The Surprise Call that Rang in Opportunity

The phone rang.

Perhaps it was my Wolf Assistant Leader calling.

That seemed likely as I was dressed in my full Cub Scout leader uniform complete with green slacks, official blue and gold handkerchief, and even the green and red socks.

Maybe my Assistant Leader wanted to carpool to the Roundtable Training time for the leaders in the area.

Nope.

It was not her.

Then part of the name "Marjo. . ." showed and I knew.

When I saw who called me, I smiled.

It was Marjorie Shaefer in Tennessee.

I opened my phone and said, "Hello, Marjorie!"

That was when she told me the news that my name was drawn for one of twelve slots at the 2010 National Storytelling Conference in Los Angeles. There were 101 slips, and yet my name got pulled.

I heard this heart-thumping and exciting news while driving.

Perhaps not the safest thing in the world.

I was in my Scout uniform. I could have been a good Scout to pull over to the side of the road and continue the conversation. . .but I didn't.

That was when I lost grip of the phone and I accidentally hung up on Marjorie.

Yikes.

I called back, apologized, and then heard from Lethan Candlish and Loren Niemi as extra "witnesses" that my name was drawn. In fact, Loren held the slip "Rachel Hedman, UT".

Not that I needed witnesses. You could trust Marjorie with everything and then some.

My mind raced. Normally, I would want a chance to pace and jot ideas in a personal brainstorm session. But I had Roundtable Training.

I saluted the flag, sung the songs, but my mind was multitasking.

While eating a graham cracker spread with Cool Whip and sprinkled with blue berries, raspberries, and sliced bananas to represent the American flag, I made a mental list of who to call after the Roundtable Training.

It was already 8:30pm and time was limited to get in my calls.

I called:
1. Husband at work
2. Mom and Dad
3. Don Doyle--voice mail, but I hope he can be my emcee in L.A.
4. Holly Robison--who sang harmony with me during the first "Family Famine"
5. Stephen Gashler--who filmed the first "Family Famine" and who I encouraged to attend the 2010 National Storytelling Conference so he could do a 3-camera shoot of this next one
6. Nate--my brother, who is more of a night owl like me so I did not worry that it was after 10:00pm

I will need to call my sister, but she is one hour ahead of me. I had no choice but to stop.

Whew!

It was a lot of calls to make before 9:30pm or 10:00pm at night before most "normal" people go to sleep.

And there will be more calls to make tomorrow.

As for what I will do with the 55-minute Fringe time slot?

This will be part of my "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" series with different stories than my premiere one.

I plan to get a sponsor to help fly in Holly Robison (singer/teller), Joshua Payne (guitarist), and Geoffrey Rayback (upright bass player) so we can merge the arts with storytelling as the main stage art.

This will be a 3-camera shoot so anyone attending will give permission to be part of volume two of the next 2-DVD set. And yes, this one will also have audio commentary, ASL interpretation, photo gallery, etc.

This will be even bigger than the first one.

And I have about 10 months to plan.

That is about double the time I had for the first one.

Lovely.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com/

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com/

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com/
Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/rachelfans
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"Lights, Camera, Action": Finding the Right Film Company

Thanks to Stephen and Teresa Gashler, owners of Gashler Media, in granting permission to post their picture and logo.

I searched online for the right company to film "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" and eventually I came upon Gashler Media.

Google was my search engine of choice and I used phrases such as "Utah videography" or "Utah filming company" and other similar words.

The listings usually changed my original search to "Utah wedding videography".

I laughed at the results, as what was I to expect from a state that had the most weddings anywhere in the nation. . .perhaps even in the world? Add to this that my premiere would be in Provo, the capital of marriages due to the closeness of Brigham Young University. There were many choices of filming companies.

Then, one by one, I googled specific companies that came from the online search. If I did not like their website (or if no website could be found), then I crossed them off my list.

I was suprised how many of the filming companies had a simple directory listing on wedding sites but nothing else to explain their services.

Finally, I found Gashler Media.

I liked the website, especially as there were samples of their work. I was intrigued when their site stated that "We will only produce family-friendly content (G or PG-rated) and nothing of a sensual, pornographic, violent, hateful, rude, irreverant, profane, obscene, deceitful or manipulative nature."

That made me wonder the rating for my premiere. Was it PG? I did place the minimum audience age to eight, though the stories were geared for twelve-year-olds and older. What did that mean?

It was helpful that Stephen and Teresa, the owners of Gashler Media, had pricing.

I noticed that for three cameras--as I wanted different angles--it would be $1000.

That would fit within my budget.

I called Stephen and scheduled a time today to meet the two of them to see if we might work together.

They requested that I bring a list of desired shots for the premiere.

Here are the Desired Shots--

"Before I Come on Stage" Shots

• Some set-up, putting up the booth in the hallway, or other ambiance footage like the empty theatre, wooden paneling, stage, etc.
• People taking their seats and chatting with each other
• Close up of Elizabeth Ellis, emcee
• Shots of my husband, Mom, Dad, and brother in the front row as Elizabeth acknowledges their presence
• My sister could not make it from Wisconsin so directing the auidence to look at one of the cameras and say, "We love you, Care!"
• Shots of some storytellers wearing blue ribbons
• Close up of Elizabeth Ellis and then pan out to see the whole stage when I come out

"The Changeling"--First Story Shots

• Audience reactions mixed with panned out and close-ups to include full-body shots and some close-ups of the face
• Close-ups of the three neighbors/characters--Mrs. O'Malley, Mrs. Flanagan, and Mrs. Lynch

"Forsaken Brother"--Second Story Shots

• Begin with close-ups of the upright bass and the guitar, as there will be a bit of "soundscapes" before I begin
• Audience reactions mixed with panned out and close-ups to include full-body shots and some close-ups of the face
• Mix of solo storytelling shots (me), duo shots (Geoff Rayback on bass and Joshua Payne on guitar), and trio shots (all three of us)
• Reference to eyes--how father's eyes are like the boy's eyes--so shots can reflect this reference
• In editing--quick shots between me and the instruments during climax (when brother spots boy on shore and tries to reach him before the boy transforms into a wolf)

Transition between Second and Third Stories

• Close-up of me to close-up of brother as I surprise him by having the audience sing "Happy Birthday" a day early

"The Gardener's Wife"--Third Story Shots

• Audience reactions mixed with panned out and close-ups to include full body shots and some close-ups of the face
• Mix of solo storytelling shots (me) and solo singing shots (when I sing alone and when Holly Robison sings alone), and duo shots when Holly and I harmonize
• Shots of audience when I welcome them to sing the lullaby, especially the first time
• Close-ups and full-body shots during singing of lullaby and of the grieving/pleading song

Recognition after the Program on Stage Shots

• When all performing artists and the emcee come on stage to applause

Celebration/Mingling Shots

• General buzz shots as people get up from their seats
• People eating cookies and treats
• With the buzz and talk, to have family reactions, Elizabeth Ellis and any volunteers who want to share what they thought (interview style)

What would also be Nice

• If I transcribe the performance, could closed captioning be chosen to be on or off?
• Audio commentary after it is done? To include story buddies and guest artists?
• Add American Sign Language interpreter on the corner while actual film is running of the live show?

I knew I had found the right company in Gashler Media when Stephen and Teresa told me that the closed captioning, audio commentary, and the ASL could be added without changing the $1000 fee.

So now on premiere day could be called out, "Lights, Camera, Action!"

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Trek (3 of 7): Finding Filmmakers for Storytelling

The most beautiful storytelling DVD is "The Call of Story" created by KBYU/BYU Broadcasting and PBS.

This is three of seven posts relating to my info-gathering trek to BYU on October 21, 2008.

Since KBYU's home is in the Harris Fine Arts Center at Brigham Young University, I headed to the office to find out who was still around from that 2002 project (though copyright would suggest 2005).

I did have a name given to me from the 2008 Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. The young man behind the desk scrunched his face at the mention of the name for it was unfamiliar.

The man said, "Perhaps you were given the wrong spelling." He thumbed through the massive Rolodex of all the employees, staff, producers, and directors. No results. He even called the head director of KBYU and the name did not ring a bell even at that point.

Rather than sticking to the name I was given, the young man at the desk suggested we look at the credits for "The Call of Story".

I felt like I had to bang my head with my hand at that point. "Of course," I told myself, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Before heading to this info-gathering trek at BYU, I did peruse "The Call of Story" website. With all the research, I did not look at the credits. I had too much confidence in the name I was given at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival.

Though the young man did not have a copy of the DVD on hand, he did search for the credits online and found them.

At that point, I was told to get in touch with the Executive Directors: Thomas J. Lefler and Sterling Van Wagenen.

This was not the first time I heard the name "Thomas J. Lefler". Other professors I had met during my trek had said he was a Theatre and Media Arts professor and may be interested in my project. No one had mentioned his connection--a major connection at that--to "The Call of Story".

The young man at the desk gave me Lefler's office and contact information. I crossed my fingers, hoping that an unannounced visit would be successful and welcomed by Lefler.

I found his door and I knocked. No answer. Perhaps he was not in his office after all. Yet, something told me to linger in the hallways a bit. I walked down towards the bulletin board with the "Call to Actors, Producers, etc." I never majored in Theatre so I was curious. After ruffling through a few announcements hung on binder-type rings, I returned to Lefler's office.

This time someone answered.

My muscles were more tense than usual as someone earlier had told me how intimidating Lefler was because of how direct he was in his speech. After a deep breath, I entered.

I outstretched my now sweating hand. "Hello. I am Rachel Hedman, professional storyteller, and I would like to talk about "The Call to Story" project you did and how it may relate to my project."

After the introduction, I felt at ease. He was not the intimidating man that I imagined though he was kind to share information I needed to know. He told me he did not do those type of filming project anymore, but he did give me names and direct lines to the partners of Kaleidoscope Pictures.

One of Kaleidoscope's projects included filming national storyteller Donald Davis in spring 2009 on how families tell stories. Most of the shots would take place at Davis' home on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina.

Eventually, I learned that Lefler was first cousins to national storyteller Elizabeth Ellis. My jaw dropped as I told him that Ellis was also my professor at East Tennessee State University for my Storytelling Masters and that my "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" project came to life because of the assignment she put forth for us students.

At that point there was no fear whatsoever of the man as he proceeded to go online and show the place in Tennessee that he grew up alongside Elizabeth Ellis.

Besides this amazing experience, another professor gave me a name, office address, and email for the producer and director of the LDS Motion Picture Studio. This professor was the Content Director of the "Real Families, Real Answers" reality show.

Between Kaleidoscope Pictures and the LDS Motion Picture Studio, that is where the true intimidation lies. To even consider the possibility of being filmed by either one of them is almost unthinkable.

I have found in this world that it does not hurt to ask.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller