Why, Hello There!

Hello from your newest Tiny Superstar!

My name is Kristy, and I'm super excited to be here. Tomorrow (well, technically today) I meet Bridget for the first time outside of electronic communication and receive the footage, and TJ for the second time in relation to this project. I'll be keeping you kids updated with my side of the production, and to start us off I have a lot to talk about.

I'm friends with at least three of these comics; some of the funniest people I know.

I saw TJ for the first time performing comedy at a show in Burbank, where if memory serves she was the headliner. When she said she was in search of an editor a week ago or so, a mutual comedian friend pointed me her way and I jumped at my chance to impress her first chance I got. And apparently I did, because here I am now!

I love editing more than a lot of things, because I love having such a huge and important part in bringing together the efforts and imaginations of many a creative peoples. I also like it because I'm good at it. I've found fixes for the nearly unfixable through editing, bringing back projects many would have abandoned for lack of cohesion. That's perhaps the thing I love most about editing - that I can do that. Previous projects for me started with various videos for fun when I was in middle school, went on to completing school projects via film in middle school and high school, grew in college where I've grown producing not just assignments for my own class, but also helping all my friends in their production classes as well (usually these were more advanced classes than mine since I am at least a year younger than most of my friends), and progressed into creating films for competitions and even a local television show that was produced weekly in NY where I served as director, writer, actor, set designer, editor, and special effects editor (needless to say it was a huge handful). I've had a hand in pretty much every aspect of film making because film is just the greatest thing ever and I can't get enough of it.

When TJ and I met officially for the first time, we hit it off pretty quickly. There's a lot of things about our personalities that I think mesh very well. She gave me an official rundown of what would be required of me and the immensity of the task at hand, and it only got me more excited to work on the project. She told me about her story, the story driving the documentary, and it struck me as deeply fascinating. I absolutely admire the drive and courage she has displayed in her past, and the positive outlook she has taken it all in with. She told me a little about Bridget, and asked me a few questions about myself while ascertaining the similarities the two of us have (from what I remember in particular, a love of indie rock and Disney).

<3

At points in the conversation, TJ struck up a conversation with these disruptive boys who gave off an air of hooliganery and watching them interact was great fun for me (especially since I rarely even talk to people I know for no reason at all, let alone strangers). As she commented (here comes my poor paraphrase) "it's not often you see a forty-something dyke talk to three boys like them just out of the blue like they can do that." Then they asked us for a couple of dollars to get donuts and we both complied. They had this beach ball that TJ formed an attachment to and after they'd disposed of it, she asked if they would get it for her. A long time passed in our conversation, and surprisingly enough they came back with the beach ball, which had apparently gotten caught on the roof. I'm still amused and baffled that they went through so much trouble to get it for her. Eventually we parted ways after figuring out around when our next meeting could be.

During the conversation, TJ mentioned how she really did want a female editor to work on this. As a female editor, I can tell you that's not a particularly easy task. For some reason editing is one of those careers that does not attract a lot of women, sort of like comedy. While it may be because generally girls seem more attracted to more social occupations than editing, I think (and I believe TJ as well, from our conversation) that it has a lot to do with enablement in early life. I am positive that is true in at least comedy. Girls are not enabled to believe in themselves and their abilities with the same sort of gusto as a boy is. Girls are not generally encouraged to be funny or cerebral (which is to me a crime), and while we live in changing times and this may not be entirely true in the newer generations, it was certainly true for me growing up. And I'm a rebel at heart.

I remember a particular time when I was a kid, wherein my dad would quiz my brother on math and only ever ask him problems, and I threw a fit and demanded to be asked as well, pointing out that maybe the reason I didn't seem as good at math as my brother was because I received little to no encouragement (despite my natural affection for it), especially in comparison. I was very into women's rights at 8 years old, something that has only deepened and grown as I've gotten older.

Anyways, it occurs to me that I've written quite a lot (I'm just really excited to be here), and my hands are still a little bloated from an allergic reaction I had yesterday, so I'll end with a short list of things I'm particularly super excited about this project for:

+ I get to work with two very talented ladies
+ Getting to know them both is going to be such fun!
+ TJ's story is absolutely something that needs to get out there
+ Ellen!
+ TJ's drive to get herself out there and get things done to do so with
+ Editing!

And with that, I bid you adieu!

- Kristy