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Issue #40
by L. Swift and Jeff McQ
We urge our apprentices to be on the lookout always to see how they can bring value to the studios where they’re placed, whether it’s through demonstrating skill, bringing in clients, etc. Brenden Mendez is one Recording Connection student who’s been thinking on his feet, and it’s paying off for him big time.
“Before starting this program, or starting at the studio, I was fairly hesitant at the fact that I may join the ‘wrong’ studio because we’re not all a part of the same ‘scene,'” says Brenden.
But that apprehension faded almost the moment he walked into the studio.
“Within minutes of watching my mentor, Trivion, at work, I was amazed at what was unfolding before my eyes,” says Brendan. “Instantly I knew this was the right path for me, and that I had finally made the right choice.”
“Within the first day, I was able to connect with three local artists, who were all very great and out-going,” he continues. “They were all very helpful in giving any advice, and giving me a sort of direction to look towards. My other mentor, John [Brown], had said, ‘If you support the scene, then the scene will support you’. I felt the light bulb go off in my head… It was one of the most simplistic ways of putting it, but it’s always better to be short, sweet, and to the point.”
Brenden also recognized he had something he could bring to Camel Hump: EDM!
While Brenden’s mentor studio, Camel Hump Studios in Las Vegas, NV, has been primarily focused on hip-hop and punk, Brenden seized the chance to add to the studio’s repertoire as a DJ who makes his own beats. He’s making use of his new audio chops to bring EDM into the studio! His entrepreneurial mindset and deftness at learning the gear sealed the deal: just last month, John Brown brought him on as a full-time assistant! Since then, Brenden has been running sessions and helping out around the studio, especially when his mentors are out working on other projects.
Working in music and building the career you want to have is, in large part, all about being entrepreneurial and smart in your approach. In Brendan’s case, he not only took the bull by the horns in learning the ropes at Camel Hump, but he also brought his own EDM expertise to the mix and formed his own niche at the studio! Way to go, Brendan!
Brenden also DJs under the name DeLanxious and just played a crazy Halloween show in Vegas. Hear Brenden’s music at www.souncloud.com/delanxious and check out his website at www.followtherabbit.today
“When I heard about CASA Schools’s approach to culinary education I was blown away. I just wished that this sort of thing was available before I spent $50,000 for culinary school! They promised me a management position as soon as I graduated. I found out that that was a lie. On-the-job experience is the only way to go. The use of the culinary techniques and cooking methods day in and day out, from one scenario to the next is the best way to learn. Doing one recipe a day and paying over $200 a day is bull…”
— Troy Artis , Owner/ Operator of Chef Troy Personal Chef and Catering Services, Los Angeles, CA
Did you know we’ve even got students in Alaska? Jonathan Schulz, apprentice at Talking Circle Media in Anchorage, considers himself not to be the most outgoing or confident person in the world but his passion is more than evident in what he says. In his student blog he writes: “My dream is to be a director and to be able to make movies that shake people up. I want to make you laugh, only to make you cry a few minutes later. I want to make characters that you get out of your chair and cheer for, or characters that you shake your fist at and hate—I want to be a storyteller.”
Compelling enough? We thought so. We followed up with Jonathan to find out more about where he’s coming from and where he intends on going.
RRF: What made you want to work in film?
Jonathan: I’m not actually sure what specifically attracted me to film. It was just one of those things that was always in me, even when I didn’t realize that I wanted to do it for a living. I would play with my action figures when I was little and my eyes would be the camera. I would move around and get different angles with different lines of sight. Or I would make up my own film titles and write them into the TV guide…From my earliest memories, filmmaking was always on my mind.
RRF: Whose work inspires you? Do you have a filmmaker whose work you emulate?
Jonathan: Well, Stanley Kubrick is my favorite director (isn’t he everybody’s?). His movies made me realize that rules were meant to be broken. From his audacious use of poppy music to the cruelty that he treats his characters with, he was daring. That sort of rebelliousness and cynicism made me also made me realize that an idea and a camera can result in such a variety of emotions…My idea of storytelling became much more personal when I found movies like Barry Lyndon.
RRF: What is the best lesson you’ve learned while in the program?
Jonathan: FILM FOR THE EDIT. Gosh, I cannot stress that enough! It’s a lesson that I’m constantly remembering that I learned, and one that I am constantly forgetting to do. As a videographer, I also edit the videos, so the process of editing isn’t a burden that I can just pass off to the editor…But I have often found myself in a situation where I need to cut away from a shot only to find that I haven’t filmed any extra footage to cut to!…Get the close-ups, the over-the-shoulder shots, and any extra footage. It’s worth remembering, and it’s worth the extra time it takes.
RRF: Do you have anything else you’d like to share with us? Any advice for others?
Jonathan: I guess I would say never stop filming what you love. If it’s a choice between making the films that you love while struggling or rolling in cash and making films that you aren’t passionate about, choose the former…Make the art that you want to make, and remember the love of film that got you passionate about making films in the first place.
This month’s INSTAGRAM CONTEST comes to an end this week! Tag RRF in your candid Instagram photos taken in your mentor’s studio, and you can win!
Please read the contest rules carefully:
All disciplines included: Recording, Radio/Broadcast, and Film!
Each photo submitted is an entry—submit as many as you like!
Share inspiring and unique, fun, exciting candid photos on Instagram of you, your mentor, the studio, or people you’re working with.
To submit, post your photos to Instagram including the following TWO TAGS:
#recordingconnection, #filmconnection OR #radioconnection
(whichever is appropriate); AND
# [name of the city where you apprentice]!
BOTH City and Program Hashtags MUST be present in order for the photo to be considered as an entry in the contest.
Winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift card!
Brian recently met with multi-platinum, Grammy-winning producer, engineer, mixer Ross Hogarth whose discography includes artists and bands like blues artist Keb’ Mo,’ Miley Cyrus, Van Halen, The Doobie Brothers, Jimmy Eat World, Jonas Brothers, Ziggy Marley, Melissa Etheridge and the list goes on and on.
Hogarth said he’s very impressed with the Recording Connection program and he plans on joining our Master’s Series which will be coming soon!
One of our top mentors for both Film Connection and Recording Connection, Joey Heier of Crystal Clear Studio has over nearly 30 years’ experience and a reputation for excellence in the professional video and audio world. He knows mentorship is about more than just teaching someone how to do something–it’s about really seeing the potential in people and being open to answering their questions and taking the time to show them how it’s really done. Over our years working with him, we’ve also known him to be a stand-up guy who demonstrates integrity in everything he does. When he isn’t mentoring and or working on a new music, audio or film project, Joey volunteers for various projects he believes in (like a literacy project at the African American Museum).
Joey goes the distance for his apprentices (whom he affectionately refers to as “his guys”), and his dedication to mentorship goes a long way towards helping his students attain their goals. Thomas White, one of Joey’s Recording apprentices, applied for an IT position at WXPM Radio, but landed an even better position as an audio engineer as a result of his training. Another apprentice, Alex Arnold, went from working in a sandwich shop to doing live sound for one of Philadelphia’s biggest acts in a matter of months! And the skills that Recording graduate Krysten Dean acquired under Joey’s mentorship paid off when she landed an audio gig on Jay Z and Beyoncé’s “On the Run” Tour!
Not surprisingly, we get lots of positive feedback from our students who work with Joey Heier, both on the Recording and Film sides. Comments like “The best mentor around!” and “An amazing guy” are common. Here are some more specific things we’ve heard from students and graduates:
Because of his consistent dedication to his students’ success and his willingness to go the distance with them, Joey Heier is a great example of what mentorship can do in the life of a student apprentice. We’re very proud to partner with Joey in helping our students achieve their dreams!
Film Connection student Austin Brown, who apprentices at Radiant3 Productions in Atlanta, Georgia, recently had the opportunity to work as 2nd AC on the feature length horror film, Talbot County, produced by Rite Media Group, shot on RED Epic cameras. Brown’s currently working on a screenplay he’s calling a tragi-romance.
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