Hack Studios

Hiya!

Intern here! I was asked to write a blog post about the next steps in my life which if you read step 1 of my last post you know that i like to avoid this topic as much as possible. My fear of people disapproving is almost equal to Dieters deep rooted fear of stickers. I am 5,000% a people pleaser and often when talking about my plans people tend to look at me like I’m a crazy person. But, I’m listening to some calming John Mayer so that I can peacefully bring you “The next steps in life,” by Amelia Mook.

The most common follow up question after hearing about graduating is “are you looking for a job?” And little me is doing the complete opposite. First of all, I bought a one way ticket out of the country. By myself. For at least 6 months. Maybe a year?

Hello and welcome to this one and only edition of the interns guide to responsibility and adulthood. As you already know, I am a college intern for Hack Studios. But not any more people, I have officially finished school FOREVER. What? I don’t know. Am I an adult? Absolutely not, I am probably the farthest thing from whatever the definition of adult is.

^yeah I am 100% not that.

It also means that I don’t have to run to class every day, and I can stay for margarita lunches at Hack. These are occasional events (usually on Thursday) where everyone plays HQ and looks at pictures of dogs. It also means that now I am very under qualified to give out some advice on how to adult for beginners. Here we go.

Step 1: Avoid the conversation of what you are doing after college like the plague.

Step 2: Buy the cheapest plane ticket you can find to a foreign country in order to escape in the night so responsibility can’t find you.

Step 3: Save up all of the money you possibly can for the impending doom that is likely to follow your release into the real world.

Step 4: Rewatch all 6 seasons of teen wolf in a row, because who knows when this will ever be possible again in life.

Step 5: Swear that no matter how old you get you will never EVER listen to the radio at the sound turned down to level 5 like your mother.

Step 6: Go to the store to buy an adult wardrobe but then remember that you are still 22 and jam to taylor swift instead.

Step 7: Realize that there are plenty of other people who also have absolutely no idea what they're doing and go get some ice cream as comfort food.

Step 8:You should probably learn how to cook just one fancy dish so you can trick people into thinking you are doing great in life.

Step 9: Meet lots of actual real adult friends because heavens you will need them to help you figure out important things like what the different types of light bulbs mean.

AND FINALLY Step 10 (which is the most important)

Hello again!

Intern extraordinaire here bringing you another grammar deprived blog post. I was informed the other day that I have to write an 8 page paper in MLA format which i forgot even existed, so please send all good vibes my way... I desperately need them. Anyway, today’s post I will be giving you movie suggestions based on mood. I have meticulously scoured and come up with perfect movies for every mood you could possibly have. Lets begin.

Last week I was given the task of writing a blog for Hack. Seeing that I am only an ok writer on a really really good day I have a lingering fear my blog posts will bore some to sleep. But I also feel like this is my Julie & Julia moment, except writing posts about literally anything else other than food… because I murder everything I make.

For my first little post I have decided to introduce you to myself so you can get a sense of the maestro behind the keys. Now, my 1 follower (fingers crossed I have at least 1) must keep this very hush hush cause this is some deep inside Amelia stuff bout to come out right now... Let's start with gifs.

Yes, I’m referring to myself as a baby again. I’m not thrilled with the comparison, but I have yet to find a better way to describe me in all of my newbiness here at Hack. Does anyone have a more flattering metaphorical device? Do let me know.

A few weeks ago I encountered another big first while on set: I was the one in front of the camera. Believe it or not, I’ve been in front of a camera before,  but never have I ever been paid to do so. That’s right: I got my first acting gig!  And I looked good.

Ok fine, maybe I didn’t look that good but I read those words off that teleprompter with the grace and ease of this creature.

Needless to say, my acting career is off to a booming start. I should be hearing back from Robby Rodriguez any day now. Anyyy day.

So for all of you out there just dying to hear my newfound words of wisdom, let me tell you how it’s done. Reading off a teleprompter in front of a green screen wearing a professional-looking blazer is a delicate art, but follow these 3 rules and you’ll be on your way to the top in no time.

Put make-up on your face, then bring a lot more make-up for later because people will make incisive comments about your lovely skin blemishes that they have the pleasure of seeing in HD. 

Smile a lot. They will keep telling you to smile and you will feel stupid but this is your burden to bear. Greatness has a price.

Try to remember how to read. It is trickier than you think. 

I could continue giving you advice, but then I’d be heading into the dangerous territory of having no idea what I’m talking about. Farewell, rising stars! Until next time.

Love,

It’s already shaping up to be quite a week for us all at Hack, especially those coming off the Oktoberfest celebration of Saturday.

Come on guys, let off him, Kris was there in spirit. 

Now it’s time to get busy planning our next event, coming Thursday, November 3rd, our first… HACKY HOUR!! Alright, that’s a lie, we’ve had a Hacky Hour in the past, but it’s been 3 years and coming from someone who really, really enjoys parties, that is far too long. In fact, this Hacky Hour business might just become a monthly excuse to get everyone drunk... I mean, get everyone together. 

So cheers to some good ol’ Texas beer and come hang with us in a few weeks to celebrate… well, whatever you like; Movember, November, Hack, beer, wine, girls, guys, life with a beard, lumberjacks, chipmunks under a bus stop waiting for the rain to let up, the list is literally endless.

Yes, I am referring to myself here. Because as Hack’s 23-year-old intern, I am effectively the company baby. But a cool baby, mind you. Like this guy.

Yesterday Hack ventured to the home of my best friend’s dad to shoot a mocumentary. I’ve always thought of Brian as the cool guy who makes us margaritas and plays a filthy game of Cards Against Humanity. Here he is, in his natural habitat.

But, as the CEO and founder of HomeAway, Brian’s also what one might call a Big Deal. And Hack had the pleasure of making his creative masterpiece come to life via the silver screen. Incidentally, this shoot also marked my first day of being semi-useful on a professional set. 

Now, as a student filmmaker I like to fancy myself reasonably competent with production. I’ve held many a boom, mastered the deep, authoritative voice I use for yelling “Action!” and “Cut!” and “Sound to speed!”, and you better believe I know what a stinger is. Look at me, I embody professionalism. 

(That camera belongs in a museum)

Believe it or not, student film sets are different from real ones. Bumbling around is not generally appreciated, and wasting time is not an option. And, seeing as the things created on set are not mine to mess up, holding a boom proved more nerve-wracking than it should be. 

Luckily, everyone at Hack is absurdly kind and trusted me just enough to let me do something while being appropriately vigilant in ensuring I didn’t make a fool of myself. Thank you, Dieter and Chase, for politely reminding me to point the microphone at the actors. Little details. 

If I had to describe the experience in one word, it would be “humbling”. I mean, I was the writer/director/editor/DP of this world-famous film:

(Incidentally the girl in the blond wig is my best friend Chloe/Brian’s daughter. Greatness runs in the family.)

So to go from those lofty heights to shakily holding a boom praying I don’t lose my set privileges is quite a reality check. But hey, isn’t that what being an intern is all about? 

It’s real, and I blame ‘Murica. The dreaded “Freshman 15” is a phrase bandied about by those who fall prey to rapid and monumental weight gain which often accompanies the start of college. Now, seeing as that doesn’t apply to someone who’s 23-years-old, is five years past their Freshman orientation, and should really know the caloric disparity between a salad or four donuts for lunch, there’s no excuse. Firstly, here are the culprits for said atrocity.

Secondly, if that donut dressed up as Cookie Monster to try save itself by appealing to our inner-child, it didn’t work. Blueberry, delicious. 

Not to fear though, I’ll be back to optimum famine fitness in no time thanks to a refusal to eat anything that tastes remotely like actual food, and being encouraged(forced, physically forced) to exercise with everyone else.

There’s nothing inherently wrong a person who, with the absolute freedom and capability to make anywhere in the world their home, chooses Texas as their basecamp in life. Having said that, it’s probably still worth double-checking to see if they’re also wearing socks and sandals, or sporting a tin-foil hat and socks and sandals, or are screaming televangelical proclamations in your face. Or they might simply be wearing socks and sandals, because it takes all sorts, I guess.

Anyway, my stance on the matter is not because of the bible-belters and I’ve encountered, nor the food or drink, both of which I’ve enjoyed, judging by my waistline, slightly too much. No, the only problem I have with Texas is the heat it endures. A heat which my rigid vocabulary cannot bend enough to find an adequate adjective for. It’s tough not to feel a little like Icarus, flying far too close to the sun. Having left Ireland six months ago, I received a solitary piece of advice from each of my parents. Don’t die (dad), and make sure you wear sunscreen (mam).  Somehow I’ve managed to keep both promises so far, but as the temperature rises, so does my metaphorical ascent towards the sun, and I can already feel my figurative feathers falling away. But unlike his deathly descent in the stunningly scenic sea surrounding Crete, I’ll probably just head over to Barton Springs for a bit. Seems a bit safer that way, and it’ll keep my mam off my back.

So, a lot’s happened since that last post. A Monte Cristo sandwich, the accompanying guilt and Braxton Hicks contractions, and even some ill-advised attempts at high-brow baby humour. We’ve been busy, clearly.

There was also an outing to Peter Pan’s mini golf, but there’s no photographic evidence of said trip. You can blame that on the fact that it was simply too much fun to take any. Well, either that, or the fact that it’s a BYOB establishment, but you’re not the type of person to jump to that conclusion, right? Remember, there’s no fun in being right if you simultaneously out somebody for an addiction they’d rather have hidden behind their nationality. Anyway, till next time, here’s Chase running around the woods like a young Sam Raimi.

The blue dot in the red state, Austin does Texas a bit differently. You’ll still find all the BBQ, rivers of beer cans, and heat that makes you question whether God is trying to melt you, but you’re also likely to end up playing a game of “hipster or homeless”, a game you’ll probably lose more often than not. If you think that’s an exaggeration(which it most definitely is not), here’s a man banging away in an LED-lit drum wagon. Yes, before you ask, that is the best way that I can describe this image. Believe me, I tried.

Anyway, SXSW is over, and the lunacy that accompanies it has gone with it. While we’re sad to see it finally finish, those feelings are washed-over by the joyful thoughts of the sleep that can now be caught up on. Like a windup toy that’s on it’s last rotation, for the past two weeks the city has been a loud, entertaining yet simultaneously annoying mess, but an amazing experience despite the madness. However, what goes up must….well, anyone left in the city is shattered, and the cities that supplied some of the SX visitors are probably feeling the impact too. It’s time to fall face-first on the ground and hope someone winds us up to go again next year. We’ll have more to say once we have time to collect our thoughts, but until then, here’s Chase with his first(temporary) tattoo. They grow up so quick.

The phrase “why Austin?” used to be a good way to start a conversation with me, before quickly becoming a great way to end one.   The answer wasn’t ever going to be because of the cowboy boots, or their accompanying hats for that matter. Nor would it be because of a deep-seated love of Texas, or the Ewings. Well, the year-round music and film scene didn’t hurt, and the fact that the sun exists here was a huge plus. But the chance to experience one of the world’s most talked about festivals was too good an opportunity to pass up, and here we are.

We’ve been prepping in the office all week, hence that table full of gear, and we’re going to try our best to keep you informed. But we won’t have time to blog everyday, so follow our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more frequent updates. And if you don’t have any of those, just swing by the office and scream at us for answers, somebody’ll oblige, I’m sure. Anyway, here’s the back of Chase’s head as we did some time lapses for Bud Light. If you get a chance, check out their interactive wall at the Convention Centre, there’s literally “99 Bottles Of Beer On The Wall”.

Here’s the thing, the Oscars are rigged. Why do I say that, you might ask. Simple, barely anything I wanted to win actually did, and if that’s not confirmation of collusion, I don’t know what is.

Thankfully, the tactic of picking Mad Max for every category ensured a respectable final total of 6/24. Although we can’t help but think picking it for the 14 awards it wasn’t nominated for may have been somewhat of a hindrance.  Anyway, we still managed to enjoy ourselves, in some cases (my case) a little too much. That’s why it’s tough to remember exactly when this photo was taken, but we can assume it was directly after Leo picked up his little golden man trophy. Well, it was either that or at any other point of the night, your call.

Sorry, there’s no donuts, but now we have your attention, so..... A business starting a blog in 2016 screams of two things: they’re desperate to catch up to their socially savvy competitors, or they’re hoping to market themselves to you in a more personal manner. Anyway, we’re starting a blog. Why? It gives our intern Jason something to do*. He’s new to the country, he’s Irish, and he’s currently writing in the third person. More importantly, he has no experience of America, Austin, or working in video production, so we can showcase the workings of a company like ours through the POV of someone fresh to it all. Plus, we can laugh at him for being foreign. There’ll be a lot about production, filming, some unnecessary shots of local landmarks you’re sick of seeing, and some food, because, y’know, FOOD! Now, you’ve been warned. Chat soon, g’luck.