Guess what i got to play with today??

OH BOY... now i know you're all going to get jealous when i tell you this... but guess what i got to play with today....

thats right... a SLATE! WHOOPIE you say... but you dont know the significance of that!! neither did i.. until now.

So i volunteered my time today at a film shoot for a senior thesis for a grad student from Chapman University here in Los Angeles.

Since i had never had an official role being on set (just watching at the USC thing last week)... so when i got there today they asked me my experience, to which i broke one of Heath's rules from yesterday and said NONE. They said "you really have never been on a set before?", i said, "not really". They said "well this is a great place to learn... how about being 2nd AD".

Now for those playing at home, lets go over this for you. the hierarchy on set (at least from what i understand so far) starts off with Director, then first Asisstant Director, then second Assistant Director...

i guess you can look at it this way.. its like being the Speaker of the House. If the director died, then the 1st Assistant Director Died, then i would be King! or something like that....

So you have to be pretty organized for this job.. which was a piece of cake really.. you just had to write down a crap load of numbers before each shot, fill out that slate with the right numbers each time... then wait for the right time and say something whitty like "scene 22 Dog" for scene 22D.. then wait a second for the film to be rolling at the right speed then say "marker" and click the top down on the slate and PRESTO a movie is made!

Now.. back to Heath's warnings from yesterday. He said "Prepare to be yelled at a LOT" HAHA boy did i get mine today.... it wasnt really a LOT but it was one good butt whoopin from the Cinematographer (it was his senior thesis)

when you click the sticky things in front of the camera you are supposed to click them pretty hard so the sound people can pick it up. Well they failed to inform me that when you do it RIGHT IN FRONT of the actor's face, you are supposed to change the word from "marker" to "soft sticks" and softly click the sticks. The point being slamming it in front of their face is just rude... and it throws off the actor's concentration just before a shot.. which i guess you shouldnt do!

So my like 3rd time clicking the slate, i hit it hard right in front of the actors face. the actor didnt flinch, but right after the shot the cinematographer came over and RIPPED ME A NEW ONE about doing that. haha he laid into me pretty good too. Later that night he said if i was on a real set i would have been fired right on the spot!! haha pretty sweet huh!

anyway after the cinematographer got me, the 1st AD came over and politely explained why and what i was supposed to do instead and from then on out piece of cake!!

By the end of the 12 hour day everyone was telling me how great of a job i did, and most (who didnt know) were suprised to find out this was only my first day...

I guess Heath was right... dont ever say you dont know how to do that.. just B.S. (val if you need help with those letters ask SarahGrace.. ) your way through it!... it works!!

Anyway my first day on the job and i ruled the school!

One of the guys i met out here who does this for a living texted me about hanging out this weekend and was REALLY suprised when i told him about my sweet new position.... now if only i got paid to do that.... hummmm

You did WHAT??

yeah thats right folks.. today was my first big GIG!! haha well it wasnt big and you can hardly call it a gig.. but oh well.

So my aunt's neighbor who know people who hire for these kinds of positions let me know that this company called "360 Pictures" was looking for someone to come in an help them move some furniture around. desks.. file cabinets.. that kind of thing... and since i have TONS of experience in that area (thank you miami YFC :-) ) i decided to give it a shot.

now the point was to meet people and gain contacts.. that seems to be how this world functions.. its ALL WHO YOU KNOW, and WHO WILL VOUCH FOR YOU! haha..

so i got to Beverly Hills (yes.. THE beverly hills) at 7:30am.. to a REALLY FREAKIN nice office building and went right on in. I met the other guy who i was hired to work with on this.. an out of work actor (there seems to be a few of those layin around here) named Heath Brown. Now before you all hit up IMDB.com trying to figure out who this guy is.. dont worry he's not on there. .haha Really talkative guy.. reminded me a little of Chris Rock..

Anyway Heath and i spent the day moving big heavy desks around and some file cabinets... really simple work.. took only 4 hours-ish... but again.. its all about the contacts.. so i got to meet some really nice people, and Heath gave me a verbal crash course in Production Assisting... that crash course is as follows....

- DONT ever admit you dont know what you're doing, or that your new.. just say "i can do that" to anything, even if you have no idea what they're talking about.
- PA work is a lot of sitting around, especially on larger budget films. on smaller budgets the job titles sort of blend together and you end up doing EVERYTHING!
- Office PAing and Set PAing are two different things and should both be given a shot to see the whole range of the BIZ (yes he even called it the BIZ.. i thought only myself and my sarcasm called it that...)
- Get to know your bosses names... everyone else.. who cares about them.. the people you need to know are the people who have the power to fire you HAHA!
- And most importantly... you will be YELLED at so get used to it.. HAHA.. now i thought that was awesome!

It was nice to hear from someone who has been around here for six year kinda just breaking down THE BIZ... i guess i just enjoy hearing what kind of knowledge people have accumulated over the years doing this kind of stuff.

The place i was working had made movies such as "Species" (yes all 4 of them), and "i know who killed me" the new Lindsey Lohan movie that tanked at the box office not that long ago. They have some other things in the works.. it was just cool to see the basics of how a production office was run.

OH STAR SIGHTING....

We were working in the back of the office and were just leaving when Paul the receptionist (think a white Lloyd from Entourage) said that we just missed ANDY GARCIA. he had just popped in because he had a meeting in a bit with this production company and we were in the back and totally missed him... so it was ALMOST a star sighting.

So on my way home, to make up for that lack of sighting, i decided to drive really slow through downtown Beverly Hills to see if i could see anyone.... nope.. no luck. Maybe all the stars are on vacation???? haha

As for tomorrow i'm going to volunteer my services to learn more about the PA role by spending time with another student production of a movie. They needed free labor and i volunteered.. how wonderful for me!!! so i'll fill you in on that one too.. should be pretty neat!

First "JOB"!!!

Alrighty homies, here we go with the latest update!

This past weekend i took my bike.. YES the BMX!! to the beach for a ride around Santa Monica and Venice beaches. Very fun time but lets just say... BMXs are not made for long distance travel at all... having only one gear its NEVER easy to pedal (unless you are going down hill) and they arnt really made for 6 footers like myself, unless you stand up on the pedals.. which is just NO fun whatsoever!

So at the furthest point of my travels i decided to use my NEW PHONE.. oh thats right i have to fill you all in on that too.... to check my location away from home... in a straight line from where i was to my aunt's house was 10.8 miles.. and since i didnt bike in a straight line at ALL that means i did at LEAST 25 miles that day.. WOW.. who's impressed???

Well the coolest part of the trip was that i got to see one of "The Great California Fires" well not really... on the side of the Pacific Coast Highway it looks like someone threw a cigarette out the window of their car and set the whole hillside on fire.. it was pretty awesome to watch.. i got there before the fire trucks so i had a great view of the whole process as the flames ripped that hillside to bits!

I had some SWEET videos but for some reason i have no idea how to get the videos off of my NEW PHONE!!! i'll see what i can do and get back to you on that one. (and YES they are dropping water from the SKY!!!)

the NEW PHONE!! thats right ladies and gents.. i got a SWEET new Celly (wow that sounds lame)... it does it all, pictures, video, texting, calling, emailing, GPS, Internet... shoot you can even say the word "food" into the phone and it will tell you all the food places around you.. its CRAZY what this thing can do.... finds resturants, shopping malls, ATM's, PARKING GARAGES.. GAS!! and not just Gas.. but it compares PRICES of gas stations letting you compare prices before driving all the way there... did someone say PIMP???

anyway tomorrow is my first Job!! well its not REALLY a job in the movie BIZ, but my aunts neighbor who knows a lot of people in this area of work called and said she just heard of a one day job moving desks and office stuff from one office to another... but the good news is that its CONTACTS... which evidently is the life-blood of this business... its all who you know... so here i am moving desks so that sooner or later i can get a "real job" haha..

oh well i'll fill ya in when its done

The Tour

Well being my first week in town i have decided to do all i can to get my feet wet to the BIZ... so my aunt, long time Culver City resident, got me free tickets to get a tour of the Sony Pictures Studios that is litterally 3 blocks from her house. So i spent my morning following the tour guide and about twenty other, mostly international tourists through the back lots of Sony.



For those of you wondering "HAVE YOU MET ANY STARS YET?" today was my best chance for that... so here's the story.

We began the tour by watching a promo video for all of the great achievements that Sony Picture studios has a achieved.. not bad, but was ready to move on.


We got out onto the actual back lot where they had filmed a lot of movies such as Spiderman 1,2,3.. Indiana Jones 4, Wizard of Oz, and about a BAZILLION more. We were able to see a lot of places that our tour guide refered to from movies... kinda makes you want to go back through the movies and see those places you've been to now.

Our tour went past the JEOPARDY soundstage (but they were filming so we couldnt see in) but we acctually got to go into the sets of WHEEL OF FORTUNE (you're jealous), the new show RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, ANGELS AND DEMONS (the sequel to the Davinci Code), RIANNAH and CHRIS BROWN's new movie... something about a shoot up at a hotel.. they are still filming it, and one other show that i cant remember because i have never heard of it.

As for MOVIE STARS... On the lot that day was HEIDI KLUM and KOBE BRYANT who were shooting a commercial for Guitar Hero. We waited by their stage for a bit but no one came out. and ADAM SANDLER! his production companty "happy girlmore productions" is located on the back lot. our tour guide said that he comes out a lot when he sees the tour to say hi, but he didnt do that today.. which sucked. So no real movie star sightings as of yet, but saw a LOT of props from movies and a lot of soundstages that a lot of good movies were filmed in.

And i dont have any pictures for you guys because they wouldnt let us take pictures except on this one little section and there was nothing there worth taking pictures of!... BUT i do have a second ticket for the tour so i'm thinking about waiting a month and then going again and maybe things will have changed a bit.. SWEETNEES!

I'm an EXTRA!

Well here we go.. let me recap my amazingly triumphant entrance into the world of film!
On Sunday morning, 1am i met up with some USC students at LAX airport in order to be an extra for their senior film project.

The Basic Plot
Based on a true story of an alcohalic woman who was flying to Palm Springs to enter Rehab. While in the airport she visited the bar and got seriously drunk (one last hurrah) and was late in getting to her flight... she threw a fit when they didnt allow her to get on the flight (since it was pulling away) and was arrested and put into a holding cell. Somehow (and this is where the story lost me.. i was being told this in 3rd person) the chains or ropes or something holding her down got wrapped around her neck and she ended up hanging herself.

So the students were supposed to make a 10-12 minute movie about this. Given a budget and a core group of people they were to make this film, so they were looking for volunteers to be extras in the movie and thats where i came in.

So i showed up VERY early in the morning for our 11 hour session at LAX airport in a terminal that is normally closed at night, so we had free reign of the place. I met the Production Assistant (PA), which is the job i am looking at getting in hollywood (its a good entry level position). He was in fact a volunteer. used to be the director's camp counselor when the director was in middle school, and since he knew the job was asked to help out on this movie. When i told the PA that is what i wanted to do he gave me a crash course in PAing 101. It was VERY simple and didnt require all that much brain power, but then again it is a entry level position!

I had a GREAT time, everyone there was extremely friendly and made some good contacts from it. I was greatly impressed with the Director, just a cool guy who really seemed to have a vision for what he wanted. and i was also impressed with the AD (assistant director) who was REALLY on the ball, and completely organized.

So it was a great time of meeting people, kissing some SERIOUS butt and making some good contacts! I'm really excited to see how this all pans out, since they arnt really IN the business so they arnt going to get me any jobs anytime soon, but who knows what happens down the line.

OH, and my favorite part of the night... The lead actress is supposed to act drunk and scream at the top of her lungs "let me in the F(#$&$)ing airplane"... which by the time they filmed that scene the terminal had opened for business. The camera angle hid the camera from view so passengers just getting through security hear this screaming down the hallway and as they glance in the room think something aweful is going on as three policemen (actors) are tackleing this crazy woman to the ground and dragging her down the hall. HILLARIOUS to watch people's reactions!!!

OH and my second favorite part... being an extra my job is just to be in the background. So they were filming the scene where the actress is going off about not being allowed on the plane and i'm sitting in the background. We were told to "react" to the screaming lady when she starts to get loud. Not wanting to over-do my position as an extra i casually glanced up to see what was going on during taping and then went back to reading. the other extras did the same. we were informed by the director that he wanted MORE of a reaction.. this lady is going NUTS! so on the second take i took more of a notice.. SERIOUSLY looking at what was going on.. showing curiousity, interest!! after the second take i was informed by the director to TONE IT DOWN.. HAHA.. oh gosh i guess you cant win...

Well waiting for my big "red carpet" release party.. hopefully i'll make the "best dressed" list for this historic event ;-)

I Have Arrived!

Thats right ladies and gents.. i've made it to California! still a bit weird to think that i'm acctually HERE! i plan on doing some sight seeing and beach visiting tomorrow and sunday.. def looking forward to that..

BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS....

I've already got my first acting Gig... thats right some people move to LA and wait YEARS to be picked up to star in their first movie.. i had mine set up before i even got here.. "true story" (those quotes were for you Carolina).. well i guess its not ALL true.. tomorrow night i'm going to be an extra in a movie that some students from USC are making at LAX airport.. i'm going to be like sitting in the background or walking past or something like that HAHA.. should be awesome but its a great first glimpse at how all of this works and who knows what kind of contacts you can get out of that.

As for Vegas it ended good... when all was said and done i walked away down only $5 OH YEAH... at one point i was up like $100 but you know how those crazy little blinking lights taunt you to keep playing!! i think its some sort of hynosis.. you dont even realize you're doing it and BAM someone sneaks up behind you and empties out your wallet and you wake up thinking you voluntarily gave them all your money!! oh well...

I did see a lady win $3,500 on a slot machine and i also saw a guy lose like $400 in ten minutes playing roulette... its a tricky little town, but thank goodness i'm a HIGH ROLLER!!!

BALLIN'!!!! (right Chao?)

Anyway... the story continues...

Vegas Baby, Vegas

So after reading my wonderful sister's Blog about life with the "little man" i figured it was time for me to chime in with my random thoughts as i conquer life on the left coast.

I left Denver on Tuesday morning, with a nice little breakfast at 4am with my roomates at Waffle House. Because of their COMPLETELY random sleeping patterns we all just happened to be up that early.. strange! So after breakfast i made my way west.

Utah was an interesting state.. the first couple hundred miles were flat desert but soon got to some really nice rock formations which made me want to stop driving and get out and hike... which of course i didnt.

Pass near Arches National park, Moab, the Grand Canyon, and ended up in Vegas! after checking into my hotel room decided to take a little nap and then hit "the strip". I've always wanted to see the lights at night and it was awesome! i mean it was only a TUESDAY night but it was still quite crowded.

So i checked out about half of "the strip.. all of the big name casinos that are mentioned in movies. I even saw a Camera truck on the road.. they were filming SOMETHING, but at the time they were just sitting around waiting, so i went into the casino to look and by the time i came back the truck was gone. OH WELL.. that was my first sighting of "THE BIZ" while on my journey.

So yeah, other then that just been walking around, checking out the sights. So far i'm down $30 so thats not too bad haha!

Anyway, the story continues...