So things have really slowed down around The Asylum.
We finally had our last day (at least I hope...) of casting yesterday. After 6 days of reading people, I am starting to think that I could play some of the roles. I would probably be better than some of the people that came in to audition (it's ridiculous, some of the people who came in) . I guess its good that I got to go through all of the casting ordeals, because I feel like I am much better at judging talent than I was before. And now I know how to run an audition and am ready for the next time I have to do it. I know what to do and I know (a whole lot) what not to do.
So now I am just working in the production office and things are not very exciting anymore. I check the e-mail or call over to Belize to see if there is anything they need me to do. Most of the stuff is research or finding info on what ever random thing they need to know about (rock climbing place for stunts, body paint, fake teeth, shipping and customs, just to name a few). Every now and then I fill out some paper work or do other random things. I will tell you, they're really getting their moneys worth out of me (I don't get paid).
I would like to stay at The Asylum for the next film they are making, but I want to start getting paid. If they ask me to stay on it would be difficult to say no. This is a good place to work because I get a lot of experience in a lot of departments and everyone is really cool, but I kind of want to move on to bigger and better things. What those are and where I find them, I don't know....
-Things I Learned: the audition process, the work of an office PA (even if it's at The Asylum which is a beast unlike any other)
-Plans for the Future: Keep working at The Asylum while searching for other opportunities
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Working in The Asylum
Yea, it kind of is like working in an Asylum. A little crazy.
So I have been working at The Asylum for almost a week now and it has been really cool. I'm glad that I got this gig because I am getting to do a lot of stuff. There are two other PAs with me and we have really been keeping things moving for the production.
Mainly what I have been doing is working on casting. The other PAs and I pretty much run the auditions we have been having for the past couple of days. It's actually a lot of fun. I am the one who has been reading the sides (mini scripts) with the actor during the auditions. They will come in and go through the scene once with me, then we will tell them if we have any notes or things we want them to change about their performance. They go again and if we like them, then we will have them read a second set of sides. But if they weren't any good we just say "Ok, thank you very much" and smile as they leave the room and put their head shot in the "No" stack. Sometimes the directors are in there and they decide if they like them or not, but usually it's us PAs who are deciding their fate.
This is because most of the production is taking place in Belize and the two directors and the producer are already there. And no, I am not getting to go... me and the PAs are holding down the fort here in LA. Oh, well. They send us an email from time to time telling us something we need to look up or an errand we need to take care of for them. But mainly we have been keeping busy with the auditions.
The Asylum keeps pretty busy as a whole. There is one production that is wrapping now, while this one is getting started. Everything they do here is low-budget, so they can really churn out movies. That makes things around the office kinda hectic. A bunch of people doing a bunch of different things. It was a little difficult for us because we had been working with the producer, but she left for Belize at the beginning of the week, so we were left by ourselves for a little while, trying to figure things out. We now have a LA coordinator, but it was a little crazy for a while there.
But overall it has been good. There is a chance they might keep me on for the next movie, which would be pretty awesome. I'm still not getting paid, but I am getting to do some cool stuff and I am learning along the way, so it is ok for now. I guess I would just be sitting at home doing nothing if I wasn't here...
-Things I've learned: To just go with the flow. Sometimes things may seem like they are going off-the-wall, but you just have to keep your head on strait and go with it and figure out a solution to whatever problem there is.
-Plans for the Future: Hopefully to keep working here and getting some more experience. I will keep look for the next thing, but I wouldn't mind putting some more time in here.
So I have been working at The Asylum for almost a week now and it has been really cool. I'm glad that I got this gig because I am getting to do a lot of stuff. There are two other PAs with me and we have really been keeping things moving for the production.
Mainly what I have been doing is working on casting. The other PAs and I pretty much run the auditions we have been having for the past couple of days. It's actually a lot of fun. I am the one who has been reading the sides (mini scripts) with the actor during the auditions. They will come in and go through the scene once with me, then we will tell them if we have any notes or things we want them to change about their performance. They go again and if we like them, then we will have them read a second set of sides. But if they weren't any good we just say "Ok, thank you very much" and smile as they leave the room and put their head shot in the "No" stack. Sometimes the directors are in there and they decide if they like them or not, but usually it's us PAs who are deciding their fate.
This is because most of the production is taking place in Belize and the two directors and the producer are already there. And no, I am not getting to go... me and the PAs are holding down the fort here in LA. Oh, well. They send us an email from time to time telling us something we need to look up or an errand we need to take care of for them. But mainly we have been keeping busy with the auditions.
The Asylum keeps pretty busy as a whole. There is one production that is wrapping now, while this one is getting started. Everything they do here is low-budget, so they can really churn out movies. That makes things around the office kinda hectic. A bunch of people doing a bunch of different things. It was a little difficult for us because we had been working with the producer, but she left for Belize at the beginning of the week, so we were left by ourselves for a little while, trying to figure things out. We now have a LA coordinator, but it was a little crazy for a while there.
But overall it has been good. There is a chance they might keep me on for the next movie, which would be pretty awesome. I'm still not getting paid, but I am getting to do some cool stuff and I am learning along the way, so it is ok for now. I guess I would just be sitting at home doing nothing if I wasn't here...
-Things I've learned: To just go with the flow. Sometimes things may seem like they are going off-the-wall, but you just have to keep your head on strait and go with it and figure out a solution to whatever problem there is.
-Plans for the Future: Hopefully to keep working here and getting some more experience. I will keep look for the next thing, but I wouldn't mind putting some more time in here.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
It all happened so fast...
Good and Bad news to report. I'll start with the bad. I didn't get the internship at Aid+Abet. It's ok though, because the good news is I got one a different production company called Asylum.
After my spectacular failure of an interview with Aid+Abet, I got back to the job search. I applied to several postings, one of which was for a production company called Asylum. This was on Monday. They sent me an email on Tuesday then called me and said I was one of the applicants they would consider for an interview and asked if I was available. I said I was and I went in on Wednesday and had a really good interview. This time I was feeling well and was on my A game. The Line Producer, who was interviewing me, seemed to like me, from what I could gather. She mentioned that she was looking for people to start as soon as the next day, which I, of course, am very much available and I told her I could start whenever she needed me. We talked a little bit more about the position and as the interview ended and I left, she said she would call me and let me know of any kind of decisions they made. Well I hadn't even gotten home (it's like a 30 min drive) when I got a call that asked if I could start on Friday. I was ecstatic. So excited that I had to call my mom. And she was ecstatic, too.
So it all happened pretty fast, but I go in tomorrow for my first Office PA job. It won't be paid, but that was kinda expected. But I am pretty excited to work for Asylum. They are... well... interesting. They specialize in making pretty off the wall B-movies and sort of copy cat movies. Some of their credits include "Transmorphers" "Snakes on a Train" and "Paranormal Entity". And another original that they are sorta famous for is "Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus" and one they have in production now is called "Mega Piranha". So needless to say, these aren't your run of the mill movies. They are so much more. The one I will be working on is tentatively called"Sinbad the Sailor".
From what I was told during the interview, I will be working on getting the logistics for the new production together, things like finding locations and hiring actors. It is going to be great experience for me. I have a feeling that I am going to learn a lot of new things that will prepare me for jobs in the future. And it is good because the company isn't huge, so I will get a lot of experience doing a lot of different things. This could be the beginning of a beautiful thing.
-What I've Learned: Be ready to do anything, anytime. If one thing doesn't go your way something else could come at you fast, so you gotta be ready.
-Plans for the Future: Get started at Asylum and learn my job as quick and well as possible.
After my spectacular failure of an interview with Aid+Abet, I got back to the job search. I applied to several postings, one of which was for a production company called Asylum. This was on Monday. They sent me an email on Tuesday then called me and said I was one of the applicants they would consider for an interview and asked if I was available. I said I was and I went in on Wednesday and had a really good interview. This time I was feeling well and was on my A game. The Line Producer, who was interviewing me, seemed to like me, from what I could gather. She mentioned that she was looking for people to start as soon as the next day, which I, of course, am very much available and I told her I could start whenever she needed me. We talked a little bit more about the position and as the interview ended and I left, she said she would call me and let me know of any kind of decisions they made. Well I hadn't even gotten home (it's like a 30 min drive) when I got a call that asked if I could start on Friday. I was ecstatic. So excited that I had to call my mom. And she was ecstatic, too.
So it all happened pretty fast, but I go in tomorrow for my first Office PA job. It won't be paid, but that was kinda expected. But I am pretty excited to work for Asylum. They are... well... interesting. They specialize in making pretty off the wall B-movies and sort of copy cat movies. Some of their credits include "Transmorphers" "Snakes on a Train" and "Paranormal Entity". And another original that they are sorta famous for is "Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus" and one they have in production now is called "Mega Piranha". So needless to say, these aren't your run of the mill movies. They are so much more. The one I will be working on is tentatively called"Sinbad the Sailor".
From what I was told during the interview, I will be working on getting the logistics for the new production together, things like finding locations and hiring actors. It is going to be great experience for me. I have a feeling that I am going to learn a lot of new things that will prepare me for jobs in the future. And it is good because the company isn't huge, so I will get a lot of experience doing a lot of different things. This could be the beginning of a beautiful thing.
-What I've Learned: Be ready to do anything, anytime. If one thing doesn't go your way something else could come at you fast, so you gotta be ready.
-Plans for the Future: Get started at Asylum and learn my job as quick and well as possible.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Starting Back up again
I'm back in LA from the Holidays. I always a good time going home and seeing my family and eating till I can eat no more, but I was ready to come back and get to work. So let's get to work....Now.
I wish it was that easy. I don't really have anything to "do" at the moment. I did have my interview for the internship at Aid+Abet. I'm just not sure it went very well. I was sick (although I made sure I didn't look sick) so I wasn't on my A game. During the process I kept it together as well as a could and the whole thing lasted around 10 min. After I got home I, of course, thought up tons of stuff I should have said. I didn't sell myself as well as a could have. It's ok though. I think there are others that will be more qualified than I am. I would do a good job there and I still might get it but I still don't know. He said he would let me know some time soon, so we'll see, although I'm not putting too much stock in it.
I also have been following up on some leads that I was given. My industry connection gave me the names and emails of several people she knows who might be able to help me. I sent them all an email and now I wait. I also wrote the guys from the Jonas shoot to see if there is any opportunity there. That would be ideal, but I guess I can't put too much stock in that either.
Another interesting opportunity came up as well. One of the actors from the Joshua Tree Experience wrote me asking if I wanted to work the Golden Globes and to sent his friend an email. So I did. Once again I await a response, with little stock invested.
So I have a pretty diversified portfolio of opportunity. The market is down, but all I need is one hit and I will be back on top.
-Things I've Learned: That I can stretch to make a vague comparison of my job market to the stock market. Just have to wait for a good return. Put yourself out there and wait.
-Plans for the Future: Hope that something comes through.
I wish it was that easy. I don't really have anything to "do" at the moment. I did have my interview for the internship at Aid+Abet. I'm just not sure it went very well. I was sick (although I made sure I didn't look sick) so I wasn't on my A game. During the process I kept it together as well as a could and the whole thing lasted around 10 min. After I got home I, of course, thought up tons of stuff I should have said. I didn't sell myself as well as a could have. It's ok though. I think there are others that will be more qualified than I am. I would do a good job there and I still might get it but I still don't know. He said he would let me know some time soon, so we'll see, although I'm not putting too much stock in it.
I also have been following up on some leads that I was given. My industry connection gave me the names and emails of several people she knows who might be able to help me. I sent them all an email and now I wait. I also wrote the guys from the Jonas shoot to see if there is any opportunity there. That would be ideal, but I guess I can't put too much stock in that either.
Another interesting opportunity came up as well. One of the actors from the Joshua Tree Experience wrote me asking if I wanted to work the Golden Globes and to sent his friend an email. So I did. Once again I await a response, with little stock invested.
So I have a pretty diversified portfolio of opportunity. The market is down, but all I need is one hit and I will be back on top.
-Things I've Learned: That I can stretch to make a vague comparison of my job market to the stock market. Just have to wait for a good return. Put yourself out there and wait.
-Plans for the Future: Hope that something comes through.
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