah on Saturday. It was from 7am to 7pm - working quite well with time. We only had a matinée showing and all seemed to go well enough. We were all a bit rusty and some stupid mistakes happened, but I'd say it was a good show. Of course, I am not a dancer and only had eyes for the technical side of the performance, but I heard not all went well according to the dancers aspect. But it is rare indeed to have a perfect show, especially after such a long break from a true performance.

I can't believe how relaxed we've been this semester. Usually Winter semester is nonstop until graduation. All we have left is Ballroom in Concert on April 11th and 12th and I have DC at Tuacahn the day after graduation. It is a relief to have time to relax and do homework, but it surely does feel different.

Apartment Hunting

What I dislike the most about the end of the school year is beginning the hunt for a new place to live. I have found an amazing housing complex for this year at La Grande, but I like the feeling of change and the new experiences of living in different locations around Provo. I don't like spending too much on housing, especially after $199 a month here at La Grande, but all housing is rising in prices so that is not likely to find such a good place again. This will also be the first year that I don't have Andrea as a roommate. I really don't want to bother with a roommate, but I don't want to pay the rent for a private room. Oh well. I'll have to figure it out soon enough. I've considered places like the Brownstone Condos, University Villa, Wyview, Riviera, or Park Plaza. I just cannot find the best place I'd like to go . . .

Joys of Tour Clothes

I just finished trying on a couple of the tour clothes that we will have for CHINA!!! It's always interesting to see what will be chosen, but I love being with Ballroom because they are usually stylish and something I never had the courage to try myself. (It seems a lot of the brands are East 5th) I love the silver jacket that they have. It's what I've always wanted, but never was brave enough to spend the money on. So . . . I wouldn't mind if it was among the required purchases. We'll see what is actually chosen. They do look great. Although 18 of us will be wearing the same clothes around the streets of China, at least we'll all look good. But what a trial it is to find matching clothes to work with everyone. It's not just the ballroom dancers, but also the wives of the tour leaders. Gotta love the joys of tour clothes!

First Design Attempt

Well, I was at work today from 5pm to 10:45pm. It was not meant to last that long, but due to miscommunication and some technical glitches on my account, it went over by 45 minutes. I usually feel like I know how to use the lightboard, but there were some weird problems I kept running into. Then, it was just a new experience to be in control of the lighting. I had hoped to get most of the information from the choreographer, but in actuality, it is a lot about what I think looks good. There were some numbers and cues that I really liked, but I know I still have a lot to learn. I almost prefer to stick with stage managing, but there is a great feeling of accomplishment after designing a whole show with no help. It was just Steven and I tonight. Mark and Benjamin are going out of town tomorrow and will be gone for the rest of the week. I was going to meet with Amanda tomorrow to make e sure everything will run smoothly, then it is just Steven and I. He's stage managing so I will be working backstage again - but the program will say that I designed the production. Wow. I really love my job!

Saturday Night

Saturday Night was the most amazing night I have had in a long time. I feel so blessed to have these talents that the Lord has given me. I feel so proud to have the love and desire to serve like my father does. I know my success as a technician and being able to quickly learn and be a good assistant came from the love that the Lord has for me. It is my joy to feel confident in my work and the Lord has given me the tools to accomplish this. I thank Him everyday. I have my low days, but I know He will always be there for me to lift me up again.

Our first film shoot for Diantha's Crossing was Saturday Night at Aspen Grove. We were working on the scene about the tarring of Joseph Smith. It was quite an adventure to set up the lighting, but we got it done - in three feet of snow. I've gotta remember to be better prepared for the weather next time. We were out there for six hours and it decided to snow for most of the time. It was beautiful, though.

What I will not foget easily was the feelings I felt while watching the end of the filming that night. We were all joking around, trying to keep ourselves from thinking of the cold. Several people were preparing the actor by covering him with "tar" - which was some kind of mixture of peanut butter, corn syrup, and some other interesting ingredients - and trying to keep him warm because he was barefoot, crawling in the snow with his back bare to the snowfall. As soon as they called silence on the set, to imagine the actor as Joseph Smith crawling home after such an ordeal and looking at the light of the doorway as hope was so moving. It did not last long, but it really pulled at my heart and almost made me cry. I am so glad to work on this film and can't wait to see what else we can do.

First Film Shoot

The pre-production meeting for Diantha went very well today. We planned for the first still frame shooting that is going to occur this Saturday. It is a wide distant shot to represent the tarring of Joseph Smith. We are going up to Aspen Grove for this shoot because we want it to occur in the snow - and apparently we are expecting a snowstorm this weekend. I'm excited to have my first work experience with film. I've talked with the DP (director of photography) about how I can help, so I'm looking forward to learning from him and helping out with lighting and rigging. For Saturday, I was worried that I could not help because I have dancEnsemble and DanceSport, but in the production team, I am the only person with a truck card and one person has a van card. We have a big generator that needs to be transported to the site - therefore a truck is needed to hitch the generator trailer to. Therefore, Steven was kind enough to work dancEnsemble for me Saturday night and I told Kurt that I will probably not be able to drive the truck for strike of DanceSport. Thankfully, he has another dancer - who I know will be able to handle the heavy loads being transported from the Marriott to the shed several times. The call time for the film shoot will be 5pm as we load the camera and lighting, then we'll set up and wait for dark before begin shooting. It is uncertain how long it may take, although it won't be a surprise if it goes past 1am. That is why I canceled my work for DanceSport because strike at the Marriott will go that late too. I'm thinking sleep will not be my friend on Saturday/Sunday. But in all honesty, it is worth it.

Complaint Corner

I feel like complaining - or whining, moaning, grumbling . . .

Anyways, I hurt my thumb today. It is still throbbing after nine hours. All I did was hit my thumb on the edge of a pipe with a lot of force. Unfortunatly, it took off a chunk of the tip of my thumb - on my right hand - and ripped my fingernail. I've got a huge bruise underneath the nail. I'm guessing it won't heal quick. Sigh. At least it looks cool. Black gaff looks nicer then white gauze, but that sucks out all the air which apparently is important for the healing process. I've redone the bandages on my thumb three times throughout the day. I'm thinking this kind of wound likes to bleed . . . a lot. Oh well. It's fun - except for the constant throbbing for nine hours, the random shots of pain every so often, and the awkwardness of writing, typing, and especially working. I stepped on my thumb at work - yes hard to do, but we were taping rope lights on the floor. I learned that it is really hard to tie stuff with no thumb. Oh well.

K, I'm done - for now . . .