Thesis show!

Many pics can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/uscimd/pool/

This was basically my life from the beginning of April to mid-March. We took a warehouse-type work space and turned it into a gallery/exhibition space for our thesis students. As production manager, my job was basically to make sure all the space modifications and individual project construction got done. This meant everything from painting to building walls to covering windows (no sunlight allowed...ruins the lighting for all the projectors) to gluing styrofoam to the walls (yes, we really did this. fun fact: 8'x4' foam insulation panels can be affixed to the wall using liquid nails and they are an excellent sound dampening material). I used every skill I ever learned in OM (ha, OM, remember OM guys?) and growing up in a house that was always being remodeled, plus some I kind of made up as I went along. My crew was AWESOME. We had a bunch of undergrads and grads from various cinema programs, as well as some of my IMD classmates, working together for hours upon hours on end. It's a real miracle nobody died, either me killing them or them killing me. There came a point where every six hours or so, someone would go around handing out energy drinks, bottled water, and ibuprofen. I was putting in 50-60 hours a week, and I had several crew members who had at least 30-40 hours a week. And, just for fun, in between wielding power tools and coordinating crew, my boss and I also did a lot of the graphics and web design to promote the show. Obviously, construction was INSANITY.

Then, when construction was over, we had an exhibition for a week. For those who have been to an art gallery, this was similar, except that every piece was interactive (many were games), and we had people stationed around the exhibit to explain how to use each of the installations. The installations varied; we had a dance floor you could play games on, a costume that gave you feedback on how well you moved, an MMO where you were a crime lord, an interactive movie, and so on. Each one was a different student's thesis project. We had regular exhibition hours during the day, and then on certain nights there were receptions. There was an opening reception, a USC alum reception, a closing reception, and several salons. These were always an interesting venture, as they involved dressing nicely (twice I wore a dress and heels...ew), making small talk, and keeping an eye on staff and guests to make sure everyone had what they needed.

Now, finally, we're in the tear-down phase. The space has to be put back to rights so that next year's thesis class can use it as their workspace. A lot of the major cleanup is done. I have a few organizational and storage issues to take care of, and then the next class can move in. In the meantime, my boss and I are working on policies that will govern next year's workspace rules and show construction, based on what we learned this year.

In all, the show was a success. We got everything done that we wanted to, the thesis students' work was displayed to good effect, and nobody died. I also made enough money to pay my rent for the summer, which is always neat. It sounds like I will still be site manager for the thesis space for awhile; at least until December. It remains to be seen if I will be production managing the actual show next spring or not.

This is where I've been lately...

I'll post pictures once we're a little closer to done.

Took some pics, thought I'd share:

This is Tommy Trojan. He stands in the central quad near the student union and bookstore. I think I can say with absolute certainty that everyone who has ever walked by him has tried to look up his skirt. They are all sorely disappointed, as the sculptor appears to have abandoned anatomical correctness to protect Tommy's masculine dignity.

This is the entrance to the Leavey Library, the biggest library on campus. It's pretty, and it has a reflecting pool, and...uh...yeah, I never go there.

Bought this at a thrift store today for $4. In case you're not nerdy enough to recognize it, that's a rancor. As in, the big nasty monster Luke kills at the beginning of Return of the Jedi. I named him Pork Chop. He and TMX Elmo hang out on my bookshelf. Sweetness.

Haven't been here in awhile. Sorry about that. Life is...well, it's insane. Highlights include:

-I got an Easter basket today! Well, it wasn't really a basket, it was more like a recycled Amazon.com box, but that is SO NOT THE POINT. It was full of chocolate and Life Savers and dollars and these neat marshmallow eggs that you draw on with non-toxic markers. FREAKING SWEET!! And it was waiting in front of my bedroom door when I got home from work tonight. I was all tired and cranky and depressed, and then there was this treasure trove of sugary goodness to make me feel better. Family is the best! Thanks Grandma Sharon!!

-The thesis show. Oh man, the thesis show. To give you an idea, here is my calendar for April:


All that stuff in red? That's the production schedule. And it's only about half filled in. Awesome. I'm sure I'll get more detailed about this later, but for now, let me say this: I put in ten hours today, and all we did was plan. No building, no painting, just making lists and calendars and schedules. Tomorrow, I'm going to the Garment District to shop for felt; we need approximately 150 yards of it. I could be wrong, but I believe that may be a metric assload of felt. I'm kind of excited to see the textile peoples' reactions when we ask for this stuff.

-My immune system is insane. Last week I discovered a marble-sized lump on my neck, about as big around as a nickel. It didn't hurt, it wasn't discolored, it was just HUGE. Went to the doctor, who put me on some serious antibiotics on the theory that the lump is an inflamed lymph node reacting to some illness I can't feel. Seems to be working; the lump is getting smaller. I will kind of miss it. My friends named it Mulder because we had decided it was an alien. Ah well.

-Shooting a film for Visual Expression sometime in the next two weeks. Good thing, since it's due in three weeks. We're making a five minute short about a painter who slowly goes color blind. No dialogue, no onscreen text, no lyrics to the music, just visuals and instrumental music. Film school is neat.

-Anti Easter! Since my friends and I can't go home for Easter, we decided to have an anti-Easter instead. We're going to dim sum for brunch, and then watching Halloween and Christmas specials and eating Easter candy. Naturally, the festivities take place on Saturday, not Sunday. It should be pretty epic.

-Meggles is coming to visit!! She'll be here in two weeks. I can't wait!

-Colin is coming to visit!! He'll be here in two weeks. I can't wait!

-Lejla is coming to live here!! She'll be here in three weeks. I can't wait!

-Dave is coming to live here!! He'll be here in...uhm...more than 2, but less than 4 weeks. I can't wait!

-I'm going to Vegas! We've confirmed that when Mom and Dad are in Vegas later this month, I'll drive out to meet them for a couple of days. Hooray for me, I get to see the Hoff in a dress!

Okay, I gotta go pass out, since my ride to the Garment District will be here at nine. He promised me coffee. We'll see if he delivers. Hope you all are doing well, and for those of you who're still in school, I hope the end of the semester is being kind to you. For the rest, happy Easter!