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Chance encounter yields job offer Network hires alum as writer By ELAINE KELCH The Red & Black On Aug. 31, ABC’s “Modem *"nily" garnered an Emmy for outstanding Comedy Series the result of the staff behind the camera, of course. Anthony Lombardo, a University alumnus who gradu ated in May, is the production assistant assigned to the writer’s office of the hit show. “They sent me a graduation card in May, congratulating me and saying they looked forward to having me for season two,” Lombardo said. But the job, and the card, didn’t come out of the blue. “I interned [my] last semes ter; from January to March,” Lombardo said. “The internship itself was the interview.” A telecommunication arts major from Duluth, Lombardo credits a chance encounter in 2007 in leading to the position he holds. “I randomly met [executive producer and writer] Steven Levitan and his wife for two min utes,” Lombardo said. “I e-mailed them every few months I think I just kind of wore them down.” Lombardo’s internship last winter was earned through per sistence. listen up! 9w£i t ■ -n! H till ~ I*l i 'jX'ikHL. 1 I v ' American Glory There’s something incredibly safe and polite about “American Glory,” which creates an awkward melting pot of “almost.” A1 Torchia can almost sing. There’s no doubt the man puts his all into each verse, but he just doesn’t have the range he tries consistently to pull off. The instrumentation is almost impressive. Ten seconds into each song and you are almost con vinced this is an album you’d leave in your CD player. The genre is almost country. Sort of folky. A lit tle bit jazz. However, once the eight tracks have played through, the whole effort just sounds like something you’d tap your foot to in a bar. The songs simply don’t build or lead the listener anywhere. It’s not terrible music by any means, which makes the whole conun drum that much more dif ficult. But shouldn’t you be able to at least hum the melody of the song you just heard? I couldn’t. I Think I Heard Something The buzz surrounding Manray’s inception into the Athens mathrock scene less than a year ago can finally be justified by more than just the quar tet’s jaw-dropping live per formances. "I Think I Heard Something,” the debut EP from the Olivera trio Ryan, Jordan and Derek and guitarist Oene Woolfolk, highlights the very essence of the band’s intricate nature, com prised of equal parts pro gressive, hauntingly-har monic rock. The self-titled first track builds upon itself for near ly five minutes, seemingly floating between delicate guitar and spastic, driving drums. “Blue Lights On” Is quick and edgy, featuring raw and dissonant vocals that compliment the lay ered guitars that pull in opposite directions. Closing it all out is “Burning Bridges,” which is the poster-child of Manray’s musical schizo phrenia fast, slow, pains takingly beautiful and equally tortured. Joe Williams “[A comment was made that they] had never seen anyone more persistent. I was never rude they didn’t owe me any thing —but they were gracious enough to respond to my e-mails,” Lombardo said. Well aware of his good for tune, Lombardo made the most of his internship. “I never was just, ‘l’m going to hang out on set all day.’ I tried to do as much as I could,” Lombardo said. “I’d go to the daily production meetings, I’d do all they daily work. I wanted to prove to them that I wanted to be there. I wanted to do the grunt work.” At 23, Lombardo is exception ally young for his position. Even with his prior experience on the show as an intern, the intimida tion-factor of being around the movers and shakers of the indus try can be daunting —but work ing with the writers of “Modem Family,” it’s already a bit like home. “They’re actually really great. I play Words With Friends with one of them,” Lombardo said. “They’re really open and friendly. We have a very [acclaimed] writ ing room. Our writers have done a lot of things —some have had their own shows before.” Working as a PA, Lombardo does the work that viewers “take completely for granted.” These things include doing purchase orders, faxes and cop ies for the writer’s office itself; sitting in on content meetings Take that, Tech! You TcSSfirto PECHjM OWUSEXCHANGE.ORG NOW...DRINK FOR FREE!! Just create an account (a) CampusExchange.org, activate that account, and YOU WILL GET AN EMAIL TICKET for a FREE HAPPY HOUR DOWNTOWN ! ! ! STAY TUNED TO THE RED&BIACK FOR MORE DETAILS... HAPPY HOUR WILL BE 1/1 3/201 1 ...REGISTER TODAY! a ,1. "fnis warn r v 9 JMgr --rafe'' ' MM IKL m flfoT m **s M M -•-’'l "Wsfffi | \ j mmm I. V I IJ < wmji .| a 1 8 i | iJH 4I I vJ[ fljß ’■■! ■itl| SLh 188 Hn ij M W 17® kl 11 I Iw M | i* 1 TiiillVilli 1 1 *- mil -* J±LI J|j UPGRADED AMENITIES • WASHERS & DRYERS * FULL KITCHENS • INDIVIDUAL LEASES • FIND US ON FACEBOOK lIM I^MI 1 P 5; CLUB j APPLY ONLINE @ ATHENSSTUDENTHOUSING.COM VARIETY that handle the details for each show; and looking into such mundane items as what a char acter should hold or the continu ity of what they’re eating. Although far from the class rooms of the University, the les sons learned in Athens are invaluable to Lombardo. “We had great professors and awesome production classes,” Lombardo said. “For someone who wants to write there are plenty of classes you can take with Dr. [Nate] Kohn and Dr. [Horace] Newcomb there are plenty of things to try to figure out what you like.” What he liked was writing. “I did DGK, I volunteered at NewSource. I did the Peabody Awards my junior year. I went to Cannes,” Lombardo said. “I took advantage of the things that were unique to Georgia.” Adjusting to Los Angeles has been less of a hassle than Lombardo prepared himself for. “The traffic has not been a huge issue. Atlanta has a lot of traffic, and I live close to the stu dio,” Lombardo said. And though the life of coffee and meetings is not glamorous in and of itself, Lombardo sees this as a necessary step. “I want to be a TV writer some day. I bounce ideas around in my head and work on specs,” Lombardo said. “[But] I am very lucky and happy where I am [just to] jump out of college and be a PA on an Emmy-winning show.” DON’T GET STUCK WITHOUT HOUSING! r ‘,v’-f -. jlik rmmt Jf f LANDMARK jPROPERTIES^ Cottages, lofts & Townhomes ALL OVER ATHENS!!! www.LandmarkAthens.com 706.543.1910 Thb Rbd & Black | Wednesday, December 8, aoio Finals Edition One big (straight, gay, multi-cultural, traditional) happy family. ’mt *•*-**" jlfl modern family COMEDY Wednesday Courtesy ABC Press ▲ Anthony Lombardo made the most of his time at the University to work toward his position as a production assistant on ‘Modern Family’ straight out of college. 7