Lusen Mendel / they
Portfolio
- Fact Checking
- Editing
- Engineering
- Producing
- Recording
- Reporting
- Scripting
- Voice
- Writing
- Other
- Teaching
About Lusen
I am currently on a part-time intern contract with The California Report Magazine at KQED. I do a mix of reporting my own features, and supporting weekly production of both narratives journalism and 2-ways. For example, I had a big hand in the production of “'Racist Trees' Film Explores History of Housing Exclusion in Palm Springs.” I also take joy in the small things, such as making a fun lede for “How the Freeway System Shaped California.”
Previously, I produced and engineered interviews for Out in the Bay, and was a fellow with KALW News' Summer Journalism Program and with Women's Audio Mission. Prior to becoming a journalist, I worked as a content specialist delivering live talks and workshops, and creating trainings and marketing videos. I've also worked as a project and team manager, and as a professional interviewer. I've given over a thousand hiring interviews, and spoken at conferences about how to set candidates at ease and get the information and story interviewers are looking for.
Lusen's Portfolio
An investigation into how and why "singular they" went from fringe to forefront in less than a decade.
Check out the other pronoun piece in my personal portfolio, called "Why do we say he/him/his instead of just he?" (5 minutes)
This is the story of an unlikely friend who once asked for an unusual favor. Later she moved away and we fell out of touch. This is her story, and my quest to reconnect.
This was my updated and belated entry into KCRW's radio race. The theme was "won't you be my neighbor."
I wrote this script for Katrina Schwartz (KQED Bay Curious) based on a 15 minute interview she did with Stephanie Scott.
After I reviewed the raw tape, I visited the shop to meet Steph and take photos. Then I wrote the script, and recorded and edited a full audio draft with myself doing Katrina’s and the host's parts in order to give an idea of voicing and length.
You can find my script and photos, as well as the raw interview mp3 and transcript, in this Google folder.
Nancy's small curiosity turns into a big theory about the closure of a road you didn't know existed.
Experience
Skills
- Tape Syncs
- Story Editing
- Scrubbing and Audio Editing
- Research
- Reporting
- Producing
- Interviewing
- Field Recording
- Field Producing
- Fact Checking
- Voiceover
Equipment
- Field recorders: Zoom H4e and F2 (32-bit floating point), Zoom H6 (24-bit with gain control)
- Mics: Rode VideoMic Pro+ (super-cardioid condenser), RE50B (omni dynamic handheld), two Shure SMB58's (cardioid handhelds), Zoom LMF-2 (omni condenser lavalier), Rode SmartLav+ (omni condenser lavalier), Stereo XY's on Zoom H4e and H6
- DAWs: Adobe Audition, Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro X, Pro Tools, plus Descript and Trint
- Car
Previous Work
- Reporter and Producer Intern at The California Report Magazine at KQED
- Producer and Audio Engineer at Out in the Bay at KALW
- Summer Journalism Fellow at KALW News
- WAM Fellow at Women's Audio Mission
- Creative Content Specialist (Instructional Youtube videos, marketing videos and blog posts) at Self employed coaching business, freelancing for Brilliant Black Minds, Karat
- Project Manager, Team Manager, Professional Interviewer and Interview Trainer, Content Specialist at Code For America, Karat, IndieGoGo, Rackspace
- MIT Fluid Dynamics Lab Intern at High speed video and photography for research papers, cover of Nature