Monday 11 April 2011

"Google before you tweet is the new think before you speak"

The above doesn't relate to my Catch 22 Academy experience to date; but the quote is cool, no? And TRUE. Shout out to the Total Film alumni for that one.

There is nothing that separates the present cohorts from the previous academy members - I'm sure they are enthusiastic and creative individuals all. But we were truly thrown in at the deep end on the first day, instructed to get into groups and glean news stories from the locals in the immediate Haringey/Tottenham area.

As someone who had never set foot in Seven Sisters before, this was daunting. All I knew was that there was a Tesco up the road (for lunch) with cash machines (to take out money for lunch) and a considerable amount of chicken shops (for lunch). However the task turned out to be a valuable learning experience; helping me to differentiate between what is news and what isn't - and apparently a Disco Ball party at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre isn't.

So far so fail. And it seemed to get worse for a while. Suggestions at features meetings fell flat, particularly my FIRST headed "What's the point of the Royal Family?" or as I now like to call it, "Bun the Royal Family" (thanks, Matilda!); and worse still, the dreaded FIND A LOCAL NEWS STORY MARK II that actually saw me in a disabled toilet making frantic phone calls, on a park bench having a mini break down, haranguing the owner of a Christian book shop and having my lunch on a tube to Finsbury Park when the bus would have taken half the time (although then I wouldn't have been able to finish my Smoky Bacon crisps).

But the Catch 22 process has been a roller-coaster. Not the standard up/down type, but more this type, thankfully with a greater number of ups than loops.

Court reporting was a fun day, so I would like to give a mention to the seemingly ordinary embezzler charged with eight counts of forgery, for making the experience so productive. I aim to find out what happened to her. The hearing wasn't as high profile as this guy's:
but close I think. Transferral of criminal property is a serious business! Furthermore, I learnt court reporting isn't all live-blogs as I first thought, but it is a clear and simple way of writing down the facts. And as a post-grad law student I lapped it up, legal jargon and all.

Surprisingly I'm pleased with my brief for my final feature idea. It was the very first idea I thought of - I thought it was decent when I made my pitch - which was also decent *smug alert*. So expect a little something on home-grown cartoons in the C22 magazine later this year WITH MY NAME ON IT. My name. Did I mention I'm writing it and my name will be there?

So to conclude, and because I have to put in a video, HOW DOES CATCH 22 MAKE ME FEEL?

At times, like this:







But then other times similar to this guy:






Et voila.

Next Time: My Feature: A Rant About Intros, What Matilda Was Wearing and When (it's always slick), and what my cohorts would be if they were a chocolate bar (all yummy, natch).

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