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American University School of Communication
Media in the Mix
Welcome to "Media in the Mix," the only podcast produced and hosted by the School of Communication at American University. Join us as we create a safe space to explore topics and communication at the intersection of social justice, tech, innovation & pop culture. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Anchor, and Amazon Music. Watch on Spotify and YouTube.
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From Punchlines to Timelines with Isaiah Headen!
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LATEST EPISODE
From Punchline to Timelines with Isaiah Headen
Tune in to this week’s episode of Media in the Mix as we sit down with Isaiah Headen, a double eagle (SOC/BA'06, MA'10) and seasoned senior creative editor. With over a decade of experience in broadcast postproduction, Isaiah has worked on an impressive range of projects, from documentaries and promos to music videos and short films. Join us as we explore his journey, his passion for storytelling, and his work for clients like PBS, the World Bank, and even the Bloomberg 2020 campaign. You won’t want to miss this insightful conversation!
LISTEN HERE:
Transcription
00:00:00:02 - 00:00:32:12
Isaiah
Life is what you make of it. Like, you can't wait for other people to kind of give you things or doors to open and you kind of have to just build it yourself. And in the process of building it yourself, other things will happen. Good things will happen. You will attract that kind of energy and stuff. Like I didn't get into sketch comedy to start a sketch comedy festival and to have all these new friends as an adult and kind of have my world grow and spend my nights laughing with some of the funniest people I've ever met.
00:00:32:18 - 00:00:46:11
Isaiah
Once I started building that world and leaning into it and committing time to it like the other stuff grew and blossomed and the trees bearing fruit. And now that exist, that that's something that’s the shade of the tree I get to live under.
00:00:46:13 - 00:01:12:14
Grace
Welcome to Media in the Mix. The only podcast produced and hosted by the School of Communication at American University. Join us as we create a safe space to explore our topics and communication at the intersection of social justice, tech innovation and pop culture. All right, Welcome back to Media in the Mix. I'm your host, Grace Ibrahim. And today we're welcoming Isaiah Headen a double SOC alum to the podcast.
00:01:12:15 - 00:01:13:15
Grace
Thanks so much for being here.
00:01:13:20 - 00:01:15:02
Isaiah
Thank you so much, Grace. Appreciate it.
00:01:15:03 - 00:01:35:13
Grace
Absolutely. So to give you a little background on our guest, Isaiah has built a career in broadcast post-production as a senior creative editor for over a decade, combining his storytelling passion with his technical skills. Isaiah's work includes promos, documentaries, commercials, music videos and short films for clients like GCA, Public Building Service, American Heart Association, PBS, and the World Bank.
00:01:35:18 - 00:01:54:16
Grace
My sister works at the World thinks that's pretty cool. Notably, he edited documentaries for For the Nation to Nation exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian and was the lead editor for the Bloomberg 2020 campaign. In his spare time, Isaiah is a photographer and comedy writer, which I'd also love to dive into today. And yeah, let's let's get it started.
00:01:54:16 - 00:01:55:16
Isaiah
Yep, ready to go.
00:01:55:20 - 00:02:10:18
Grace
So I'm going to start with some questions that are going to kind of take you down memory lane. If you don't mind. Can you just tell us a little bit of your time at SOC, you're a double alum correct? So undergrad and grad was at SOC. So what made you come back?
00:02:10:20 - 00:02:31:23
Isaiah
I was lazy. You know, they have that. I don't know. They still have it, but they had the ability to where you could like skip a lot of things by just coming back for a fifth year, right? And I was like, Yeah, I'll just do that. All my friends are here and I don't have to leave. Yeah, So I just applied, got in and just kept going.
00:02:32:01 - 00:02:39:01
Grace
That’s awesome. And then did you have any like favorite classes or any professors that stuck out in your mind? You still remember? Till this day?
00:02:39:03 - 00:03:05:03
Isaiah
I think the best class I took was a class by Chris Palmer. Wildlife guy. Documentary Documentarian, kind of a life Coach. I would say that class bonded very well. And not only do we enjoy the class and got to know him, but like, we all got to know each other very well. And I'm still connected to a lot of those people where we've kind of like, helped each other out throughout our careers.
00:03:05:05 - 00:03:21:21
Isaiah
And it's like a lot of the film classes I took growing up through here, people went off to different things. But for some reason, that class was like you were locked in. Whatever next project, Like even after class ended, we kept working with each other. And I just didn't experienced that in the other class.
00:03:21:21 - 00:03:39:01
Grace
That's awesome. We always stress on this podcast because, you know, for any prospective students or current students that you like network not only with your professors, but with each other, because you never know, you know, who is going to help you out or how you can get in contact with for a project. So love hearing that and then really kind of diving into it.
00:03:39:01 - 00:03:49:03
Grace
Were there was there a point at AU that kind of shaped your career aspirations or kind of led you to know like, Oh, this is what I want to be doing right when I graduate?
00:03:49:05 - 00:04:08:11
Isaiah
So I applied to one school and AU was the one school because I knew I wanted to go and the direction of film video. And at the time AU was the only school in the area that had any kind of film per program. It was all documentary work. So like, I didn't really understand that.
00:04:08:12 - 00:04:27:13
Isaiah
Or broadcast journalism. But yeah, they had the studio, which we're in right now. They had the student run studio, ATV. And they had so much other stuff that I could just get access to it immediately. And I was coming out of high school where I was shooting weddings on the side for, for fun. So I had a lot of camera experience.
00:04:27:13 - 00:04:49:08
Isaiah
But like the other side of it, I just didn't have as much access to. So you were like, got the tour that just kind of jumped out at something like I really gravitated to. And so when I got in, I spent probably my first two years at the ATV studio just helping every show, editing every show, running a switchboard, running camera.
00:04:49:08 - 00:04:59:16
Isaiah
I mean, I used to sleep in the studio. Yes, I would. I would edit all night, go to sleep in the studio, wake up in the morning, go to McDonald's, which I think is.
00:04:59:18 - 00:05:00:05
Grace
Starbucks.
00:05:00:05 - 00:05:22:07
Isaiah
Now. Yeah, yeah. And then go to class and then come back. But yeah, it was just like the hands on experience was just like, unparalleled. So by the time I got to an actual class, yeah, I could actually, like, rent gear from the, from the place I had already, like, had, you know, hours of real hands on work so that it was kind of like an easy class because of that.
00:05:22:09 - 00:05:25:04
Grace
That's awesome. The McDonald's under the tunnel.
00:05:25:06 - 00:05:25:13
Isaiah
Yeah.
00:05:25:18 - 00:05:38:13
Grace
For anybody who doesn't know there was a McDonald's under the tunnel, That's where I’d go after swim practice. I love that. Okay. So diving into kind of segueing off that into the career. So how did you end up in kind of the post-production aspect of things?
00:05:38:15 - 00:06:01:04
Isaiah
I knew that I did not hate editing where a lot of my fellow students, fellow classmates, if we were doing work projects or anything like that, did not like it. And I actually enjoyed it. And so I from those a time, any time I was on a group project, I was the editor. And so between my junior and senior year, my mom was like, You need an internship, You can't not have an internship.
00:06:01:04 - 00:06:18:16
Isaiah
So she made me talk to the career counselors here at AU and it literally was like, I forget her name is she basically was like, This place looks fun. You should apply here. And I was like, All right. And it ended up being a small post house outside of Georgetown.
00:06:18:18 - 00:06:19:03
Grace
Awesome.
00:06:19:07 - 00:06:39:02
Isaiah
Called GTP. And all I did was shred papers and pick up lunches for the entire summer. That's all I did, like boxes of papers and then go get lunch orders. Occasionally answer a phone. And I didn't hate it. It was kind of a cool environment to be in. And I got to see, like, how spots were made and where they went.
00:06:39:02 - 00:06:54:06
Isaiah
You know, it was all promo work and stuff like that. A lot of political work. And then when I graduated, I needed a job and that was the first place I went back to it. I was like, Hey remember me, I used to work here like a year ago. I need a job. And they hired me. Right on the spot.
00:06:54:08 - 00:07:11:16
Isaiah
And so I just kind of like, came in the door as an E2. Kind of a production assistant and just did a little bit of everything and worked my way up and then one day found myself in the editing chair. Because I had all that experience. Through class and on the side it was like sink or swim, which is a lot of media.
00:07:11:17 - 00:07:23:19
Isaiah
Yeah. You know, if you're ever in this business, a lot of times it's like, Can you do it? We'll find out. Ane they throw you in. And if you don't drown, they keep throwing more things at you. And I didn't drown, so I was able to keep going. That's you. That's how.
00:07:23:21 - 00:07:24:18
Grace
Awesome.
00:07:24:20 - 00:07:25:11
Isaiah
Became an editor.
00:07:25:14 - 00:07:39:23
Grace
Yeah. And that's kind of leads me to my next question, which you might have answered just a little bit. But I love asking this question because a lot of what we try to do on this podcast is kind of bring people from all walks of life and then kind of just to give an insight into kind of what the path was to senior editor.
00:07:39:23 - 00:07:48:20
Grace
Let's say if someone's like, that's my goal. I want to be in the editor's chair. What do you have any advice, any recommendation is based on your experience, on kind of how to get there.
00:07:48:22 - 00:08:05:15
Isaiah
To get to the senior editor position? I think there's so many more avenues now than there were before, and there might even be like different versions of what a senior editor is. You know, like the a lot of the stuff I work for work on is for broadcast TV or the web, right? But then social media is a big thing.
00:08:05:15 - 00:08:24:03
Isaiah
I know there are people who are cutting videos for Mr. Beast that are probably making good money, you know, So like, there's much more avenues now than there were back in the day. But you will probably start off as a as a grunt worker. As someone who is, you know, shredding paper and picking up orders.
00:08:24:05 - 00:08:48:18
Isaiah
You know, and like getting those small details down because once people can trust you. Yeah, I know that you're paying attention and that you can follow steps. You know, you're not just, you know. Yeah. Wishy washy and you can show up. Like showing up is half the battle. You'll get opportunities to do other things. And if you've learned the software, whatever the software is, whatever the tools are if you, if you have it and you know it and you can get into it, more opportunities will get to you.
00:08:48:18 - 00:09:06:05
Isaiah
And so you just got to start chopping away at that block and eventually someone won't show up for work. A client will ask for something different. Then your name will pop up and they'll give you a shot. And then that's your point to just dive right in. And go for it. And if you know, it's like, you know, it's like luck
00:09:06:05 - 00:09:31:10
Isaiah
is just preparation, meeting opportunity. That's all it was. It's just like I had the years in it. The opportunity came. I was ready to go. I didn’t down. I could work my way up. So I worked at GTP for four years, kind of went from a junior editor to where I was, you know, pretty seasoned editor. I had my own clients that were coming to work with me directly, and I was either working one on the producers or one on one with like the client itself.
00:09:31:13 - 00:09:54:03
Isaiah
People that didn't have any kind of media experience. And they were looking to me to kind of help guide them along the way. And then I went to a job fair. Which they sometimes work. Women in Film and Video, WFV. It was one of their job fairs back in the day. And that's where I'm at the company I'm at now, I gave them my resume in like four months later.
00:09:54:03 - 00:10:12:01
Isaiah
They gave me a call and they came on board during a political cycle to cut ads for them. And I've been with them ever since. And so it's just like you kind of have to pick a lane. And be really good at one thing. And then push that. So yeah, I could shoot, you know, I can write now.
00:10:12:01 - 00:10:29:22
Isaiah
You know, I could direct, I could produce you. But like, right now my bread and butter is as editing. And I still think that still applies to a lot of positions in a lot of things. In the industry. So you still got to have that one ace up your sleeve. You know that one thing you can do day in and day out and not get tired of it, you know.
00:10:30:04 - 00:10:41:04
Grace
And that's really cool. So you said you had, you know, clients that come to work with you directly. So it's like once you start networking, even if you're working within a company, there could still be those like individual connections. That's very cool.
00:10:41:05 - 00:10:57:04
Isaiah
Yeah, I mean, it's all about relationships. You know, and like, people are people at the day. And they want to work with people they like. So a lot of times, you know, they don't talk about it in class, but like, there's a lot of psychology in the room and being able to read people's temperament, understand what they're not saying.
00:10:57:06 - 00:11:15:22
Isaiah
Or understanding what they're looking for and then be able to get there. For that or like make them look good to their client at the end of the day. And if you can do that and you can repeat that, they'll keep coming back to you because, you know, just like you want to go to somebody who knows your coffee order, right, when you walk in the door, they're already starting and they putting everything together.
00:11:15:22 - 00:11:25:10
Isaiah
And here's your order. That's a good feeling. Your client wants that with you. And so, like, once you kind of build that rapport, people. It just works out really well.
00:11:25:12 - 00:11:37:11
Grace
I think sometimes the misconception is that there's not a lot of interaction when you're an editor because they think you're just kind of like, in the room. So can you give, you know, shed light on the fact that you do kind of have to have that little back and forth like once a project starts?
00:11:37:17 - 00:12:01:12
Isaiah
Yeah. So the difference would be like, you know, in a perfect scenario, you would think that you're going to get a script and here's the media now make it. And whatever you decide or cut is what's going to end up, you know, being shown. And that is not the case. There are clients, there are producers, and there are people who are paying for this to happen, and they all get a say and they all want to touch it in some form or fashion.
00:12:01:17 - 00:12:20:11
Isaiah
So there's a lot of people management and work that you need to do. It's like you need to be committed to the thing you're working on, but not to. Not so much that you're just going to fight tooth and nail for all your creative decisions. But you got to be you kind of have to kind of be like a referee some time and be like, All right, I hear what you're saying, but this is why this wouldn't work.
00:12:20:13 - 00:12:36:23
Isaiah
But let's see if we can make this work for you. You know, it's you're like problem solving and solutions like that. Before the pandemic, you had a client in the room with me almost every day. You're were working on a lot of stuff and then thanks to zoom and just work from home culture. That's kind of shifted since then.
00:12:37:01 - 00:12:52:20
Isaiah
And there's less of that. It still happens every once in a while, but now it's more like through Zoom calls and through communication with teams, things like that, where you're kind of still having that day to day, but just not sitting behind you watching you Edit. Because they realize, oh, I could do multiple things and still get things done.
00:12:52:22 - 00:13:11:11
Isaiah
People still come in every once in a while and you kind of have to build that rapport and like, you know, welcome people and show them around the office. Like get them settled. Show them where the coffee is, the bathroom is, we sit down, we talk about their project, we go over their media, we go over to the script, we go over what their end goal is, and then we start working toward that direction.
00:13:11:14 - 00:13:36:20
Grace
What's the vision and how can we get there? Yeah, that's awesome. Speaking of the pandemic, I wanted to talk a little bit about the Bloomberg 2020 presidential campaign. Two question two part question there. I guess, one, how is it kind of being an editor in a political campaign environment only because we do talk a lot about DC on this podcast and our students are going out there and a lot of it is political, you know, politics-heavy work, I should say.
00:13:36:22 - 00:13:45:12
Grace
And then two you know, kind of going into the pandemic at that time, what was that like? So I guess two part question, two loaded questions.
00:13:45:12 - 00:14:02:17
Isaiah
Two part question. So being an editor or like I like the media guys, on a team, you're kind of at the end of a long rope, like a lot of decisions are being made and discussed and things are being shot. And by the time it gets to you, they just need it done. So a lot of times.
00:14:02:22 - 00:14:22:11
Isaiah
Yeah, yeah I feel like, you know, I'm the racecar driver. That's driving the getaway car, you know, I'm like, trying to get to the end as fast as I can because it's. It's about output more than it is about anything else. And so, like, a lot of times I'm given, like, not even a script.
00:14:22:11 - 00:14:39:14
Isaiah
I would say like, these are the lines that we want them to say, make it look good. And then you're just kind of working with your producer. Or building a rapport with your producer. They trust you to kind of, grab the media you need and move forward with that. And with Mike Bloomberg, you know, he's a small guy.
00:14:39:15 - 00:14:49:14
Isaiah
You know, kind of low energy. So our goal was our goal was to make him look cool, big, and tough and fun. He's got the answers. So, you know.
00:14:49:14 - 00:14:55:02
Grace
And he came into the election a little later than all the other. Right. And that's like a little different.
00:14:55:02 - 00:15:15:21
Isaiah
He had missed most of the debates and everything. And so we kind of, I called it the Ford truck approach where I was just like, we're just going to hit him with like Ford truck music, Ford truck text. So you get a lot of Big Mike, like, and stuff like that. A lot of hitting and slapping,. Just kind of make him seem bigger than that, and fast cutting.
00:15:15:21 - 00:15:35:10
Isaiah
So like my team kind of crafted that message, which became like his kind of standard throughout all his media stuff like that. And like, I never met the guy. Unfortunately, he never he came by the office. So I didn't see any of the shoots. The one time he was close by, I tried to go, but I was already working on other ads for him.
00:15:35:10 - 00:15:51:13
Isaiah
So they were like, okay, don't worry about it. I got a button and a sign at the end of it. But yeah, so like, stuff like that, it's like you're, you're seeing and watching this person day in, day out for weeks and like, you're probably working six days a week. You know, like ten hour days.
00:15:51:17 - 00:16:09:07
Isaiah
Just kind of cranking as much as you can. I'm talking like three or four spots a week and like, and that's just my room. And then like, you know, we had three editors on site and we had a couple other editors working remotely, and it was just like passing media back and forth and just new stuff's coming out every week.
00:16:09:07 - 00:16:27:04
Isaiah
And then we have a system producer who's got a big calendar on the wall that's kind of tracking all the information of when spots need to go out, which spots to go to, testing and all that stuff. And so it's it does feel like like when you're at it, it's a slog and you're just going as fast as you can and trying not to put the wrong thing in the wrong place.
00:16:27:06 - 00:16:33:02
Grace
And that's crazy too, was you never met him, but I'm sure you felt like you knew him. Going through all this stuff. It’s crazy.
00:16:33:04 - 00:16:37:09
Isaiah
I'm sure if I saw him and like go to high five him he‘’d be like, What are you doing? Oh, yeah, that's right. You don't know who I am.
00:16:37:09 - 00:16:46:19
Grace
You don't know who I am. But I know a lot about you. That's crazy. And then just anything to add, kind of transitioning into a pandemic at the time. Like a global pandemic.
00:16:47:01 - 00:17:10:21
Isaiah
Yeah. So our office sent everybody home, and about five of us stayed behind, we're a company of 50 people. And so, like, because all our media is kept centralized at the office, like, if somebody needed something a file they couldn't get access to, We, you know, someone need to be able to get get there for that. And so it was one of the five that volunteered to stay behind, which was kind of cool to see the city.
00:17:11:02 - 00:17:31:01
Isaiah
So I got the commute in while it like the city got boarded up. The riots there was protests. You know, like it it really became a ghost town at some point. And then it was like there were like three restaurants that were open, the whole thing. And so every week you went to all three to make sure that they were out there so that you could eat and you walk in, you're like, Hey, what's going on?
00:17:31:01 - 00:17:46:12
Isaiah
You know? So like it was like different quiet space that once we kind of got out of things and people started coming back to work, we kind of went to a hybrid form. Then I started working from home because of that. But yeah, it was it was Ghost Town. So, so strange.
00:17:46:12 - 00:18:05:11
Grace
Yeah, that's wild. And then I know you do some, like motion graphics work as well. How and this is kind of another we really pivoted here, but how do you see anything changing within the world of editing and motion graphics with just all the technology that's that's coming up today? Like, do you see it going anywhere? Do you have any predictions?
00:18:05:14 - 00:18:23:22
Isaiah
I mean, when I graduated, I was editing stuff SD Standard DEF like everything. And then HD was the big cool thing. We got to get, you know, one terabyte drive cost $1,000. You know, like it was like a big deal to get that stuff. And now you can get five terabytes.
00:18:24:03 - 00:18:24:17
Grace
For a like, for.
00:18:24:17 - 00:18:43:09
Isaiah
For like 250. And it's like, it's insane. So like technology is always getting better and our equipment, it's always getting cheaper and it's like one of the few industries where that is actually happening. Well, I mean, like the the cell phone you have now, the camera on that was better than the camera. I could rent from AU, like 100%.
00:18:43:10 - 00:19:04:12
Isaiah
And like, that's insane that everybody has one of those. And so, like, it's less more about like the the, the storytelling is change or anything like that. It's more like the tools you can use and the access to what you actually have. It's like insane. And it's it constantly expanding. I mean, you, I mean, you know, things I love TikTok.
00:19:04:14 - 00:19:36:03
Isaiah
Actually, like editing on Tick Tock and like the idea that I could even do this. And it could be this complicated or look this good. And never have to leave my phone is is an insane thought. So like more of that's going to happen whether it's, you know, it's A.I. kind of going in and giving a base layer or something that you can then go in and manipulate or it's doing 3D space where you're working in it with the VR gear and you're you're adding in, you know, 3D space and, you know, I don't know where it could go, but just watching the last jumps to the last two decades, I've
00:19:36:03 - 00:20:03:01
Isaiah
been out of school like it's it's insane to see the growth. And I can only imagine that it's going to keep accelerating. And so like while compositing skills are very good, very key, um, knowing rhythm and pacing is still very important. And having a basic understanding of how to get around a program is still key. Like, thankfully, if you forget something, there's a YouTube video, right?
00:20:03:03 - 00:20:18:06
Isaiah
And it's like literally at your fingertips. And that's pretty common amongst most editors and, you know, graphic designers, so like that. But you know, everything but you if you can look it up, it's like you can get to the answer faster. So like knowing where the answers are, it's just as key.
00:20:18:10 - 00:20:40:00
Grace
That's awesome and very true. Yeah. I kind of want to go into the creative process from here. So how are you kind of approaching storytelling in your projects, whether it's like a political campaign or a promo or commercial or whatever it may be? What are the key points that you think are important for you know, developing a narrative and kind of having that resonate with your audience?
00:20:40:02 - 00:20:57:19
Isaiah
I'm always looking for simplest message and point of view. A lot of times when they interview someone who's going to be in an ad, they have a standard script that they kind of give them, and then they ask them questions about their life or things that they they're doing. A general like, how did this candidate help you achieve this?
00:20:57:19 - 00:21:15:13
Isaiah
Or what were you struggling with? And that and simplicity is the best way to kind of get that match. You know, whatever, you know, you put as much in as you can, you chip away and keep removing stuff and if your story can still be told or the message can still be understood as you keep it moving.
00:21:15:13 - 00:21:36:11
Isaiah
So if you keep going until it's like you're down to the to the, to the bare bones. And that's what people are going to resonate with the most. Because, you know, people are are covered in messaging all day long. And so, like we kind of not dumbed down the message, but simplify the message in that it's easy to absorb and easy to walk away with what you want them to have.
00:21:36:11 - 00:21:54:02
Isaiah
And then like having an end goal is important. Knowing the feeling and emotion, you want people to you know, they want them to donate afterwards. Yeah. Do you want them to to be sad, happy, and then like, work backwards from there. But remember, your message needs to be simple. It can be about three five things. It needs to be about one thing.
00:21:54:05 - 00:22:18:19
Isaiah
My horse was sick on my farm. I was able to get these bills paid and now my horse is better. Like. Like it's simple. And that's the best way I think. And so with storytelling. Like it it's the same thing. And like, whether you're doing a, you know, photo editorial or, you know, doing a podcast thing like that, like simplicity of story is still the same concept applied through all that.
00:22:18:21 - 00:22:33:04
Grace
Okay, that's awesome. Actually, I really like that answer. And then I guess this kind of leads to the next question of any advice, just because we did say just a second ago about how sometimes there is a lot of like features you could use and, you know, Adobe now it's like.
00:22:33:04 - 00:22:33:16
Isaiah
Oh yeah.
00:22:33:19 - 00:22:53:06
Grace
Different things that you could try out and this. Do you have any advice for our students on how you can balance the creative with the technical? So like does that kind of apply to that same answer of like keep it as, as simple as possible? Because I think sometimes we focus a little too much on being fancy or using all of the, you know, all the like tools we can.
00:22:53:06 - 00:23:01:08
Grace
But then also you want to balance it out with a simple message or something. So just any advice there on kind of balancing that creative with the technical?
00:23:01:10 - 00:23:18:02
Isaiah
I think you should try all the plug ins and try all the effects. So so you know what they do. I mean, I think that's whenever I come across something new, I'm like, Oh yeah, I'm going to add that to my Explorer. Yeah, my favorites folder. And I'm always going to sneak it in when I can. Yeah. So like, try it out.
00:23:18:04 - 00:23:39:12
Isaiah
I mean, this these tools are so powerful that you do a little bit of everything. And, you know, do more of what you love because it will, it will become a part of your style, right? You know, if you're the guy that cuts really fast and has big slashes and lens flares and everything feels like it's always in motion when people need that ad or need that kind of content, they're going to come to you for it.
00:23:39:12 - 00:23:56:18
Isaiah
But if you're like, I like long takes, you know, I like tight shots at faces, you know, And I like, you know, using off color and all my color correction. I just lean into it, you know, like pick a lane. Like I think it's good to try everything right and then stick with what you like.
00:23:56:18 - 00:24:00:19
Grace
Do you think you kind of develop a style of editing over time?
00:24:00:21 - 00:24:21:10
Isaiah
Yeah, because you can't remember everything. And so the stuff you remember tends to be the stuff that you like or something that you maybe have seen. Like if you're watching a lot of Bear, you're probably going to start cutting very weird. And not even realize you're doing it because you've been watching this type of editing style.
00:24:21:12 - 00:24:38:21
Isaiah
So like stuff like that kind of seeps into your style to whatever you're absorbing, which is why it's like, you know, you're always supposed to be learning or supposed to be growing and studying because it it doesn't stop here like it. It really doesn’t and it just keeps going. And there's just so much that you can't watch everything right?
00:24:38:23 - 00:24:47:01
Isaiah
And so the stuff that you like and you gravitate toward, the more you spend time with it and absorb it, it's it becomes a part of you. No matter what you do.
00:24:47:02 - 00:25:07:03
Grace
I feel like I haven't really found my style of it yet. As I'm thinking about that I don't like, I like cuts all over the place. And then just one last thing on kind of the editing aspect of things. It's obviously anything in media is so much collaboration and so much teamwork. So any advice there on how to just like foster a good environment, like a collaborative environment, a positive environment?
00:25:07:05 - 00:25:11:07
Grace
So I feel like it's a difficult sometimes and a lot of people have a lot of opinions inside.
00:25:11:07 - 00:25:14:00
Isaiah
Yeah, yeah.
00:25:14:02 - 00:25:35:14
Isaiah
The best thing is like leave ego at the door, you know, if everybody is working toward the same end goal or a good product, like even bad ideas can, you know, can help lead to good things. Like maybe the ideas are being suggested aren't the right but why are they being suggested? What are they actually trying to get at is are they do you need to change the pacing?
00:25:35:14 - 00:25:54:00
Isaiah
And that's not really you need to change music. You need to change pacing of the cut, like try to find the why for people suggestions, but the ego gets in the way that story stuff or people get like, Well, you're not taking my ideas. So I'm just not going to care anymore and kind of check out and now you're trying to accomplish something and your audio guy doesn't care.
00:25:54:05 - 00:26:09:11
Isaiah
Whether it's good or not because he's he's never going to use it. So as long as you like, keep that environment that we're all working together, we're all on the same team. We're all trying to accomplish the same goal like that. And it's not about, you know, me being better than you or you being better than me. We're just working as a team.
00:26:09:15 - 00:26:28:02
Isaiah
As long as you keep that spirit together because it is a team sport. You can't do this by yourself. It's really tough. Didn't that works out great. But I definitely think humility is a big deal. Open communication is a big deal. People can't read what you think. People can't read your mind, right? So you got to be able to express what you're thinking, what your vision is.
00:26:28:02 - 00:26:46:21
Isaiah
And so when you do find people that speak your language. That's always great and you should hold on to those relationships. But there are times that you'll find yourself in rooms where maybe you're not actually the smartest person. It may be just like, you know, swallowing that ego and just listening and absorbing. Is the best way to go about it.
00:26:46:21 - 00:27:02:19
Isaiah
And then there's places where, like, hey, maybe this is my time to kind of like, stand up and, you know, speak out, like, feel comfortable in that space too, to do that. But like, don't do in a way that it's like, I'm here. You should be listening to me, like make it like a part of the team work, you know?
00:27:02:21 - 00:27:27:00
Isaiah
I like my sets to be like if you got a good idea, say it out loud. I overshoot because I'm an editor, and so I'm shooting the edit, but I will do eight takes or something. Even after I get it. I will do a safety take. Because I want to have options in my edit suite, but I like it when it's like someone's like, What if she grabs it with her left hand and then throws the ball across the room and hits him in the face?
00:27:27:02 - 00:27:36:02
Isaiah
Yeah. Let's try. It's digital, right? We not, you know, we're not confined. Yeah. You know, by the physical space anymore. So let's, let's use it.
00:27:36:04 - 00:27:42:12
Grace
Yeah, that was all great. I totally agree with that as well. I feel like I never like to assume I'm the smartest one in the room. I don't know.
00:27:42:14 - 00:27:48:17
Isaiah
Oh, I've messed up if I'm the smartest person in the room. I'm in the wrong room.
00:27:48:19 - 00:28:01:07
Grace
One hundred percent. Okay, I want to get into the comedy. So what brought that on? I mean, was that like something you've always wanted to do or did you have experience prior to kind of going into the sketch comedy world.
00:28:01:10 - 00:28:26:04
Isaiah
What got, I got into comedy kind of in a backwards way. I'd taken most of the film classes here to use. I had taken a couple of screenwriting classes, so I had an understanding of how to write a script and how to write dialog and character and all that. And I was trying to figure out how to make my own cartoon series and like, how do I, how do I build that system or like, build that kind of a production?
00:28:26:06 - 00:28:44:01
Isaiah
And the animators I knew he was like, Well, what you really need using to write a script? And I was like, it's like the weakest of my skills is writing, which is why I'm a visual guy. You know, I could paint a picture, but I ask me to put a sentence together and it's a different story. And so I needed the practice.
00:28:44:03 - 00:29:05:02
Isaiah
And I had told a friend of mine she was like a first time director that I was like, I need to start making my own stuff. And that's step one is writing it. And she was like, Well, I go to this sketch jam that meets every fourth Sunday. You bring a script, actors will perform it on stage, and that way you get your stuff, you see your stuff, performed and hear the words out loud.
00:29:05:04 - 00:29:20:14
Isaiah
And so I went to one meeting and I was like, Oh, this is actually pretty cool. It's like, you know, everybody's very friendly. So it became like my deadline to is like I'd show up with a four page script, comedy script. I don't know if it's really funny, but it was like funny to me at the time and then watch actors perform it.
00:29:20:15 - 00:29:39:12
Isaiah
And that was a really great experience. And then when that group that was running that moved to Chicago, the a few of us that were left over that were attending were like, Let's form a sketch comedy team. And I was like, I still need to write. I still need that because I'm not great. And so I joined the team as a writer and took pictures of the show.
00:29:39:12 - 00:29:56:06
Isaiah
I didn't want to perform. I just wanted to write. And I, you know, and it just blossoming grew into this, you know, bad medicine comedy that is today. But that's just it was never the intention to go into comedy. Like, it's not like I enjoy it. I think it's funny, but it was never like the thing for me, you know.
00:29:56:08 - 00:30:07:19
Grace
How do you approach kind of like in that four weeks before, you know, you're like, I have a deadline? How do you kind of approach that? It's really the same as storytelling. Like what's, what's kind of the approach to the writing process?
00:30:07:21 - 00:30:37:13
Isaiah
My writing process is probably different from a lot of people. I consume a lot of media and so like, I'm always thinking of stuff and you should be writing down funny ideas. But a lot of times I'll go to like, you know, like a random sentence generator or premise generator and just like generate like 15, 20, 30 ideas and then like go through them, pick out my favorites and then try and come up with a premise or an idea around something that kind of fits that.
00:30:38:11 - 00:30:54:03
Isaiah
I kind of like the randomness where it like it takes my it keeps me from having to like, come up with the starting point. I can take something to be like, Ooh, that cup would be really funny if it had like, funny sayings on it. Like, what are the most what are some funny sayings? I could put out a couple like, be on a cup.
00:30:54:10 - 00:31:13:20
Isaiah
And then like, I could branch out from there. So like, I'm taking those as nuggets and planting them and then like, you know, taking the ideas that are the strongest or the easiest to write because they're, they're actually good. And then writing those full out. And sketch comedy, it's short storytelling. You know, there's a beginning, a middle, and there's three beats.
00:31:13:20 - 00:31:44:07
Isaiah
You take a joke or an idea and you escalate it to its peak. Yeah. There's a limited characters using one space dialogue needs to be simple so you can understand it. You know, somebody is going through an emotional change. They start happy and get mad or, you know, they are they start sad and get scared and like, so like there's a there's a structure to it that's very similar to screenwriting, which is, you know, you got tons and tons of tons of pages to do it, but now you've got like four, three to kind of set something up.
00:31:44:12 - 00:32:03:17
Isaiah
Explain what's the what's the end goal is you get to that. So for me, it's kind of like nugget idea. Kind of water it and see if I can make it bigger than that. And then once, once you get going in the groove. Like it it, you can get to the end yourself. I often a lot of times will write the whole sketch in an email.
00:32:04:15 - 00:32:20:03
Isaiah
And just so I'm not worried about formatting and all that, I'm just like, get it on paper, get on paper. And then once it's on paper and I feel good about it after I've read it, then I'll transfer it to a doc, a Google doc or something, and then go in and format it, make sure everything is right.
00:32:20:03 - 00:32:31:19
Isaiah
And I mean, Oh, it's too long. I need to lose a page. Oh, this looks weird. Like, okay, for the most part, it's like, get it down on paper. Flush it out and then, like, format it and then, well, I'll take that to the writers room from there.
00:32:31:19 - 00:32:38:13
Grace
That's awesome. And just on the name Bad Medicine, where did that come from? What was the inspiration behind that?
00:32:38:13 - 00:32:55:00
Isaiah
So we. So Jon Bon Jovi has a song called Bad Medicine. Which we had no idea about when we picked the name. So it's not based off of that. The whole idea is basically laughter's the best medicine, so we're bad medicine.
00:32:55:02 - 00:32:59:15
Grace
Okay, that's awesome. Like, simple, simple. I like it.
00:32:59:17 - 00:33:07:23
Isaiah
So many people are like you guys are Bon Jovi fans, right? I was like no idea. No idea.
00:33:07:23 - 00:33:16:22
Grace
That's awesome. So you guys are traveling, like, all across the country, Kind of major cities and doing these. Do you travel with the group, are you.
00:33:17:00 - 00:33:17:04
Isaiah
Yeah.
00:33:17:18 - 00:33:18:16
Grace
The writer as well.
00:33:18:18 - 00:33:38:12
Isaiah
We do. There's a festival circuit in America. Yeah a lot of major cities have a sketch comedy festival or a comedy festival where they invite out of town acts to come perform and there's like certain numbers of them throughout the year and we kind of tapped into that early on because DC unfortunately, does not have a lot of theatre spaces for indie comedy.
00:33:38:12 - 00:33:58:02
Isaiah
You know, it's a lot it now. DC is kind of like in standup town and a lot of standup lots of bars. You go to standup show every night. And there's a lot of improv shows and that what sketch needs needs a little bit more than both of those combined. And so like those spaces aren't always readily available or they cost a lot of money.
00:33:58:04 - 00:34:16:11
Isaiah
And so to get stage time to get those reps in, it was easier to, Hey, let's play this festival. That's in Seattle. We'll be there in September. We'll go see a bunch of sketch shows that we can and will get to perform. And so like we got to know different festivals that are really good and got to meet the people behind them.
00:34:16:13 - 00:34:33:16
Isaiah
And that kind of motivated us to like, have a deadline, prepare new stuff for it, and kind of rent, squash and repeat. And as we did that, we got better and better and stronger and stronger. They got easier to put shows together. And then the opportunity comes to find a place to call home that's local and produce shows there.
00:34:33:18 - 00:34:51:16
Isaiah
And now that we have the reps in, like it's something that we can kind of flip and change our focus from traveling to doing more local home shows. So was a time where like most of our shows are on the road. And now a majority of our shows are local here in D.C., but we're still doing road shows like maybe we'll be in Seattle.
00:34:51:18 - 00:34:52:08
Isaiah
In September.
00:34:52:08 - 00:34:57:00
Grace
Yeah, well, we got to get info on the next show in D.C. we'd love to come out.
00:34:57:00 - 00:34:59:12
Isaiah
Come out! It's a good time. It's a party.
00:34:59:14 - 00:35:04:23
Grace
We're going. We're going. Yeah. And Veronica is she
00:35:05:01 - 00:35:09:22
Isaiah
She's been to one of my shows, but she got seated in the front.
00:35:10:00 - 00:35:20:06
Grace
I'm so sorry I did not put you there, but it was okay. I feel like you made it up. But two questions here as well in the comedy. So do you have a favorite sketch that you've written?
00:35:20:11 - 00:35:44:09
Isaiah
I have a sketch that is it's about it's called Chef Crazy Joe, and it's the chef who is teaching people how to make hot chocolate. But it's how to make hot chocolate with a taser. And so the whole idea is that you bring an audience member on stage and you make them put an apron on and you have all the ingredients laid out.
00:35:44:17 - 00:36:01:04
Isaiah
And then you go you start to like, Oh, we're going to teach you how to make this the reveal that we're going to make it with. The Taser is the first time we ever did it. I couldn't find one that looked like a taser. So I grabbed like a tool from the closet. Yeah, that kind of looked like a taser, but it really didn't have the taser gun shape.
00:36:01:04 - 00:36:17:16
Isaiah
Yeah, well, the kid had no idea. The person we invite on stage had no idea it was fake. And they had just like immediate fear hit their face. So it was great. Great for like, the audience loved it. But like, I didn't find out until afterwards that they were like, Oh my God, this guy has a real taser on stage.
00:36:17:18 - 00:36:43:06
Isaiah
And so, like, it's the whole bit. And then like, you're watching me, like, wave the taser around.And then I start yelling at this imaginary raccoon becauses that’s Chef Crazy Joe. And then at some point, a real raccoon shows up with the bat and basically beats the crap out of the entire set. Threatens me because it turns out I have stolen the hot cocoa recipe from the racoon.
00:36:43:08 - 00:36:51:04
Isaiah
Yes. And the reason I have a Taser, because you're supposed to tase the raccoon. And that's what it’s for
00:36:51:04 - 00:36:56:08
Grace
And that’s what it’s for Chef Crazy. I love that. And do you bring people from the audience up a lot or is that like.
00:36:56:08 - 00:37:22:04
Isaiah
We try to do like, once or twice a show. It just the energy is electric. It adds a layer. We made them, we made two people wrap before wearing, like, different weird christmas gloves and stuff. Oven mitts. We made people battle with saxophones on stage, like you played a song. And then they had to, like, you know, mime that they were playing a saxophone.
00:37:22:04 - 00:37:31:20
Isaiah
And like, people got really into it and the winner got a chocolate cake. So like, yeah, it's like audience participation is great sketch. Like, you know, adds a layer.
00:37:31:22 - 00:37:50:04
Grace
And then just last question on this. What do you think comedy superpowers like, why do you think so many people are just drawn to like the comedy world? I know like everybody I've talked to in the last years, like I love going to watch comedy. Is there anything that after being around so many like audiences and, you know, crowds, if you could speak to that?
00:37:50:06 - 00:38:12:21
Isaiah
Yeah, comedy is interactive in a lot of ways. You know, the energy you give the comedian, the comedian kind of gives it back to you right as a conversation piece. Even if you're watching people and privacy and you're throwing a word at them stand ups, doing crowd work or sharing stories about their life, even storytelling, I would say, kind of pulls on that, that that give and take kind of relationship.
00:38:12:23 - 00:38:27:17
Isaiah
But also like life is hard, Life is a struggle and be able to sit down and kind of check out for an hour or so and just be like, all right, we're just going to laugh and have a good time, have a drink, you know, And I just giggle at being silly. I mean, that's one of the reasons that we love doing it so much.
00:38:27:17 - 00:38:51:02
Isaiah
It's like we you know, we're bad medicine, but still. And then the day, you know, for us, it is it is is a stress reliever. It's a good time. We get to like lean into that silliness that we may do a little bit at work, but right now I could just full blown, just be like, my wacky self on stage and dancing and hop around and high fived the audience and everybody's in on it with me.
00:38:51:02 - 00:39:03:01
Isaiah
And when you get that uproar of a laugh or you hit that home run and everybody is just like blown away or just in it together, like it's electric, it's insane. Like I could run through a wall after doing that.
00:39:03:02 - 00:39:17:01
Grace
I think it was Tiffany Haddish that said, just seeing people's mouths go up and seeing everyone's teeth is like electric in itself. Because you know that like once you see that people are just so happy and beaming, which is awesome. So you are performing too.
00:39:17:02 - 00:39:20:05
Isaiah
Yes. I’m performing now? But when I started I was like
00:39:20:06 - 00:39:20:16
Grace
Okay.
00:39:20:22 - 00:39:40:09
Isaiah
Do not put me on stage. I am not an actor. I'm the guy behind the camera. I will make your little we'll shoot sketches, videos, and I'll write and I’ll edit. I'll take pictures of the show. Don't put me on stage. And then people slowly figure it out that I could act or at least be entertaining on stage.
00:39:40:11 - 00:39:54:20
Isaiah
And they, like, slowly pushed me on. So now at the point now where it's like I've done it enough times that I'm actually comfortable on stage now. I'm having fun doing it. I still prefer to sit in the back, and be in the tech booth flicking lights and stuff like that, doing the techie stuff.
00:39:54:20 - 00:40:00:10
Isaiah
And that's my passion. But you know, I go on stage and and play a wacky character if you need me too.
00:40:00:10 - 00:40:07:13
Grace
That's awesome. And are you doing photography for anything else or is photography you just kind of came in through shooting these shows and stuff.
00:40:07:15 - 00:40:20:16
Isaiah
Before I got into comedy, I spent my twenties doing photography stuff. I was shooting flash photography, okay, and doing portraits and stuff. Yeah, it was like I got I was working for the yearbook.
00:40:20:17 - 00:40:21:23
Grace
Shooting weddings too.
00:40:22:01 - 00:40:34:03
Isaiah
I was shooting video for weddings. Shooting video for weddings. Then came to college and then got on the news newsletter. The yearbook? Got in the yearbook. So I get access to the camera.
00:40:34:03 - 00:40:35:20
Grace
That's awesome. Good for you.
00:40:36:01 - 00:40:55:08
Isaiah
I was doing yearbook stuff. Yeah, I was doing yearbook stuff, but also, it's like shooting stuff on the side. And then took all the photography classes and the. The development, the darkroom. Yeah. Doing all that. Like it took as many as I could. They would let me. I did all that, and I had a passion for it.
00:40:55:08 - 00:41:16:18
Isaiah
So when I graduated, I went and bought a camera and started shooting more stuff on the side. And there used to be an indie magazine called Laurie and Woman. That was back, back in the day. And I was doing all their flash photographer them and it was like, it's kind of like a lifestyle magazine, but like very to do it your do it yourself kind of style.
00:41:17:11 - 00:41:37:01
Isaiah
I did like the covers, the spread and all that. It was a lot fun. It was, it was, it was a lot of good. And then the pandemic kind of like really put a lot of stopp to the photography stuff. So a lot of my photography clients moved or stopped doing or needing it. I do it every once in a while I still have all the equipment but it's it's not as it's not consistent as it once was.
00:41:37:01 - 00:41:37:11
Grace
Yeah, right.
00:41:37:17 - 00:41:43:03
Grace
That's awesome. Photography is fun. I feel like commercial photography too, like fashion photography and all that is a lot of fun because.
00:41:43:03 - 00:41:52:17
Isaiah
Because you can play music while you work. Whereas you filming stuff and I need quiet on the set, but like I can crank off to the reggae music lights going, but it’s chill.
00:41:52:22 - 00:42:05:22
Grace
I feel like your subject feels more comfortable than like the silence too, like action. Then they’re like okay. It's my turn. That's awesome. Anything exciting you're doing now? Any projects they want to talk about or anything cool going on?
00:42:05:22 - 00:42:25:15
Isaiah
Yeah. So my one of my main mission is to grow the sketch comedy scene in DC. And right now I would say we're either entering or end the golden era of sketch comedy in DC. When we started our troupe, we were like one of five. And we're pushing, getting close to 15 sketch teams in DC.
00:42:25:16 - 00:42:47:12
Isaiah
Different groups of people. People are doing improv form their own team, there are students who form teams. So we're teaching and doing classes at DC Improv. But there's a bigger sketch comedy scene that we're very active in and supporting and like, so my goal is to create more space, you know, no gatekeeping, create more space opportunities for other people and then support them.
00:42:47:14 - 00:43:03:07
Isaiah
And that has really helped that kind of scene grow where people are excited to come here and participate. And we have out of town teams that are traveling here that a good time. We just had DC Sketch Fest. Yeah, back in March, which is amazing. We had 18 teams coming in from out of town.
00:43:03:08 - 00:43:04:06
Grace
Where was that? Where do you guys.
00:43:04:06 - 00:43:23:15
Isaiah
We did shows at the DC AC in Adams Morgan and at the DC Improv and it was a blast, it was, it was four days of sketch comedy. Just, you know, we got some good press coverage about it. And all the shows sold out. We had teams from Seattle, we had teams from New York and Toronto.
00:43:23:17 - 00:43:45:21
Isaiah
So we're just looking to expand it and go even bigger and better and have even more DC teams participate. So like, just as the scene grows and as it gets bigger, I think that's going to open doors for a lot of people and creates new opportunities. And we're kind of in an era where you don't have to be in New York or L.A. to, to kind of like make content, find media and build off of that.
00:43:46:08 - 00:44:02:23
Isaiah
And so I feel like we're on the path for something or someone to kind of hit it off and kind of be it. And yeah, we've got our our standup celebrities and we got a couple people from the improv scene that have hit it big as well. I think it's time for someone from the sketch scene to get up there and kind of put us on the map.
00:44:03:04 - 00:44:20:09
Grace
Me too. I feel like comedy's evolving in itself in its own little realm because I feel like with TikTok and social media and like you just have so many ways to create comedy, it's not so much like standing on a stage with me talking to a crowd anymore, you know, which I love and I appreciate. That's awesome. Did I hear you say you, you give some classes at D.C. Improv?
00:44:20:09 - 00:44:27:00
Isaiah
Yeah, we teach. We teach sketch classes at DC Improv. Yeah. Yeah. We’re the sketch comedy arm of the DC Improv.
00:44:27:02 - 00:44:28:01
Grace
Oh okay. That's awesome.
00:44:28:04 - 00:44:35:09
Isaiah
It came on right before the pandemic started and then taught classes online. Throughout. And then once they reopened, we came back and started doing shows as well.
00:44:35:10 - 00:44:40:12
Grace
So I feel like it's popped up in my email. Because I still get the DC in my email that it's.
00:44:40:12 - 00:44:41:13
Isaiah
We’re trying.
00:44:41:13 - 00:45:06:11
Grace
Sounding really familiar. Yeah, that's awesome. Well, definitely have to make it out to a show for sure. So one last advice I or one last one last question I like to ask our guest is can you just give our students any piece of advice? It could be multiple pieces of advice, but kind of looking at where you started when you were going to school and where you're at now, just an any and it could be like life advice I have here, you know, in post-production or comedy or this.
00:45:06:11 - 00:45:11:13
Grace
But it can also be in like a general sense. Yeah. Anything you have to say to these kids?
00:45:13:01 - 00:45:35:14
Isaiah
Yes, I think I have to. It's something I'm trying to teach myself and try to remember myself. It's like life is what you make of it. Like you can't wait for other people to kind of give you things or doors to open. You kind of have to just build it yourself. And one the process of building it yourself, other things will happen, good things will happen.
00:45:35:14 - 00:45:57:05
Isaiah
You will attract that kind of energy and stuff. Like I didn't get into sketch comedy to start a sketch comedy festival and to have all these new friends as an adult. And kind of have my world grow and spend my nights laughing with some of the funniest people I've ever met. Like that. It's not something that was a goal of mine.
00:45:57:07 - 00:46:17:19
Isaiah
But once I once I started building that world and leaning into it and committing time to it, like the other stuff grew and blossom. And now the tree is bearing fruit. And that idea that it only exists because instead of me being like, Hey, let me into your sketch comedy club, let me be a part of this like, I, I built it.
00:46:18:07 - 00:46:38:20
Isaiah
And now that exists that that's something that’s the shade of the tree I get to live under. And I think that applies to whatever you want to do, whether if you want to get into podcasting, broadcast journalism, even if you want to make your own films, indie films, TV shows, whatever, it's like just go do it, make it yourself, Make those connections, go out the door, network and network.
00:46:38:20 - 00:46:59:17
Isaiah
Connect. Connect with people. Build relationships. Because that's really what it is. That's what it is. It's just connecting with people. Remember their birthdays remember where live like. Like just just let people know that you do care about them, that they're just not not just a stepping. Like it actually means something to you and build your life that you want.
00:46:59:17 - 00:47:25:12
Isaiah
You know, if you want to work from home. 9 to 5, move somewhere. Do what you got to do to make it happen. Like, it's not going to just be given to you. Like you can build it. And like, that reality of like, you think you want it sometimes coming out of education, like you're, you're trained to follow grade one to grade to grade three, and then you do this and then someone tells you do that and like, then you get out and you're kind of like, Oh, what do I what do I do now?
00:47:25:17 - 00:47:33:18
Isaiah
Do I go to grad school? Do I go get married, or should I go join Greenpeace? Like, you know, it's like there's just it's just so open ended.
00:47:33:18 - 00:47:34:23
Grace
You’re speaking to me now.
00:47:34:23 - 00:47:42:22
Isaiah
It's so open ended. And. But it's whatever you make of it. There's no wrong answers. You just build it, right.
00:47:43:02 - 00:47:51:23
Grace
I like that. It plant the tree and then that's the shade that you're standing under. That's like, so perfect. That's awesome. Isaiah, thank you so much for being here.
00:47:51:23 - 00:47:52:02
Isaiah
Thank you so much Grace.
00:47:52:04 - 00:48:05:23
Grace
This was so fun. We'd love to have you back whenever. As double SOC alum over here. Thank you for tuning in to Media in the Mix. If you'd like to donate to SOC, go to giving dot American dot edu and we will see you on the next episode.
Previous Episodes
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Campus Chronicles with Jackson Dietz & Ericka Martinez
Balancing life, jobs, and creative passions as a student is no easy feat, but Jackson Dietz (SOC/BA'25) and Ericka Martinez (SOC/BA'24) show how it’s done with remarkable finesse. Here’s a glimpse into their journeys and how they manage to gain real-world experience as undergraduate students, creating community, and making unforgettable memories.
LISTEN HERE:
Transcription
COMING SOON!!
Celebrating 30 Years of SOC!
This episode of Media in the Mix is special for a number of reasons. First, we are celebrating SOC's 30th anniversary with two very distinguished guests, Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer Pallavi Kumar and professor and Interim Dean Leena Jayaswal. Not only that, but this entire podcast episode is brought to you by SOC students, who participated in the first ever Media in the MIx experiential learning podcast demo! A team of six students worked together in our Media Production Center, producing the episode from lights, set design, sound,and even to a 3-camera set-up. So, sit back and enjoy all their hard work!
A Special Shoutout to the SOC Students who made this happen:
Marley Joseph
Susan DeFord
Bekah Jarnagin
Sophie Myers
Van Duong
Yifei Wang
LISTEN HERE:
Transcription
Grace Ibrahim 00:00
Welcome to Media in the Mix, the only podcast produced and hosted by the School of Communication at American University. Join us as we create a safe space to explore topics and communication at the intersection of social justice, tech, innovation, and pop culture. Welcome back to Media in the Mix listeners! I'm your host Grace Brahim. This episode of Media in the Mix is special for a number of reasons. First, we're celebrating SOCC 30th anniversary with two very very special guests. Hurst senior professorial lecturer, Pallavi Kumar, and professor and Interim Dean Lena Jayaswal. Not only that, but this entire podcast episode you're hearing and watching today comes to you care of SOC students participating in our first ever Media in the Mix experiential learning demo, a team of six students work together in our media production center to produce the episode from lights to set design to sound to a three camera setup. So sit back and enjoy all of their hard work.
Pallavi Kumar 01:07
Hi, I'm Pallavi Kumar and I am a Hurst senior professor or lecturer at American University. And I also graduated from AU with a degree in CLEG from the School of Public Affairs and a Public Communication degree from the School of Communication.
Lena Jayaswal 01:20
Hi, I'm Lena Jayaswal. I'm currently the Interim Dean for the School of Communication. And I also graduated from SOC with a double major in Visual Media and Anthropology.
Pallavi Kumar 01:32
So when I first decided to come to American University, it's because I'd done a program in high school where you spent a week in Washington and I fell in love with Washington. And so I, you know, toured a lot of different schools and AU, for some reason, when I stepped onto campus onto the quad, that was like the moment for me, and it still remains like my favorite place on campus. Because for me, American was kind of the perfect place because it's in Washington, but it had a campus. And so there was a community field, but yet great opportunity beyond you know, the Northwest boundaries that we live in. And as far as a fun fact, for during that time, which I'm sure Lena remembers, although I can't actually say ever actually had one, but the Tavern actually used to serve beer on campus and actually had a beautiful bar. And I think for students now, that is something they just can't even believe. And so I think that's just a really funny thing to think about, the community that was in the tavern, and we... I lived in Hughes Hall, and we used to have a contest, it was called Mr. Hughes Hall. And it was a male beauty contest. See, we were ahead of our time in terms of gender stereotypes, but anyway, so I just really have fond memories of the Tavern as being sort of a gathering place, which now it's not at all so.
Lena Jayaswal 02:45
So I came to AU, very similar to Pallavi's story, I went to a sort of Leadership Conference for a week in DC. And I've always wanted to go to a big city for college. And my parents at that time said New York is out, we will not let you go to New York City. So I was like DC is it and I looked at American and I knew immediately I did early decision and got in, they sent me a sweatshirt. So I was locked in and I still have the sweatshirt. So I knew AU was going to be the place for me. My favorite spot on campus is still my favorite spot on campus. And it's the photography labs because I'm also the director of the photography program. And that has never changed. Walking in and being immersed in the chemicals and just looking at the film and working in the dark room. That's always my favorite place on campus. I guess my my favorite one of my favorite things about AU back then is we used to have a lot of concerts. And we brought in some great bands. And so the big one probably was Nirvana and it was like three weeks before or month or so before Kurt Cobain committed suicide. So it was the breeders in Nirvana and Bender arena sold out amazing but we had like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins all on the same bill. In, in again in the gym in Bender Arena. We had lots of, we had little shows at the tavern. And so that's that was always part of my favorite parts of AU.
Pallavi Kumar 04:37
So I remember when I first heard the news that SOC was going to be an independent school, I still kind of remember that moment. And I remember thinking, yeah, it should be an independent school. We were under the College of Arts and Sciences, from our inception. And so I heard that news, as a student I didn't really fully realize kind of what that meant, but I just remember being that thinking that independence is a good thing. And I think the one thing for me in terms of seeing how the school has changed and evolved through the years is that, you know, as a student, I also, I really loved my SOC classes. It's where I connected most with my professors. And, you know, that nurturing aspect is something that I still think exists today. So I like, I like that we've been we've had that. But at the same time, we've gotten so much bigger, so much more prestigious, I would say, and I look at the alumni network that has been established. And for me, I started teaching as an adjunct in 2002. And I'm one of those like nerdy people that like wrote in my journal about like what I wanted to do, and I still have, like, when I was, I don't know, 22, I wrote, I want to be a college professor. And so even though I went and pursued public relations in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, I worked in all these huge firms, Ketchum, Fleischman, Ruder Finn, all of those things, my heart was always wanting to teach. I never thought I'd do it full time, I always thought I would just teach as an adjunct, which I started in 2002. And actually, this year is my 22nd year teaching at American. And then I joined the faculty full time in 2009. And I became the division director. I don't even know the date 2014, I think for eight years. And so for me, the trajectory of SOC and also the trajectory of my life are kind of very, you know, combined, in some ways, because I think both have come into unexpected places. I think one of the big things for SOC in the past 30 years is that we got our own building, we were in the third floor of Mary Grayden for so long. And it was just, you know, it's a great cozy space, but it didn't let you know, wasn't our full potential of what we could do and who we could be. And so having our own building is something that I think is really special. And I think all the programs that we have all the graduate degrees that we have, obviously, SOC3, which is the student powered agency I launched last year is a huge addition. And you know, we're always doing so many exciting things that sometimes it's hard to sort of highlight one specific thing, but that energy of what everybody does, and that sort of commitment to excel in that space of telling stories is something that I'm so grateful for.
Lena Jayaswal 07:09
So one of the things that I have noticed, you know, one of the great things, so when we graduated in 1994, it's the 30th... this year is our 30th year graduating, when the school became... I still remember graduation, I don't know if you really remember. I remember sitting in the seat, and we were with SIS, that was the other school that was at our graduation, and they they got little flags, and we had a business card holder. And that was what we were given as our as our gift. And, and I remember just sitting there and being like this is something that's special, because it's the first year they every announcement was made about this is the first graduating class of the school separating. And so there was a real there was real magic to that. And I started actually teaching as an adjunct in 1995. So I started the year after I started teaching, and I was staff. So I have had every role possible except for graduate student at an SOC. So I was an adjunct, I was staff member, I was term faculty. I was tenure track, tenured full professor, associate dean, inclusion...the university's first inclusion officer. And now I'm the Interim Dean. So I don't know where there is for me to go from SOC, but also program director. So I have literally had every possible role that I could have. And that is because of mentorship. So I had a fantastic - Ann Zelle - professor who saw something in me and was you know, I was her teaching assistant. And she said, "You should really do this." And I had never thought about being a professor or teaching or anything like that. I just wanted to be a photographer, knew I wanted to be a photographer since I was in third grade. And she said, "No, you've got something here of like, you know, you should do this." And they gave me the first opportunity to teach a class and I was 21, 22. When I taught I looked much younger than any of my classes, the students that I was taking, you know, they were taking the class with me, but it put the bug in me and I was like, oh my gosh, I can do, I can be a photographer, I can be a filmmaker, I can do all the things that I want. And also have a steady income coming in and impact the next generation or at that time, the current, my current generation. So I fell in love with it. And I am so grateful that she saw something in me that I would never have imagined or thought of. And I was actually sitting on her front porch. She brought me in. She lives in North Carolina. She brought me in to do a screening of my latest movie, when the announcement went out that I was going to become the Interim Dean. And I just thought it was so full, full circle that I was sitting here with this woman who gave me this incredible life. And that's the specialness of SOC... is your professors know who you are. They... it is not some big lecture class where you're one out of 100 people, but your professors really know who you are, who you are, and they keep track of you, they follow you, your successes are our successes. We couldn't be prouder, you know, when we hear something that happens to some of our former students, because we know, we had a very, very, very small part of that. And so that, to me is like some of the best parts of SOC in terms of its growth. We have grown into a real strong school of our own, where we have multiple centers. So we have the Center for Environmental filmmaking, the Investigative Reporting Workshop, the Center for Media and Social Impact, we have so many of these other great, greater organizations that are building our reputation nationally, and internationally. And so people know who so what SOC does and who we are, in ways that when we were in school, wasn't there.
Pallavi Kumar 11:02
Yeah, so absolutely. I totally agree with what Lena said about mentorship. So, you know, I had a couple interesting things happen that kind of led me to this place. So the Career Center for me was a super special place when I was at American, because, you know, I was a first generation college student, I was a Pell recipient, you know, my parents didn't go to college, there wasn't a lot of support at AU back then even for that type of student. Now, I'm so pleased to see how much we do for those students. And so I, you know, and I was picking a career that wasn't a traditional, you know, Asian, you know, it was either like business or medicine. And that was pretty much it. And so I wanted, you know, I was I came to Washington, in the School of Public Affairs to study government. And it wasn't really something that I could see myself, I couldn't see myself being a legislative assistant on the hill, although I did enjoy the classes. And so I had gone to this career center panel, and an alum was there, David Park, and he had graduated from SOC, actually, as a journalism major, but he worked at Ogilvy PR, and he talked about that you know what he did, and I was just mesmerized. And I said, well, this is exactly what I like to do. I like to write I like to think creatively, I like to think strategically. So I remember going back to his hall, sitting with the old course catalog, which I still miss. And flipping through and seeing well, what is this PR thing and seeing that we had an entire degree and I was already a CLEG major that had taken comm classes as part of that major. So it was so easy for me to double major. And that was, you know, from that moment, I think that was end of sophomore year, you know, I went on, and I interned, you know, for every semester then that I was at AU, which is another great thing that we that we bring. And so for me, that was just the turning point. And then I remember the Career Center, they asked me to be on a panel. And for me that was like, Oh my God, I've made it because I had so much sort of self doubt back then. But you know, the Career Center was such a nurturing place for me, because it gave me the confidence that I could get these internships - even got a White House Internship, which was like such a great moment, I actually quit two weeks later, disillusioned by what I was getting, and it was unpaid, which I didn't think was fair, and I needed to make money - but you know, I think that for me, that mentorship was important in terms of that. And then as for teaching, Rick stack was a professor when I was a student, I never had him. But you know, he was the one I contacted from my early days of being 22 and saying, I want to teach and, you know, he was really the one he gave me my first shot, he gave me three weeks notice for my first class, and I famously ran out of material 40 minutes into a two and a half hour block. Never happened again. But he was really the one that gave me that confidence. And I would say that was the case for you know, as an adjunct for seven years. And so I always had people, you know, Rick Stack, Darrell Hayes, and then later Lenny Steinhorn always kind of had my back in terms of, and then gave me the full time opportunity that I wanted as well. Well, I mean, last year was pretty darn memorable for me. I, you know, launched SOC3, which was sort of my dream come true, in terms of having you know, I always knew our students do great work, and I wanted it to be showcased in a way that would bring the school more you know, prestige. And I think we're we're definitely getting there. We've had two paying clients the Home Depot and Aldi, which has been fantastic. Also, my students in my other class, we won the Arthur Paige Global Case Study competition came in second place, which is, you know, again, getting your name out there is such an important thing for SOC. And so, those students when they called me like, I can't even tell you how excited I was that they won. And then I also won an outstanding full time faculty member in teaching last year as well. So I think that's also like lovely that you can be doing something for so long, and you can still be sort of surprised at what is to come and I think for I'm sure Lena would say the same thing. I think that's what keeps us so engaged with this community. And then you know, every I don't think there's a week that goes by that I don't hear from an alum, or you know, and I get the in my sister I just got a sweet note yesterday from a student and my sister said, I hope you save these in a scrapbook some some Whereas like, I'm not that organized. But But I will say that that that that relationship that Lena talked about in terms of the student, and us knowing our students and championing them, it's a lifelong relationship, right, like the two clients that I have had for SOC three, that are our first paying clients there. They were both my students. And so I think that's just amazing, that full circle, that's there. And that's what students who come to AU, who come to SOC, that's what they're signing up for, which is great.
Lena Jayaswal 15:29
So I don't know if I could pick a year, there's just been some real strong highlights. So the first I would say, is being able to create a major in an undergrad major in photography. That was a lifelong dream for me at SOC, I came here wanting, knowing that I was going to study photography, but there wasn't a major in photography, I was part of the film program. And I remember taking classes in film and being like, I'm never going to be a filmmaker, why do I even have to take these classes, it's part of my requirement. And now I'm an award winning filmmaker. And so AU knew better for me than I did, you know, it really, but all my entire teaching career, I wanted to have a degree in photography, and that, and being able to get that herded through, it's a joint degree in the College of Arts and Sciences, but getting that through was years in the making. And so to be able to launch that it's been probably a strong, strong highlight of my career here. That same year that we launched, we also moved into the Media Production Center. And so we had brand new space, we had water that could be regulated, temperature-wise, I mean, we had all of this great stuff here. Six weeks later, we didn't even get through a full semester, but six weeks later than the pandemic hit, and we had to close up shop for a little bit, but we were back here. So those those are some of the kind of just some of the highlights, but this past year, has been like a crazy whirlwind of everything, being the Interim Dean, and being able to know the school on a level that I hadn't, hadn't ever known before. I feel much more, you know, a stronger hold to the school than I ever have. Because I am a part of so much of it now. I joke with my parents I lived to them with for with them for 17 years - AU has been my longest relationship. I think we've been here for 34 years, you know, so. So AU is in my blood and SOC is in my blood and being able to represent as the Interim Dean has really again been such a meaningful experience for me to be able to go talk to people about the great things we do and raise money for some of our programs and, and get our name out there. I'm so pleased to be able to be a representative. And going to one last thing - so just a couple of weeks ago, we were in LA on a on a development trip. And I had we had met with all the people that we needed to meet that were like, you know, a little bit of a wealthier backgrounds. And I said to my development team, I said I want to have an open, like let's just meet at a bar, do a happy hour and like put a call out to any school, any students that just recently graduated to come and meet us in a come for a hangout for a little bit. And we had about 25 people RSVP, but we had about 40, 45 Students come former students come and we had people from 1970 that graduated from 1973 to 2021. And I knew almost everybody in the room. I didn't know the people from 1973. But you know that to me was that's what I'm what we're talking about is that we've created these relationships with these students that they all just came out to see what was going on to see myself, see Russell Williams, who's another colleague, a former professor, and we just had a great time and it was so wonderful the connections that those students were making with each other. They were like, "we're going to have a movie night," "I'm going to call you over here," "Oh, this job? Okay, I'm going to bring you on to the industry, I'm going to get you involved." And so to me, that was just the next generation working together to help AU and SOC.
Pallavi Kumar 19:30
Okay, so I would love that. So my dream for SOC the next 30 years is it starts with being a named school. And so you know, we see all these schools of communication and I don't even care what name is attached, but I want the prestige of being a name school because that would be a significant life changing gift. You know, the the sort of dirty little secret about SOC that people don't know is that back in 1993, we wanted to be an independent school so bad, that we made what people said was a bad deal. We just launched as an independent school with $40,000 then, which is nothing. And so when we think about, you know, sort of the struggles that SOC has had, so many of them are financial, because we never had that strong footing. And so a named, being a name school will come with a huge amount of money to help to support that. And I think that would just be a game changer.
Lena Jayaswal 20:28
Yeah, I would say that I would echo that. But I do think they can name it like maybe the Jayaswal Kumar School of Communication, I think that was fantastic. Not that we would contribute to that. But you know, just our name, names only. I think, you know, more resources towards the school. I... we, all of us who teach here, and all of our students who come here know what we do. We need to make sure others know what we do. I mean, we, we work very hard. Our students work very hard. We do so many things. There isn't probably... I, when I talk about our school, I'm like what other schools of communication do you have PR, journalism, communication studies, film and media arts, gaming, all under one roof? Very, very rare, right. And so we have something special, we just need folks to really know that. And so that's what I'm hoping in the next 30 years, we really land and make a mark in terms of the kinds of school the schools of communication, that are are known, but are not as good as us. And that's what I want his reputation.
Pallavi Kumar 21:31
And I would just add one thing, if any alums are listening to this Media in the Mix podcast, you know, we don't necessarily have a culture of giving at American, and we certainly don't have a culture of giving at an SOC being a young school. But you know, if you, your time here was as valuable, as you know, and life changing as we think it was, give back to the school, you know, pave the way for that next generation of changemakers. Because really, any in any gift really helps. We just did a wish list for SOC3, and an alum who had graduated only two years ago, she's funding our end of the year reception because she really wanted to do something. It's not a huge gift, but it's significant, and it's meaningful. And so never think any gift is too small, we will take any gift that you have. But think about giving back. That's something that I'd really like to see change and something nurtured along the way.
Lena Jayaswal 22:20
Well, I would just say that, you know, one thing that, again, puts us apart from some of the other schools is our experiential learning. And so having opportunities like this, where we just where our staff members are saying, "Hey, we are also part of this learning and engagement with our students. So let's do a pop up, learn how to do a podcast. And here you are." And, you know, I think that's wonderful. I think, again, that puts us and separates us from the other schools. And the last thing I'll say is once an eagle, always an eagle.
Pallavi Kumar 22:51
I can just add, I look around and I see, you know, students signing up for things like this, that's just like, again, that ethos of SOC, right? Always wanting to jump in and do more, learn more, have new experiences, doing the New York intensive, doing the Los Angeles intensive, applying to SOC3. I just love that there's always that excitement for students to just dive in. They're...we're always there for them to give them that opportunity. But they also have to be kind of wanting the opportunity and I feel like there's never a lack of that enthusiasm. And I hope that's something that no matter what happens, will always endure.
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VFX editor and @AmericanUAlum @Aja_Adana dives into the world of VFX editing with #AUSOC's Media in the Mix🎙️, "there are lots of positions in it, and there are lots of different types of programs for what you may be doing." 🗞️ Read the recap & stream now: https://t.co/sfXdl3BfyL pic.twitter.com/srElXyJnoi
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