9 to 5
This Is How I Do It
So it’s finally happening – I’m writing a post on the PD blog… I can’t keep up my own blog, but for some reason when Sarah asked if I was down for being a pantstributor today I said, “Sure! Totally!” even though I didn’t have any ideas for a post other than picking on Erica by making fun of New Jersey. But I don’t want to do that, because New Jersey is just so not even enough a state to warrant a post at all.
Unfortunately, I still didn’t have any idea of what to post, so I looked around my office for inspiration, but that didn’t work. Then I thought, “Hey, no one else knows what’s sitting around me, not inspiring me right now. I’ll just write about them!”
So in case you don’t know, I’m Henri, Sarah’s boyfriend and the creative director for the Alamo Drafthouse. And today I’m going to talk about where I do most of that creative directing.
The Alamo’s offices are at the South Lamar theater, in a big unfinished room over the kitchen. Here’s what it looks like to walk in there and go to my desk.
This is the most exciting blog post ever, isn’t it?
So let’s look closer at some of the details, and the things that didn’t inspire me to think about anything other than the objects themselves:
Here are all the bubbles that we’ll be using in holiday Sing-Alongs and private parties.
Two full shelves of Santa hats, because one shelf just wouldn’t have been enough.
One shelf of jingle bells.
A rack of costumes, highlighting Iron Man’s big muscly arms and Madonna’s big pointy boobs.
So I started this process because I thought maybe, just maybe, some people out there would actually be interested to see where I work. Then I looked at the pictures and realized that most people won’t care, and then I realized that it turns out I’m not doing this post for you, Pants World. I’m doing it for me, because I’m very selfish.
I’m doing it for me, though, because I want to have a record of what this crazy office space looks like. Next month we’re going to be kicked out of our offices for a couple of months while construction crews come up in here and actually finish the room out and make *real* offices. I’m going to have a door and everything, and things will just never be the same. Also, I’m going to get letters that spell out my name on the door, Mad Men style. And I’m going to make Caitlin sit outside the office and knock before she walks in to tell me that one of the other programmers would like to come in and talk about something, just like Don Draper’s assistant.
With that future in mind, I moved beyond just my office and went over to other people’s work stations so I could remember them and also talk to the rest of our office staff about how they feel about the new office plan.
So there you have it – the offices of the Alamo Drafthouse, circa December 2008. One last detail for you – the robot host of kids club shows standing in front of the old marquee from the dead Alamo Downtown:
Discussion
13 comments for “This Is How I Do It”
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huh, I agree with Lars, it IS kind of like a terrorist compound. I imagine it’ll be a bit like moving from “startup” office space to “absurd burn rate .com” office space. Press for the aeron chairs! Ang and I are looking forward to seeing/meeting you and sarah next weekend at BNAT.
I like seeing where and how people work.
Seeing the costumes and toys that are surrounded by so much energy and excitement when the public see them, but in your photos they were just hanging lifeless or surrounded by plastic has kind of an anticlimactic feel to it. I’m now imagining you taking off your costume after a show. Coming after pumping up a crowd and looking silly. You slowly unzip the iron man back from your sweaty shoulders… wait wait wait that’s not what I meant.
Congrats on new offices. Are you going to put tacky simpson’s stickers (there’s always one of those).
Aww, RIP junky old warehouse-looking office! You will be sorely missed. I remember the first time I went up there with you, I felt so awesome and kick-ass. But it will be more fun to walk towards your door and when Caitlin gets up to tell you that you have a visitor, I’ll say, “Not necessary, sweetheart,” and just walk on in. And then we’ll drink scotch, smoke 11 cigarettes and fall asleep on your sofa.
Sorry, I just finished MMS1 last night.
I sense a challenge there Henri. You can not diss my home state and get away with it!
Although the open space will be missed…I am so down for drinking scotch in your new office…i will skip the cigarette smoking though.
I think it’s a great record to have, Henri.
I’m starting to think all poshdeluxe blogs should feature two shelves of Santa hats.
That’s great. It’s fun to see the back rooms of any theater. It looked like you had video editing software open on your computer – was that for editing the new office impressions video on this post or do you edit video often for other Alamo stuff? What kind of system do you use?
Ahhh man, I wish I had pointy Madonna boobs at MY office- Stupid private schools.
All this scotch and cigs talk has got me thinking, though- Can we have a Mad Men style office-warming party for you?
I like the idea of everyone using really patronizing nicknames for Caitlin, like “sweetheart” and “doll” when she tries to stop them from bursting in and accusing you of stealing their wife/ad idea/scotch. She might not like it, but you’ll all look super stylish and amazing.
i totally second erin’s mad men office housewarming party idea, esp. if it’s patterned after the “election” episode. oooooh lordy.
my office would look approximately 500% more awesome if Caitlin were sitting outside of it, typing on an old Rand typewriter and wearing pointy cat glasses. Can we make that happen?
I like seeing the magic behind the alamo! Also I wish my office had your dress code.
Well, the party for the election did look awesome, but I wouldn’t appreciate any guys chasing me down to tackle me and see what color my undies are. Guys, DO NOT DO THIS. We don’t like it.
Meredith and I had a MM style night last week. We went to McCormick & Schmick’s in our 50’s best and ate lots of oysters on the half shell and drank martinis Roger Sterling style. We then proceeded to stumble home to watch MM. Luckily when we got home, our elevators weren’t out so there was no vomiting as a result of climbing 15 floors. So maybe it was more Don Draper style.
Okay – whoa! I just read this like a week too late and apparently half of you are already trying to picture how awesome it will be when I’m sitting outside of YOUR office…
THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN
I also love Mad Men – and am ALL FOR copious drinking, smoking, and affairing – I would also love the cat-eye glasses and swanky dresses – but much to Henri’s dismay – my desk will be INSIDE the office – like it is now (which he just skipped on over on that glamorous video tour)
However – if we do have a Mad Men style office-warming party – I will get the ice – and then I will drink all of Henri’s whiskey