Orange TV

Emma Kruch of United Arts invited me to go to the Orange TV Studio for an on air interview. The TV studio is located just south of the Orlando Convention Center on a small service road. The white metal building looks like an old airplane hanger. When I entered the secretary told me to follow the “Studio” signs back to the green room. I walked past glass walls behind which were the infinite dials and screens of the editing suites. I yearned to sit down and start a sketch but of course all that detail would take hours to complete. The green room wasn’t green. It had a few couches and in the corner a TV was broadcasting a live feed from the studio where Cory Warren was about to conduct an interview. I sat down and then noticed that Emma was curled up in a chair next to the door. I have seen her at arts event all over town but we had never been introduced. She started talking about a recent move she had made which turned into the move from hell. She said she leaned up against a wall in the new place only to have her hand crunch through the termite infested wood. Well she said there were no bugs left but the wooden wall was like tissue paper. It was fun to joke and laugh to relieve some of the anticipation. She realized she was laughing so loud that they might hear her in the recording studio. She opened the studio door, poked her head in and asked the cameraman if he had hears her. She was in the clear but we kept it down from that point on.
With the first interviews over I was lead into the studio and set up with a mic. I felt surprisingly calm like I did this every day. After I sat down make up was applied to my face. Cory and I talked about possible questions and our relaxed conversation resulted in the questions that were to follow. The program by the way is called “Participate – The Cultural Advantage.” The interview will air July 15th through August 15th at different times during the day. Emma explained that a schedule can be found on the Orange TV website. I am also going to get a DVD of the interview so I will post that video her when I get it. From somewhere in the room a voice shouted out, “We are rolling, we have speed, and in 5, 4, 3, 2, ….. Cory read the prompter and the interview was off and running. The interview with Cory was relaxed and simple. I got to explain how this site came to be and how I offer a unique view of the Orlando arts scene as seen through the eyes of an artist. Cory wanted me to recount the events of September 2009 when I reported on an event at Lake Eola called “Push Play.” At this even a group of activists trying to raise funds for free school supplies thanks to “A Gift for Teaching“. At this event participants had MP3 players and they all listened to a file downloaded off the Internet. The audio told them to dance and other quirky behaviors. The problem was the police showed up and the behaviors like lying down on the benches and holding up piece signs looked like a demonstration. Police shouted to find out who was in charge but no one could hear. The participants all laughed as if mocking the police. Everyone was forced out of the outdoor stadium and Jane Thompson the president of “A Gift for Teaching” was issued a summons banning her from the park for one year.
With so many amazing stories collected over the year and a half, the most difficult question was, “What was your favorite event to sketch?” This sent my mind reeling and I finally just decided to relate the details of the post which had gone live that day which was about a fundraiser called Passport to Haiti. I was surprised at how fun it was to relate the stories that I collect each day. If you keep your eyes open and look where the action is there is so much to be discovered right in your own backyard. When my interview was over I sat down behind the cameras and watched Cory interview John DiDonna and Autumn Ames about the red chair project. I worked feverishly to get a sketch to document the occasion.