Escape to Savannah
July 15, 2009
Ever since American Spirit ran an article about Savannah, Ga., in the Spirited Adventures section of the November/December 2008 issue, I've been dying to visit. And to my delight, I finally had my chance to get away to this historic city during the 4th of July holiday weekend. While I would have been perfectly happy to spend the entire weekend soaking up the sun at nearby Tybee Island, there were a few quintessential Savannah sites I didn't want to miss. Here are a few of my favorites:
Savannah College of Art and Design: Yes, the entire college. Thanks to renovation projects throughout Savannah, the city has become a bastion for local arts and culture. You can find a number of galleries throughout the city displaying work by SCAD students, including my favorite, shopSCAD. Pictured here is the Trustees Theatre, which was built as the Weiss Theater in 1946 amid the post World War II construction Boom. In 1980 the theatre was abandoned and stood empty until SCAD acquired it and renamed it the Trustees Theater. Today it hosts a wide variety of performances, concerts and lectures for the community.
The Mercer-Williams House Museum: If you're up for a hair-raising experience, check out this spooky 19th-century house, the site where owner Jim Williams' assistant, Danny Hansford, was shot to death in 1981. The story is widely known thanks to John Berendt's 1994 novel, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The house features 18th- and 19th-century furniture, art and architecture, which was more than enough to keep me occupied. Interesting fact: Before Hansford's death, the house was home to two other deaths. In 1913, a previous owner tripped over the 2nd floor banister and died 3 days later, and in 1964, a boy chasing pigeons on the roof fell to his death.
Forsyth Park Fountain: When I picture Savannah, the first image that comes to mind is walking the path through Forsyth Park to the fountain. Shaded by centuries-old trees and Spanish moss, the benches in Forsyth Park are the perfect place to sit and relax with friends after a long day of sightseeing and gallery hopping.
Oh, and if you ever take a trip of your own to Savannah, I highly recommend the pizza at Vinnie Van Go-Go's. I could go for a slice of that right now...
Diving into Dog Ownership
May 7, 2009
I'm not sure how it happened, but between Monday evening and this morning, I became a dog person. I grew up with dogs, but as I entered my 20s, I started to become supremely annoyed by people who treated their pets better than their children. This is probably a result of the first 12 years of my life, when my mom would tell my brother and I that our dog, Remo, was her favorite child.
Foster pets have a way of becoming your own, so I might as well call him mine. I already have stupid pet names for him, like "Sweet Hogan" and "Precious Child" (for when he wants to cuddle), "Old Crazy Eyes" (for when he looks at me as in the picture above) and "Mr. Hogan" (for formal occasions). It's embarrassing, but I swear I'll put him on the back burner if I ever have children. (I think).
How My Garden Grows
April 13, 2009
Lately, I’ve been falling asleep at night with visions of tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow squash and cantaloupe dancing in my head. No, I’m not thinking about planting my own garden—my tiny apartment complex doesn’t provide enough space to do my own planting. Instead, I belong to a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program that allows me to connect directly with local farmers. It works like this: Every week a farm truck comes to my neighborhood, and the farmers hand me a huge box of fresh, organic, home-grown produce. I hand them a $20 bill, we shake hands and everyone goes home happy.
The best part? Even though I don’t always get my favorite vegetables in every shipment, I am fully confident that everything I’m eating is safe. When grocery stores can’t sell tomatoes because a mega-farm somewhere accidentally shipped unsafe produce all over the world, you’ll find me in my kitchen making homemade salsa with my CSA tomatoes. If you’re unsure about the quality of your food, simply contact your provider and they will tell you if your vegetables are at risk.
If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you probably know that I love supporting local businesses in my neighborhood—even when it means paying a little extra for what I buy. So when I learned that I could eat locally by buying my food directly from a small farmer, I was instantly hooked. Sure, the health benefits of a CSA program are great—I’m forced to cook more than I eat at restaurants, and I receive so much produce that I have no other choice than to eat vegetarian from May through October. But more than that, I love knowing that my money goes directly into the hands of small farmers who need people like me to buy into their dreams.
My first CSA shipment will arrive May 3rd—until then, I’m preparing by scouring the Internet and old family recipes for new ways to cook, can and preserve peaches, strawberries, green beans, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and more. Any suggestions?
A Day in the Life of Megan Pacella
April 9, 2009
Megan Pacella was such a great intern that we had to hire her on full-time, which we did a little more than one year ago. Besides restoring my sanity on a daily basis, Megan rocks out as an editor and writer for several of our publications now. This afternoon, I made her take out her earbuds for a minute and tell me a little bit about her daily routine here in the office.
What communications medium helps you most during the day?
Definitely IM. I work right across from Jamie's office, so I can just yell to her when I need something, but the rest of our editorial staff is a spread out through the office. Bill and I can communicate quickly through IM about one of our military clients when we're under deadline, and that saves me a lot of time. If I walked to an editor's office every time I needed something, I'd never get anything done. Sometimes I get tired of talking through text, though—I really prefer to communicate face-to-face.
What is your favorite on the job responsibility?
I love doing anything that makes me feel creative—and that changes a lot around here. I recently wrote a feature called "A Helping Hand" about small business owners who are serving their communities for MyBusiness, and that was really fun. Of all the widespread responsibilities I have, writing is probably my favorite. Call me crazy, but I also love to edit any articles that need serious help. There's something refreshing about reworking a story with a red pen and making it sound better. The newest thing on my slate is learning about video editing and production, and I really like that a lot, too. As it turns out, I really just love my job, so I enjoy carrying out most of my responsibilities (except all the fact-checking can get really old!).
Do you listen to music while you work? If so, what are your favorite artists/songs while working?
You will rarely catch me NOT listening to music while I work. Seriously, I pretty much have some kind of music pumping through my ears at all hours of the day. My favorites change all the time. Every Monday I make a playlist called "make it happen" and I listen to that all week. This week's selections: Jonathan Ammons, Gretel, Rod Stewart, David Bazan, Blitzen Trapper, Iron and Wine, The Submarines, Stephen Sebastian and Okkervil River. I could never narrow it down to just a few, but lately I've found myself putting "Furr" by Blitzen Trapper on repeat. I love words so much, and having lyrics running through my head isn't a distraction for me, it's just the opposite: Clever lyrics inspire me to be a better and more creative writer and editor. I should stop there. I could talk about music all day.
What's the last thing you do before you leave the office every evening?
I'm a little obsessive about my end-of-the-day routine. I wash out my coffee cup, declutter and straighten up my desk, and then I make a to-do list for the next day. I have to write the list on the same type of paper with the same pen (the Barack Obama pen Jamie bought me at the Inauguration) every evening. I order the list by importance and I draw a small box next to each item so I can check tasks off as I work the next day. I never leave without making that list, because it allows me to hit the ground running every morning. I never have to think about what needs to be done; my entire day is waiting for me on my mousepad each morning when I come to work. The last thing I do is find my cell phone and call whomever I'm meeting that night to tell them I'm late—I'm always late for everything.
Making the Video: What I Learned on My First Video Shoot
March 2, 2009
It’s not very often that I put down my red pen and dive into a different type of media, but when my fellow Hammockites called upon me to help produce a video that would augment a sales presentation, I found myself instantly thrown into the world of video production. Forty-eight hours and two sleepless nights later, I had completed my very first video project—and learned a few important lessons to boot.
The most important one? You can’t control the weather (I assisted the videographer as we shot outside in 20-degree temps for 8 hours last Saturday), but with a little organization and a lot of legwork, you can put together a beautiful video on extremely short notice. If you’re not sure where to start, check out these five steps to making the video:
1. Call for backup. When I learned on Thursday night that I would need to round up 10 or more college students to interview for our project, I immediately turned to my phone book. Remember all those favors you’ve done for other people? It’s time to call in a few of your own. After five phone calls, I had lined up five participants for Saturday afternoon’s video shoot. And after a mass e-mail, we found six more to participate on Sunday.
2. Scope out locations. Your video can only look as good as the location in which you shoot it. Look for well-lit areas without a lot of traffic so you can set up your video gear and shoot your subject in a semi-private location (where he or she will probably feel less nervous in front of the camera). Our choices? A colorful concrete wall, a white doorway in the midst of a charcoal wall, the steps of an auditorium on a college campus and among trees in a quiet park.
3. Get organized. If you’re shooting on short notice, staying organized is the most important—and the most difficult—part of the project. The night before the video shoot, make a list of what you need to bring (including camera cords, lighting, tripods, back drops, props, batteries, microphones, etc.), a detailed shot list (so you get the look you want for the video), and a comprehensive schedule (with plenty of extra time included for mishaps—because they will happen). Once you’ve finished scheduling, contact each of your subjects to give them the time and place where they’ll need to be; then e-mail the schedule to everyone involved. Keep a list of contacts and phone numbers handy in case one of your subjects forgets when and where they need to show up.
4. Pay close attention. Keep a list of certain shots and interviews that look and sound particularly good. This will save you time when you edit later, and can help you start building ideas for how to organize the video. Also, double check everyone’s wardrobe and hair to make sure nothing is out of place. There’s nothing more frustrating than a shot that is unusable because someone’s eyes are covered up by their hair. Also, check the microphones between every participant to make sure they are working properly and sound crystal clear.
5. Pull it all together. Consult the list you kept during the video shoot, and only keep the best footage. Once you’ve selected your favorite shots, pulling together the final product will be much easier. That’s not to say that the editing process will go quickly—it took us 6 hours to create a 2-minute video. Stock up on caffeine and snacks to fuel your body (I don’t think I’ve ever drank that much sweet tea in one sitting), and before you know it you’ll have a great video on your hands.
Like anything else, the more time you have to shoot and edit the video, the better it can turn out. But if you’re like me and you only have 48 hours to turn it around, these tips will have you well on your way to producing a hit video.
Ringing in the New Year
December 27, 2008
I generally do my best to avoid making New Year's resolutions, since I usually end up breaking them (like when I resolved to give up eating chocolate in 2005, and had already devoured a Hershey bar by Jan. 4). But when Summer asked us to come up with a few goals for 2009, I decided that reflecting on my work at Hammock and what I would like to improve upon in the new year can't be a bad thing. Here are my resolutions, in no particular order:
1. Communicate with my co-workers in person more than I do via iChat or e-mail.
2. Eat lunch every single day, no matter how busy we are in the office.
3. Cut my coffee intake from two cups each morning to one (maybe next year I'll give it up altogether!).
4. Post weekly (or at least bi-weekly) updates on my people page blog.
5. Finish my American Spirit and MyBusiness stories before Lena and Jamie have to hunt me down to get them.
How to Reach Me Over the Holidays
December 23, 2008
In about two hours I'll be boarding a flight to Pittsburgh, Penn., where I will spend the next seven days eating lots of Christmas cookies and catching up with family and old friends. But don't worry: I'll be working from home and checking e-mail multiple times a day, just for you. If you need me before we're back in the office on Jan. 5, just shoot me an e-mail at mpacella@hammock.com, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Have a safe and happy holiday season!
Exploring Oregon
November 24, 2008
I'm back in the office after a quick--and action-packed--trip to Oregon. Ever since I traveled through the Pacific Northwest in 2006, I've been scheming for a reason to go back--and when my best friend offered up a free flight to Portland, I finally had the perfect excuse.
With only a few days to spend in the city and its surrounding areas, I carefully planned a way to hit a number of urban attractions as well as enjoy a few outdoor adventures. Here are the highlights of my trip, in no particular order:
The Pearl District: The Pearl District's unique cafes, restaurants, boutiques and art galleries make it a paradise for tourists like me who love to find local color in a new city. Be sure to visit Powell's Books, the largest new and used bookstore in the world, and then take your purchases to Pearl Bakery where you can enjoy a signature cup of coffee and a freshly baked pastry while you read.
My First Habitat House
September 26, 2008
Putting Our Folio Knowledge to Work
September 24, 2008
At this time yesterday, I was enjoying the sights and sounds of Michigan Avenue in Chicago, where Jamie, Emily and I stayed for a night to attend the 2008 Folio Show. After a day and a half of jam-packed sessions covering everything from writing must-read stories to boosting online reader engagement, I'm finally back at my cubicle trying to put to good use all of the helpful tidbits I learned on Monday and Tuesday. Here's an overview of a few helpful sessions I attended this week:
Creating reader engagement
With the transition from magazines to new media, it's important for editors to seek new ways of grabbing (and holding) readers' attention. Here are a few tips offered by Boyce Thompson, editorial director of Hanley Wood, and Daniel Verdon, editor-in-chief of DVM Newsmagazine:
1. Build Community. Give your readers an opportunity to be involved in your magazine by using Internet message boards and letters to the editor, and including readers in your news.
2. Make Navigation Easy. Package your stories with inviting headlines, informative decks and eye-catching photos. Readership drops off with length, so make the lead catchy and keep important information close to the top.
3. Use Visual Storytelling. Use your photos to set a mood and communicate the theme of the article. Make sure your cutlines offer vital details about the photos so you can use images to present information.
4. Try Alternate Story Forms. Instead of using traditional long-form articles, try top 10 lists, timelines, charticles, pro and con lists, how-tos and Q&As. These forms are visually engaging and require tight writing that will hold readers' attention.
How to manage multiple projects
Hammock is more than a publishing company--it's a custom media company. And that means most of us Hammock people have to wear a lot of different hats in order to produce print, Web and video content for our clients. That's why I found this session by Brian Monroe, editor of Ebony and Jet magazines, so useful.
Monroe presented a case study of his company's coverage of the Democratic National Convention, a project that looked similar to Hammock's coverage of the NFIB Small Business Summit. The Ebony/Jet staff formed a team to cover the DNC using video interviews, photography, liveblogging and other forms of writing. Click here to see their work.
Monroe's tips for coordinating a team to complete this kind of project:
1. Be clear about objectives. Have a clear plan in mind for the end result so your staff knows exactly what it's trying to achieve.
2. Assign tasks appropriately. Before you get to blogging, make sure every one has a defined task to carry out so nothing is overlooked.
3. Let each medium do what it does best. There are things you can do with video, like capture the exact mood of a venue, that you just can't do as well in print. Make sure you harness the full potential of each medium.
4. Evaluate success. Once you're back in the office and your project is done, take the time to evaluate your work so you can improve your product the next time around.
Now that we're back to the grind, I'm looking forward to putting all this helpful information to work.
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