Boston Tea Party: Without the Tea

To put it plain and simple, I have the travel bug. I don’t care if I’m 5,000 miles across the globe or 200 miles up north, I will still find a way to make my adventure live up to it’s full potential. This past weekend, I took a trip up to Cambridge, Massachusetts to visit my best friend, Brian Axelrod. Brian and I are very different people and live very different lives but that’s what is so great about our friendship. He introduces me to new experiences and adventures that I never would of had in the first place. In return, I introduce him to hangovers and dance parties.

When I arrived, the first thing I did was take out my camera and started filming. Brian recently started his own organic juicing business called Life Force Juice and they work out of a small kitchen in Cambridge. It was amazing to see first hand how the juicing process works. You might just think that you throw a bunch of fruit into a blender and magically have a product that customers would pay for. That is not the case. Everything they make is 100% organic which means  no sugar is added, no preservatives, etc. The customer gets pure juice from the freshest fruit in the area. Life Force Juice is the first mobile juice company in the Cambridge/Boston area and since January, they have been taking major steps forward. These guys are recent college graduates with a vision, a passion, and a plan that they are putting into motion every single day. If you have a clear goal in mind and take one step everyday to achieve that goal, you will eventually get there. Brian and his team are doing just that!

After filming for an hour at the Life Force Juice kitchen, Brian and I headed back to his apartment in Cambridge. I figured that his place would be like any other apartment in Cambridge, you know, a living room, a kitchen, a couple bedrooms, the normal deal. When I arrived at Brian’s “place” I was speechless. This kid lives in a redone factory with 5 other people from all different walks of life. As soon as I walk into this factory house (there are no other words for it), I was speechless. Actually no, I was the opposite of speechless. I mostly said, “What the fuck” and “This is awesome.”

As you walk in through the barn-like door, you are immediately hit in the face with something different. The living room area was very spread out and you are surrounded by old brick walls this give you a feeling of history. There was an old fireplace in the middle of the living room and a large spiral staircase that went upstairs to another living space that had a patio overlooking the street. The people that Brian lives with were all very nice and welcoming. I’m sure it was their first time welcoming a ginger into their home with open arms so I had to make sure I was on my best behavior. This factory living space was so different because it was so old, but had a very modern twist. Living here for a night was absolutely awesome. I told Brian that one day, I’m going to come back to Cambridge and buy this living space and make it the ultimate bachelor pad. I would buy everyone out and make them a cash offer they couldn’t refuse so I could have it all to myself. He thought I was joking, I’m not. Until then, I am happy with the fact that whenever I go to visit Cambridge, I will  be staying at the most kick ass spot in town.

Below are a couple other pictures of the living room…

After I dropped my stuff off and got settled in the factory on steroids, Brian took me to this awesome Irish pub down the street called The Druid. I love my beer and I also love my food and this place offered the both of best worlds. We got there and I ordered a Guinness and an authentic Irish dish called Bangers and Mash which is mashed potatoes, sausage, and corn in this awesome gravy. We met one of Brian’s friend’s at the pub and it turns out that his

brother works in television on some pretty awesome shows. I wanted to try all of the beers on tap so I told our waiter to surprise me and bring out any beer. Since this was an Irish pub I was expecting him to bring out something strong…and Irish. The guy brings me out a Blue Moon with an orange in it. I’m not sure if he was messing with me but that’s the one beer I hate. Oranges don’t belong in beer. Other than that little mishap, it was a great time…at this point the night was just getting started.After we got done eating at The Druid, we took a walk down the street and it turns out that Cambridge was having it’s yearly public dance party in the street. It was kind of like EDC without the Molly and instead of house heads, they were all hipsters. I would say that there were about 4 thousand people dancing away in the streets. If I can’t bring the regular camera with me, I will always have my Go-Pro to grab that awesome footage. This dance party was epic and I was lucky enough to experience it because it only happens once a year in the area.

After the hipster dance party we went to one more bar and called it a night…we had a long day ahead of us.

Not to my surprise, the next morning I had a hangover and had to drag myself out of bed to go help Brian at the local farmers market where he was selling his juice out of the mobile Life Force Juice stand. When I got there, the first thing I had to do was get rid of this massive headache so I went to this little cafe called Shermans and got an egg sandwich on a bagel with avocado and pesto sauce. I wanted to try something I never had before and this combo was awesome. I will put on avocado on anything and everything. This breakfast sandwich made my morning that much better. Brian already had customers lined up to try his product and by noon, all smoothies and juices were sold out and he had to pack up early. I guess that’s that’s a good problem to have when you have a business.

When I came to Boston, it was my plan to enjoy myself to the fullest extent, which means relax, drink beers, and go out on the town. After the farmers market, Brian somehow convinced me to go on a run. He is a collegiate runner and I knew that this was going to be a bad idea. I didn’t pack my shorts and workout gear on purpose because I knew he would do this to me so I said “Sorry Bri guy, I didn’t back my shit so I guess we are just going to have to go to the bar”. He said, “I got shorts, socks, and running shoes that will fit you…we are only going to run a couple miles” If you are friends with a runner, when they say a couple of miles, they are LYING.

Brian and a couple of his running friends (that were in better shape than Superman) took me to the biggest park in Boston, I didn’t know this at the time. They told me it was only going to be a couple of miles and we would be done in an hour. We ended up running through the woods, on rocks, in the mud, and before I knew it, I was far behind from the group. It really did seem like I was trying to keep up with a bunch of superheros out of a comic book. I AM NOT A RUNNER! I am an athlete, theres a big difference. It turns out, the trail was 6 miles long. Half way through I was actually angry at Brian and said, “Fu*ck you…this trail is not a couple miles, for every mile over 2 miles you have to do one shot later tonight”..and we had a deal. Two hours later, the run was finished and I was sore all over (I am still sore writing this blog). I hated it at the time, but now that I look back at it, it was an experience and Brian owed me 4 shots. Running in the woods is actually not that bad, until you roll your ankle on a rock and fall in the mud (it almost happened twice).

After the dreadful 6 mile run through the wilderness, I went back to Brian’s factory house, grabbed my stuff and checked in at the Kendall Hotel in Cambridge. When I arrived, the receptionist actually said “you look like you just came from hell and back”. I told her that hell couldn’t compare to the jungle run I just had with a bunch of Tarzan’s.

A little background on the Kendall Hotel, it was originally a firehouse back in the mid-late 1800’s and it is the first and ONLY historic hotel in Cambridge. The balance between old and new is evident throughout the hotel, from the antique memorabilia on display to the high-speed wireless Internet access in the lobby. Each room was individually designed and as an element of the streetscape, the hotel adds variety to its surroundings, reminding passersby of the scale and feel of the 19th century. The decorations were extremely unique. If you’re a history buff and and appreciate the finer things in life, the Kendall Hotel is for you.

My room was very cozy. It had one big king size bed but the walls were pink. I kind of felt like a giant ginger princess living in Princess Peaches guest room. Other than the pink walls and the ‘Harvard’ sign over my bed, I felt right at home. I took a long shower, ironed my clothes and got mentally prepared for the night that was about to ensue.

Brian’s girlfriend works on the Spirit of Boston cruise ship and she was nice enough to get us all tickets to go for a 3 hour cruise around the Boston Harbor.  There was 80 percent chance of rain for Saturday but there was not a cloud in the sky that night. The view from the ship was absolutely stunning. I was so sore from the run earlier in the day I really didn’t have the energy to get up and dance but I forced myself. I felt like my feet were going to fall off but I drank my Grey Goose and cranberry and that foot pain went away real quick. We all had a wonderful night. By the time the ship docked I was already half asleep and needed to catch up on my rest. I have a habit of going days without getting sleep but this time it all caught up with me.

I was leaving the next morning and the last thing I wanted to do was fall asleep at the wheel. I just want to give Nora a shout out for getting those Spirit of Boston tickets. I had a great time!

Before I knew it, it was Sunday morning and it was time for me to start packing and head out. The Kendall served a really nice breakfast in the morning that included eggs, bacon, french toast, oatmeal, etc. After breakfast, I checked out and I went to go say goodbye to Brian before I hit the road. He was at another farmers market selling his juice so of course I had to get some to cure this hangover and it did just the trick. I think Brian should rebrand his company and instead of calling it “Life Force Juice” he should call it “Hangover Cure on Wheels”. We said our goodbyes and I was off to Jersey.

No matter where I am or what I am doing, I will always make the best of my adventures. I have a passion for traveling, food, and film making and this weekend, I was able to take advantage of all three. The best part of it is, the summer is just beginning. Live like there is no tomorrow! Life is short!

Message to Dwayne Johnson

Mr. Johnson,

My name is Ken Spooner, I am from North Jersey. I am 23 years old and I just graduated from Montclair State University with a degree in Communication and Media. I also played on the basketball team for 4 years. I have been following your career for quite some time now and I know that you are a big movie star BUT you actually stay in touch with your fans and you take the time out to help other people. I respect that. I see the talent you bring to the big screen, but I also see you making a difference in peoples lives. I also take pride in helping other people as well. Below I have listed a few articles of projects that I have been a part of. I saw the picture of you at the prison talking to the inmates and trying to give them some hope for the future. Your story gives me hope for the future. I woke up yesterday and I told myself, “I want to meet Dwayne Johnson.” I am sure you are a busy man but I would love to meet you and just talk to you. I’m sure you have plenty of stories and advice to give a kid like me just starting out in the “real world”. Also, I am one persistent guy so I will be tweeting this message until you respond.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

You can reach me at

Kenspooner24@gmail.com

Articles:

http://www.northjersey.com/community/189145121_Local_filmmakers_travel_to_Jordan_for_documentary_project.html

http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/movies/167949865_Local_filmmaker_travels_abroad_to_shoot_first_documentary.html

 

Thank you!

The Most Ridiculous Airport Story Ever

The events that have occurred yesterday during our journey back to the United States only happens in Hollywood comedy movies. Our flight was at 2:30 in the morning from Amman to Frankfurt. We left the apartment around 12 to have time to go through security and check our bags. Once we get to the airport, we unload our baggage onto the carts and enter the airport, only to find that our flight is cancelled. It’s the ONLY flight that is canceled that night out of Amman. From that point on, I knew that the next 24 hours were going to be an adventure.

There was one flight going to Montreal, Canada that night so we decided to get tickets to board that place since it was more direct than any of the other flights back to America. We went through security and they go through our bags to make sure we aren’t packing any heat. I always pack heat because I have red hair, jokes on them. At this point, find out that our terminal is on the other side of the airport and they wouldn’t let us take the shortcut through the airport to get there. We had to put our bags back into the x-ray machine and go through security the same way we came in. Why the hell are they going to check us again after checking us 5 minutes before hand? This is only the first obstacle.

We lug our bags across the airport outside to the other terminal. When we get there, we have to go through security, again. We get through the x-ray machine and they check all of the camera bags only to give us problems about carrying batteries. So we sit there for 20 minutes while they go through our equipment piece by piece. They finally decided to let us into the airport after realizing that batteries aren’t dangerous.

We go directly to the gate only to find we have to put our bags through security again. So I take off my shoes and belt and put my bag through x-ray. I joked with the guy at security, “so you want me to take my socks off too?” I got a laugh out of Steve because at this point it was getting ridiculous. We get through that checkpoint only to find a long line separated by male and female. We get to the front of the line, only to find that they are searching bags AGAIN. The guy goes through my bag, only to find normal things such as sweatshirts and other clothes. I had to explain to him what my cologne was (he didn’t speak English) He took my cologne away. Once he found the hard drive with all of the footage in my bag, he thought it was a ticking time bomb because it was wrapped up in all of my clothes so it didn’t break. He had to call his manager over and ask him if it was ok let me board the plane with it. Steve was getting his bags checked and they wouldn’t let him board the plane with his wireless mics and the batteries in his camera bag. He had to give his wireless mics to one of the “secret” security officers on the plane and get it back after the flight was over.

After the chaos, we are finally on the plane. I am sitting next to Mike and at this point we are so delusional from lack of sleep. We were seated in a middle row between two smelly old people and in back of us there were two three year old’s just crying. We couldn’t believe this was actually happening. They were kicking Mikes seat the whole plane ride to Montreal.

At one point during the “hell flight” I thought I was going to die because we hit such bad turbulence and the plane veered to the left and the pilot came over the loud speaker and said “everyone please put your seat belts on immediately.” He sounded pretty serious about it. Luckily, I’m still alive.

We land in Montreal around 7am. It was about a 11 hour flight and it was -5 degrees outside. I hate the cold more than anything. We go through customs and head to the United Airlines check-in. It turns out that the person in Amman didn’t book our connecting flight back to America from Montreal. So after two hours of trying to get this sorted out, there was nothing that they could do because all of the flights home were booked to capacity. We then decided to drive home. What the F. I could only imagine what the Canadian border control was going to say once we were heading back from the Middle East.

We pack our luggage (barely) into our Chevy Equinox and off we went. We had a 6 hour drive ahead of us. About 1 hour in we stopped to eat at this great little restaurant before we hit the border. The food was great. We got back in our car and off we went. We finally got to border control.

We pulled up the the border and Steve had to explain how he was a media professor coming back from the Middle East, in a car from Canada, with Ohio plates. That was funny. The border patrol guy seemed a little confused and after hearing that we were in Amman, he gave us a nice WELCOME HOME.

We crossed the border and I thought to myself, did we really just drive back? It was one of the most bizarre 24 hours of my life but I enjoyed every second of it. Well, not the 10 security checkpoints. We finally arrived home at about 7pm, unloaded the gear and went our separate ways.

Once in a Lifetime

I really haven’t been keeping up with my blogs lately because the lack of sleep has been catching up with me, but the last four days have been filled with the most amazing experiences. We interviewed Princess Majda and the Swedish Ambassador of Jordan. You don’t get to say that everyday. That was cool and everything but the real experience has been working with the kids within this organization.

Just a little background… Spiritus Mundi is an organization that takes in underprivileged kids from Amman and introduces them to the arts such as music, dancing, songwriting etc. So throughout the film, which is going to be shot over a two year period, you will see the kids grow and transform within the organization. They aren”t exposed to any arts in the school system over here so this program gives them an opportunity to do those things.

We wake up around 8:30 in the morning, make like 8 coffees each, pack the gear into the van and we are ready to start our day. The last four days, we have been spending more time with the kids. They have a big performance they are training for and we have been filming the rehearsals leading up to the show. Let me tell you, it is such a rewarding experience working with these kids. Some of them are extremely outgoing, some are shy, some are trouble makers, but they all have the passion for what they are doing and just like anything in life, that’s so important.

We really have a solid production crew over here. We have a flow and we balance each other out in the field. Every day I learn something new from Steve McCarthy and Dave Sanders, but I also learn a lot from the kids. Henrik, the founder of Spiritus Mundi  said, “Like we are the children’s teachers, we learn from them just as much as they learn from us.”

The great thing about working in another country is that you deal with real people, go to real places, have real experiences, unlike a regular tourist. Over the last 7 days we have been embedded in the culture of Jordan. The experiences I have had in the last four days cannot be replaced, duplicated, or bought with money. I have met the most amazing people over here and that has really changed my outlook on the Middle East.

In America, we have one perception of the Middle East because of what we are shown on the news everyday. We put the people here in a negative context. Sure, this part of the world has its problems but the people here are just like you and me. Before I came, I had a perception that the people here would be unfriendly and I would see camels all over the place. Yes I did ride a camel (which was awesome) but Amman is an awesome city. Part of it is modern and another part is the older section of the city.

Yesterday, a woman named summer, who we interviewed on our second day here, invited us into her beautiful home for an authentic Jordanian meal. There was salad, minced meat wrapped in eggplant, and lamb over rice that came right of the bone when you ate it. For drinks we had fresh squeezed lemonade with mint. For dessert we had homemade chocolate cake, cherrys, and rosemary water, which tastes just how a rose smells…it was one of the best meals I have had in my life.

Almost every night here, I have had a home cooked meal. Mike cooks and I do the dishes with Jack. It’s different from home because I eat out all of the time. Its nice to have sit-down dinners with the crew.

After dinner, we had an interview with one of the directors from the local orphanages. We get there and we are greeted by a military guard at the gate. When we get inside, we quickly set up for the interview and the second we started rolling, we heard the kids running through the hall and we have to stop and start the interview numerous times.

After we were done, the director gave us a tour of the orphanage and we were able to film inside, which is very rare. We saw new-born infants who are a day old and we saw kids who were 12 years old. While we were walking around, we ran into one of the children who goes to the Spirtus Mundi workshops. Her name is Islam. Lets just say she a wild child but she is very special. Her personality is bright, she loves the camera, and she is extremely outgoing.  Even though she is very rambunctious and always gets in trouble, she is going to be very successful in whatever she does. I can tell. 

When we saw Islam at the orphanage, she started to introduce us to her friends and she gave us a tour of her whole place, including the bathroom. She was very excited to see us. She has a habit of pulling on the boom pole and microphones when shes happy. Overall, that was a great experience to talk to her in her own environment, and that footage will be great for the documentary.

Later that night, the whole Spiritus Mundi team went out for a nice dinner. We really enjoyed each others company at this restaurant called Vintage. I had the rib-eye steak and got to talk to the people that I don’t get the chance to interact with everyday since we are filming. After dinner, Mike, Steve, Muna, Aiysha, and myself went to this club called Flow. Long story short, I spend 100 dollars in like 45 minutes and they played all American music….and there is nothing funnier than the DJ playing Nelly- Must Be The Money and turning the song off at the chorus part “It must be the money” and you hear everyone in Arabic accents trying to sing along. Lawlz.

Shout out to Henrik for making our experience here unforgettable.

Time to start Day 7!

 

 

 

 

Filming wise, we are looking for those special moments and interactions between the kids and the volunteers. Storytelling is so important and over the last three days, we have been able to get the footage that we were missing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 3: “Araaab Moneyyyy”-Jay-Z

Let me start off by saying, I am the only redhead in the Middle East.

 

Today was our first day of work with the organization Spiritus Mundi. We woke up around 8:30am due to the call of prayer that comes over the loud speaker from the local Mosque in the city. We never really know what time it was because our clocks are all different and neither of us ever have the same time on our phones. It’s like a scene from the Three Stooges when we get up in the morning…are we late? are we up to early? Is there time to eat? Personally, I am on the McAwesome diet. We have these little packets in the kitchen that we put in hot water and its instant coffee. The are called “McCafe”. I call them McAwesomes because it just wakes me up and it makes my morning so much better than it should be.

Today we had our first interview with this woman named Summer and two young girls who are performing on Saturday. We shot all of the interviews today with a Cannon 5D and we had a secondary camera, the Sony EX-1 that picked up the main audio. The footage with the 5D looks great. I’m really looking forward to going through the footage tomorrow. I’m just glad I don’t have to transcribe any of it. When I did American Voices, I transcribed 60 pages of interviews. Fun. We also got to hang out with the kid’s in the organization. They are all great kids and are a lot of fun. They LOVE being infront of the camera. They are brought up differently and you could see the difference between American children and Jordanian children just by the way they act. Kids came up to me and shook my hand. Adults don’t even do that back home.

After the shoot, we came back to the apartment and took a power nap and much needed hot showers. Mike and I decided we should go out to a hooka place tonight and have a real Middle Eastern experience. I have a joke for you…ready?

Two Americans walk into a hooka cafe in Jordan…

Funny right?…the DJ started to play Usher for us because he knew we were the only Americans in the place and everyone was looking at us telling us to go onto the dance floor. It was awkward….but fun….until we got the check.

I can see our waiter talking Arabic in the kitchen to one of his co-workers. “Hey you see those two Americans? Yea the tall ginger and the italian kid? Lets add 20 JD’s to their check and make them pay extra. Hehehehe” We didn’t know what we were paying for. We payed 34 JD’s for 1 hooka and two coffees. That equals out to about 46 American dollars. Bastards.

Off to bed, early day tomorrow.

Day Two: What a Journey

Day Two

We woke up today around 9am, so I say we got about 5 hours of sleep under our belts before we started our day. Henrik, the founder of Spiritus Mundi, was nice enough to drive us around for the day and take us to places that most people don’t get to see in their lifetime.

We took about a 40 minute drive to a nearby city called Madaba. It is a very touristy city. After walking around for a little, we start to notice these little Middle Eastern Barbie dolls in all the shops. These dolls were dressed like conservative Middle Eastern women. I said to Mike, “Isn’t it funny how the dolls here in Jordan actually have clothes on, unlike the dolls in America where a child is given a doll without clothes and has the option to dress her up.” Mike goes, “yea the Middle Eastern dolls have their clothes stapled onto them”.

We go to this Middle Eastern restaurant called Haret Jdoudna. It was one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. The food was fresh and cooked to order.  I had fried cheese and a chicken dish with onions and olive oil. Everyone shared their appetizers around the table so I had to chance to taste a little bit of everything. I never knew that Middle Eastern food would be so good.

After the restaurant we got back in our van and we were off to the next location, Mount  Nebo. On the way there, Henrik tried to make a U-turn in a busy street and got clipped in the rear fender by another car. Henrik gets out of the car and talks with the man in the street, they shake hands, the ordeal was done. That’s how they resolve things over here (other than wars lol). All it took was a very simple handshake. If someone has a car accident in Jersey, it usually ends in a law-suit or road rage.

We were finally off to Mount Nebo, where Moses overlooked the holy land on his journey to Israel. I have seen some beautiful views but this view from the top of Mount Nebo was spectacular. I have never seen anything like that in my life. You could see out to the distance for miles. At that moment it really sunk in for me, the video camera is taking me to the most amazing places around the world with great people. The hard work is paying off and for the first time standing on Mount Nebo, I felt like I was on top of the world. We took some awesome pictures that I will be posting within the next few days. The Internet here is a little slow but in a way, its good to be disconnected from the Internet for a while.

After Mount Nebo, we got back in Henriks van and we drove to the place where Jesus was baptized. That was a cool experience. I picked up a nice souvenir for Franny B…whats good Mikey Black?  At this point we were all exhausted but we have one more excursion before we end our day. Henrik drives us to the Dead Sea. When we pull up, the little kids on camels see 5 Americans in a van all they see is $$$$. Those kids knew three words….Money, Mr., and Money. They surrounded us the second we got out of our van and begged us to get on the camels. Before we knew it, the three of us, Myself, Mike, and Jack were riding on camels into the sunset overlooking the Dead Sea. It was one of those once in a lifetime experiences that I will never forget.

We are now back at the apartment waiting for the hot water heater to come on. Mike Mee is cooking us dinner tonight which I’m excited for. I’m also excited to start drinking my handle of Captain Morgan that I smuggled into this country.

 

-Spoon

Day 1: Frankfurt/Amman

Today has been a mix of awesomeness, sleep deprivation, and alcoholic beverages. We arrived at Newark airport at about 4pm for a 7:05 connection flight to Frankfurt. The desk assistants at the airport are now all computerized. Lets just say it was a mess trying to get 5 boarding passes, checking countless camera equipment bags, as well as our personal luggage. My bag was 12 pounds overweight, go figure.

Eventually, we got past that mess and boarded the flight to Frankfurt. When we boarded the plane, everything was normal until our flight attendant started serving us drinks. We started with two vodka and cranberry, that led to four, and before you know it, he was giving us drinks without asking if we wanted any more. I was 33,000 feet up in the air sitting next to my crew member, Mike Mee, watching Taken 2, tanked. It was a great time. Now I regret it because I still haven’t slept yet. We were definitely his favorite people on board. I have to say, flying over NYC at night is the most awesome experience ever. The lights were mesmerizing. 

We didn’t sleep the whole flight which was a mistake. We got to Frankfurt and at this point, we all have been up for about 18 hours straight. We had to go through security again and this time, they found a butter knife in my laptop bag. Let me explain, I like avocados. I used this knife to cut my avocados at school when I was hungry, I forgot to take it out of my laptop case. The security guy looked at me with a disgusted look on his face like I was there to do harm to his country. I just like avocados, man.

We took a train into the city of Frankfurt and it was actually really cold. It took us a while to find a place to eat. We ate at this little cafe in the shopping district. The food was excellent, especially the German potato salad. After lunch we found this center with old German buildings. We got the chance to visit this cathedral that was built in the 1500’s. I mean it was a nice church, until we bombed the hell out of it in 1945. Now it looks new and renovated. The outside of the church is beautiful but the inside…ehhh. St. Andrews in Westwood has some better decorations of Jesus Christ..shout out to Franny Black! After that we went out to get some German beer, exhausted as hell. We found this cool hipster place with a really beautiful waitress. She likes redheads. Obviously.

After an awesome day in Frankfurt, we headed back to the airport, picked up some Cuban cigars in duty free and we were off to Jordan. The flight from Frankfurt to Amman was about 4 hours. I had the chance to catch up on some sleep and that’s why I’m sitting here blogging at 4am. We have to be up in 5 hours, no big deal.

 

I’m off to bed. I just want to say how blessed I am to have an opportunity like this. I’m here with a great group of guys, Mike Mee, Jack Smith IV, Dave Sanders, and Steve McCarthy. We look forward to sharing our experience with you.

-Spoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Local Filmmaker Travels Abroad to Shoot First Documentary

He calls himself a small town guy with big dreams, but 22-year-old local filmmaker Ken Spooner is no rainbow chaser. The River Vale resident and senior at Montclair State University majoring in Digital Media relinquished his love of shooting hoops for shooting video. After working for CBS in the Big Apple filming the season finale of “Survivor” in the spring, Spooner has recently returned from Europe where he shot his first big documentary abroad that he says has award-winning potential.

Read more here:
http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/movies/167949865_Local_filmmaker_travels_abroad_to_shoot_first_documentary.html

Message to Ed Burns

Mr. Burns,

My name is Ken Spooner. I am 22 years old from a small town in northern Jersey. I am currently a senior at Montclair State studying Television Production/Digital media. I am very persistent person and  I have tried almost everything to get in touch with you the past four months via twitter and video messages. That hasn’t worked very well so  I decided to write you a quick note in hopes that you read what I have to say.

I just wanted to let you know that I am a student of your work.  I didn’t know who you were until 5 months ago when I turned on Piers Morgan tonight and watched your segment promoting your new movie, Newlyweds.  Ever since then, I have watched your movies, I have listened to your pod casts, I have taken notes on everything  possible to try to learn from you through the internet. I recently just had the opportunity in June to fly overseas to shoot my first feature length film in Austria & Italy. While on that trip, I tried to apply everything I have learned from you through social media.

I am a student of film and I am eager to learn more from you. I am asking you for a PA position on your next film. There is no one that will work harder than I will. That’s a promise.

You can reach me on my e-mail: Kenspooner24@gmail.com

Hope to hear from you soon.

Ken Spooner

 

Reflection

Throughout this two-week trip with Vocal Accord, I have enjoyed all of the wonderful opportunities that Europe has given me. To be able to sing in wonderful areas of Vienna, Graz, & Venice has been a honor for me. This trip has increased my growth as a person and as a musician. On this journey, I feel that all of us have become a family with love and support for one another. I am very thankful and appreciative of everyone and I will miss this experience. There are wonderful moments from this trip that I’m sure everyone will never forget. MSU Vocal Accord, congratulations on a successful tour! 

 

-Domenick