My Wausau Time is Winding Down
I’ve been telling a few close friends and casually mentioned it on Twitter a couple of times, but I figure I should make an official post.
I’m leaving you Wausau, it’s not you, it’s me.
In all seriousness it’s a bit of both. I want something Wausau can’t give me: a career in narrative film. While I had a lot of great support from the community to make Microcosm, my landlord just doesn’t take great support to pay the bills. Sadly, I have to go to where the jobs are, where the connections can be made and where I can get paid to get creative rather than spray video. That’s not to say that I haven’t had plenty of opportunities to be creative as a photojournalist. But the jump from photojournalist to filmmaker is nigh impossible, especially in an area in which there are no commercial film or television productions.
In a perfect world Microcosm would play at Sundance or something, and then a studio would ask me how much money I would need to make a feature length. Before you know it I have a payed film crew in Wausau shooting on the streets again, this time with a few more people around and better food then lunch meat in a cooler!
But I’m not about to bank on pure dumb luck getting me where I want to be, and so while I hope Microcosm can be very competitive in Film Festivals, I’m looking ahead to the future.
And for me the future is Baltimore.
Call it a stepping stool or something, but Baltimore is where the big dogs go to avoid the huge expense of shooting in New York. The University of Maryland Baltimore County has a damn fine MFA program in Visual Art, complete with 35mm facilities right on campus. Commercials, music videos, even feature films are all shot in the area. There’s plenty of opportunities for a guy with a camera and work ethic.
And it’s thanks to the Wausau area I’ve got both. The low cost of living in Wausau has allowed me to afford quite a bit on a paltry journalism salary, like a new to me car and a short film production. And growing up not more than thirty miles away on a farm has more than taught me how to work from dawn til dusk.
But I’ll still be around for a little while. As I send out resumes and whatnot my starting date is September 22nd. Which will give me enough time to give proper notice to the news station in town that has given me so much resume padding, sell off what I’m not taking with me, and pack up to head out.
So you all will have to put up with this blog crowding the left side-bar for two more months.
Dino Corvino said:
Baltimore is a wonderful city. My lifelong friend Kirk lives there, and I spend a few weeks each year there.
Center Stage is on of the premiere theatre facilities in America, if not the world.
And they have an AVP event.
July 4th, 2008 at 8:04 pm #
PackOne said:
Good luck Erik. My friend Jarrett also lives there and it is a beautiful place to go.
If Dino ever wants to carpool for a trip, he can let me know.
Live the dream.
July 6th, 2008 at 9:31 am #
Andy Laub said:
Best of luck! Try not to get shot
July 6th, 2008 at 4:54 pm #
RM said:
Agreed, B-more is great. The crabcakes from Faidley’s would make a very short list of the best things I have ever eaten.
But above all, you had better start watching The Wire right away if you want to know what goes on in that city…
July 6th, 2008 at 10:59 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
Screw the Wire.
The coolest part about the Baltimore for you, will be the strong entertainment unions. Both the DGA, WGA, SAG all have big offices and active presences there.
July 7th, 2008 at 12:04 am #
erik said:
Dino: Thanks for the tips on the night life, I am looking forward to living in a town whose evenings don’t rely on alcohol! And I am looking forward to getting some hours in for an application to the Director’s Guild.
Alex: I really appreciate the well wishes. My apartment will also be available for those of you that will be in the area and need a place to crash, so come on by if you want to stow away in Dino’s car
Andy: haha! I’ll be living in Columbia becuse in order to live in a nice Baltimore neighborhood I’d need to be making real money, not fake freelance editor money >.> So I think I’ll be mostly safe! All the same keep in touch, I don’t hear enough out of you these days.
Rob: I completely forgot The Wire takes place in Baltimore, maybe I will give it a shot, despite Dino’s negative review! And I am a little worried about the food situation, other East coast friends have told me of the complete lack of cheese based food. But I will definitely hit up Faidley’s ASAP.
Thanks for the posts everyone. You guys are reminding me of a lot I’ll miss when I leave: the people in central Wisconsin can’t be beat.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:31 am #
Dino Corvino said:
Screw the Wire. Start looking at Sorkin.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:20 pm #
robertmentzer said:
Dino is living in the past. Aaron Sorkin is the past. The Wire is right now, today. Like, Sorkin’s shows are like a vacuum-tube-based computer systems compared to The Wire’s speedy new microchips.
(Well I guess technically The Wire is the past since the series ended this year. But it is still the very recent past!)
July 7th, 2008 at 2:01 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
Dear God man, this is a young film maker. Someone who might explore narrative. Someone who might explore the aesthetics of film.
How many more medium close shots can the Wire give us?
Sorkin has both a written and visual style that is a signature, and unique.
Let the young film maker seek out that which is good.
And never stop watching Apocalypse Now. I watch it once a month.
But I also do not have a girlfriend.
July 7th, 2008 at 5:10 pm #
Citizen Wausau » Blog Archive » Your Voice: July 7 said:
[…] • Erik is ramblin’ on: […]
July 7th, 2008 at 10:21 pm #
clarice said:
Bet you didn’t think your cuz in Florida would ever see this. But if the only way I can keep up on my family is through this damn computer, well…. Keep me posted , you may not know how many connections I have in the industry. Clarice
September 29th, 2008 at 11:49 pm #