Better Than Nothing

Never blog about work. Unless you have a story like this.

Due to a tremendous oversight that my temp company had they felt the need to get me any job...and fast. So I got a call yesterday that I would be booked for two days at a conference downtown. Doing standard things like working the registration table, stuffing envelopes, passing out goody bags etc. Sure. No problem. Booked.

I arrive today and much to my surprise I see that the company hosting this conference has about 300 interns hustling and bustling around...doing things like working the registration table and stuffing envelopes and passing out goody bags.

Hmmm.

"Hi, I'm Brooke with **** Company"
"Oh, hi Brooke, were so happy to have you here. Someone should be with you in a few minutes to get you set up."
"Thanks, anything I can do in the meantime?"
"No....(confused)...just relax and let us know if there is anything you need."

Hmmm.

A few moments later.
"Hi Brooke! Thanks so much for being here today."
"Sure"
"So let me take you into the auditorium real quick, we have your equitment all set up for you."

At this point I realize that some tragic tragic tragic misunderstanding has occurred.

"My equiptment?"
"Yeah, we set it all up and you can just take a look at it and let me know if there are any questions."
"I'm not sure I understand..."
"You're Brooke right?"
"Yes."
"From **** Company?"
"Yes"
"And you're the videographer?"

Aha. The thought of explaining that my rep seemed to have left out a crucial piece of information crossed my mind. But the thought of $11 an hour which is more than $0 an hour also crossed my mind. Plus, a video recorder was one of those things that in my family as a kid we either never had or only had briefly...and kids were not allowed to touch, and because I am my father's daughter I do have a secret sway toward pretty shiny gadgets. Also, because I am my mother's daughter I am not too shabby when it comes time to dust off the old acting chops. Plus, I knew it would make a good blog. So in a move very uncharacteristic of me, I took a breath and answered...

"Yes."

"Great! Well the equiptment is all set up, just let me know if you have any questions."

I immediately looked at the silver camera on the tripod and smiled sweetly.

"I'm not actually familiar with that type of...camera...how do you, um...turn it on?"

Luckily the girl was a nineteen year old intern who was so intent on fullfilling her duties for the day that she didn't realize how insane of a question that was.

"Oh, I know, they are all different...here, I'll show you."

The intern gave me a crash course in videography and the rest I taught myself in the ten minutes before the conference started.

As people filed into the auditorium a regular photographer in his early 50's arrived. He gave me the nod that people give other familiar people when they are both out of their element and I nodded back. Poser. I briefly wondered if he was perhaps some decently dressed homeless man off the street, "You're the photographer right?" "Sure!" It made me feel a little unsure about the complimentary lunch I would be receiving later. "You guys are the caterers right?"

"I got some ok shots during the continental breakfast, but seems like it'll be a long day." He said a few minutes later.
"I hear 'ya" I said back, while practicing my Best Actress speech in my head.

And then...I proceeded to videotape the entire conference.

I somehow taught myself how to change the tape once it ran out and took the initiative to label each tape, which must be something real videographers do because they seemed impressed by it. I got lots of close ups and sweeping shots. At one point some authoritative figure came up to me, slightly peeved, and said, "Arn't you gonna take it off the tripod at some point? I mean feel free to get in there and get creative." Little did he know that I had no idea HOW to take it off the tripod. So when he walked away I messed with it...and dropped it. But luckily it landed on the carpet and seemed to be ok. No one saw it happen...although I guess someone wil see it eventually. I "got in there" and got as creative as I could. If you call using the zoom button creative. Which I do. Later, after lunch, I was nervous to release the camera from the tripod again so I just sort of followed the photographer around while dragging the entire tripod with me. I know I was asked about it, and I know I said something like "Oh it's fine, I prefer to work with it attached."

I also know that at one point someone made one of those lame conference/trade show jokes and that I very quietly and to myself did a "wah wah" and then felt the blood rush out of my face as I remembered the camera's microphone. Which also made me question recent sniffles and coughs and even a sneeze or two. Not to mention the "Pfaw" I had let out at one point when disagreeing with something someone said. Oops.

Being a videographer is hard because you have to stand the entire time. I had a near collision with a baby grand piano that would have been a humiliating disaster...but I caught myself just in time. You have to be on your toes...and you CAN NOT space out and just be recording the screen where the power point presentation ended five minutes earlier instead of the new speaker who has come on stage. All these words of wisdom will be so useful...when I go back again TOMORROW.

In the meantime, I do weddings and bar mitzvahs for a minimal fee.

Maybe next I'll be a doctor...