FILM MENTOR

 























COMPLETE APPRENTICE AUTOBIOGRAPHIES & PROGRESS


Lindsay Standiford

Below is the bio you requested. Hope you enjoy reading it as much I enjoyed writing it. It really brought back a lot of memories. Anyway, here goes:

I grew up on MTV. I was born the year it premiered. As soon as it was available to us on cable, we had it. I was enthralled. The first album I owned was Michael Jackson's "Thriller," because I thought the "Thriller" music video was the coolest thing ever. I don't know anything about bars, chords or stanzas. I can't even play an instrument. But I live and breathe music. I have a song for every emotion, moment, and memory I have. Whenever I listen to songs, I always get ideas for what its about - its story, its meaning, or maybe even its emptiness. Years of watching MTV have influenced these ideas. I wish I had the ability to draw, but so far all I have is my imagination.

The first time I ever imagined a music video, I was about five years old. I was at my grandma's house, and the youngest of my aunts still lived there. She had a Madonna record, and I listened to "Lucky Star" over and over and over again. I was dancing around the way five year olds do, and then I started to imagine a scenario for it. Madonna would be at a restaurant with a date, and then excuse herself. The music would start, and the lights would dim. Then a star shaped stage would come down from the ceiling (it was a very high ceiling by the way) and she would be performing the song with a band behind her. The restaurant would suddenly become a concert hall and everyone got up and danced. She would be singing to her date, serenading him with the song. Of course, being five, when I remember actually seeing the video, I thought mine was better. All they really did was dance around. There's no story to that!

When I was about 15, I started to get more creative and elaborate with my ideas. I would listen to the same song over and over again, until I had each detail just right. I would map out each angle, plan each close up, every shot, the settings, the color, and the special effects. My imagination would just take over. But nothing would really come of it. As much as I would have loved to make these videos, I was only a teenager who couldn't even so much as draw out my ideas.

The first time I directed anything was for my tenth grade final project in theatre. My three friends and I each wrote a script and made a mini-movie. We cast our classmates and shot our films with a home camcorder. I never had so much fun working on a school project before. For once, I had complete creative control. I planned every scene, made sure all the props were there, and bugged everyone to make sure they knew their lines. Then the filming part began. This was just what I was waiting for. I was behind the camera planning all the shots and I was the director! I even did a little special effect where one of the characters died and they were in a graveyard, and her ghost disappears. (Years after that, I would constantly say to myself, I was truly happy doing that. Why am I not doing anything similar now?)

The next couple of years my life took over. I started the usual teenage hatred of school. I graduated early, which was a real big accomplishment for me, considering I had three F's on my transcript. I had gone to summer school at the local community college and made up the credits. After that I wasted the next two years of my life. I was as if I was frozen and couldn't move. I went to live with my boyfriend at the time. Big mistake. Yet a blessing at the same time. I got a really beautiful baby boy out of it. Having my son is what got my feet back on the ground. I enrolled again at the community college and tried out some different classes to get a feel for where I was headed.

There are a few strengths I knew I had: a great imagination, a flare for writing short stories, an eye for art, a love of reading, a love for movies, a passion for music, and a small hobby of photography. I had decided when I was younger, no matter what I did in life, I would want to have some type of creative control. So the next question was: Is there some way I can fuse all these things together into a job I would love doing for the rest of my life? Even though I already knew the answer, it didn't come to me right away.

I halfheartedly pursued massage therapy, but the idea of having to touch some stranger's body wasn't a pleasing idea. I thought it would be really cool to be a mortician. After taking one week of human anatomy and physiology I knew there was no hope of me ever understanding or memorizing the chemical makeup cells and how they work. Then I started thinking about that time I made the movie in high school. About how I am constantly imagining music videos for the songs I hear, and how somewhat disappointed I am when I see the actual video. Just a few years before, I had thought I should become a music video director. I didn't know how to do it, and unwillingly left the idea at that. But now, right now, I finally have ambition to pursue that dream.

My mom was providing me the way to go back to school and helping me out with my child. She has been the biggest blessing anyone could ask for. So I looked into the Film and Video Production courses offered. And then another slight setback happened. I would have to go to school for four more years and then be out in a job market not knowing what to do. I need to provide for my son soon, and I don't want to wait four years. But I enrolled anyway. This is what I want to do and damn it, for once I will finish what I start and pursue that dream. First I'd have to take the basic courses: Freshman English, College Algebra, Intro to Philosophy, etc. A big sigh overwhelmed me. But I did it.

I decided to surf the internet one day and find out more about music video directors I knew of. I started to take note of their names early in high school when TRL started to become really big. I was mainly looking to see what kind of schooling they had had and how their careers started. Of what I could find, they all seemed to have just fallen into their jobs. They had friends and connections in the film and video industry, and degrees in things such as art or animation. What was I going to do!!!???? Following link after link after link on the web, suddenly I was on getamentor.com. What's this?? I couldn't believe what I was reading. Is this for real? It was just too good to be true. This is the answer to my prayers I thought silently to myself. I submitted my application immediately after reading through every page on the sight. I told my mom about it and she said, now wait a sec, we have to check them out with the BBB before we send any money. Went running straight back to the computer. OK to go!

All this is leading to where I am right now, in front of my computer typing an autobiography, knowing deep down inside that I have found a way to pursue that dream of mine that I have. The one where I am behind the camera, filming every shot to near perfection, to the sound of someone's music - my inspiration. I have the vision; I have the drive, the ambition. I want to get it out and show everyone what it is I see inside my head.


Progress Report from Diego Ramos of Endless Productions in Thornton Colorado

January 12, 2004 - Lindsay just finished up with her second shoot with Endless Productions. We interviewed a famous D.J. named Carlos Lando from the K.U.V.O. Jazz radio station 89.3 F.M. Colorado.

She performed all the tasks that our production assistants perform, helped set up and break down interview. Lindsay set up lights, mics and shot some b-roll footage of Carlos Live in the studio. Our next shoot is today with a local rock group called Dig 6 Down. Lindsay will be setting up cameras and audio as she seems to be catching on to the set-up. Lindsay has also been laying some ground work on her spare time via e-mail, contacting local bands and keeping up with the schedules. After all the footage is shot I plan on taking Lindsay to the editing studios so she can get some hands on experience with the editors.


June 25, 2004 - Lindsay will be with us on one of our biggest days of shooting on Saturday June 26th. We will cover the WestWord Lodo Music Festival located in downtown Denver. Lindsay will be shooting video and learning all the ins and outs of music video production. This is an all day event with over 8 music groups who will be interviewed. This will look really good on Lindsay's resume some day, we look forward to it


July 26, 2004 - Lindsay did just great at our 1st Music Showcase in support of the making of "Music Scene" the documentary. Lindsay shot video, set up lights, and handled all the needs of our production assistants. Lindsay has been very reliable and on task with her efforts. We are trying to teach Lindsay the basics of video production since she does not have any experience. Lindsay helped out with an interview and filming the 3 bands on stage. Our next shoot is August 5th, August 12th and on the13th we are shooting a commercial.


June 4 2004 - Lindsay is doing great. Our last interview was May 29th at 1190 A.M. radio station Boulder Colorado. We interviewed the Hip-Hop Dj's there and filmed some Hip-Hop Groups Live. We also interview Wendy Woo rising jazz artist. Lindsay has been learning everything she can on how to conduct a professional interview. We will take Lindsay on one of our commercial shoots and see how she does. If she does well we will hire her on a sub-contract basis as a production assistant.


Aug. 26, 2004 - Lindsay just finished her 1st production assistant test working our 2nd annual music showcase at Sky in Downtown Denver. Lindsay assisted the director on four different shoots and took charge of the other interns in the company. We will be hiring Lindsay full time when she finishes her training program. She has been a great asset to the company and we look forward to her progress. Lindsay will be needed in the progress of editing the documentary "Music Scene" logging tapes and understating what post-production is all about during the winter.


October 5, 2004 - Lindsay did great at our 3 camera shoot at the Soiled Dove on September 28th at 7:00 to 12:00 P.M. (www.soileddove.com). We interviewed a group called ION, rising artists in the Documentary "Music Scene." HBO is looking for a final cut from us. We are holding edit sessions every Thursday and Friday, in which Lindsay will be a part of. She has expressed great interest in the post production process. We will get her all the experience that we can provide. Lindsay helped with light set up, shot some DV for us on stage, and set up some lavelier mics.

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