The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

Hey Grandpa …

College just started and so did English class. Here is my first writing assignment. I thought you would appreciate it. Let me know what you think!

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Josh Gold English 101

Write a detailed description of the teacher, mentor, parent or friend who sparked your interest in your chosen field. Discuss how this person engaged your interest and enthusiasm for this field.

“Hey Josh, do you know what time it is?”

I rolled my eyes. I was 10-years old and ever since my eighth birthday my grandfather had been tryingt to get me to film family get-togethers. He’d been doing it long before I was born and with his background in reporting no one in the family was too surprised. I. Just. Did. Not. Want. To. Join. Him.

Don’t get me wrong. I was always a tech person and using a video camera. As I saw it, movie making was just an extension of using a computer. What bothered me was whoever had the camera didn’t get to participate in the events my grandmother had planned so meticulously, On Thanksgiving we got presents, on Chanuka we got presents, and on Independence Day, you guessed it, we got presents! The thing was if I was holding the camera I did not go first, and as the first born that was a right I was NOT going to waive!

As I got older (and entered my awkward years) holding the camera became more and more enticing. On Thanksgiving, when my grandfather showed up I was more than happy to take the camera. On Chanuka, I waited outside the house for my grandfather to arrive, popping the trunk to remove the camera as soon as his car hit the curb. By Independence Day I had already purchased my own camera.

I’ll admit, my dear reader, that this probably isn’t the most glorified beginning a filmmaker could have, but it’s the truth. Making movies got me through some hard times in my life. Wherever I went my camera came, too. Whatever I filmed, there was my grandfather checking it, making a suggestion whenever he could, invited or not.

It wasn’t long before I became quite talented with a camera. Would I show any of my work from this era? Of course not! But for age and level of experience I wasn’t too shabby. I decided I wanted to be a filmmaker and it was my grandfather’s fault.

At 15, when my parents thought my dreams of film were no more, my grandfather swooped in again and suggested I look for an internship. Not only did he locate every single production company within 50 miles of my house, he then proceeded to call each one offering them complimentary PR services (he ran a PR firm at the time) if they took me on for a summer. I didn’t really think it would work. But within a week’s time we had our first “yes.”

My story gets really complicated after that first internship. I was later hired by three other firms, freelanced in two countries, and finally opened my own company, here in Philadelphia. I’d love to tell you about it but I was asked to keep this to a page.

Thank you, Grandpa. I could not have done it without you!

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This was Ed’s response:

Hey Josh …

I don’t care what your English teacher says. Whether he likes it or not. I need to tell you that your essay – your first at Drexel – brought tears to my eyes. What made it great was not that it showed the gift of T.S. Elliot. What made it great was that it was packed with Punch: both emotion and humor. It brought back a lot of memories. You are today in a place that I would have wished for myself 56 years ago: studying to be a filmmaker. Grandmom and I are very proud of you. Proud because you really did it yourself. You could have told me to mind my own business. But you didn’t. You are smart enough to know that when HELP knocks, open the door, let HIM in!

Love … Grandpop

The e-mail address of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com