Sometimes
I focus too much on what my disability prevents me from doing. Though I not likely to be employed as a long
haul truck driver or as a security guard, there are many other types of work I
can do. Blogging, for instance is a good
option for me.
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| David Block |
Film
producing? I assumed that might be beyond my capabilities until I became aware
of David Block, filmmaker, writer, musician and teacher. Block is legally
blind, but that hasn’t stopped him from doing incredible work in mediums that are
visual crafts. To learn more about David Block, check out his website here.
According
to an article [link] published by the American Federation for the Blind (AFB),
Block has worked as a documentary filmmaker and journalist for more than two
decades.
From
that article, here is David Blog in his own words:
“I am David
Block, a freelance journalist, a documentary producer/director and ghost
writer. What I do career-wise on any given day depends entirely on what I'm
working on or who I have to interview. There are some days when I have little
to do and others when I'm incredibly busy as tasks vary from assignment to
assignment.
On days I'm
making a documentary, the days that my crew and I shoot are quite hectic. My
interview questions have to be polished and I have to make sure that we have
the right equipment to shoot. I arrange for the crew to meet at a specific spot
and time so we can travel together to where we are filming.
After
shooting the documentary, some of my days are long and hard because using the
raw footage from the shoot, I have to transcribe every word the interviewees
uttered. I do this so I will know what shots and quotes will work well in the
film and what shots and quotes should not be considered.
To succeed,
you can't let people discourage you. Even with a good education don't expect to
get rich. Sometimes, I've made decent money, but not often enough. My love of
the work is greater than my concern about how much I get paid. That's why I've
been in these particular fields for over 20 years. I love my craft. Choose well
when it comes to deciding what you want to do and you'll love yours too.
As
a freelance journalist, Block has over 1,500 articles published in a variety of
publications such as, New York Times,
Philadelphia Inquirer, Jazz Journal International, London Times, Jerusalem Post, and dozens of local magazines and newspapers.
During
his extensive career, he has interviewed high profile athletes, celebrities,
government agents, and musicians such as Kobe Bryant, Joe Frazier, Florence Henderson,
Bruce Jenner, Lee Majors, David Sanborn, McCoy Tyner, and Grover Washington,
Jr.
Block
is currently earning his Masters’ Degree at Temple University, Philadelphia.
