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The Plug N Play Career of Filmmaker Andee Arches

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Sometimes you meet someone with so much energy, you have to take notice. That’s how it went recently when Andee Arches was helping out around the studio a bunch. Pretty soon, Kimberly Frost suggested I interview her. Andee is a young filmmaker, audio engineer, editor, and photographer. She’s currently working on a documentary called Sister Radio — you’ll hear more about that below — and she works super hard with a sense of purpose. Plus, she is fun to be around, so why not?

Immediately, I had a few questions about her. What is she about? Who does she want to be? Where did she learn all these skills?! I felt like her story could be one other young Richmond creatives would be inspired by — and I was right. Here is my conversation with her.

Andee Arches: Right now I’m a freelancer-slash-director of a documentary which I helped develop while volunteering for WRIR 97.3 FM. I have been volunteering since 2017 and was on the board of directors as a secretary. I’m still involved in there but am focused on this documentary.

R. Anthony Harris: You were born in the Philippines?

AA: Yes, I was born there and grew up there. I did half of my high school there, then moved when I was 15. We lived in the suburbs of DC, West Virginia for two years, then back to DC before I finally moved to Richmond.

RAH: You mentioned your work with WRIR, so I assume you love music. What do you like about American pop culture, music, and film? What interested you in that?

AA: It’s just the creativity of it all. You know, growing up in the Philippines, most of the American music that we would hear on the radio was commercial music. Without any internet access, I didn’t realize that there’s a completely different music culture that was happening here in America — the only little window that I could see that other music that was happening was through movie soundtracks.

When I moved to America, I found out that there’s a whole underground scene that was going on, and different types of creativity outside of commercial music. I just fell in love with it. And I started hunting down whatever interesting music that I could find — the more that I have not heard of something, the more that I like it. [laughs]

So that’s how that passion started.

photo by Kimberly Frost

RAH: And that lead you to your initial interest in [the local] independent radio station?

AA: I’ve always loved listening to it! I was introduced to WRIR by one of my friends, who was going to VCU. [I] used to come to visit Richmond a lot, and I would hear 97.3. Just the randomness of whatever they would play. Also, I was super crazy about krautrock, and there’s a lot of krautrock that I would hear there! [laughs]

I got involved because they had an audio workshop in 2017, a field recording workshop, for free. I was really into hiking and wanted to start my own collection of bird sounds. [laughs] So I went there and got introduced to other things that WRIR was doing. I just fell in love with it.

At that time, I didn’t really have any direction in life and thought that was a good thing to learn — radio production and DJing — and since it’s free, might as well just jump in it! So that’s how I got involved.

RAH: That’s amazing. And that led you into video production?

AA: Yeah, that led into video and it’s all happenstance.

I mean, before getting involved with the radio station, my passion really was photography. That’s what made me move here to Richmond — to get into the VCU Photography Program. But I didn’t get in. I just decided to stick around, and while at WRIR, I met Cameron Robinson, who was talking about video work. It kinda made me think. I was getting tired of photography. Like, there are certain niches that I like to take photos of, but I was tired of it, and I could never see myself doing portraiture. I thought portraiture was the easy way to make money, but that filmmaking is more creative. You can do a lot of things with it. So after listening to a couple of film theories, I’m like, “I should get into film.” I think it fits my personality of problem solving. We can just play around with it a lot more than photography.

So while I was at WRIR, the news and public affairs committee, wanted to do more run n’ gun kind of news in the city. In DC there was a Black Women’s March, and they wanted to take some video of it. So I volunteered, because I was about to get my own video camera around the same week that the Black Women’s March was happening. I did a bunch of shoots up there for the event and it wasn’t really great video, but I was able to compile three minutes of footage for it.

And then when there was an opportunity to create a documentary, Carol Olson, the President of WRIR, asked me if I wanted to take it — and I just took the challenge.

RAH: And you did the editing for The Black Woman’s March too?

AA: Yeah, I did. It took me, like, three days, because my laptop was like, 2012. [laughs] It was a lot of footage. It was mostly a rough cut, really, and was more like, “This is the ‘feel’ of the Black Woman’s March.” There is a marching band. People were very passionate about it. Those are the little shots that I was taking. We had journalists and they were trying to cover it as well, so I had shots of them interviewing people.

But yeah, that’s how it started.

RAH: You mentioned the documentary you’re working on. As a beginning filmmaker, how did you wrap your head around that? You just went from doing a three-minute clip to “we are gonna give you a documentary”? That’s a big jump, right? [laughs]

AA: [laughs] It was! Yeah. I’d say I was pretty ignorant when I said yes. I did not realize that documentary is–

RAH: …and I’m sorry Andee, for people reading this that don’t know — what is the focus of the documentary?

AA: The focus of the documentary is the importance of media representation, and: what does it actually take to bring in marginalized voices into the media? To bridge that big gap that we have as media representation. So that’s the basis of it. There’s still a lot in the works, so I cannot disclose any more information on that. But I did not realize that a documentary is gonna be this insanely hard.

RAH: And this is a full length piece?

AA: We are thinking maybe just an hour now, but it really depends. We were initially thinking it’d be 90 minutes long, but now we have realized it could probably do it in just an hour.

But my instinct was saying, if I’m going to create a documentary, I need to do as much research as possible. So when Carol gave me the assignment and the person who had the idea for the documentary was there — I just went ahead and interviewed him, on the same day, to get an idea of what the documentary is going to be.

On top of that I started having to learn technical skills with the camera. I did not know about the production side either, but definitely the research and the technical side, and I just started hopping into it.

RAH: And that’s been a little over a year now?

AA: It started in 2018, and then in 2019, we went to Mali, because part of the film is in Mali. I would say that’s my first real shooting experience. We shot for nine days and that was kind of like my film school in many ways.

RAH: Because you didn’t go to film school…?

AA: I didn’t go to film school, but I watched a lot of YouTube videos on film theory and technical film stuff.

RAH: Tell me about Secret Bonus Level.

AA: Oh, Secret Bonus Level is Noah Page‘s project. Secret Bonus Level used to be a 1-3am Wednesday show on WRIR. The initial idea for it is have a live band come into the station. Rappers could then cipher with them. But because of COVID, that had to stop.

It was maybe a year into COVID. Noah reached out to me with this idea to do a live stream show in her backyard. So around February or March of 2021, Noah, this guy Mayday, and I came together and figured out the technical aspects of how we could make this live stream as free as possible, as cheap as possible. We did a lot of troubleshooting. There’s a lot of trial and error and trying to figure out the flow of like having a show.

RAH: So let us go back. You have taught yourself how to do a live production, shoot and edit a documentary while creating journalistic pieces — all in the last two to three years?

AA: Pretty much.

RAH: Having talked with you before, I hope that someone will read this story and get involved somehow in the community and see how it can open doors. I hope that people can see that if you want to do creative things, you shouldn’t wait! Just start doing them and if you do them with passion, then that’s what your career is gonna be.

AA: Thank you so much!

RAH: I have one more question for you: what are you looking forward to in 2022?

AA: Oh my god. I mean, honestly, to make money out of this venture, have more opportunities to work, and collaborate with people. [laughs]

A big part of me is just like trying to finish this documentary, which is quite a big, big project, and I want to be able to move forward to other projects. But I really want to just establish some type of stability with all this because right now, all I am doing is all passion projects.

Right now, I’ve been freelancing as a PA on film sets. Sometimes I’d work for like, four or five days straight, and then I’m dead for two weeks. That does not pay the bills if I can’t work at all.

But yeah, I’d like find some stability with it. That’s, that’s my goal, right now, in 2022. And to just collaborate with people; more artists in Richmond.

RAH: So you’re saying if someone wants to collaborate or hire you — to hit you up? [laughs]

AA: Yes! Yay, thanks Tony!

RAH: Thank you Andee for taking the time to do this.

See more of Andee Arches’ work on Vimeo HERE
Also, you can give her a follow on Instagram HERE

Photos by Kimberly Frost

Next Gen Printing: Everything Small is Part of Something Bigger

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The growing global community of 3D printing is, in large part, an online discussion. Printmakers and designers around the world share tips and tricks, open source designs, and free advice on various online forums. All3DP publishes a list every month of the 50 coolest things to 3D print. This month, it includes survival whistles, sound amplifiers, and wrenches. Printing these, as well as pretty much any other object you can think of, is something that Virginia’s first and only 3D print shop, 3D Central, specializes in.

Located in Scott’s Addition, 3D Central is a one-stop shop for where the future of the sector is moving. It allows for in-person consultations, assistance, and a physical space for 3D printing. 

Co-founder Chris Caswell started the store as an Etsy shop in 2011 with his brother, Jonathan, and his wife, Cyndi. “We started the business together when we moved down to Richmond from Boston,” said Chris. As the number of printers and customers grew, they were able to open their own store.

The storefront functions more as a workshop than a retail space. Plastic bits litter the surfaces, designs sit beside their physical manifestations, and everywhere you turn is a new small part of a bigger thing. The bits of plastic scattered about are a result of post-print perfection. “The print isn’t done as soon as it comes out,” said Jonathan.

3D Printed Logos. Photo by Christina McBride

During a printing session for RVA Magazine logos, he explained the process through each stage. Computer-aided design (CAD) software is used to model all 3D objects. The precision specifications for printing are laid out in the CAD design: the size, shape, and detail. After the design is created, it is converted into a file format used for 3D printing and rapid prototyping, which takes into account the surfaces of the design.

“Everything, everything, is laid out in the software,” said Chris.

That file then has to be sliced into layers so the printer can build the model from the bottom up. Since every object is made up of plastic layers, the more layers they use, the more detailed the print becomes.

“Then you drag the design to your flash drive and stick it in the printer,” said Jonathan.

Spools of thick ABS or PLA plastic thread are looped into the machine, determining the type and color of plastic the print will bring to life. Different types of plastic (or sometimes, rubber) work best with different designs. For instance, one customer needed to print a specific screw for his sailboat that he couldn’t find anywhere else. Another asked for custom cookie cutters for her pre-made gingerbread house sets. Another needed to print the prototype for a business model. 

The Caswells were most excited about a personal printing accomplishment. In one design, they were able to create an accordion-like hinged extension that fans out to almost as wide as Jonathan’s wingspan. It’s the “extendo” in the extendo arm. Like most of their prints, it’s a part, but they haven’t yet attached it to anything.

Jonathan smiled and let it stretch out to his side, saying, “It could be a giant grab-arm.”

As the technology continues to grow, more opportunities for both commercial and personal use have become available. According to CAD Crowd, MIT has recently developed a 3D printer that outputs almost 10 times faster than the commercial printers currently available — which is leading to breakthroughs in medicine, engineering, and event printed metals.

3D Central taps into these trajectories. In the shop, one could easily spy trade show models, spare technology parts, figurines, custom plastic busts, the Millennium Falcon, and even a shoe. However, one of their more popular products is their Yuni: Single-Sided Stereo Headphone for listeners with hearing problems. The product is 3D printed, assembled, and wired by 3D Central in-house. 

Plastic Spools for Printing. Photo by Christina McBride

The world of 3D printing is not without controversy, however. When asked about his stance on printing guns, Chris said, “Certainly we don’t do that. But just like other people have hobbies, some gun owners think of it as a hobby, and need parts for that sort of thing.”

He said that, besides plastic being a bad material for weapons, for the price of a printer (the cheapest, fully assembled model runs about $600) and the time putting the gun together, one might as well spend the money on a real gun.  

The debate on 3D printed guns is complicated. Printed guns do not have serial numbers like weapons you’d buy in a store, so they fall under the category of “ghost guns,” which are not legal to buy or sell. What’s more, under the stipulations set forward by the Undetectable Firearms Act, guns have to have metal parts, regardless of whether those parts are necessary for the production, so that they’ll show up in metal detectors. And it is not just a Second Amendment issue: these guns are designed and printed by people, which brings free speech into the debate. 

Nonetheless, the only weapons 3D Central prints are for cosplay. A pile of printed Nerf guns and accessories hang out in a corner, along with a Nerf dart shooter; they are bright, bulky, printed, and assembled in-house. The most awesome part: there’s also a sword.

A few years ago, this technology seemed esoteric and out of reach. Now public schools, libraries, and universities all have 3D printers available for use. Communities at large and private owners will benefit from 3D printing technology – designs and prints can be finished before an Amazon package would reach your door. Even NASA can now send designs for otherwise-expensive spare parts to be printed at the International Space Station for in-space construction. Universities are also testing the bio-printing of viable 3D cells to end the organ transplant shortage. The future of the technology seems limitless.

Right now, though, its real merit is in providing quick, simple solutions — like printing a new phone case, or a Halloween costume prop. The technology is popular with tinkerers and craftspeople, and many of these owners have online businesses for 3D printed gifts or toys, some of which are now popping up on Etsy and Amazon.

But despite 3D printing’s increased accessibility, it’s still not an appliance, according to Jonathan. With no simple means to create objects, like pushing a button on a microwave, he likened having a 3D printer at home to owning a woodworking machine. To output a finished product, it requires knowledge of the software and the ability to design each object, as well as time, effort, and a willingness to try again if the first print fails. Unless consumers put serious time into in the 3D printing technology, as artists like Chris and Jonathan have done, it is unlikely that the current technology will be used to its full potential.

To learn more about the 3D printing process, you can find Chris and Jonathan on their website and Instagram, and check out their products on Etsy and Amazon.

Butta Leather: Weekend Playlist by Illa Styles

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Every Friday night, RVA Mag drops one scorcher of a playlist curated by Virginia’s most influential artists, musicians, and institutions. This week Richmond rapper, Illa Styles, launches the ground truth and curates a playlist that will drive your night work in whichever direction it needs to go.

Go make moves tonight Virginia.

 

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Mag Now Accepting Applications For Fall 2018 Interns

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Do you or someone you know have the writing chops to seek out and deliver compelling stories on the latest in music, art, food, beer, politics and current events in Richmond? Well, you’re in luck, because the editors of RVA Mag are in need of editorial, video, and graphic design interns for our upcoming fall session!

We’re looking to fill about eight slots for people who are passionate, creative, hard-working, and willing to learn and better themselves under the guidance of two professional media outlets here in Richmond. You will cover artists, musicians, fashion, craft beer, restaurants, film, theatre, and more. RVA Mag is also looking for interns who have a strong interest in politics at all levels: local, state, national and the intersections between them. This interest will include reporting on policy and identity issues, writing opinion pieces (if comfortable), and going out on the beat with our staff’s reporting team to political events and press conferences. Must have a strong understanding of the conversation that surrounds these issues and how they connect across modern media platforms, specifically social media.

We are also looking for strong voices to be able to report on women’s issues throughout the Commonwealth, as well as writing about women’s empowerment in all aspects of politics, policy, and gender identity. Must have a strong understanding of the conversation that surrounds these issues.

Ideal candidates will:

  • Attend college and be in need of 2-3 credits through their scholastic program. MUST BE a Journalism/Public Relations/Mass Comm major
  • Have 2-3 days availability during the week, with the freedom to attend events in the evening
  • Have a laptop, digital camera, digital voice recorder, and/or smartphone
  • Be willing to work hard
  • Understand the responsibilities involved when committing to a project
  • Have experience writing non-fiction
  • Have an open mind, with the willingness to cover issues and topics that might be altogether new to you

Attending a college program is not required, but those not in a program should be able to show a history of successful writing or commitment to a long-term project.

Editorial Internship Details: 

1. Writing –  You will be responsible for some of the more regular weekly content: news writing, event previews, album reviews, business listing updates, political updates.

2. Interviewing – you will be speaking to LOTS of different people. The voices of the city and state help define a publication, and you will be seeking out those voices.

3. Pitching and developing long-form stories – we want to help you get published, we want to see you succeed. We’ll help you get there.

Video Intern Details

We are looking for several individuals who can ideally pitch, shoot, edit and produce compelling video on breaking news and feature stories for RVA Mag. Candidates should be studying journalism, film, or another related field, but all applicants with video or multimedia experience will be considered. Must have strong narrative storytelling skills, ability to meet deadlines, and ability to work with video team. Those who own or are familiar with a DSLR camera will be considered first. Experience with Final Cut Pro, Final Cut X or similar video editing software a plus.

For the video internship, please send resume, cover letter, reel and any related work to Landon Shroder at [email protected].

Graphic Design Details 

We are looking to fill one slot for a creative, hardworking, designer who can work quickly. You will create regular graphics for web and print as well as Instagram and Facebook. Enrolled in a graphic design program a plus, but not required. Proficient in Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign. Please send resume, cover letter, and samples of work to Amy David at [email protected]

What you will get out of the internship program:

  • An understanding of the daily operations of an independent publication in a medium market town
  • The independence to cover stories and issues which interest you
  • Lots and lots of clips
  • Long form and short form writing experience
  • Multi-media web-based project experience
  • Access to shows, parties, and events

What we need from you:

  • Resume
  • Availability from Aug. 27th – Dec. 20th
  • Cover letter detailing why we should bring you on board
  • One short writing sample

Please send an email to Amy David at [email protected] and put “Internship Submission” as the subject line. Deadline for submission is Sun., Aug. 19. Internships are currently unpaid.

We are always seeking to diversify our newsroom, LGBTQ and minority students are very much encouraged to apply. 

RVA Mag Now Accepting Applications For Summer 2018 Interns

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Do you or someone you know have the writing chops to seek out and deliver compelling stories on the latest in music, art, food, beer, politics and current events in Richmond? Well, you’re in luck, because the editors of RVA Mag are in need of editorial and video interns for our upcoming summer session!

We’re looking to fill about eight slots for people who are passionate, creative, hard-working, and willing to learn and better themselves under the guidance of two professional media outlets here in Richmond. You will cover artists, musicians, fashion, craft beer, restaurants, film, theatre, and more. RVA Mag is also looking for interns who have a strong interest in politics at all levels: local, state, national and the intersections between them. This interest will include reporting on policy and identity issues, writing opinion pieces (if comfortable), and going out on the beat with our staff’s reporting team to political events and press conferences. Must have a strong understanding of the conversation that surrounds these issues and how they connect across modern media platforms, specifically social media.

We are also looking for strong voices to be able to report on women’s issues throughout the Commonwealth, as well as writing about women’s empowerment in all aspects of politics, policy, and gender identity. Must have a strong understanding of the conversation that surrounds these issues.

Ideal candidates will:

  • Attend college and be in need of 2-3 credits through their scholastic program. MUST BE a Journalism/Public Relations/Mass Comm major
  • Have 2-3 days availability during the week, with the freedom to attend events in the evening
  • Have a laptop, digital camera, digital voice recorder, and/or smartphone
  • Be willing to work hard
  • Understand the responsibilities involved when committing to a project
  • Have experience writing non-fiction
  • Have an open mind, with the willingness to cover issues and topics that might be altogether new to you

Attending a college program is not required, but those not in a program should be able to show a history of successful writing or commitment to a long-term project.

Editorial Internship Details: 

1. Writing –  You will be responsible for some of the more regular weekly content: news writing, event previews, album reviews, business listing updates, political updates.

2. Interviewing – you will be speaking to LOTS of different people. The voices of the city and state help define a publication, and you will be seeking out those voices.

3. Pitching and developing long-form stories – we want to help you get published, we want to see you succeed. We’ll help you get there.

Video Intern Details

We are looking for several individuals who can ideally pitch, shoot, edit and produce compelling video on breaking news and feature stories for RVA Mag. Candidates should be studying journalism, film, or another related field, but all applicants with video or multimedia experience will be considered. Must have strong narrative storytelling skills, ability to meet deadlines, and ability to work with video team. Those who own or are familiar with a DSLR camera will be considered first. Experience with Final Cut Pro, Final Cut X or similar video editing software a plus.

For the video internship, please send resume, cover letter, reel and any related work to Landon Shroder at [email protected].

What you will get out of the internship program:

  • An understanding of the daily operations of an independent publication in a medium market town
  • The independence to cover stories and issues which interest you
  • Lots and lots of clips
  • Long form and short form writing experience
  • Multi-media web-based project experience
  • Access to shows, parties, and events

What we need from you:

  • Resume
  • Availability from May 14th – August 10th
  • Cover letter detailing why we should bring you on board
  • One short writing sample

Please send an email to Amy David at [email protected] and put “Internship Submission” as the subject line. Deadline for submission is Mon., April 30. Both are unpaid internships.

We are always seeking to diversify our newsroom, LGBTQ and minority students are very much encouraged to apply.