This most recent piece I completed is no different. One of my previous hobbies was rock climbing. On the occasion when climbing outside wasn’t feasible, I’d hit up my local climbing gym. Walking to the door, you could hear shots being fired from, Calibers, the indoor shooting range that was next door.

I had always wanted to pop in there, but never personally felt like firing a gun.  My passion for storytelling finally led me there as I arranged a time to sit down with the owner and learn what they’re all about.  Here’s what he had to say:

All in all it was a really interesting experience.  I was amazed to learn what a diverse group of people frequent shooting ranges.

I love that journalism provides a right of passage into people’s lives that you might not normally have access to as Joe Somebody.  I can’t wait for the next adventure…I have a few tricks up my sleeve!

Once again my curiosity led me and my camera downtown to unveil an interesting story. The cost of admission was $20 for the day, which I couldn’t really afford. I told the guys at the door that I’m a student and was looking to poke around and do an interview. They suggested that I was to be classified as “media” and waived the entry fee….jackpot!

After scoping out the location, I met Ben and he agreed to an interview. During the course of picking his brain, he dished out this rewarding story.

I’ve always wanted a tattoo, but have never been able to settle on what to get. I want something that will not only look cool when I’m older, but ultimately have some deep meaning so that when I’m 65 I can say, “yeah, that’s badass.”

Armed with my camera, audio recorder, and an extroverted personality, I went to Raleigh and met Princess America.  Not the one from the comic books, although pretty close.

I was amazed at the dedication and the following the sport has, which is continuing to grow.  Just recently Greensboro, NC started their own league.

Roller derby is a complex sport, and I found this video on youtube, that can explain the rules way better than I can.  If you have a chance to go to a roller derby bout, I highly recommend it!

1. Duckrabbit – not only do they produce excellent multimedia pieces, but they point you in the direction of some extraordinary ones as well. This UK company opts to work exclusively with audio and still images, believing it to be a more powerful and intimate medium than video.
2. Innovative Interactivity – appealing to multimedia fans and producers at large, founder Tracy Boyer aims to deliver content on emerging technologies and ways of storytelling.  Be sure to check out one of their latest posts about “Prison Valley.”
3. Solo Video Journalist – uncovering the emerging trend of solo video journalism, aka backpacking journalism, SVJ provides a wealth of how-to’s and links to solid bodies of work.
4. VII Photo Agency – featuring incredible photography and multimedia packages….just look through the portfolios, you’ll see what I mean.
5. @kocinetwork – Richard Koci Hernandez runs the multimediashooter blog…also a new fave and worth your time to check out.  I’ve recently started following him on Twitter, which is updated way more than his blog, and find myself anxiously awaiting new tweets.  Each one unveils new work and insight to the realm of multimedia.

Enjoy!