I decided to leave because I’ve wanted to be a film director/producer since I was 10 years old. After five years of working in New York, I figure now’s the time to start doing that.

I am not afraid because I know it was the right choice. I was actually more fearful when I was avoiding difficult choices. When you go against the grain of your own dreams, it hurts.

Here is a short video from my goodbye party on August 1st at Studio Square in Astoria, Queens:

I will never forget my friends at MTV and what they did (intentionally and unintentionally) to make me a happier person and how they altered my view of the world.

My mom and step dad came to visit me the day after I left MTV News, which was a happy accident. Their presence curbed my initial worry over what I’d just done – quitting a staff job in the middle of a recession. They support my choice 100% because they know who I am.

Shortly after arriving in Cali, I surprised my god daughter Trinidy at her theater camp in Sacramento, CA. Her mom said that she had been counting down the days ’til my arrival:

I’ll be traveling all over CA until August 25th, catching up with family and friends, plus meeting with mentors in the film/tv world.

This is the start of something new and I can’t wait to share my experience with all of my people. If you’re reading this, you’re my people too.

- Shepard Fairey Manifest Hope Gallery show

- Green Inaugural Ball

- Latino Inaugural Ball

- Pepsi, Spike Lee and Howard University Present ‘Refresh the World’ Symposium

- Youth Inaugural Ball

In the evenings/early mornings I changed roles and handled remote digital production for MTVNews.com. This was my first time to be designated by the department as a multiplatform producer (in an official capacity) and a crash course in what that means on location.

My experience in D.C. was amazing, a lot of work and a terrific educational experience. I am very slowly cutting together a mini video diary but wanted to share some thoughts in the meantime.

Here is (some) of what I learned in D.C.

1. Gel insoles for every pair of shoes you bring saves crucial minutes used up by awkwardly swapping them out each time.

2. Gel insoles make the different between horrible back pain + feet pain or just horrible back pain.

3. Getting as much petty cash as you can from production management saves you a lot of heartache in a city without 24hr public transportation. Don’t forget receipts.

4. Using tape on camera batteries helps you to remember which ones are charged/not charged in the field (don’t forget your designation).

5.  Often internet connections at temporary production offices really suck. Have your laptop broadband card available at all times.

6. Even if you are going on a shoot with a producer and a production coordinator, it’s a good idea to carry all location contact info on you and a schedule (if you were given one). Be prepared to help your producer hunt down individuals, give directions, initiate phone calls, etc. You are never just a shooter. You are an ally.

7. Sometimes locally hired producers assigned to work with you don’t have any idea what they are doing. Deal with it and move on. It’s easier to deal with it if you have that list of contact info on your body.

8. Researching restaurants near your hotel/production offices/shooting locations BEFORE arriving is a great idea if you can swing it. Hunting for a place to eat, in the cold, blows. Check your production binder to see if a list already exists.

9. Be nice. To everyone. If you can. It helps you.

10. Making a written/portable list of your personal assignments for the duration of the trip (as much as you can) helps you prioritize work flow. This is especially helpful when you are switching from one form of work (traditional production) to another (new media) in the same day, with multiple things due simultaneously.

11. All the hustle in the world to get tape across town for digital production means nothing if there isn’t enough staff to support the work flow. Do your best with what you have.

12. If something isn’t working, ask for help.

13. If an event is black tie, do your best to meet those requirements. I saw shooters who were avoided at events because they were shabbily dressed.

14. Make time to eat at least one normal meal a day, if you can. Bring snack bars.

15.  If you get physically thrown off the stage at the green ball after being told you could shoot there, don’t let it get you down. No one is paying you to nurse a wounded ego.

16. As much as it sucks not getting enough sleep, dealing with local event staff who are incompetent and a myriad of other reasons to fall into a negative attitude, remember that you are participating in a historic event, not paying 1,000+ dollars while attending fancy balls and getting most of your meals paid for. Cheer up.

17. Twittering your whereabouts is great but try to find time to call family/friends at least once when things aren’t so crazy.

18. If you share a room with someone, try to arrange in advance that it’s with a person who has a similar schedule. Waking people up repeatedly at 3/4/5/6am when you get in is not ideal.

19. Things will never be perfect or ideal on a remote production/multiplatform assignment. Becoming angry or resentful (even inwardly) forces you to carry unnecessary emotional weight.

20. Seeing President Obama in person is an experience I will share with my children, their children and anyone who will listen to me.

Links

- All of my D.C. photos on Flickr

- You can watch the full ‘Be The Change: Live From The Inaugural’ show on MTV.com.

The closest I’ve come to President-Elect Obama was last fall, when I pretended to shake this cardboard cut-out version’s hand in Union Square.

It’s incredibly surreal, being able to look forward to a progressive president who I actually care about. I have a huge grin on my face because a few hours ago I was told that in less than ten days, I’ll be in D.C. (my first time) for inauguration weekend!!! I’ll be working with my colleagues to cover many aspects of the ceremony and related events.

My role will be as an additional shooter and digital producer. It’s going to be an amazing, historic event and I am thrilled to be a part of it in any capacity. I was working through election day in November and missed out on celebrating in the streets with my friends. This more than makes up for that.

When I was in elementary school, I remember one of my teachers saying there will never be a black president. This was the same teacher who skipped over the Martin Luther King, Jr. chapter in our history book. This was the same teacher who spoke glowingly about manifest destiny and ridiculed me for daring to challenge that. This was the same teacher who made me dress up as an indian for our Thanksgiving project and wondered why I was offended. I wonder, what is she telling the students now?

It’s tiny actions that alter world views. My mother owning her own business altered my world view (based on everything I was exposed to) that Latina women were property and not supposed to be independent. Obama deciding he would ignore negativity and not give up has changed history. Obama’s candidacy inspired my long-standing Republican step dad Larry to change parties, just so he could vote for Obama. Tiny actions change the world.

I am hoping while I am in D.C. that maybe – just maybe – I’ll get the chance to shake Obama’s hand.

It may not happen, but still. Even the idea that it could be possible blows my mind.

ps: My initials are D.C.

IT’S DESTINY!

≠ ≠ ≠ ≠ ≠ ≠ ≠ !!!!!

Meghan McCain was recently quoted by MTV News (my job) as saying that “the only way to be punk rock anymore is to be conservative”. Not only did she say this with a straight face, she said it while allowing herself to be interviewed at what has to be one of the most un punk establishments on earth – the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas.

I find Meghan’s statement to be grossly inaccurate and bollocks.

All jokes aside, before I challenge the concept of being a Punk Rock Republican, let’s start with one example of general un punk behavior – from Meghan herself:

HER BLOG DOESN’T ALLOW COMMENTS.
She can write whatever she wants and make associations to any identity she chooses – but she doesn’t have the guts to address public opinion, or at least allow people to leave their two cents? Obama‘s blog even lets you comment. Why won’t she let people speak their mind on her blog?

Does condoning censorship sound like punk rock behavior to you?

Moving on…

To those immediately repulsed by my claim – Don’t bother sending me links to all the various punk rock republican websites. I know there are punk music fans walking around believing that they can indeed be Republican and claim a punk identity. They are wrong. These folks are ignoring and revising the definition of punk rock ideology to suit their own conservative political agenda.

Also, I am not factoring in Nazi punk politics and here’s why – I am going on good faith and assuming that Meghan McCain does not support Nazi punk values. She simply wants to associate the Republican party with a general “punk spirit” but I have to challenge this because it’s WRONG.

The amount of money the Republican party spent on Sarah Palin’s outfits is a strong enough argument on it’s own that the Republican party is NOT punk, but I digress…

To “be” authentically “punk” – to embrace a punk ideology – does NOT involve condoning racism, being anti-choice and banning gay marriage.

Punk Rock Republicans are not the same as Jews for Jesus or Log Cabin Republicans. You can indeed be a Jew and be for Jesus, because being for Jesus does not erase genetics (converts don’t apply in this example). You can also enjoy same sex activities and be a Republican, because you can be queer while voting for a party that wishes you didn’t even exist nor supports your right to marriage.

Sounds insane but it actually happens. Because money is a hell of a drug.

But I repeat: it’s IMPOSSIBLE to be both Punk Rock and Republican simultaneously.

Punk politics within punk subculture (as opposed to just liking the music) centers around a value system that developed starting with the birth of punk rock in New York City, then in London within the working class neighborhoods, then through the Los Angeles area and beyond. Common punk views include the DIY ethic, non-conformity (hello!), direct action, not selling out (ding!), and nihilism.

American punk ideologies further developed through the politically charged lyrics of American bands like Black Flag and the Bad Brains.

To “be” Punk Rock is to embrace an alternative (not conservative or mainstream) value system that arose within a subculture of REBELLION. This value system (the true spirit of punk rock) stands in direct CONTRADICTION of the Republican party’s CURRENT core values, two of which are:

ANTI Choice

ANTI Gay Marraige -  Oh yes and PS: Punk icon Henry Rollins supports gay marriage.

(not the entire list, but you get the picture)

Yes, freeing the slaves was very punk rock, before being punk rock existed! But Meghan, wearing an Abe Lincoln necklace to remind everyone of that is just lame and – arguably – evidence that this was the last punk rock action taken by the Republican party in hundreds of years.

So… WTF? Based on our CURRENT political climate, how is it even possible for someone to “be” punk and a Republican? Enter Meghan with her new pal, Johnny Ramone’s widow Linda.

Johnny Ramone does not = punk rock. Not since the 80′s!

Before I am spammed by angry Ramones fans, Let me state for the record that I am NOT claiming his membership negates his influence on punk music or the culture – he will ALWAYS be part of the legacy and history of punk music.

But let’s be real – Johnny Ramone had different priorities and a lot of material assets to protect. He chose to stand by a party that had those interests in mind. He was rich and wanted to protect his money, at the expense of social welfare programs and a woman’s right to choose.

And that, my friends, is not punk rock at all.

Johnny Ramone also idolized Ronald Reagan, and used the band’s induction into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 to praise George Bush!!! THAT’S NOT PUNK. He was also rumored to be a huge racist.

It seems that Meghan’s sole connection between the Republican party’s punk identity is Johnny Ramone, a staunch Republican who supported Reaganomics. Did you know that state mental hospitals were taken away by Governor Reagan in the seventies, and federal mental health programs were later taken away by President Reagan in the eighties? It is not a coincidence that the homeless populations in the state of California grew exorbitantly after that.

So, can you be punk while supporting a party who made thousands of Californians homeless by closing needed hospitals? To make it current – Can you truly be punk while supporting a party who’s most recent president created the No Child Left Behind Act, an ill thought out law that uses flawed standardized tests to label schools as failures and punish them with counterproductive sanctions, effectively making schools in low income areas even crappier?

“The only way to be punk rock anymore is to be conservative”.

Really, Meghan? The only way?

Conservative values are not the minority in America. If they were, Bush would have lost.  You are not being radical or “punk” by supporting conservative politics during this election, you are being like (historically) a huge majority of this country. It’s misleading and a lie to imply that our nation is now mostly liberal. It’s not.

Maybe, on your journey as a “rock star” campaigner, you’ve met a lot of celebrities and artists who haven’t supported your dad or the Republican party’s values. Maybe it helps you to maintain your personal momentum by imagining that you’re being quite the rebel by not taking the “popular” route of supporting Obama.

Maintaining the status quo is never punk Meghan, and this country was already run into the ground by a Republican for eight years. Being punk would be to question how effective your dad can be in bringing real change to this country while still upholding antiquated and oppressive values that infringe on my and millions of other American tax payers’ civil rights.

__________________________

edit: I know there are Republicans who are pro choice. I am merely stating what is publicy shared on the RNC’s website.

edit 2: MTV News takes an unbiased approach in all of our election coverage, which is the democratic and ethical thing to do. MTV News has interviewed both Senators John McCain and Barack Obama and has allowed the audience to make its own decision, without personal influence.

As an individual, I am entitled to my own opinion and will express it on my own site. My opinion does not represent that of MTV News, MTV Networks or Viacom.

Here’s a little blurb about what went down at the rehearsal.

Ludacris was really nice when I approached him. I overheard him talking about how well Max Payne is doing right now.

…It is making money, true. But I saw that movie last weekend and everyone in the audience was laughing – at how bad it was. I wonder if it will keep doing well next week?

“A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE,” airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.

A few days ago I tried to check my registration status online and was shocked to discover that I had no record. The realization that I still needed to register to vote (combined with low blood sugar) resulted in me writing a very bizarre script that I didn’t think would be approved, let alone made.

Thankfully it was approved and our flexible and patient talent agreed to be put through some unusual direction. The result was that I was able to both get the message out about registering AND watch my coworkers do weird things around my desk.

This promo was inspired by David Lynch, war propaganda films, cartoons and Reefer Madness.

Watch after the jump!

It was a lot of fun producing this piece and working in the edit with our very talented Sujit Agrawal. He’s the most talented editor I’ve ever met and makes me feel like a drunk monkey with one thumb on the Avid.

I recently spoke (through the interwebs) with Brooklyn writer Jonathan Ames about his debut graphic novel, “The Alcoholic”.

You can read the full interview and check out a six-page preview of the comic on the Splash Page blog.

Jonathan Ames is an interesting author to me because he writes about topics like love, addiction, identity and sexuality in a way I have never experienced before. All of that is reflected in his debut graphic novel “The Alcoholic”, which was a collaboration with his friend and comic artist vet Dean Haspiel.

Ames is also the exec producer and writer for his HBO pilot “Bored to Death” (which will star Jason Schwartzman). His website is filled with funny content and you can tell he’s the kind of guy who isn’t afraid to try new things.

“The Alcoholic” hits stores on Sept. 24 and I highly recommend you check it out. If you want to preview it in advance, visit the link I mentioned above or you could just come hang out with me in Brooklyn and flip through my copy.

I found this clip on Flickr that was shot from the audience during British artist Ebony Bones‘ performance:

While at the pool party, I was able to get a brief interview with Ebony Bones prior to and after her set. Her music is so sick, you can’t help but move your body. I am looking forward to her album dropping soon!

Props to Bryan (Kaos Blac) for telling me about her. He always seems to know about hot artists from all corners of the globe.

You can watch some of what I shot with Ebony Bones after the jump:

Ebony Bones has such great style; her outfits and jewelry look like something out of a cool comic book (check out all the photos of her on Flickr). She is an inspiring artist to me because she transitioned from being a successful working actress into a talented (and working) songstress. She follows her own rules and uses the web and DIY methods of promotion to get the word out about her music.

After having so much fun at the pool parties, I regret waiting until the last summer series to actually attend. Daniela, there’s a time and a place to be a homebody/hermit. During cool weekend shows is not the best time to hole away from the world and besides – music soothes the soul. Oh well. Lesson learned.

This weekend I am shooting at the Dances of Vice II festival, a three-day costume party that should be good times for Victorian/Steampunk fans. I am not particularly into this kind of scene, but I do like checking out interesting fashion and I am psyched about shooting Voltaire‘s performance and interview.

…This event reminds me of that film (can’t remember the name and it’s driving me crazy) about the young man who is a tenacious reporter in like the 80′s or 90′s, but dresses and behaves like he’s from the 20′s. He gets into all these funny situations and relates to everyone as if they are in his time period. His girlfriend gets fed up and breaks up with him because he is such an extreme & old fashioned gentlemen that he won’t even kiss her.

Oh God, not being able to remember the name of this film is going to drive. me. nuts. Someone, help!

APW is inspired by the historical events that occurred at Liberty State Park, Ellis Island and the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal (CRRNJ) located on the festival site. During the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, the now abandoned Central Railroad Station at Liberty State Park served as the gateway for immigrants on their journey into the United States as they embarked across the country to ALL POINTS WEST.

Here is the package that came out of our shoot:

Luckily it was a sunny day and the waves looked really nice on camera. I got the shot I wanted with good audio levels and then we moved on to a full day of interviews. I didn’t realize I was sunburned until 3AM the next day when I finally got home. I never burn! I guess walking around in the blazing sun with your neck exposed will do that. Radiohead was the last set of the evening but I didn’t get to see them (again). Oh well.

Meeting ?uestlove in person and being able to shoot him was fab so that made the day great regardless. The Roots never get old for me. You can watch the full package and additional segments right here.

I enjoy shooting at festivals for my own weird reasons – I like the challenges of unpredictable weather, crowds and schedules. It’s a total crapshoot if things are going to work out, and rather than freaking out about the possibility of disaster I relish the chance to see if I can still get the job done no matter what obstacles arise. The experience tests me in unique ways that I can apply to other areas of my life.

When I am working at a music festival I try to both get the job done and absorb a little bit of the fun (when it’s possible). It’s obviously not the same as being at a festival with friends, taking your time and doing exactly what you want to do. All of my festival experiences so far this summer have been on shoots, so I plan on going to a few shows on my own time and experiencing them the way they are meant to be experienced – not manipulating a camera that’s pointed at a band and obsessively listening for pops and hisses, but actually standing in the audience and experiencing the band on my own terms.

Saturday was a really long day, so on Sunday I kept it mellow and spent some time in Union Square park, taking photos.