Comm 2660 final

Since I was involved in making the documentary fil Erik I will answer the second question. Since this class was one of the last film classes i needed in the program, I already knew a lot about the different ways to produce film and everything, so my whole overall experience in the Dixie film program has changed the way i watch and even think about film. Everytime i watch a movie now i am thinking about how they got that shot. Since being in the film program i have learned about all of the different equipment that is used to pull off certain shots, and I am so intrigued by the way that equipment is used. The one thing nice about being a welder/fabricator is that I can see these ideas and all of this different equipment, and i can look at it and replicate it and make my own. especially after NAB now i have all these different ideas on how to make a really nice jib and a remote control slider for doing timelapse photography and things like that. I'm really excited about one project im going to start working on as soon as i get back to alaska and start working in the shop again. Im going to make a big Jib that mounts in the back of my truck. I'm also going to make a steadicam arm to go on the top of the jib so that way somebody can drive my truck, and i can be standing in the bed operating the jib and i can still get really smooth shots. So it has been more of a combination of all of the film classes that i have had at dixie that has turned me into the critic and the thinker that i have turned into. Ben Braten and Luke Draper have been a huge help as far as an editing and a production standpoint goes. Being able to work with professional DP's and editors has been a huge learning experience. Now I am headed back to alaska where I'm going to take this fall semester off to do all kinds of hunting trips where I can work on my senior capstone film and hopefully establish myself as an alaskan outdoor film maker.    

Photo Journalism Final

I always thought it would be cool if the newspaper would do an article once or twice a week about random local people who might have an interesting story, especially in a smaller town like St. George. I feel like it would give the readers a chance to get to know some people that they might not normally come across. So my story is more of a heartwarming piece about an interesting young man with an interesting story that I know here in St. George. 

The first day I rolled into St. George on January 6th, 2011, I showed up at my apartment and met one of my roomates. He saw that I had a decent sized truck and immediately asked if i would like to help our other roomate get his truck unstuck out of the mud. We drove down to the virgin river near where all the skimboarders hang out, and there was a young skinny blonde haired kid covered in mud trying to shove boards under the tires of his truck so he could get traction to get out. Thats when I met the owner of the truck, Andy Markus. Andy drives a 1977 GMC Sierra single cab long bed truck with a 6 inch lift, and two of his tires were stuck in the mud about up to his fenders. My immediate thought was "what was this kid thinking?" 

 We finally had to get a professional tow truck with a big winch to winch him out. As soon as we got back to the apartment and all cleaned up, we finally got a chance to talk and get to know eachother a little bit. He noticed that I had a truck with a custom light bar and toolbox that i had built myself, and he immediately started questioning me about every little detail on my truck. It was then i realized that Andy was a HUGE truck nerd. 

So I started asking Andy questions about his truck. Andy's Grandpa had given Andy the truck when Andy was a senior in high school. Andy's grandpa lives in idaho and Andy and his parents lived in Salt Lake, so His Grandpa left the truck in Salt Lake and headed back to Idaho. This is what the truck looked like when Andy got it

This was a 2-wheel drive truck that is normal ride height. As soon as Andy's Grandpa left, Andy began researching and learning everything he could about the truck. The unique thing is is that Andy's Father knows nothing about mechanics or trucks or working on anything for that matter. Andy was so grateful of his grandfather giving him a truck that he felt he owed it to his Grandpa to know how to take excellent care of his truck. Andy immediately took the truck into his shop and basically began rebuilding it from the ground up. His goal was to have an awesome 4x4 truck when he got done. Andy taught himself how to weld, and did some research and began converting his Grandpas 2-wheel drive truck into a 4-wheel drive.  He litereally had the entire truck apart, down to the frame, without any prior experience. Andy recalls his father coming into the shop to have a serious talk with him. His father basically told him that he was extremely dissapointed that he would take a perfectly nice truck and basically destroy it. Andy's dad had no faith in him that he knew enough about mechanics to put the truck back together. That pretty much inspired Andy and within the summer Andy had a perfectly well functioning off-road 4x4 truck with a 6-inch lift and big mud tires. 

Andy knows this truck like the back of his hand. Since he had built the truck he has been pushing his limits as an off-road enthusiast. He is harder on his truck than anyone i have ever met, but he knows exactly how to fix every little piece if something goes wrong.

Since he has got the truck, He has gone through SIX engines, He has blown THREE transmissions, he has broken FOUR back axles, SIX axle shafts, FOUR clutches, he has snapped a leaf spring, and just recently he snapped clean the 1/2" Cast Iron transfer case mount. 

Just a few days ago Andy had told me that his transfer case mount had snapped clean, which is pretty impressive. He also told me that at the same time he recieved a phone call from his father telling him that his Grandpa was in the hospital after having two heart attacks... I knew that meant that Andy was going to be working his heart out on his truck, and I offered my hand, and asked if I could photograph him as well.

This is my good friend Andy Markus, an extremely gracious and generous young man who appreciates above and beyond when someone lends a helping hand or sticks their neck out for someone. He's more passionate about his truck than anyone i have ever met. After the semester is over, Andy is driving his truck to Idaho to visit his Grandpa, who is doing better now but is still getting older and more unhealthy. Andy's Grandpa will see for the first time the truck that his Grandson has rebuilt from the ground up. 

This is Andy working on his truck after hearing the news about his grandfather.