Fire-Wired Blog

This is me, day one on the job at Iowa Public Television. That was November 7, 2014. How has five years gone so fast? I am a big time believer in "time flies when you're having fun." While one of the major downsides to believing happiness is the most important element in your life, there's no legitimate reason to complain about being happy? Over the course of five years I've filmed the four corners of the state, directed a bunch of television shows, learned some fun camera tricks, met the President, met countless people who could be president, dressed up as a robotic monkey and danced around on live television, gone on all kinds of outdoor adventures for work, traveled to California for a documentary, met dozens of Iowa filmmakers and talked shop with them, and plenty of other things I'm omitting to keep this list from getting out of control. I REALLY love my job and I love the work I'm allowed to produce. Not every day is cupcakes and confetti, but ...

For the fifth time I have worked the Iowa State Fair as an Iowa Public Television producer. A lot has changed since I declared I never wanted to go to the Fair again, back in 2013. Now I love the Fair and look forward to grabbing my camera and telling the wacky stories I'm handed each year. Since my first IPTV Fair in 2015, I have been identified as the "fun" features producer. I tend to lean into upbeat, rocking music, and to cut kinetic stories. This year that reputation garnered me four really fun contests to cover; Monster Arm Wrestling, Doubles Horseshoe Pitching, Bubblegum Blowing, and Pie Eating. Quite the awesome rundown if you ask me. For ease of viewing, here are the four videos. I was considering taking a more meditative approach and pacing to my Fair features this year, but when my first interview -Mother Monster- just amped up the fun in her answers... that was just a low and hanging fastball right over the plate. While not a perfect four-som...

Wading in the Boone River with Shane and Tiffany. Over the last couple of weeks I got a chance to dip my toe in a pool I’ve always wanted to swim in but rarely get to enjoy; public speaking. Not saying I want to become a motivational speaker or give weekend classes on video storytelling, but I’ve always enjoyed performing. I’ve acted, sung, played in bands, and now I’ve repped my employer, Iowa Public Television, to audiences five times in three weeks. For the past two years I’ve been working on a project called “ Iowa Land and Sky .” With the assistance of two very generous grants my team as well as a few instructional designers from IPTV’s Education department have been crafting special drone fueled ecological and geological materials for Iowa classrooms and broadcast. Getting my FAA drone pilots license in the process I’ve travelled all over the state to capture unique aerial shots of Iowa’s landscapes as well as tell very specific natural history stories. With my Education ...

Tonight marks the 29th episode of Iowa Outdoors for which I have been a producer; and yes, do I ever wish that was a beautifully round 30, but as Mick said 'you can't always get what you want." As of 6:57pm tonight, Iowa Outdoors has aired eight full seasons of programming. While I only started at IPTV in November 2014, I've been a fan of the show since it's second season. I love the outdoors and from the moment I saw a producer position for Iowa Outdoors was open I knew I was gonna get that job. Maybe that's arrogant but I prefer to think of it as star-crossed confidence. I'm a former boy scout, I love all outdoors experiences, and I make sure to include outdoor adventures in every vacation I take. So yeah, I had the skill and the drive so I was bound and determined to get the gig. Four years and three full seasons in, Iowa Outdoors has been everything I hoped it would be and more. I've covered fishing stories, hiking stories, conservation...

Covering the 2015 Iowa State Fair for Iowa Public Television made me eat my words. For the last half of my life I have been down on the fair, never understanding why so many people came to Des Moines to mill around a fried food-fueled, tractor-filled, expensive fairgrounds. Well after 10 trips to the fair this year I fully get it. There are hundreds of awesome event, contests, booths, and just general things to do at the fair. The Iowa State Fair is a HUGE deal to Iowa Public Television . IPTV's been covering the fair for 45 years and every year the entire production staff, dedicates 11 days in August to running around the fairgrounds with cameras. Of my 10 state fair odysseys, seven were for work and 3 were personal trips with family. Every time I've gone to the fair in years past whether with friends or family, I've left underwhelmed. Before the Fair got underway this year I was worried it was going to be more of the same except worse because I would subjected to ...