What's Next?

My Dear Readers, I have a confession to make.

I have been blessed with a super power.

Yes, that's right. I have been given a talent so rare, so powerful, that it could really only be called as such: I have the ability to become a "Morning Person" at will. When I say "at will," I do mean it cause, don't get me wrong, I like to sleep in late just as much as any other normal person. But when I need to, I can be up and at-em when the time calls. Super power, really. Now, this may not sound as exciting as, say, being able to fly or turn invisible or read other peoples' thoughts but in this time of the great inner-city commute, it is, I would say, an amazing gift.

Let's take a look at how I use my super powers on an every-day basis. My commute, though not terribly treacherous, still involves three different flavors of transportation (bus, train, and foot...mmm...foot flavor). I have noticed that taking public transportation, though very convenient and efficient, tends to be one of the more sombre experiences of my day.

It seems that, aside from maybe a cathedral in the middle of the day, busses and trains are some of the quietest places you can be while still being surrounded by people. Think about it. When was the last time you were in a tight space with 50-something other people and NOBODY was talking? AT ALL? It's weird---unsettling even. I guess everyone else uses busses and trains to "wake up"...they use it as their "me time." The next time you're on a bus or train during the morning rush, listen for that deafening silence of people waking up...*WARNING* Heebie-Jeebies will likely ensue.

So where does that leave us Morning People who are already awake?

Well, I have decided to turn my morning commute into something of a mission. A mission to share my ability to be awake in the morning and to get people off on the right foot to start their day. Whether it's greeting the bus driver "good morning" or complimenting the lady across the aisle on her lovely hat, I feel that something simple as a smile can turn the drab rumble of the train car into a light song of morning satisfaction...I know, I know, I'm getting all mushy and saccharine and you, my Dear Readers are probably thinking "Isn't this, like, the plot to that stupid movie with Haley Joel Osment...the one that wasn't The Sixth Sense?" But seriously, I think there is something really legitimate to be said for making someone smile when they're getting too serious or introspective. I merely wish to serve as a reminder that there is a world outside of the Daily Metro crossword puzzle or *shudder* Taylor Swift on your iPod.

Today, I met a nice gentleman from my neighborhood who I'd never met before. I think he's gonna be my new bus friend. I like that I have a bus friend. It gives me something to look forward to in the morning. It keeps me from living in books and iPods which I find myself doing more than I'd care to admit. There is a lot that can be observed on the bus. People are very interesting animals and I think that one can learn a lot about the human condition by simply looking up instead of down for a change.

Also, I think there is something to be said for allowing oneself more time than is actually needed to get from place to place. I think that part of the reason that people are so glum on the way to work (aside from the fact that they may not actually enjoy their job) is that everything is done in a hurry. People run to catch busses and trains, people run across the street as they gulp down their coffee (which they drink to make themselves move faster), and people just don't make the time to be stress-free.

Me? I give myself plenty of time and therefore don't feel the need to hurry off from vehicle to vehicle. Again, this is a way to support my Morning Personality as Super Power theory. I realize not everyone thinks they have the ability to allow themselves this much time (debatable though, 'cause I think that it's really all a matter of will-power) but, it's still something to consider. I have found, for instance, that instead of running, walking to the train platform will usually still get me onto the train and even if it doesn't, I'm running early so I can just catch the next one. Flexibility can be a tremendous stress reliever. Maybe people would like the jobs they do more if they felt something other than stress the moment they walked in the door.

So why do I feel the need to share this epic stream of thought with you all? Well, as they said in the Spiderman movies, "with great power comes great responsibility." Though my spidey sense wasn't particularly tingly this morning (I wasn't exactly scaling walls at the train station), I was able to come to some conclusions about the powers I DO posses so why not share 'em?

So to summarize, my Dearest Readers, there is something to be said for giving yourself time in the morning. If you can keep your head in a positive place from the time you step onto the bus or train, the rest of the day should logically follow in a similarly positive light...make your own happiness, y'know? As my favorite blue environmentalist Captain Planet once said, The Power is Yours!

Till next time, my loyal band of blogophiles!

Peace, Love, and Ukuleles,
Super B

Posted by Bethany Boles at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So now that it's been nearly a year since graduation, I am starting to find that more and more people are asking me for "career advice." I have been asked by many of my younger friends questions like "if there was one piece of advice you could give me upon graduation, what would that be?" For me the answer has been consistent and simple: Keep in touch with the contacts you create and never stop making yourself known to the people who you think will be able to help you achieve your goals.

I have found that persistence has gotten me through so many doors over the last few years. I do not believe that I could have gotten my various jobs with PBS or my voice-acting gig had it not been for my incessant phone calls to producers and pokey e-mails saying "Hi there. Remember me? I'm that one who won't leave you alone until you give me a job!"...well...maybe I don't word it QUITE like that but I think I've made my point. That is, don't be afraid to let your voice be heard. Potential employers like that because it shows that you are interested in the job.

However, it's not enough to just be persistent before you've gotten the job. It is just as important to continue to be present in the lives of those who can help you while you're working and even, in many cases, after you've left that particular job. Remember, the people who help you while you're working will probably still want to help you after you've moved on to other projects. Take every opportunity you can to learn from your superiors. I am slowly amassing a cadre of mentors and I am trying to learn everything I can from them; whether it's about the job, the "biz", or just life in general. Even though I've not been in the work force that long, I have already found that I have learned quite a lot and that those who have been my bosses have remained excellent contacts and references for the future. They want to see me succeed and they want to help me so why not accept their help, right?

When I'm between jobs, I make sure to remember those who have offered their help in the past. I send an e-mail or give them a call saying "Hi. This is what I'm up to. Do you have any interesting projects or know anybody who does"...that often yields something (if only a reminder to that resource just how awesome you are).

So I suppose that's it. Persistence pays off...especially if you intend to go into a particularly competitive field. And these days, pretty much every field is a competitive one.

Until next time, Good Readers, I bid you adieu!

Peace, Love, and Ukuleles,
Bethany

Posted by Bethany Boles at 1:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Greetings Readers and welcome to my blog!

It’s been quite a whirlwind adventure since walking across the stage at CC’s 2008 commencement. Staying true to my time at Conn, I wasted no time in finding something to do. Five days after graduation, I headed back to the Bay State to start work as a production assistant (PA) for the PBS kids’ series Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman. The summer was great! I got the chance to work with some of the top professionals in the children’s media business and made some fabulous connections in the process.

WGBH is one of the leading producers of Public Television in the country so I felt very lucky to have their resources and personnel at my fingertips. The show was a lot of fun to work on and I learned a great deal about the process that goes into making a successful children’s TV show. My jobs as PA ran the gamut from making props and costume pieces to scouting locations to researching science experiments to working with the kids in the cast (with the occasional Starbucks run here and there). The hours were often long and the work was tough, but ultimately, it turned into an incredibly rewarding experience that I hope to come back to summer after summer.

After Fetch! wrapped for the summer, it was time to find new work. The great thing and the terrible thing about TV freelance is that you never know what you will be working on next. It can be tough not knowing whether or not you’ll be able to find work once one project ends and, in times like these, it’s harder than ever to find people who can afford to hire anybody. But somehow, I have managed to be in the right place at the right time.

Sometime around September, I received an IM from a former co-worker and good friend of mine asking if I’d be interested in a position with a company in Boston called Moreno/Lyons Productions. I said “yes” and with that, began my stint as PA for another PBS program, America’s Ballroom Challenge. This show covers the final rounds of the Ohio Star Ball which is the world’s largest ballroom dancing competition – far-out, I know!

For one week in November, I headed out with our crew to Columbus, Ohio where the competition was being held. I had a great time learning about the crazy world of competitive ballroom dancing and was able to experience a different kind of television production process. Over the summer, I worked for a small production, much of which was based in a studio. This time, I was part of a team assembled to capture an event of enormous scale to be filmed in just a couple of days instead of over the course of an entire summer. Instead of two cameras, we had six and it was quite a change to go from working in a studio to working in a massive exhibit hall in a convention center. The experience was really very eye-opening.

Since then, I have had the chance to see the post-production process firsthand and have gotten to play a role in making everything come together. For the first time, I’ve gotten to witness the creation of a television special from soup to nuts. Not to mention, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some very influential people in the television biz. In this game, networking is everything and I’m just trying to get myself in with all the right people. So far, so good.
Now that Ballroom is just about over, it’s time to start thinking about new projects. I have a couple of very exciting things lined up for the next few months. At the end of this month, I will go on to help out with a project at a Boston-based educational multi-media company called Fablevision.

But perhaps more exciting than anything else I’ve done since graduation, I have been very blessed with the opportunity to follow my dream of becoming a cartoon voice actor. I was recently asked to voice a pilot for a children’s TV show and while the show may never make it out of pilot status, this is truly a dream come true for me. And hey, maybe someone will pick it up. In this business, ya never know. I will have an animated piece with my voice behind it! Seriously, I am ecstatic! Sometime in February, I will be recording the episode and I will collaborate with the creator to create original and improvised content in addition to the initial script.

I guess this post makes it sound like all I’ve been doing is working…well, that’s not quite so. I’ve been writing and playing a lot of music lately (with my little ukulele) and am hoping to record some of my stuff soon. I’ve been playing a weekly open mic in Cambridge and have been having a blast doing so. I’ve also been doing theater stuff here and there; stage managing a show in the fall and now being in a show on the South Shore. I also live in a fantastic apartment in Watertown (near Cambridge) with three amazing roommates (thank you, Craigslist!).

So I realize that this entry became kind of epic in its creation but what can I say? I’ve been pretty busy! If you have any interest in checking out my first prime-time TV credit with America’s Ballroom Challenge, you can tune in to your local PBS station on Wednesday, February 25th from 9-11pm EST. Fetch! Season 4 will air sometime in September of this year. If you’re not interested…well…don’t watch!

Stay tuned for more, less Homeric updates!

Peace, Love, and Ukuleles!

~Bethany

Posted by Bethany Boles at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)