More local buzz about "Trailerpark

As I mentioned in my last entry, I met with the "Trailerpark" team on Thursday to observe the MDIA 419 class meeting and sit down for a group chit-chat session (otherwise known in formal journalism circles as an "interview"). To be completely honest, I am still a little overwhelmed by the amount of information I gained from the two-ish hours I spent with the "Trailerpark" folks, and I'm still sifting through the interview tapes. I do know that I will be splitting up the information into more bite-sized posts, so look for that in the coming days.

Meanwhile, I just wanted to point your attention to another local article about "Trailerpark" -- from SpeakeasyMag.com -- that was published today. I am the piece's primary editor and have a reporting byline on it, alongside writer Lindsay Hahn. The writer has been researching the article since week two or three of the quarter, and I'm pleased with how it turned out. She answers several questions that I myself wanted to address in this blog, such as weather-related issues on an outdoor set and the future of MDIA 419. To quote from the piece:

So, what is the future for MDIA 419?
"I will go back to the regular format next year," Lewis said. "It was a good year, a good combination of temperament and talent. The people mesh together and have the skills that are needed. That doesn’t happen every year."

*Lewis refers to Frederick Lewis, "Trailerpark" professor

Additionally, the photos that run alongside the article were taken the same night I visited the "Trailerpark" set and some of them have similar subjects as my photos from the slideshow I posted two entires ago. My roommate, who is Speakeasy's photo editor, joined me on my adventure to set several weeks ago to take the photos. We were not exactly sure where we were going when we started driving to set, but we just went with it and prayed we wouldn't get lost in the wilderness that is Athens County. We actually couldn't see the set when we pulled into the Lake Snowden parking lot, so I called assistant director Nick Knittel. He was a bit confused how we could have missed the set's bright lights and eight trailers in the distance. Feelings of confusion have a way of throwing us off, I suppose.

I believe I alluded to this in an earlier post, but the producers thought we were hoodlums breaking on set when they first observed our shadowy figures approaching. All was resolved when they saw that it was just the members of the press they had been expecting. I still had to chuckle, though.