a lot of people have asked, so here's the lowdown on what I do: I'm a Production Coordinator for National Geographic Television's Mission Programing and US and International Channel programming. I took the place, believe it or not, of April Chabries, who used to be on BYU's Film Department faculty, and who was instrumental in getting me the internship back in 2004. She has since gone on to be an Associate Producer for a series I also work on called, "Wild Chronicles", which airs on local PBS stations around the US, and is Executive Produced by my old NatGeo All Roads Film Festival boss, Mark Bauman. (few know, but I was the other candidate for that job, but I'm glad April received it, because I'll need some more time to get caught up with NG's policies and procedures again...so I don't look like a complete idiot with all the beauracracy and red tape!)
I'm in charge of roughly 7 different series', that comprise approx 30-40 hours worth of on-air programming. We have shows in every stage of production, from development, all the way through to shows delivering for air. One of the main duties is coordinating the production deliverables, or the materials that each production needs to turn in to the Channel for marketing, and of course, to air. So all of the DVD cuts (rough cut, fine cut), scripts, marketing and promotional materials, hi def master tapes go through me before they go to the Channel.
I also coordinate production schedules, budgets, approve people's timecards (get to see how much everyone makes...which is not so fun when you see people making USD$17,500/month), pay and track a couple hundred invoices a month (in the millions of $$$), prepare travel advances (where teams loan tens of thousands of dollars from the travel office to fly all over the world to film), and then the travel expense reports (where they show proof of payment, receipts, etc. to pay off the travel advance). I've also been involved in trying to get a crew off a glacier in Alaska, securing insurance for a man who will hunt big Nile crocs, play with bears, and get a little too close to a prescribed forest fire.
Wednesday 27 September 2006
us, as of late
So, if you didn't already know that we moved to the DC Metro area, read a bunch of the previous posts to get up to speed...ok, now for what we've been up to:
We stayed one night with our friends, the Demartin's in Woodbridge, VA. The Thursday before we left to DC, Kim went to one of her friend's bridal showers and made a random connection with her friend's aunt who just happened to live in McLean, VA. Kim mentiond that she was moving in two days and she (Sally Evans, the aunt) asked if she had a place to stay. Next thing we know, we're staying in the Evan's basement the day after we spent the night with the Demartin's. The Evans' family are so cool! We'll have to get a picture of 'em to post on here.
Ok, we stayed with the Evan's family for about a week (approx 30 Aug to 5 Sep). We mentioned to the Evans' clan that we were looking for nanny positions so we could save some money (rent out here averages USD$1,200 for a relatively nice, one bedroom apartment). So, she asked around to some families in the LDS ward. Then she mentioned to us that he knew a family in the ward where the husband has brain cancer and isn't very mobile at all, and that the mother had mentioned it might be nice to have some help around the house. So, we went and met them (the Carraway family), and it was as though we had the job on the spot ("this is the kitchen, you'll sleep here, etc). Kim had another offer from a lead from www.craigslist.com on Capitol Hill that we wanted to check out, so we told them we'd get back to them.
Well, the Capitol Hill people lived in a really dodgy neighbourhood (cops at every corner...) and they let their 2 year old have beer (ok?!). So, the next day we moved in with the Carraway family and we've been here since.
We live about 8 miles from downtown (the White House), and 0.48 miles from CIA headquarters. Yup, they are literally across the street (and behind thick, high barbed wire electric fences, and dense forestation of course). The neighbours all have stories of going for a morning stroll and being followed by guys with earpieces in golf carts. Funny, eh?!
The Chairman of the Board of the National Geographic Society (Gil Grosvenor, the same guy who won the Presidential Award the same day LDS President Gordon Hinckley did back in '04) used to be the next door neighbour...how crazy is that? Anyway, to say that this area is well off is an understatement. According to the locals, we currenly live in one of the most affluent neighbourhoods in America (per capita). The house up the street just went for $2.4 million, and its one of the cheaper ones because its not set away from the road surrounded by trees...so its weird for us middle-class Utarians to be living here to say the least. Its even more weird when your stuck in traffic because each intersection up to a mile away is stopped by police, and you start hearing deafening sirens and see a helicopter with a huge spot light follow a long motorcade and realize the President of the United States is driving by to go to a dinner function out in Virigina somewhere. Or, when you look overhead and see 'Marine One' taking off from the CIA.
We stayed one night with our friends, the Demartin's in Woodbridge, VA. The Thursday before we left to DC, Kim went to one of her friend's bridal showers and made a random connection with her friend's aunt who just happened to live in McLean, VA. Kim mentiond that she was moving in two days and she (Sally Evans, the aunt) asked if she had a place to stay. Next thing we know, we're staying in the Evan's basement the day after we spent the night with the Demartin's. The Evans' family are so cool! We'll have to get a picture of 'em to post on here.
Ok, we stayed with the Evan's family for about a week (approx 30 Aug to 5 Sep). We mentioned to the Evans' clan that we were looking for nanny positions so we could save some money (rent out here averages USD$1,200 for a relatively nice, one bedroom apartment). So, she asked around to some families in the LDS ward. Then she mentioned to us that he knew a family in the ward where the husband has brain cancer and isn't very mobile at all, and that the mother had mentioned it might be nice to have some help around the house. So, we went and met them (the Carraway family), and it was as though we had the job on the spot ("this is the kitchen, you'll sleep here, etc). Kim had another offer from a lead from www.craigslist.com on Capitol Hill that we wanted to check out, so we told them we'd get back to them.
Well, the Capitol Hill people lived in a really dodgy neighbourhood (cops at every corner...) and they let their 2 year old have beer (ok?!). So, the next day we moved in with the Carraway family and we've been here since.
We live about 8 miles from downtown (the White House), and 0.48 miles from CIA headquarters. Yup, they are literally across the street (and behind thick, high barbed wire electric fences, and dense forestation of course). The neighbours all have stories of going for a morning stroll and being followed by guys with earpieces in golf carts. Funny, eh?!
The Chairman of the Board of the National Geographic Society (Gil Grosvenor, the same guy who won the Presidential Award the same day LDS President Gordon Hinckley did back in '04) used to be the next door neighbour...how crazy is that? Anyway, to say that this area is well off is an understatement. According to the locals, we currenly live in one of the most affluent neighbourhoods in America (per capita). The house up the street just went for $2.4 million, and its one of the cheaper ones because its not set away from the road surrounded by trees...so its weird for us middle-class Utarians to be living here to say the least. Its even more weird when your stuck in traffic because each intersection up to a mile away is stopped by police, and you start hearing deafening sirens and see a helicopter with a huge spot light follow a long motorcade and realize the President of the United States is driving by to go to a dinner function out in Virigina somewhere. Or, when you look overhead and see 'Marine One' taking off from the CIA.
Monday 25 September 2006
Tuesday 19 September 2006
It must have been important...
Its Brad here. So, I was leaving work this evening and the place (NatGeo HQ) was crawling with Secret Service blokes. Inside the building they were wandering around, checking the elevators, and a bunch were makin' the rounds around the building. The "two black suburbans", a couple SS vans, and some black limos rounded out the equation just outside. I had to rush home, but we'll let you know who was inside tomorrow (hopefully). Ok, we can safely narrow it down via the SS's website:
"the Secret Service protects the President and Vice President, their families, heads of state, and other designated individuals; investigates threats against these protectees; protects the White House, Vice President’s Residence, Foreign Missions, and other buildings within Washington, D.C.; and plans and implements security designs for designated National Special Security Events."
"the Secret Service protects the President and Vice President, their families, heads of state, and other designated individuals; investigates threats against these protectees; protects the White House, Vice President’s Residence, Foreign Missions, and other buildings within Washington, D.C.; and plans and implements security designs for designated National Special Security Events."
Monday 11 September 2006
Monday 4 September 2006
Randomness
Brad zooms in on a zip line at Calvert Cliffs
Kim (from a distance) follows suit
Deer outside our bedroom window (at the Carraway's)
Kim (from a distance) follows suit
Deer outside our bedroom window (at the Carraway's)
Calvert Cliffs AKA Shark Tooth Beach
For the Labor day holiday we met up with a few friends (Marco, Stephanie, Phillipe, and Maia Demartin & Jeremiah, Amanda, and Tabitha Udy) we knew when we lived in DC before and headed out to look for shark teeth. We went to Calvert Cliffs in Maryland that is known for it's shark teeth. These are fossilized teeth that are burried in the sand or in the cliffs that if you just look around you can find billions. This trip was unfortunetly not very fruitful, but we did see lots of frogs, toads, turtles, and snakes. Brad was in heaven.
First toad that Brad has caught here.
He is very excited as you can see.
Turtle catching some rays in the wetlands.
Kim ventures further down the trail. It was a two mile walk to the beach through some beautiful wetlands.
Brad shows off the wetlands...they were huge!
Amanda Udy, Tabitha Udy, and Maia Demartin take time out for a lunch snack.
Jeremiah Udy, Marco Demartin, and Brad determind were the best spot for shark teeth is.
Amanda Udy and Kim pose on the beach.
Maia hitches a ride on dad's (Marco) shoulders.
Brad in front of the cliffs.
Stephanie Demartin keeping a close watch on little Maia.
The girls pause for some down time.
Brad anxiously digging for shark teeth.
Phillipe Demartin testing the waters.
A giant clam Brad found near the cliffs.
First toad that Brad has caught here.
He is very excited as you can see.
Turtle catching some rays in the wetlands.
Kim ventures further down the trail. It was a two mile walk to the beach through some beautiful wetlands.
Brad shows off the wetlands...they were huge!
Amanda Udy, Tabitha Udy, and Maia Demartin take time out for a lunch snack.
Jeremiah Udy, Marco Demartin, and Brad determind were the best spot for shark teeth is.
Amanda Udy and Kim pose on the beach.
Maia hitches a ride on dad's (Marco) shoulders.
Brad in front of the cliffs.
Stephanie Demartin keeping a close watch on little Maia.
The girls pause for some down time.
Brad anxiously digging for shark teeth.
Phillipe Demartin testing the waters.
A giant clam Brad found near the cliffs.
Saturday 2 September 2006
Visiting the Washington, DC LDS Temple
This morning we found our trunk/boot was totally full of water (somehow completely leaked in the whole trip out here), so we used some cups and a plastic pitcher to bail all the water out. Most of our stuff is soaked through; luckily we invested in those cheesy vacuum seal clothes bags, so our clothes are at least dry.
Anyway, we went to the temple tonight and here are some pix from the RAZR crapcam...enjoy:
Caught the moon in this one just right
Kim always looking so snootobagoish
and this is from last night's b-day party for Abigail (we're staying in the Evan's basement for the time being...coolest cats! They are very generous for having never met us two days previous! They'll be blessed.)
Anyway, we went to the temple tonight and here are some pix from the RAZR crapcam...enjoy:
Caught the moon in this one just right
Kim always looking so snootobagoish
and this is from last night's b-day party for Abigail (we're staying in the Evan's basement for the time being...coolest cats! They are very generous for having never met us two days previous! They'll be blessed.)
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