A Day In The Life Of Geoffrey Kleinman?
01-28-04, 07:51 PM
#1
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
A Day In The Life Of Geoffrey Kleinman?
I don't know about the others, but I am definitely curious as to what a typical day is for you Geoff (in regards to DVDTalk). Endulge us all if you will.
01-28-04, 08:17 PM
#4
DVD Talk Legend
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Originally posted by X
He'll report on it after we get done giving him his massage.
He'll report on it after we get done giving him his massage.
Originally posted by BandoButters
I found this picture of him with one of his "special friends" during his everyday routine:
I found this picture of him with one of his "special friends" during his everyday routine:
01-29-04, 02:25 AM
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My typical Day.
Get up and check in. The first thing I do almost every day is to check in, see if there are any immediate issues to deal with, emails that need immediate attention or things that need my attention first thing
Then I catch a quick breakfast and make myself a latte (almost always w/ Portland's own Stumptown Coffee).
Then it's back to the site and answering some of the quickie emails that I can clear out of my inbox with a quick response. I typically get 100 or so emails a day which need some sort of response. With all the spam and such it can be as many as 1000 emails or more.
Next up would be the DVD Talk Review database. I go in, check and see if there are reviews which are queued and ready to go out. My goal is to get reviews up as quickly as I can.
Almost every day of the week involves some sort of newsletter. So if it's a Monday I spend between 3 and 4 hours working on pulling everything together for the newsletter. If it's another day of the week I'm making sure we have everything we need to publish whatever newsletter is going out that day.
After the reviews are done, and the urgent emails are addressed I spend some time in the private mod's and dvd talk reviewer's forum areas, make sure anything that needs my attention gets it.Check in with writers/mods as there is always some sort of ongoing discussion.
Next up is updating the front of the site. Depending on when it is during the week it can be a quick thing or something much more indepth. I tend to spend a lot of time picking out the notable DVDs and deciding what to feature on the site.
After that's all underway I typically spend time on the phone with studios and pr agencies. Following up on DVDs we've requested, scheduling interviews for the site, looking at giveaways as well as working on my monthly TV segment (with Electronic Press Kits)
Midway throught this I tend to take some time to pack up DVDs to go out to our writers. DVD Talk has 35 people who write for the site and we get a TON of DVDs (both adult and mainstream) in. I pack up the DVDs and make sure they go out to the right people, sometimes this can be a 1-2 hour process to get everything together.
Often I'm checking in with the Feedback forum, some days I just need to respond to a question or comment, but others involve dealing with a problem or issue (like pop-up madness).
Invariably I find that it's almost 1:00 and I haven't had lunch. So I tend to take a quick break to catch a bite, see my kids (I have a home office).
Then it's back up to work, typically responding to a number of emails, trying to keep the number of unresponded down to a sane level (which is almost impossiable). I spend time interacting with advertisers. Sending out proposals for advertising on the site, loading new banners in for existing advertisers as well as chase some of them down to get the ads in time for the publication we need to send out.
After lunch I am often making calls to prospective advertisers, ad sales calls and emails take up a huge amount of my afternoon. Some days I use this time to work on editorial planning or talk to one of our writers or columnists. I'll often have an extended conversation with one of the PR firms we work with or studio reps about something that's going on or be getting info on future titles.
In the early afternoon we get several deliveries of DVDs, so I unpack them, log them into our system and then get the rest of the DVDs ready to go out to our reviewers in the mail.
Depending on what time of the month it is I might hunker down and do book keeping work, or deal with invoicing, collections, and other financial fun stuff. I'll also work on some of the long term projects that need attention (redesigns, technical issues, rss, researching the next forum version, videogametalk, etc).
Sometimes I'm on the phone with writers from other media (newspapers, radio, TV) talking about DVD, giving quotes or just helping out with a story.
Then email's piled up again and I spend some time clearing it out. More often than not there's a problem thread or user that needs some attention on the forum or someone's instant messaging me about one thing or another.
When I have a chance I go in and try to update our coming soon release list, and I tend to spend some time in the afternoon's working on getting columns published online and loading things into our outgoing email server for our newsletter.
Typically that takes me up to Dinner, when I take a break, spend time with my family and catch up on life.
Then almost always I'm back online finishing up the email in the day. Getting reports out to advertisers if needed, sending off any last min proposals or things I've commited to having by the end of the day.
I often spend time in the early evening catching up on the sites I read, I'll spend time doing some research (for technical issues, stuff to add to the site, or new trends like rss as well as advertising technology solutions). I stop to tuck the kids in bed and will typically go and take a break.
If it's getting close to when I do TV this is the time I'll watch one of the 4 title's we're featuring. If not then I might catch a DVD of something I know needs to go out the next day for review. If on a lucky day there's nothing I have to watch I fire up my Tivo and catch up on the shows I follow or pop in a DVD and watch something for fun.
Then it's back online for one last check in, answer feedback posts like this one, check in with the mods and reviewers forum, approve any reviews that are queued up and call it a day.
Some days are insane, I often feel like there's a lot more to do than my ability to do it, but I do what I can to get everything done that I've committed to. It's a lot of hard work, but I absolutely love it.
- G
Get up and check in. The first thing I do almost every day is to check in, see if there are any immediate issues to deal with, emails that need immediate attention or things that need my attention first thing
Then I catch a quick breakfast and make myself a latte (almost always w/ Portland's own Stumptown Coffee).
Then it's back to the site and answering some of the quickie emails that I can clear out of my inbox with a quick response. I typically get 100 or so emails a day which need some sort of response. With all the spam and such it can be as many as 1000 emails or more.
Next up would be the DVD Talk Review database. I go in, check and see if there are reviews which are queued and ready to go out. My goal is to get reviews up as quickly as I can.
Almost every day of the week involves some sort of newsletter. So if it's a Monday I spend between 3 and 4 hours working on pulling everything together for the newsletter. If it's another day of the week I'm making sure we have everything we need to publish whatever newsletter is going out that day.
After the reviews are done, and the urgent emails are addressed I spend some time in the private mod's and dvd talk reviewer's forum areas, make sure anything that needs my attention gets it.Check in with writers/mods as there is always some sort of ongoing discussion.
Next up is updating the front of the site. Depending on when it is during the week it can be a quick thing or something much more indepth. I tend to spend a lot of time picking out the notable DVDs and deciding what to feature on the site.
After that's all underway I typically spend time on the phone with studios and pr agencies. Following up on DVDs we've requested, scheduling interviews for the site, looking at giveaways as well as working on my monthly TV segment (with Electronic Press Kits)
Midway throught this I tend to take some time to pack up DVDs to go out to our writers. DVD Talk has 35 people who write for the site and we get a TON of DVDs (both adult and mainstream) in. I pack up the DVDs and make sure they go out to the right people, sometimes this can be a 1-2 hour process to get everything together.
Often I'm checking in with the Feedback forum, some days I just need to respond to a question or comment, but others involve dealing with a problem or issue (like pop-up madness).
Invariably I find that it's almost 1:00 and I haven't had lunch. So I tend to take a quick break to catch a bite, see my kids (I have a home office).
Then it's back up to work, typically responding to a number of emails, trying to keep the number of unresponded down to a sane level (which is almost impossiable). I spend time interacting with advertisers. Sending out proposals for advertising on the site, loading new banners in for existing advertisers as well as chase some of them down to get the ads in time for the publication we need to send out.
After lunch I am often making calls to prospective advertisers, ad sales calls and emails take up a huge amount of my afternoon. Some days I use this time to work on editorial planning or talk to one of our writers or columnists. I'll often have an extended conversation with one of the PR firms we work with or studio reps about something that's going on or be getting info on future titles.
In the early afternoon we get several deliveries of DVDs, so I unpack them, log them into our system and then get the rest of the DVDs ready to go out to our reviewers in the mail.
Depending on what time of the month it is I might hunker down and do book keeping work, or deal with invoicing, collections, and other financial fun stuff. I'll also work on some of the long term projects that need attention (redesigns, technical issues, rss, researching the next forum version, videogametalk, etc).
Sometimes I'm on the phone with writers from other media (newspapers, radio, TV) talking about DVD, giving quotes or just helping out with a story.
Then email's piled up again and I spend some time clearing it out. More often than not there's a problem thread or user that needs some attention on the forum or someone's instant messaging me about one thing or another.
When I have a chance I go in and try to update our coming soon release list, and I tend to spend some time in the afternoon's working on getting columns published online and loading things into our outgoing email server for our newsletter.
Typically that takes me up to Dinner, when I take a break, spend time with my family and catch up on life.
Then almost always I'm back online finishing up the email in the day. Getting reports out to advertisers if needed, sending off any last min proposals or things I've commited to having by the end of the day.
I often spend time in the early evening catching up on the sites I read, I'll spend time doing some research (for technical issues, stuff to add to the site, or new trends like rss as well as advertising technology solutions). I stop to tuck the kids in bed and will typically go and take a break.
If it's getting close to when I do TV this is the time I'll watch one of the 4 title's we're featuring. If not then I might catch a DVD of something I know needs to go out the next day for review. If on a lucky day there's nothing I have to watch I fire up my Tivo and catch up on the shows I follow or pop in a DVD and watch something for fun.
Then it's back online for one last check in, answer feedback posts like this one, check in with the mods and reviewers forum, approve any reviews that are queued up and call it a day.
Some days are insane, I often feel like there's a lot more to do than my ability to do it, but I do what I can to get everything done that I've committed to. It's a lot of hard work, but I absolutely love it.
- G
01-29-04, 03:09 AM
#6
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You sound like you could use an intern for Kleinmerica Corp!
Thanks for all the hard work Geoff. Still the best all in one place for DVD info and bargains on the web!
01-29-04, 04:57 AM
#7
DVD Talk Legend
Geoff,
Sounds like you need to hire a secretary! And if you're going to hire a secretary, you should probably look for one like this:
That should make those long days a little easier! Well, at least until Mrs. Klineman comes home...
Sounds like you need to hire a secretary! And if you're going to hire a secretary, you should probably look for one like this:
That should make those long days a little easier! Well, at least until Mrs. Klineman comes home...
01-30-04, 01:49 PM
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I didn't see the part where you pass out the swag to Portland Otters...
Thanks to Bill for this post. I've often wondered the same.
..and thanks to Geoff for responding.
Thanks to Bill for this post. I've often wondered the same.
..and thanks to Geoff for responding.
02-03-04, 10:49 PM
#18
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Geoff, it was appreciated. Thanks for the site and one other thing, when the hell is the premium section gonna start already??? Server costs have got to be killing ya!
02-04-04, 07:14 PM
#19
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
From Geoff's Blog ......
Wow! Who knew I could do that much! Never thought of myself as an inspiration... a moderator maybe..but not a inspiration....
**head swelling over**
OK Here We Go
I've resisted doing the personal blog thing for a while now, as I'm afriad that I won't have all that much of an opportunity to make sure it's all up to date. But today I decided to throw caution to the wind and at least give it a go. At the very min I can post some general nuggets of info here that may be useful.
In many ways I was inspired by A Post in the DVD Talk Forum which asked me what A Day in The Life Of Geoffrey Kleinman was like.
I've resisted doing the personal blog thing for a while now, as I'm afriad that I won't have all that much of an opportunity to make sure it's all up to date. But today I decided to throw caution to the wind and at least give it a go. At the very min I can post some general nuggets of info here that may be useful.
In many ways I was inspired by A Post in the DVD Talk Forum which asked me what A Day in The Life Of Geoffrey Kleinman was like.
Never thought of myself as an inspiration... a moderator maybe..but not a inspiration....**head swelling over**
02-04-04, 09:07 PM
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Originally posted by Bill Geiger
Geoff, it was appreciated. Thanks for the site and one other thing, when the hell is the premium section gonna start already??? Server costs have got to be killing ya!
Geoff, it was appreciated. Thanks for the site and one other thing, when the hell is the premium section gonna start already??? Server costs have got to be killing ya!
As soon as the next version of the forum software goes gold. HOPEFULLY THIS MONTH!
I'm also re-evaluating avatars as a possiable premium benefit
02-04-04, 10:18 PM
#21
DVD Talk Legend
A Day In The Life of Groucho:
Wake up at 4 A.M. to work out to Sweatin' to the Olides and catch up on Tivo. (Gotta watch Last Call with Carson Daly... dammit, I was this close to landing that gig...)
7 A.M., cook scrambled eggs and toast for my lovely wife Christine and our two kids. 7:45, cook pancakes for my other wife Anabelle and our three children. 9:00, cook breakfast for Diane and Sissy, wives 3 and 4. Wash dishes.
9:30, log on at DVDTalk. Find all the recent posts by dork and make critical notes. Read them all aloud using different mocking voice -- Donald Duck, Starr Jones, Yosemite Sam.
10:15, weep bitterly and pour a second cup of coffee.
10:30, re-energized, start posting. Write a humorous quip about wooden Indians, and another one about airplane food. Accidentally post something serious, but hopefully people will interpret it faectiously. Post a few more dozen times, then stop and put on clothes. Post a few more times, then take a break.
Lunch time at the Groucho estate -- Kraft macaroni and cheese mixed with hot dogs and maple syrup, mayonaise sandwiches on Wonderbread and a roasted boar with pineapple slices.
After an afternoon nap, it's time to work on my comic timing by watching some old tapes of the masters of comedy. Start off with Encino Man -- how does Pauly Shore do it??? It comes across so effortlessly. "I'm not a geek, I'm a unique weasel." Genius. Genius.
5:15. Weep bitterly and uncontrollably.
7:00 -- yes, it's time once again for... WHEEL... OF... FORTUNE!!! Break out the pencils and the pads of paper and try to beat those crafty contestants. Anabelle brings in Pop Tarts and Jiffy Pop popcorn, and I thank her and give her a slap on the rump. She runs crying from the room -- turns out that wasn't Anabelle, that was Christine. Oh, well -- plenty more where she came from!
8:00 is the time for prayer and meditation. Then 8:05, we break out the Monopoly board! Oh, the hours we while away chasing that little dog and that funny little top hat. By 9:00, we're all extremely tired, and so I am able to slip a few extra properties and $10,000 in cash from the bank and win the game for the 40th night in a row. Yay, me!
In bed by 9:30, snuggled up in my Spiderman Underoos with my trusty nighttime companion Mr. Teddy Giggles. Good night, moon! Good night, John Boy! Good night all!
Wake up at 4 A.M. to work out to Sweatin' to the Olides and catch up on Tivo. (Gotta watch Last Call with Carson Daly... dammit, I was this close to landing that gig...)
7 A.M., cook scrambled eggs and toast for my lovely wife Christine and our two kids. 7:45, cook pancakes for my other wife Anabelle and our three children. 9:00, cook breakfast for Diane and Sissy, wives 3 and 4. Wash dishes.
9:30, log on at DVDTalk. Find all the recent posts by dork and make critical notes. Read them all aloud using different mocking voice -- Donald Duck, Starr Jones, Yosemite Sam.
10:15, weep bitterly and pour a second cup of coffee.
10:30, re-energized, start posting. Write a humorous quip about wooden Indians, and another one about airplane food. Accidentally post something serious, but hopefully people will interpret it faectiously. Post a few more dozen times, then stop and put on clothes. Post a few more times, then take a break.
Lunch time at the Groucho estate -- Kraft macaroni and cheese mixed with hot dogs and maple syrup, mayonaise sandwiches on Wonderbread and a roasted boar with pineapple slices.
After an afternoon nap, it's time to work on my comic timing by watching some old tapes of the masters of comedy. Start off with Encino Man -- how does Pauly Shore do it??? It comes across so effortlessly. "I'm not a geek, I'm a unique weasel." Genius. Genius.
5:15. Weep bitterly and uncontrollably.
7:00 -- yes, it's time once again for... WHEEL... OF... FORTUNE!!! Break out the pencils and the pads of paper and try to beat those crafty contestants. Anabelle brings in Pop Tarts and Jiffy Pop popcorn, and I thank her and give her a slap on the rump. She runs crying from the room -- turns out that wasn't Anabelle, that was Christine. Oh, well -- plenty more where she came from!
8:00 is the time for prayer and meditation. Then 8:05, we break out the Monopoly board! Oh, the hours we while away chasing that little dog and that funny little top hat. By 9:00, we're all extremely tired, and so I am able to slip a few extra properties and $10,000 in cash from the bank and win the game for the 40th night in a row. Yay, me!
In bed by 9:30, snuggled up in my Spiderman Underoos with my trusty nighttime companion Mr. Teddy Giggles. Good night, moon! Good night, John Boy! Good night all!
02-13-04, 06:44 PM
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Glad to see you're evangelising DVD out there on the left coast, Monsieur Kleinman. Very cool to see the video clip as a blog entry!
