Ride to the Top

An overdue update

2011-01-19T12:23:00.000-08:00

Hello, Hello.... Is anyone still there?

Ahem, yes. I am still here. Although it may not seem so, I am still kicking ass here in LA (Well, it's actually debatable). I just haven't been writing here.

But there is a good reason I haven't updated!

Actually, there isn't. I've just been lame. But that's ok. I'm not here to judge and hopefully neither are you. Although I won't judge you if you want to judge me. But I can't make any promises. At least I don't think so? Wait. What?

So, do you want to know what's up with me? Well, I am still working at Generate on The Invested Life. We are currently between filming cycle 2 and cycle 3, so things are pretty slow. Once we make some casting decisions we can move forward, but until then we wait. And wait. And wait....

The latest on the MPC front is we filmed several shorts this last weekend to add to our Funny Shorts library. I think they will be funny. Let's just hope so. And I will be starring in another one. Get Excited! We are also screening two of the Funny Shorts at a "Web Series UnPlugged" showing. One of the ones I am in will be shown. I'm famous!

My New Years Resolution is to learn Spanish better, to get back to where I was when I came back from Costa Rica. Maybe even surpass that mark. I've been watching this series called Destinos and listening to a podcast called Notes in Spanish. Now I just need to find someone to have conversations with.

I have also been eating healthier and working our in attempt to get in shape. I think this is the time in my life where I can have the body I always wanted. It's really all about how bad you want it and how much you are willing to commit to it. I am definitely putting in some effort and I think it is already starting to pay off.

A Pound of Flesh

2010-11-15T08:11:00.000-08:00

One thing I believe is important throughout life is to continue learning. To always better yourself and continue moving forward. Because if you're not moving forward, where are you going? No where. And if you are not going anywhere, you might as well be dead.

Wait. Dead?

OK, maybe not dead, but you certainly are not making yourself any better.

That is why I always make it a point to continue my education in whatever way possible, to be a student of life. I listen to NPR instead of music on my work commute, to try and learn something about the world. And I recently started taking a Sunday afternoon Spanish class, just to keep in practice. But, probably the best way (and an inexpensive way) to learn about something is to read about it.

That brings me to A Pound of Flesh. No, it is not a book about how to be a coroner (this post has turned out to be rather morbid...), it is a book about Producing. Written by a guy who has been in the game since the 80s, Art Linson has produced some pretty well know movies like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Heat, and Fight Club. The book is written very well and is an easy read, but it is also full of information.

Linson takes you through some of the situations he has been in while trying to get films made. Starting with getting the idea for a movie, finding and working with a writer, trying to convince the penny pinching studio executives to give you money to write a script, then finding a director, then trying to convince the execs the give more money to put everything else together, like trying to get actors or locations; and then finally asking for more money to put the thing into production. Then all the other problems that come next....

I ate this book up because it is pretty much what I want to do for my career, but I think anyone would enjoy it. If you ever wanted to know what a Movie Producer does, and you want to find out through personal stories, definitely check out A Pound of Flesh. He wrote a follow up called What Just Happened?, which I plan on reading next. Gotta Keep moving forward!

One Year.

2010-11-08T09:31:00.000-08:00

The beginning of November marks my one year mark in LA. I think the 6th, maybe the 7th? Regardless of the exact day, it is still pretty unreal to me that a year has already passed me by. And yes, I'd say "passed me by" is pretty accurate, because I'm not sure where it went. Crazyness.

One year is kind of a land mark for people who move to Los Angeles for the Entertainment Industry. Supposedly very few people make it this far. After a few months, they become discouraged enough to move back home. I may have been discouraged but some how I decided to stay. Perhaps that was a mistake?

Oh well, I'm still here. And I have to say, while the time really did seem to fly by, I did have some accomplishments. I worked on a couple different feature films (one with a budget of $300 million), I have a full time job, I made some friends and I still have a roof over my head and a little bit of money in my bank account. Kind of a success. Surviving, if nothing else.

Yet, when I think of what I have done, I can't help but to think of where I could be. I still have such high expectations for myself. I feel like I could be further along in my career than I am now. Where would that put me? Who knows. Maybe it's just my lingering naivete, and I should be happy that I at least made it this far. If I can count the little successes, it is going to be a long hard run here in LaLa land.

So yes. I have done good thus far. I am in a better position that I was a year ago and I am still on the rise. Let's just keep this going. Little by little, eh? How 'bout it?

Par for the Course

2010-11-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

Once again, not much to report. Just kind of moving along.

Although there is a new Funny Short up. It's called foot chase. And like all of the Funny Shorts, it is kinda ridiculous. Check it -

The exciting part of this funny short is that most of this footage is from a test shoot that me and a friend are going to begin developing into a web series. Just try to imagine all the bad assness of the video but with an awesome story.

In all truthfulness, there is a good chance that the web series will just be an even more elaborate game of tag.

Doin' work

2010-10-22T15:20:00.000-07:00

Not much to report for this post.

Still going into work everyday from 9:30a till about 7:00p. Things have been a little more quite around the office as some of our people are out on location filming. We're stretching across the entire U.S.

As for the Motion Picture Cooperative, we posted a new video for our Funny Shorts project. PREGGERS. It's pretty awesome. What make it even better is my cameo. Who knew a doctor could look so good? Check it out:

Catching up...

2010-10-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

I feel bad for not being more diligent with these posts. I think it is a problem that plagues a lot of amateur bloggers. Alas, I have been afflicted as well.

So let's get out of this information debt!

On the Sarah and the Sock Puppet front: Yesterday we finished our principle photography. It's a big step in getting the film finished. I'd say we are 2/3 of the way finished (Pre-production, Production, Post-production) and all we need now is to assemble the footage into something worth while. No small task, yet the end is in sight.

On the job front: I am working full time for a management/production company called Generate. I work as an office PA for the production part of things. The show we are producing is a web based financial reality show called "The Invested Life" <- *click to check it out*. There is a fine line I walk between what I can talk about, production wise, so forgive me if I am ever cryptic. But there is definitely a lot of awesome stuff going on. Today I got to sit in on a legal meeting! Well, that stuff is awesome to me... At least I am learning stuff that is important to know in the future. I can say that I have grown to really enjoying working here and am learning a lot about putting a show together.

I think that just about does it. I guess that wasn't too much to catch up on. Stay tuned...

Bad weather = Bad news

2010-10-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

So much for good luck with SATSP...

We had to cancel our Day 3 yesterday. The culprit: Bad weather.

As much as you can fix things in post production, you can't really change a rainy day for a hot and sunny day. Well, maybe you can, but I don't own a money tree, so that is kind of out of the question. But one day!

This really is pretty bad news because the last day on our insurance is tomorrow. We are filming our Day 4 stuff today (at least I think we are, I had to be at work and not on set), but we cannot come back to film under our insurance time frame due to scheduling issues with the actors. And we can't really afford to get more insurance because of our shoe string budget. Thus, we are going to have to get creative.

The actors have availability next week, so maybe we can put something together. It is going to be interesting to see how this shapes up.

Last days of filming for SATSP

2010-10-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

So only two more days till we finish the filming part of Sarah and the Sock Puppet.

Wait, two more days? Is that really it? Awesomeness.

Our third day, which is tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct 6), is our last day with SAG actors. We are going to finish all the scenes with Sarah and The Sock Puppet. It's going to be a pretty full day. We have to make sure we get everything we need. And there is a lot that we need.

Our fourth and last day is going to be all visual effects stuff. There are a couple of scenes where it is just the sock doing crazy stuff and we don't really need the actors to be there for that. That will probably be another really long day because if we don't get the shot then, there is a chance we are not going to get it.

I have to work for these last two day, so I won't be on set. Hopefully they will make it without me... oh, who am I kidding, they'll be fine. But even though I won't be on set, that doesn't mean that I'm not doing anything. I had to get a new permit for these two additional days, I had to prep someone to do my duty in my absence and I am going to make the breakfast.

Yup, breakfast burritos for cast and crew. I did it for the first two days, and I will do it for these, too. Kristin (the other producer) and I get together 1 hour before call time (5:15 am) and cook up a ton of eggs and bacon and put it a tortilla and wrap it in foil so that it will be ready for everyone when they arrive. Whatever we can do to save money!

I haven't gotten a chance to watch any of the footage yet, but I asked CJ about it. He said that it looked good, pretty much how he planned it to look. So I guess we are doing something right.

Halfway through principal Filming

2010-09-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

What luck we've had thus far with the filming of Sarah and the Sock Puppet.

We finished filming on Monday and Tuesday and it all went pretty smooth. Yes, it's amazing. And we got some really great stuff. Doubly amazing.

All the cast and crew (14 in all) met at the Director CJ's apartment and we all carpooled out to the location together. When we got to our beach, which was just a few miles past Malibu, we unloaded and set up base camp and started filming. We were a little worried about the weather, because we needed a sunny day in order to film some scenes with shadows in them, but those worries were subdued because we had a hot and sunny day.

Actually, it ended up being a VERY hot and sunny day. We probably went through 6 or 7 palates of water and some crazy amount of sun screen. But despite the harsh conditions (not exactly easy filming on a beach...) we moved along fairly quickly and got pretty much all the shots we needed that day. All the actors were awesome and knocked out each shot with ease. We actually finished early. Success!

For day 2, we carpooled out again and began shooting. This day was a little more difficult because we began filming some of the Sock Puppet scenes. It took a little longer to set up each scene but we wanted to make sure that everything worked and made sense. But it wasn't quite as hot as the first day and everyone worked together to make each scene great. The only problem is we could only have the actors for 12 hours according to their SAG rules, and with the slower moving production, I was a little worried that we wouldn't get everything done that we needed for that day. But, with time coming down to the wire, we got the last scene in and finished the day getting everything within the 12 hour mark.

So now we have two more days of filming left before we take it to editing. These last two days involve a lot of puppet scenes and may be a bit of a challenge, but we should be able to get it all taken care.

It's pretty exciting to be moving along with this project. It is definitely happening and it is going to be great. Stay tuned.

Almost Sarah shoot time

2010-09-24T16:38:00.001-07:00

It’s getting close to “go time” for Sarah and the Sock Puppet. Our shooting days are next Monday and Tuesday. It’s been a lot of planning to get to this point and we’re all pretty excited to make it happen.

But I’ll tell you it hasn’t been easy. Reserving the beach that we want to film on, or rather the one we settled on, has been quite an ordeal. And it’s compounded by the fact that the park ranger, who is in charge of the state beaches, is super hard to get a hold of. You have to leave him a voicemail and hope that he will return the call. Then when he does call you he wants to get off the phone as soon as possible. Then we were almost late to get the money to the California Film Commission to get our permit. But despite all odds, we have our location secure and will be filming legally, so hopefully no one will bother us.

And our director CJ has been working with the actors at rehearsals to learn their lines and character so we can hit the ground running when we get to set. I haven’t been working with the actors very much, but CJ says they are going to be awesome. There have been a few challenges with the actors too because of their conflicting schedules. They are doing this pro-bono so we can’t really ask them to rearrange their life for us, but it’s one of those situations where you can’t please everyone. But again, despite all odds, we are moving forward.

We have a meeting tonight to tie up loose ends and the weekend to get all the few last things together. There are still some things we have to settle up. And I have tried hard to think of everything that could go wrong and figure out a way to avoid it happening. If I’m lucky, nothing too serious will blow up in my face.

A Part of the Working Class

2010-09-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, I guess I can officially say that I am one of the exclusive members of society that can say they have a full time job. Quite a feat, if I may say so myself, and it only took me 9 months.

So the job I got is as an Office Production Assistant at a company called Generate. They are formerly a management company, with clients that are mostly stand up comedians, but they also own a production company and that is where I work.

The way I got this job was through a friend that works for the management side of Generate (never know when or how a connection will help). About a month ago they needed an extra hand, so she recommended me and I worked for them for a couple of days. Then they called me and said they wanted me to come in on a regular basis (ie: Full Time) and I started last week.

It's not the most "sexy" job in the Entertainment Industry, but at least it's a step in the right direction. I am basically the low man on the totem pole and do all the stuff that no one else wants to or has time to do around the office. So any time we need to buy something or pick something up I go out on a run. This makes up most of what I do, buying various office supplies and random things that we need at that moment. It's not too bad, at least I get to be out and about for a lot of the day. But there are also other duties, such as making sure the dishes are clean in our kitchen and taking out the trash every night, not the most exciting stuff in the world. However, I do get to put the equipment together for the shoot days and I have been doing some "reconciling of petty cash" where I account for all the money we have spent. So the job is a little bit of doing stuff that is no fun and I don't really learn anything with a little bit of doing cool stuff where I learn about putting a production together.

I've only worked there one week, but I feel like I fit in pretty well. It is nice to have a full time job and it will be nice to have a steady pay check. Plus the people I work with are pretty cool. I am only going to consider this a temporary full time job, as I don't see myself staying here forever. It's just the next step.

When it rains, it pours

2010-08-31T22:41:00.000-07:00

I guess it's kinda funny the way things work out. For the past month or so I have been in search of work, looking high and low for an opportunity. I kept busy doing this and that, but it was nothing that would be able to keep me here in LA for any extended amount of time. I guess I was sort of biding my time till something worked out.

Well, that day has come.

Last Friday, one of the several Temp agencies that I applied to called me back. I am already with an agency called Apple One, but I'm not sure they'll be able to do much for me. They don't really focus on the entertainment industry, so I am just kinda part of their system. But this other temp agency is called Friedman Personnel and they are one of the better known agencies in the entertainment industry. They send people out to work temporarily at a lot of major studios and production companies. So I was pretty excited to hear they wanted me to come in for an interview. But I was about to be more excited for the phone call that I got a couple hours later.

It was from this company called Generate, whom I had worked for a couple of days not too long ago. Well, they remembered me and decided they wanted me to come in on a more regular basis. Basically full time. So I have a full time job now. Sweet! I'll fill you in more about it later.

The only kinda crummy thing is the timing for the temp agency and this full time gig was on the same day. Both are really good opportunities. And I can only do one. Lame.

Actually, it turns out to not be so lame. I went in for my interview with Friedman and had full disclosure with them. I told them the situation, that I basically did not want to give up my new full time job, but still wanted to be on board with them. I couldn't let either opportunity pass, especially since it had been so long since something good had come along, let alone two good things. So what they decided was that I would not be sent out as a "temp" but as someone who was looking for permanent work. This way, if someone comes to them asking for someone to fill a position for full time, they will get my resume. If they decided that they simply can't go on with out me working for them, I can put in my two weeks at Generate and move on to something better. So now I have a chance to potentially get an awesome job from them while continuing to work at Generate.

But I'm not going to hold my breath. If they find something for me, great, but for the time being I am more than happy to be with Generate. It will be a steady pay check and am learning a lot every time I go in. And right now, that works for me.

Sarah and the Sock Puppet

2010-08-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

So, I though I would give a little update on the short film I am helping make happen.

It is called Sarah and the Sock Puppet. I won't give away too much about it, but I will tell you it is about a girl (Sarah, in case you couldn't guess) who is at the beach with some friends and there is a Sock Puppet involved (in case you couldn't guess that either). And that's only the set up. This film involves some pretty amazing things. Magical things. Things that will make you say "ooh" and "aww" and "huh?". Things that will make you.... oh, I guess you'll just have to wait for us to finish to see what happens.

Is that good marketing? Do you really want to see it now?

No?

Are you sure??

We have already made some pretty good progress. We have held the auditions for the main supporting characters and made our decisions on who will play those parts. Now we just need to do the call backs for the "Sarah" actors and pick the one we like best. We are using SAG actors, so they have all been really good.

Also, we are working on securing a location. It has been a difficult process, because we need to get a permit to make sure that we don't get shut down in the middle of filming. The only problem is permits can be kind of expensive, especially on the kind of budget we have. So, we are looking into the best, most cost efficient options. The story takes place on a beach and one of the better options we have found is using a State Beach. There is no fee to apply for a permit and all you need to pay for is a Film Monitor, to watch over us, and production insurance. Production Insurance. Kinda a pain but definitely necessary.

Also, the Director and the Director of Photography have been meeting together to work on the story boards and plan the shots we will need. This is important for us because we want to film everything in two days and there is kind of a lot to film, so we need to have a plan and be ready to execute it when we get out there. Efficiency is the name of the game.

And that is basically where we stand. The plan right now is to film in late September, although there is no definite time set. It is pretty exciting to see everything come together. We are trying our hardest to make this film the best we can.

Once it's finished we'll send it to film festivals and try to get some recognition and legitimacy. Gotta show the world how awesome we are. I mean, it's about time someone knew.

The latest

2010-08-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

There is really no reason that I shouldn't be writing more in this blog. I mean, what else am I doing?

Well, actually, a few things. I am trying to keep as productive.

A big step I took to trying to find work is signing up with a temp agency, AppleOne. The company was recommended by to me by several people so I decided to give it a go. Now that I am with them, I just have to start calling in and seeing if there is any work available.

I also started working on my typing. I know may sound kinda dumb and trivial, but having an accurate, high typing speed is pretty important. Especially if you want to be an assistant or a secretary. You have to be able to keep up with the quick paced boss.

I have also been doing a good amount of reading. Trying to continue my education on my terms. The book I just finished is called "Good in a Room" by Stephanie Palmer. It is about how to deal with high pressure situations, among other things. It's pretty good because she was a creative executive at MGM, so I can only guess that she knows her stuff.

Also, the Motion Picture CoOp just finished the first round of auditions for a short film I am helping produce. We are going to have call backs coming up soon. I'll keep you updated on the progress of this project. It's going to be pretty sweet.

And lastly I have been watching movies. But not just for entertainment purposes. I watch them with this book called "Save the Cat", that goes along with the movie and breaks down the story so you can understand why certain things are written certain ways. It's pretty amazing, definitely a formula to how a movie plays out.

So that's the latest. Not too much going on, but also keeping busy.

A new approach

2010-07-18T14:49:00.000-07:00

It appears that I am going to have to rethink the approach to this blog.

For all my faithful readers, you may have noticed that some of my blog posts were deleted, and now we are back to May. That is because I blogged about the my work on Transformers 3, and the big wigs didn't like me doing that, so I had to delete the posts. I didn't give anything away about the production and was very careful about what I said in those posts, yet they didn't like them, so now they are gone.

So now I am going to have to figure out a way to keep an interesting, informed blog about what is going on in my career without upsetting the powers at be. Fear not my faithful, I will find something.

Just an update, I am back to out of work and trying to get something going. Back to hustling.

The next thing

2010-05-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

As we continue on with the story, our hero John finds himself looking toward the next thing...

I talked to Bob a few day after the shoot and he sort of apologized for his actions. He admitted he is a hard person to work with and he does thing that way for his own reasons. He also said that he would be willing to help if there was ever anything he could do. I'm sure I can come up with something.

Moving on. I got a great phone call earlier today. It was from a Katie who works on locations for Transformers 3! They called me back! I am going to be working security detail as they build a set for the movie (they started filming about a week ago). It is top secret and I will be the protector of its identity. The good thing also is that a friend of mine who I work with at MPC (and was at the other Transformers 3 gig I worked) is going to work it also. So it will be cool to have him there. Were both friends with the same guy who is permanently a PA. And this is another chance for me to get in good with the Transformers guys and hopefully get some more work.

I also have some tentative lunch/coffee meetings set up with various people. So whenever our schedules don't conflict, I am going to be working that too.

So that is the next thing I got going on.

-Things I've learned: Patience. I've had to be patient with getting called back for Transformers and I've had to be patient with setting up these lunch meetings. Maybe nothing will come from it, but it is worth trying.

-Plans for the future: Transformers 3!

Disaster Strikes

2010-05-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

The shoot was a disaster. What more can be said.

Well, a lot more.

It all stemmed from Bob.

I was talking to Brandon (Awesome storyboard artist, who got dragged into the situation as well) and I pretty much summed him up in this statement: Bob is a Wack Job who will drag you through the mud and work you to your bones, without batting an eyelash, all while on an Ego trip.

He is the kind of person who has to have it his way all the time, and there is no talking to him. He wants people to bend to his desires and he is not willing to work with them or give any leeway. And he has terrible communication skills. He is all over the place, wanting this or that and not being reasonable. It was like he was on drugs. Plus he is verbally abusive. Just a train wreck.

I could go on...

So I have made a firm decision not to work for him again. A person can only take so much abuse (without payment, might I add!!) before it's too much. And he kept wanting more. I guess I am going to have to move on. Shucks....

Things I've learned: Pretty much how bad it can get.

Plans for the future: Keep at it and not let the experience sway my desire to be successful.

Crazyness with Bob

2010-05-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

Yes. Crazyness with Bob. But what more could I expect when I got a phone call at midnight?

Last Sunday, around 9:00 pm, I responded to another round of (what usually turn out to be hopeless) internet postings for various positions. One of these was for an assistant position to a producer that had been posted about two weeks before. Since it costs me relatively no harm to apply to these (I only die a little in the inside) I decided, what the heck. Well, low and behold, I got a call asking me to come in the next morning. He said that someone had backed out on him and that he was terribly unorganized and needed help with using his computer. Being a young and enterprising (not to mention organized and computer savvy) I said, "Umm, sure."

The next day I got a chance to meet Bob (yes, just Bob, in attempt to be discrete). Turns out he is a producer and has done a thing or two and knows some pretty big people, but I would never had guessed that the first time I met him.

I knocked on his door and came face to face with a man with who looked like he had been through hell. He greeted me with a raspy voice, wearing a purple sweatshirt that was covered in stains, walking with an unsettling limp, and hair that was like a tangle of wires. His apartment was a mess, with papers all about the place (he was right about the unorganized part), carpet with stains that rivaled his sweatshirt and an overall strange atmosphere that hinted something was off. Bob himself is of the skidish sort, with a type A personality and always has something to say. He is a quick talking New Yorker who's brain is all over the place, constantly throwing things at me and giving me way to much responsibility too quickly.

But he is nice enough and sincerely cares about other people. And after spending time together, I think that he took a liking to me. He kept on asking me if I wanted to help him pitch projects (that I know nothing about and apparently "don't need to know all about" according to Bob) to TV execs and do other random, odd things, that I would think I need more experience to do. He just assumed that I could handle everything he throws at me and I try my best to keep up with him. I don't turn down his offers for more to do and plan on proving to him (and myself) that I am worth my snuff. I am looking to get all the experience I can and the way things seem to headed, I will get plenty of that. I just simply go with the flow because that is pretty much the way things have to be done when dealing with Bob.

Right now he is working on some pickup shots for a Reality Show. And guess who he is leaning on for most of the planning... Yours truly. Oh, and guess who is going to be 1st AD (the one who basically runs the show while on set), yours truly. Hopefully things will go somewhat according to plan. We still have one day to finish planning the shoot.

So I am going to be working with Bob for at least a little while. I will definitely stick this weekend out. As crazy it is working with Bob, there is no way that I will come out of this with less than I went in. I am going to get some good experience from this, if not a really good story.

-Things I've learned: That there are some pretty crazy people in this industry, yet they some how manage to have some sort of success. If they can do it, so can I.

-Plans for the future: Try and get this shoot on Saturday off with out a hitch. And keep my head screwed on tight. Yea, we'll see about that.

The Motion Picture Co-Op

2010-05-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's hard to be productive when you don't really have anything going on. When there is no one else pushing you, you have to really make a point to be proactive. It is very easy to sleep in till 11:00, surf the internet, watch TV, eat some cheese, surf the internet some more and not really do anything but have a lazy day. Not to say I do any of this...

But I am happy to say that I am now part of a group called the Motion Picture Cooperative (or Co-Op for short, or MPC for even shorter, and it's not because I'm too lazy to say it all the way out) and we have a website. A really good friend (since at least 3rd grade) of mine named Zach is one of the people who started it and asked me to join. It was originally him and several of his friends that he went to school with, but they are looking for help and decided to bring me aboard (best decision they ever made? quite possibly). It's good because I want to produce and there is only one other person in the group who wants to produce as well, and she is pretty swamped with a real job, so I will get a chance to do a lot and hopefully stay busy.

The way it works is, every one in the group has their own "company" that they hope to start eventually (mine is Bluetang Productions, I'll explain the name one day) that is under Motion Picture Co-Op and we all will bring projects to the table. So if I have an idea for a short film, I can get help with the script, help shooting, and help editing, all from people who are in the Co-Op. And I will help them with their projects too (that's where my so-called producer skills come in). It's pretty much a group of creative people getting together to help each other out. Right now we are working on a project called "Funny Shorts" (website) that one member came up with. So I will help write and produce (includes script breakdown, location scouting, casting, props, finances and just about anything else that needs to be done in order to make the thing happen) some of the Funny Shorts. I am super excited get started with this and to be apart of this group.

In other news, I had coffee with my "cold call" e-mail contact. Her name is Kandis and she is the assistant director of development at 2929 Productions. She is only 25 (two years older than me!) and already pretty successful. She did grow up in Cali and has been acting since she was like 12, so she had a little head start on me, but she is still doing really good for herself. We got along really well and she is going to pass my info on to some people she knows, so maybe something will come from our little meeting.

I still have plans to meet with Regina from Geffen next Friday and I am excited about that. She is like the grown up version of a social butterfly and knows a ton of people (at least I think she does) who might be able to help me.

And I got a little surprise in my e-mail inbox earlier today; a guy that I met during SXSW and e-mailed almost two months ago responded to me. He said he has been really busy but still wants to get together. Sweet! So, we are working on setting something up.

Also, my brother called me last week saying he had some good news for me. After I found out that he did not win the lottery, he told me he talked to a friend of his who has a sister and a friend who live and work out here in LA and would be willing to get together with me. So, we are working on setting something up there, too.

Other than that, I am just hanging in there...

-Things I've Learned: No matter how long ago you reached out to someone, don't count them out. There is always a chance they may still get back to you.

-Plans for the future: Kick ass for MPC. Network like there is no tomorrow.

Studio SX interview

2010-05-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a little gem I stumbled across.

During SXSW I worked at Studio SX and was a sort of "Jack-of-all-trades" where I would do anything needed... including giving interviews.

This is an interview I did with Eli Craig who directed "Tucker and Dale vs Evil". The person who was supposed to interview Eli did not show up, so I volunteered to fill the spot. I hadn't seen the movie, never met the guy and all I knew was that he was the Writer and Director. I was able to whip this together:

(Click Here to go to the YouTube website)

-Things I've Learned: What it's like to be on camera, in front of an audience, giving an under-prepared ad libed interview. (yes I was a little nervous)

-Plans for the Future: Get better at being on camera

What makes a movie good

2010-05-08T13:59:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I started reading "Save the Cat" which is a book about writing screenplays. Well, I finished it.

I think it was really good and I now feel better educated on what a good script should be like. There is definitely a formula to writing a movie. Certain things that need to be included in order for your movie to appeal to the masses. A certain structure to the story. The Hero of the movie goes on a journey and we are along for the ride. There are always Three Acts, but they can be broken down further.

Here is the basic structure of a good screenplay/movie, as explained in "Save the Cat":

-Opening Image: This is the first thing we see, which sets the stage for the movie and gives us a snapshot of our Hero before the journey begins.

-Theme Stated: Somewhere in the first five minutes or so, someone will say the theme of the movie (ex: "Be careful what you wish for." although not always so obvious).

-The Set Up: This is the all important first part of the movie (the First Act) which must grab our attention and make us want to watch the movie. This is also the calm before the storm of what is about to come next.

-Catalyst: This is where the world of our Hero changes as they know it. It's the "You only have three days to live..." or "You're Fired!" kinda thing that sends our Hero on their journey.

-Debate: The time where our Hero questions his journey: Is this crazy? Should I really do this?

-Break Into Two: The moment where we leave the old world and enters the upside down version of that world. It is a definitive decision made by the Hero. This is the start of Act Two.

-B Story: This is the "Let's talk about something else for a little while" that gives us a break from all the craziness that is going on in the "A Story". This is often where the "Love Story" for the movie comes in (note: the "Love Story" is not always a romantic thing. It can be the newly made friendship between the Hero and her hairstylist, or two buddies.). The B Story is a good place for the theme of the movie to be discussed and gives vital cut aways.

-Fun And Games: This is where the premise of the movie come in and we have a little fun (ex: Spiderman gets to try out his new found powers for the first time). This is what we were promised in the movie posters/trailers and why we came to see the movie. Just some good ol' fun.

-Midpoint: This is a point in the movie where fun and games come to an end and the stakes are risen. It is either an "up" where the Hero peaks (though a false peak) or a a down where the world collapses (although a false collapse). Also may be a point where the hero is given a false victory and think he has everything he could possibly want, but really has a long way to go before he learns his lesson.

-Bad Guys Close In: Where the bad guys are temporarily defeated, but regroup and send in the heavy artillery. Also a point where the Hero's team begins to break up because of internal doubt and dissent. At the Midpoint, the Hero thinks he has it all, but evil has not given up and our Hero is headed for a huge fall.

-All is Lost: This is often the "False Defeat" where everything is in shambles (but only temporarily). It always should be the opposite of the Midpoint in terms of whether it was an "up" or a "down".

-Dark Night of the Soul: Where the character shows his feelings about the All is Lost moment. This is the darkness before the dawn, where the Hero reaches deep down inside and pull out the last great idea to save himself.

-Break into Three: The Solution! This is where Story A (main story) meets Story B (place where the theme is discussed and the hero is given a realization from it) and an answer to all the problems is able to be found.

-Finale: This is Act Three, where we wrap things up. We use our answer to get rid of the bad guys and the source of our problem goes away completely. Our Hero is triumphant and saves the day. New world order exists for our Hero.

-Final Image: This is opposite of the Opening image, shows that change has occurred in our Hero.

So there it is. Next time you watch a movie, you can see if you recognize this story structure. It may not be the same in all movies, and it may not be so cut and dry, but all good movies will have a structure similar to this.

-Things I've learned: The structure of a good screenplay/movie.

-Plans for the Future: See if I can recognize it, to prove that I actually learned something by reading "Save The Cat".

Update-n-Stuff

2010-05-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a little bit of the same old, same old... but not really.

The internship turned out to be pretty much a bust. I really am not getting anything out of going in there and making these phone calls for this guy to go to Cannes. I have been handed the short end of the stick on that situation. So I told him that I am only going one day a week and I am going to leave at 9:00 am instead of 11:00 am. That's right, I told him how it was going to be (albeit, very nicely). In these situations the interns have a certain amount of power because the company relies so heavily on them. So he is happy to have me coming in at least one day a week than not at all. Yet, I am not even sure I want to come in that one day... I just have no loyalty to the company, no motivation to do the work. The only reason that I have been going in while I have is because I get access to this website called Cinando, which is a very powerful database of companies in the industry.

The reason I want to keep having access to Cinando is that the contact of some the people who work for the companies is available there. I figured I can send out a "cold call" e-mail to these people and see if they want to get together for lunch or coffee or whatever, and impart their expertise on me. Maybe I can meet some interesting people this way and make some good contacts. And if not, then no big deal. There are many others out there. And so far I have actually had some pretty good success. I sent out about 20 e-mails a few days ago and earlier today one responded back to me. She works at 2929 productions and said she has plenty to share about. So, we are going to get coffee next week, and I am really looking forward to it.

Speaking of getting together with people, one of the people that my step-sister introduced me to, while I was still living with her, and I have plans to meet for coffee as well. She works at the Geffen Theatre and knows a ton of people. Sweet!

Speaking of knowing people AND getting together with people my step-sister introduced me to, another one of her friends whom I have loose plans to get together with at some point in time in the future brought me on to work a music video for a group called Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. It was a really good shoot in terms of meeting people on set who might be able to help me find more work in the future. So I am definitely going to keep up with them!

Something else is I had an interview for a company called Hydralux who does Virtual Effects. They are big. Click the name and see for yourself. The position would just be for the front desk, but I would take it for sure. Who knows what I could learn there. I got the interview because a friend of mine, Kristin, applied for the job several months ago (through the UTLA program for the University of Texas) and they just got back to her but she already has a job. So she referred me and I interview with them a couple days ago. Everything went really well. The only thing that hurt me is that I mentioned that I am not super interested in getting into VFX as a career (why would I say that?? Stupid...), and they are looking for someone who is, but regardless, they said I would be a good candidate. I await a reply.

And one last thing to update on, I worked a test stunt for Transformers 3! I have a friend named Andy who is a full time PA for them, and he gave them my info. It was a one day thing, and all I did was make boxes to land on (sorry, can't really go into details...) but I am now on their list of PAs for work in the future for Transformers 3. Score!

So I guess the rolling ball is starting to pick up a little speed. After six months in LA I'm not doing too shabby. Now all I need to do is update more often so I don't slam down a bunch of random things I've been up to upon you. Sorry that this is such a long post. I guess I gotta lot to say!

-What I've learned: Kinda knew this already, but networking is key. And even if only one in twenty will respond to your e-mails, it will be worth it to make another contact.

-Plans for the Future: Try and make more contacts and work more gigs. I was kinda unsure about sending the "cold call" e-mails, but I think I am going to keep that up. Keep on networking!

A Little Excitement

2010-04-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

I am coming through on the plans that I made.

I am now living Sherman Oaks. It's an all around better situation here. I really did like living in West Hollywood but it was time to move. So now I am living with people my own age, the rent is cheaper, and I'm closer to my other friends (that's right, I have friends!) who also live in North Hollywood. So that's all good. I just feel more in control of my own destiny.

And I also started an internship. I know, right? It's nothing too special though... I'm working with a company called Quantum Releasing, a distribution/production company. The reason I got hired (along with several other interns, who also applied on craigslist) is to help them prepare to go to Cannes film festival at the end of May. They have us calling other distribution companies from all over the world to set up meetings during Cannes. So I started in Greece and finished in Portugal, cold calling these companies to see if they are interested in doing business with Quantum. It's definitely "intern" work, but I am considering it something to do while I continue to look for better things. The only bad is that there is no pay (free labor once again, what is wrong with me?), it's not the greatest thing I've ever done and I have to go in a 5:00 am... Wait a minute, 5:00am?? Yes. Very early. But it's because I have to be on the time zone of the countries on the other side of the globe (i.e. Greece and Portugal). I only stay till 11:00 am, so I have the rest of the day ahead of me, and I consider myself a "morning person", so it's not too terrible. Maybe I'll get into a habit of going to bed early and waking up early (just not 5:00 am early...). At least I am getting better at talking to people on the phone and maybe I will learn a thing or two (see, there is a little positive here!).

What I've Learned: Everyone is looking for free labor.

Plans for the Future: Find decent work!

Baby Steps

2010-04-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

I'm knocking things off my to-do list slowly.

It was finally decided that I am going to move to Sherman Oaks, so I'm pretty psyched. It's cool because it's not in the middle of everything, but it's still pretty close. And it's cheaper than where I live now (that's what I'm mainly psyched about) and I'll be living with some people my own age who seem pretty cool (I know this based on the one time I met them for about 15 min, so lets hope this stays true...). Regardless, it will be a good change. Maybe just what I need to get the ball rolling. I am tentatively moving on April 18th.

I am also going to start reading "Save the Cat" to try and learn a little about screen plays. Maybe I'll post some of the more interesting/important/impressive/irresponsible(?) info in (take that, alliteration) the blog. Maybe you can learn something too.

By the way, I stumbled across this little master piece. This is the trailer to one of the films I worked on while I was at The Asylum. I present you: Mega Piranha

*The video is wider than my page so here is a link to the trailer on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruHT8ePAxEw *

Yea. I'm proud of that one...

-Things I've learned: Mega Piranha looks Bad Ass (emphasis on Bad)

-Plans for the future: Move, Get a job

Uncertain Times

2010-04-06T13:45:00.000-07:00

Guys, I have a confession to make: I cannot predict the future. It saddens me to say this, but I am no better than the next when it comes to telling what is coming up around the corner.

Whooo.... Glad to get that off my chest. Besides, if I could predict the future, I definitely would not be sitting here writing this blog (I would be sitting somewhere much more fancy!).

I am going through such a big transition point in my life. Now that I'm done with school I really need to get on the ball and find some work. I've been out there and applying and interviewing, but its been slow coming. I am waiting to hear back about the History Channel gig, but they tell me they are in a holding pattern to see about the new shows they are making. Therefore, I am in a holding pattern. But they haven't even told me I have the job for sure, so that makes it even more uncertain (Ahhhh).

I also made the decision to move out of the place I am living in right now. I just need to find a place that is a little cheaper to live in. And as much as I like living with my current house mates (a married couple with a 6-year-old kid), I think I need to find some people my own age. Maybe I can even make some friends out here. I'm young, single and moderately attractive (ok... fair to moderate... give me a break.... I'm going to get back into working out, again. I mean it this time!) and living in Los Angeles. There is no reason I shouldn't go out and have a good time. So, I've been looking on craigslist for place that would suit me and I found a place in Sherman Oaks which would be perfect. A couple of guys my age who seem pretty cool. The only thing is they have a different friend that might want to live in the room I would take. I can't really compete with that, so they are going to let me know in a couple of days. Once again, a holding pattern and more uncertainty.

I guess I will just have to wait and see.

-Things I've learned: You just have to go with the flow. At this point in my career, I will probably be going from job to job for a while and nothing will ever truly be full time. I just need to keep sticking with it.

-Plans for the future: Wait to hear back from these people and keep looking for other jobs and a places to live.

Big Lessons from SXSW

2010-03-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

The week of SXSW is pretty much a blur, as I think back upon it. But isn't that how most bad ass times in your life end up? Days pour into each other and the experience is remembered mainly as a whole, but an awesome whole none-the-less!

Lucky for me, there are a few specific things that I remember from that week and a half. Here are a few tidbits that I am taking away as lessons from the grand experience...

One of the cool things I got to do during the week was sit down for a "Mentor Session" with an established producer. I sat down for 10 min with Michael Peyser, the man behind movies such as SLC Punk and Speed 2 (I know, not the biggest movies in the world... but at least hes doing something...), and hear what advise he had for me. He told me that I need to get into the money side of the business, because that is everything. Once you know where the money comes from and where it goes and who controls it, then you can start working your way up into an important position. If you are in charge of the money, you can really have influence on the way things go. Kinda like the Golden Rule: He who has the gold makes the rules. So that is a place to start at.

I also had the chance to talk to another producer (who wasn't nearly as cool or important as Michael Peyser), John Something-or-Another, who told me to read the book "Save the Cat" and its sequels, which are about screenwriting. He said it is important to be able to recognize a good script when you see it. Makes enough sense. He basically said reading the books is as good as going to graduate school for writing. I'm not sure about all that, but its enough motivation to check it out, especially if it comes so highly recommended. I'll at least give the back cover a good once over.

Another thing that I came to learn is that you can't always take what people say at face value and even a sure thing is not a sure thing (a least in the entertainment industry). Allow me to explain. I met several people over the course of the festival whom I good conversations with and exchanged business cards. Many of them work in the industry and were people I considered to be "contacts" I had made that could help me find a job out here in LA. They were all very nice and open to the idea of getting together outside of SXSW. So when I got back to the real world after that crazy week and a half, I called/e-mailed all of them but have yet to hear back from anyone. I'm not bitter about it or anything (Grrr...) and I guess I really wasn't expecting too much to come from it all, but it does kinda suck that none of it worked out. Some had me believing we could be best friends. Like a beautiful flower. But now that flower will never come to be... (huh?)

One last thing that I took away from being at a festival like SXSW is to try not to do too much all at once. Every night there were probably 2 movies and 5 bands that I wanted to see. I would try to get to as many things as I could, but in actuality I ended up walking all over the city, only making it to a few of the things and going to bed exhausted at 3 am. It was still an awesome overall experience and I got to see a lot of the stuff I wanted to, but yea, don't try to do to much all at once. I'm sure that applies to real life some how...

Oh and a side note: I had an interview with a company called Flight 33 for a PA job. They make shows for the History/Discovery Channel. I want to make shows for the History/Discovery Channel, so this would be perfect for me. I really hope I get it! I think I'll find out tomorrow. I just applied for the gig off an internet posting on the website http://www.realitystaff.com and they called me in for an interview. Fingers are crossed!

-Things I've learned: See above.

-Plans for the Future: Pray I get the PA job, hope for a reply from my SXSW "contacts", look for other opportunities in the mean time.

SXSWhirlwind

2010-03-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

South By Southwest has ended and now I, and many other people, am thrown back into reality.

But what a time it was! Walking down the streets of Austin you couldn't help to notice the chaos that decended upon the city; it basically transforms for a week and a half. People come in from around the world and the Austin Convention Center becomes a hot-spot for new ideas and collaboration, as the best and brightest share their passions and visions for the future.

Everyone comes to the festival for different reasons: Some come for the music, some for the film and some for the technology innovations. And many times there is not a singular reason to attend, but to come and experience all that SXSW has to offer. It's pretty safe to say that no two people have the same SXSW experience.

My experience is the same: Uniquely different.

This year I was a part of the staff and worked for a department called Studio SX. It was our job to bring in the interesting people for an interview which was filmed infront of a small audience for 10-12 minutes. We brought in everyone from film directors, producers and actors, to musicians, to the interactive keynote speakers. My specific job was Assistant Manager and I filled in where ever needed and made sure things were running smooth. I would help with the talent, ran the camera or edited (if needed) and at one point I even gave one of the interviews. We had a great crew and it was a fun job. In the grand scheme of the festival, Studio SX is pretty small potatoes, but the potential is really big and hopefully next year I can come back and make it better.

On a day-to-day during the festival, I would get off at about 5:30, and go explore. It was usually a mission to try and find the free food and drinks, and most of the time I usually came across something. When the night time rolled in, duing the first half of the week, I would go to a movie or try and find a film party to hit up. It was during these partys that I went to work trying to meet people and network. I did a pretty good job and met a lot of people who are producers and filmmakers that are out in LA, and may be able to help me in my career...

And During the second half of the week when the music got started I got off at 5:30 and would try to find free stuff, then figure out which bands I wanted to see. Every night I saw at least five different bands play and most of them I had never heard of, but were amazing I am now a big fan of. It's really a great thing to be apart of.

So, the crazyness of SXSW ended, but that doesn't mean that it is something that I am going to just forget it and move on. I will take everthing I learned and experienced and apply it to life beyond the festival. I think its OK to have a little SXSW crazyness throughout the entire year.

-Things I've learned: Too many things to list here. In future posts I will go more into detail of specific things I learned/experienced that will benefit my career. Just know that a lot was taken in and must be processed.

-Plans for the future: Contact all the people I met through networking and see what that leads to.

On to Bigger and Better things

2010-03-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

You have to know when to recognize opportunity and when to draw the line.

So I decided to quit The Asylum. I had to. There really wasn't much else I could learn and I was tired of being used by them for free labor. So I left. Moving on. I am glad that I worked for them while I did, but I am glad I left when I did. I took away what I could from the experience, and now I am off to other enterprises. I was pretty expendable to them anyway; they didn't seem too sad for me to go.

So next is SXSW! I am super excited for this. Last year it was so awesome, and this year it will only be better because I have an idea of what to expect. I am going to fully take advantage of what I can.

Last year I enjoyed myself: I got to do some cool things, see some cool things and be apart of a really cool thing. The only thing is, I didn't really take advantage of all the people that are around for this epic festival. But this year I am changing my game plan a little. Instead of just partaking in the festivities, I am going to try and meet as many people as possible AND enjoy the crazyness. Hopefully one of the people I meet will be able to help me find a job.

I may have to come out of my shell a little and be more aggressive (but not overly-aggressive) but I can't let this chance slip by. Maybe when I come out on the other side of this adventure that is SXSW, I will have a job and actually move up a little in the industry.

-Things I've learned: You have to draw the line somewhere. I'm not sure I was benefiting from working at The Asylum. They were getting more from me than I was from them and I had to realize that. That's ok though, I will be better for it in the end. If not.... at least its a good story.

-Plans for the future: Go to SXSW and rock it like no one has ever rocked it before.

So, Whats new?

2010-02-21T19:12:00.000-08:00

Where have I been? I'm going to have to get better about updating this thing...

Production finished on "Sinbad" and people are coming back from Belize. Guess who gets the honor of picking them up at the airport. ME!!.... Uhh, great....

But, its good that things are wrapping up on that production. Hopefully everything went well and there will be a halfway decent movie coming out of it. I'm pretty sure it was impossible for them to not get beautiful shots while down there.

The new thing around the office is the next movie we are working on "Airline Disaster". Again I was helping on the casting, but this time around things went A LOT smoother. I am definitely on board for a smooth casting process. I think I am going to try and make it like that from now on. Yea, that sounds good.

Other than casting, I haven't been doing much else for pre-production. The guys in the higher positions aren't really giving us much to do. We are going to hire other PAs but someone else has been in charge of that. Production is slated to start on Feb. 27 (a week from now) and I will be around for most of that, but not all of it.

That's because I am going back to Austin for SXSW. I am so excited! I talked to my old boss over there and he said I was in for sure. I will be working for this part called StudioSX, where we interview the big filmmakers and musicians and other important people at SXSW. I am just going to be an assistant, but it should be pretty sweet. There won't be any pay, but it comes with some awesome perks: free movies, concerts, and great opportunity for networking. I am going to hand out business cards left and right.

The goal is to make some kind of connection so that I can get a better gig than The Asylum. I have thought about quitting it for a while now and I feel like I have right reason to. They are not paying me to do a job that sucks, with no real opportunity for promotion, for a company that isn't the best in the world (and that is putting it nicely). But alas, I keep coming back. And I have the right reason for that too. Here I am, learning the process of making a film, not a very good film, but a film none-the-less. I am getting a ton of experience that I will be able take with me once I move on. After working at The Asylum, am I much more qualified for more jobs that many other people my age. And that is what keeps me going.

-Things I've learned: Look at the best of every situation. You will live on as a much better person for the experiences.

-Plans for the Future: Work for The Asylum for a couple more weeks, go to SXSW and do some kick ass networking, then come back to LA and The Asylum, but try really hard to find something else.

Oh, Belize...

2010-02-05T15:04:00.000-08:00

Production has finally started over in Belize on Sinbad. At least it was suppose to have started on Feb. 2nd, but who knows what they are doing over there.

I really don't know the latest because I haven't been into the office for the past week. My job has been to drive all the cast and crew to the airport so they can get over there. It wouldn't be to big of a deal except their flights have been at 7 o'clock in the morning, they live all over the city and it is an international flight, so it's important to get there early. What that means for me is I've been getting up at 4 o'clock so that I can round people and equipment up. It's about as fun as you imagine it being. So I told them that if I have to wake up super early to drive people to the airport then I'm not coming in to the office. It only seems fair, and they agree. There isn't much going on at the office anyway.

As evidence by this post, I did not get to go to Belize (sorry Uncle Tony). But for a second there, I though I might get to go. Pretty much since they found out they were shooting abroad, they told us the PAs would not go, because there wasn't enough budget. Makes sense, no big deal. But then out of no where, the LA coordinator asks if I have a passport and says they might be shipping me out. I was taken by surprise as I definitely had the mind set that I was not going. Now they are saying they might be taking me to Belize. I didn't know what to think. I eventually came to find that there were two people who where supposed to go before me, but they didn't have passports and were waiting on a "rush order" for them. Who knew you could get a rush on passports? So if they didn't get it then I would go in their place. Well, they got them and I got left behind. Oh, well. I was a little disappointed, but at the same time I'm not really sweating it. I wasn't really expecting to go in the first place and I think it would have been a pretty big ordeal to go down there. Plus, I would have missed out on a lot of early morning drives to the airport (I am now an expert at dropping people off at LAX), and I would be crazy to miss out on that. Or is it the other way around?

Something else exciting is I might be in front of the camera pretty soon. There was a Craigslist post saying a company is hiring people to be extras in movies and TV shows. So I went in and had an audition/interview and they liked me. So now I am going to start receiving a weekly e-mail with productions they are casting and what kind of people they are looking for, and I can submit myself for small roles. It's nothing I'm going to take too seriously, but it will be fun and a little extra money. But who know, maybe I will get lucky with something!

Other than that, I'm still sticking with The Asylum, but actively looking for something else. I guess we'll see if anything comes up.

-Things I've Learned: Be ready for anything. Whether its going to a foreign country on the turn of a dime, or taking people to the airport at the wee hours of the morning.

-Plans for the future: Continue with The Asylum? Find other work? Be an extra on a feature film? Star in a feature film? Eh?

A little sanity at The Asylum

2010-01-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

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

Working in The Asylum

2010-01-21T14:26:00.001-08:00

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.

It all happened so fast...

2010-01-14T15:34:00.000-08:00

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.

Starting Back up again

2010-01-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

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.

The big shoot? and prospects for the future

2009-12-16T13:45:00.001-08:00

So I know the work of a menial PA now.

I got back from the Nick Jonas shoot with the feeling I experienced a little bit of an anticlimax. Everything was very professional and everyone there was good at what they did, but it just a very simple shoot and not too exciting. I didn't have to work very hard (which is kinda nice) and it was a pretty short day.

I got to the sound stage at 6am and helped unload the truck and then hung out for a little while. There were two grips and two electricians who did all the rigging and lighting and they did not need any help. So the other PAs and I hit up the breakfast catering. Now that part was exciting - Eggs, bacon, french toast, omelets and a wide assortment of donuts and danishes. At around 9:30 or 10 the camera and lighting was ready to go, so we started the shoot. I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about whats in the video or the details of the shoot, so I will just be vague and give the bare bones of what happened. For the morning we had several actors dressed as a doctor or a firefighter or other characters do a little performance in front of a back drop. There were about 10 of these and each took about 20 minutes. When we got through all those we had lunch. After we ate, Nick arrived and he did his thing. He seemed like a nice enough guy. Young and good looking but nothing too special. I didn't get to actually meet him, but we did the universal man to man head nod, the form of acknowledgment that every guy knows and recognizes. We filmed him for about an hour then broke down the set and left. By the time it was all said and done I was out of there by 5 pm. Good Deal. My job for most of the shoot was to sit at a specific area and not let people walk by or else they would get in the shot. I also got things if needed like chairs or other random things. Easy enough, kind of boring.

I did benefit from this shoot in several ways. Firstly, I will get paid. That is always a benefit. Secondly, I met some people who may potentially help me in my career. One was Mike, he was the Executive Producer and I think he is a head of the production company who was in charge of the shoot, Three Foot Giant. I have a pretty special relationship with him because his kid is in class with my nephew. We actually met for the first time at their holiday recital, so we have that connection. The other persons name was Craig, a producer and the person who called me before the shoot. He is a pretty young guy and we got along well. At the end of everything, as I was leaving, I told him thanks for having me on and that I was interested in getting into the office to start learning all that stuff. He told me he would think about it and see what he could do. He seemed pretty earnest about it, so maybe something will come of that. Fingers crossed.

I've got some more good news. A little while back I applied to an internship with a production company called Aid+Abet Productions and they sent me an email to arrange an interview. SWEET! I had hoped this would come through, but with all the other things I applied for in the past 6 months, I didn't expect too much. The interview is set up for January 6th, which is the day after I get back to LA from the holidays in Houston. I am excited about this, it could be really good experience and a step in the right direction towards my end goal of being a producer.

So I have some good prospects for the future, as long as I play my cards right.

-Things I have learned: The relationships you build will be more important than you know and may come from the strangest of places (my step-nephew's classmate's father?).

-Plans for the future: To go home to Houston for the holidays. But it is not going to be all vacation for me, I am going to prepare for the interview as much as possible and learn as much as I can about the production company to be as ready as I can.

Big man in charge

2009-12-14T16:24:00.000-08:00

Those three long nights are behind me and I finally have a film production under my belt. It was a pretty good shoot, we shot a short film that will eventually be a part of a longer film. The script is pretty decent and we got some good stuff, so I am excited to see what the final product will look like.

In my limited experience, I would have to say this was a pretty small shoot, a crew of about 30. I worked as a Grip/Electric (just as I thought...) and was pretty much key role in the grand scheme of things. There were only two of us, me and another guy named Lianto, who were working as G/E so we pretty much made all the lighting needs happen. Lianto was technically the "key" grip but we were pretty much equals. He actually wants to work in the sound departent, but he has experience as a grip and did know a lot about the position, so I was able to learn a great deal from him and we worked well together. The DP would tell us what kind of lighting he wanted for the scene and he would leave it up to us to figure out how to rig it up. It was a lot of hanging lights from the ceiling of a warehouse. Here are some pictures of me on the job -

http://twitpic.com/t64yy
http://twitpic.com/t655y

It was actually really cool to be in the position I was for this shoot because I had some authority on the way things should be. They would send us some PAs and I would tell them what I needed them to do. Then they would come back to me ask what I wanted them to do next. It was really cool! I was basically the one who decided how to rig up all the lights and did most of the handy work while Lianto was the technical knowledge behind it all and the PAs helped us.

It's going to be kinda tough for me to go on a bigger production and be just a lowly grip or even a PA, with no authority, just a work horse that obeys. But this shoot made me realize how important the lower people are, especially how important it is to just listen. I think there were too many people on this shoot who were trying to be "Chiefs" and not enough "Indians". Too many people who were trying to put there two cents in and not listening to the way the people in charge wanted it. Some of the PAs were doing it to me and it definitely made my life more difficult. It was good to see things from that perspective and it will make me a better worker on future shoots.

I have some more news on maybe my next job. Through some good luck and some contacts, I met a guy named Mike, who is a producer of music videos. Big time music videos. We got to talking and I told him about what I've been doing out here in LA and what my career aspirations are. He seemed to take a some interest and asked me about my availability for Tuesday the 15th. I told him I was free. He then asked if I was interested in working that day on a music video, and not just some random person, but a Nick Jonas (as in The Jonas Bros.) music video. Pretty big time. I, of course, said I would do it for sure. So the shoot is supposed to be tomorrow. I don't have the details about it yet (typical), although I did get a conformation call about working on it a couple days ago. So I will eagerly await the details. This could be a big step for me, even though I am most likely just be a work horse PA. Regardless, I am excited.

-Things I've Learned: What its like to work on a film. It's different from a music video, although a grips job is basically the same. I gained a lot of experience in being a problem solver as to how to rig lighting to look the way it needs to, something you can't learn until you actually do it.

-Plans for the Future: Work the next music video. I also have plans to go home to Houston for about 3 weeks for the holidays, so I probably will not be doing a lot of work during that time.

They be callin' me!

2009-12-09T15:44:00.000-08:00

It is becoming very apparent that having good contacts pays off.

I got a phone call from a guy named Kirk saying he might have a gig from me. I met Kirk on the Joshua tree camping adventure, he was the sound guy. I guess that experience was more valuable that I originally thought. He said he is working a film this weekend and they are looking for more help. So I got the contact info for the producer and sent her an email saying I was able to work if they needed me. Well, she called me less than an hour after the email was sent and said that I was on the job. Sweet!

It is going to be this Friday, Saturday and Sunday although its not going to be during the day. It is another night shoot, 5 pm to 5 am on each day (ie. night). It's all good. I'm not sure what they'll have me doing, but I'm pretty sure I will end up doing Grip/Electric (at least if I have any say in it...). There's only one bad thing, no pay. It's good they were up front about it and it's OK because this will be the first "Legitimate" film I work on. I will be gaining good experience. And supposedly the script is really good. I am supposed to be getting a copy of it, so I am eager to check it out.

I also got another good phone call a day or two ago. My manager from the internship I worked last spring for SXSW (South by Southwest) called me up and asked if I was willing to come back and help again this year. They called ME! It would mean I would have to drive back to Texas but I would be willing to do that for sure. Last year I got to see tons of films and live music for free. And I got to go to several conferences and talks by industry experts and innovative thinkers. It's like a melting pot of Music, Film, Technology and everything awesome. Here is the website - http://www.sxsw.com. As with a lot of the things I do now-a-days, I'm not sure what they'll have me doing, but I whatever it is, I will rock it. I am really looking forward to this.

So I guess I have been leaving good impressions on the people I work with. I will continue to work hard with everyone I meet and hope that they remember me, even if it means I have to work all through the night....

-Things I've learned: Work hard at everything you do, you never know who will notice and where it will lead you.

-Plans for the future: To work hard on this film this weekend. It will be nice to meet some more new people and work with them. Since this is not payed I can only hope that it will lead to more work.

Getting used to the hard work

2009-12-07T17:07:00.000-08:00

I really love working on the crew for movies and music videos, but man, it can be some hard, physical work.

I just got off a two day, or should I say "night", shoot for a music video. It was with a lot of the same crew that I did the Paypa music video with a week or two back. That's actually how I got the gig, so my few connection have already started to pay off.

This time around it was for a Jazzy style artist named Reem and her song "Turn Upside Down". There were two night shoots with crew calls at 4p.m. and supposedly ending 4a.m., but it really ended at around 6a.m. Yea, that's pretty long night, working for just about the whole time. The sun was coming up as I was getting home. But it was all fun, too.

The shoot was again another step up for me, the biggest one I've done yet. It still wasn't a really big budget, but a step none-the-less. I worked as a full grip on this shoot*. On the first day we were at a loft near Marina Del Ray where we got various shots of an actress and actor doing their thing and a few shots with the artist at a piano doing her thing. The second day we went to a roof top in downtown LA and got some really cool shots. The best thing about it was I got to see a crane in action for the first time. We got some swooping shots, high angles and even one where the camera went off the side of the building. It was awesome! The operator was good at his job and made it look really cool. The style of video is going to be a Noir looking, Sin City type of video, where it is all in black and white with accents of red. With the way we set up the lighting, it is going to look classy.

Another first for me was I got to experience catering. We were given a "lunch" with a very welcomed hot meal (it gets cold on a rooftop at night this time of year!). There were also sandwiches and snacks to be eaten whenever there was a rare free moment. I was very grateful for all that food, it definitely kept me going.

One thing that was problematic for this shoot is that it moved along really slow. For some reason it took forever to set up the shots, or at least longer than normal (or at least what I, in my limited professional opinion, consider normal). They ended up looking really slick and artistic but they were shooting as if we had all the time in the world and not only two nights. Another oddity to this music video is that it was shot in small clips as bits and pieces. For all the other videos I have worked there has been several shots where the entire song was played (and got stuck in my head) and the artist performed and there was lots of coverage. But on this shoot I don't think there was one time where I heard the whole song all the way through. I guess the director knew exactly what he wanted for each specific part of the song, but it just didn't seem like he covered the whole thing. Oh well, not my problem.

All in all it was a good experience, even if I did have to work my ass off in the wee hours of the morning.

-What I have learned: More about what it takes to be a grip. There are a lot of odd names for the equipment that we use and there is a lot of equipment to be used. I have come to like setting up the lights as it is definitely a crucial part of the production, although the long hours and back breaking work makes me want to venture other routes. I don't think I can see myself working as a Grip for the rest of my life. In the end, I think I want to try to be a Producer, so I need to figure out how to learn that job, but I think all this experience on-set will eventually benefit me in the long run. Plus, its fun to be there where all the action happens.

-Plans for the future: Land more work? Maybe get more experience? Yes, I think so.

* I want to clarify what a grip does. We are the ones who are in charge of rigging up stands and other parts for the lights. It's the electricians that are in charge of setting up the lights. It's kind of like the electricians are the ones that bring the lights and the grips are the ones that hold them up. So the hierarchy is: Gaffer- decide where lights go; Best Boy Electric (or just Best Boy)- In charge of lights, Gets the lights in position; Electrician- Helps Best Boy; Key Grip- In charge of Grip equipment (stands, ect.) to support the lights, works with Gaffer; Grip- Helps Key Grip in setting up lights and other necessary stuff. The position I have been doing for most of past work has been G&E (Grip and Electric) which is sort of a combo of both.

Glad I got through it

2009-12-03T17:47:00.000-08:00

I guess I will be apart of some good productions and there will some that are bad. The camping adventure in Joshua Tree definitely fits into the latter. Yea....

Preface:
Before I go into detail about my experience, I want to say that I really did end up enjoying working with everyone in the production. They are all good people and fun to work with and fun to be around. I am glad that I went and was part of the film.

That being said...

The production was pretty much a disaster. Well, I shouldn't say disaster. Let's just go with really bad. REALLY bad. The director/writer/editor, Keith, was grossly under-prepared. He is a very creative guy and an awesome editor (he showed us some of his work, he's been doing it for 20+ years), but he was not ready to make this film. To his credit, this was the first thing he ever wrote or directed and the script had only been finished days before we got there. But that begs the question as to why we went though with the thing? Why not push it back a little? Why not be a little more ready? There might have been some reason for the madness, but I can't even guess. Half way through I thought there was no way a complete product would ever come of what we were doing. He kept on forgetting what was in the "script", what we had shot and he didn't have any plans for what we were going to do next. There was no plan or schedule. We had to re-shoot almost everything we shot, some of it three times. It was always "Let just go with this and see how it turns out". Very frustrating.

The writing was pretty amateur, too. The movie was supposed to be along the lines of "Paranormal Activity". I guess they were trying to cash in on that bandwagon. The story was a young married couple just bought a house on some land and the house is haunted by a little girl. The woman gets possessed and some other scary stuff happens too, but overall it was mediocre. I will say that some of the scenes we shot were pretty cool and will end up looking scary. Like I said, Keith is a creative guy, so there will be some good parts, but overall, I'm just not sure.

And the equipment we were using was dreadful. We were shooting on a consumer level High-Def camera that was specifically bought for this shoot. It just wasn't working for us. We tried to get it to do what we wanted, but a lot of the time the picture simply did not look good. We needed something just a little better. The lighting equipment was atrocious. It was basically three flood lights on stands. What can you do with three flood lights on stands? Not much. I tried hard to make it work, but I am just one man. And not a super experienced man. At lighting, that is.

The crew was really small, but that isn't a big problem. They were all good people and were really nice. It was Keith, a sound guy named Kirk, the two main actors Lisa and Jared, a supporting actress, who came for one night, named Alex, and then me. What about all the other positions needed for a film? Aren't there a lot of jobs that need to be done? Yes. There are. And guess who filled in all of those? Yep, me. I was hired on as a Production Assistant but really I was the Gaffer, Grip, Assistant Camera, Script Supervisor, Craft Services, Art Department, Driver, Rigger and probably other positions I can't think of right now or didn't know I was doing. Over worked and under appreciated. But it ain't no thing. I handled it like a champ. I worked really hard and did the best I could. That's the way I would do it, regardless of who I work for. Its just how I do, baby.

There was another guy there, but I'm not sure I can classify him as a part of the crew. His name is Dennis Woodruff. I think he was technically a producer, and he did a little acting, but really all he did was get in the way. He came across as a crazy person. A legitimately crazy person, I kid you not. He would tell us all these odd-ball stories about how he has made 30 movies in the past, how he knows Steven Spielberg and other famous directors and actors, how his dad was a cinematographer for John Ford and other classic directors, how his grandfather built the Hollywood sign and other wacky stuff. It's just hard to believe someone like him when he tells you things like that. Then I looked him up and was shocked. It turns out majority of the stuff he told us is true. The other stuff I couldn't find (or didn't look hard enough...) but it very well could be true too. Google him. You can see how crazy he is and the bizarre past he has. I kind feel privileged to have worked with him, even though he was such a pain in the ass.

Despite everything, I truly am glad I worked this production. As I have written, a lot of it was awful, but I did get pretty close to the people I worked with and in the end it wasn't so bad. I guess when you go though something like that you have no choice but to come together and make the best of it. Joshua Tree is a very cool place and I am glad that I got to visit it. I think I will come out this a better person. At least I hope so. And I got paid. So that is good. Yea, that definitely helps it not be so bad.

On another good note, I have more work. I got a message from the DP of the music video I worked a week or two ago, saying he was working another one and wanted me to be on it too. He gave me the contact info of the producer and she pretty much told me I have the job. I'll be a PA again. They still have to send me the details, but it's typical to wait till the last minute.

-Things I learned: How not to make a movie. You must be prepared. It is crucial. I did get a chance to figure out how to make it work when there is basically nothing to work with, so I guess when there is the proper equipment I will be able to make it work even better.

-Plans for the future: To work this music video, if they ever let me know whats going on with it...

Response in a timely manner

2009-11-23T11:45:00.000-08:00

I heard back from both of my gigs that I potentially have lined up.

I'll start with my camping adventure. The guy in charge is named Keith and he called me this morning to pretty much tell me I had the job and to give me some details. So I guess I need to get a sleeping bag for this weekend! He told me I am basically going to be in charge of food and other stuff for the shoot. Hopefully I can work it so that I do more than hand out sandwiches and granola bars the whole time. Otherwise I am excited to get out there.

I also had my Skype interview. It was pretty cool and work out really well. The only problem we had was I don't think I want to work the job. It would be a 30 mile drive, one way, for 5 days, no pay or gas money. I really want to get a lot of work but I think this might be the line that I draw. I don't want to go too far in the hole to get good experience. Maybe if we were staying out there like my other job I have lined up I would do it, but not if I have to do a whole lot of driving. She mentioned car pool, which would be ok, but we'll have to see... She also said that she is working on a bunch of other stuff so there might be something else I would be able to work.

-Things I learned: You don't have to accept every job that comes your way. If it doesn't fit your schedule or if its something you really don't want to do, then don't do it. Look at the bigger picture.

-Plans for the near future: Buy a sleeping bag. Film low budget indie ghostie film at Joshua Tree.

Does lightning stike twice?

2009-11-22T17:12:00.001-08:00

I think so!

Especially on the Empire State Building...

But also for my career in LA.

I got another job offer. And this time it's not a music video. Yes!! I finally get to work on a narrative film. I am going to be a Production Assistant on a low budget ghost film. I applied to it off Mandy.com where the post read "Need a PA to do what PA's do" and that is all. I'm pretty sure I am capable of doing "what PA's do" so I blindly applied for it. This was about a week or so ago. They finally got back to me with this:

Hello

Are you willing to drive to Joshua Tree (2 hrs from LA ) in your car for the dates of 11/28 – 12/1 and possibly 12/2 at $50 a day, bring a sleeping bag (will be "camping" in house) and work as a P.A. (basically food & supplies) for a super low budget indie ghostie film?

Thank You

I was definitely intrigued and being one to not pass up work, let alone a great opportunity and possibly a super fun time, I replied "Yes". This was yesterday and I have not yet heard back from them. I am pretty sure that they are going to give me the job, and I guess I shouldn't expect anything back too soon, seeing as it took them so long to get back to me the first time. Seems to be a common theme in this job. I shall continue to wait...

I also have another job possibly lined up as a Production Assistant again. It's for a project for an American Film Institute student. The reason I'm not sure I have it yet is because I have to interview with the person who is producing it tomorrow, via Skype. I'm not exactly sure how it's going to go down, but I'm willing to give it a try. It is scheduled for tomorrow (Monday) at 10 am. I'll let you know how it goes.

Oh, I got a membership to a gym. Half to keep in shape and half for my sanity. So that I will have something to do on days when I'm not working. At this rate I am going to be in great shape.

-Things I've learned: You just gotta stick with it. There are days where I feel like I am not getting anything accomplished and I'm sure there are going to be many more to come. I guess my overnight success hasn't come yet... Yeah right.

-Plans for the Future: Rock this interview and have two gigs lined up for the future. Work out and get the chiseled body that has always been hiding inside of me.

One down, Many to go

2009-11-16T15:01:00.000-08:00

So I finished my first job in LA... Huzzah!

Does anyone say "Huzzah" anymore? Did anyone ever say "Huzzah"?

Just me I guess. Oh well.

Anyway, the whole thing was a real good time. I am very glad I did it. I feel like I got a lot out of it. Except money. But that's ok, I ended up bringing back some packages of bagels. So that more than justifies my time.

I also brought back some good experience. This was the biggest production I had been a part of so far. There was about 15 people total on the crew, two rappers and their entourage of about 10 people who just kinda stood around and got in the way. The video was for the rapper Paypa (like "paper" but more gangsta) who is from Chicago and has sorta has a Kanye West sound. I tired to find some of his stuff online, but I'm not sure if it's him or not. I will post when I find more about him.

I think this was a good Music Video for me to be a part of because it is a step up from what I have done in the past, but it still wasn't a huge production. Kinda like a baby step. Everyone on the crew was really nice and very helpful and fun to work with. I was officially hired on as a Production Assistant but I wiggled my way into working as a Grip. A Grip works with someone called the Gaffer, who is in charge of all the lighting on the set, a very important job. The hierarchy goes: Gaffer, Key Grip, then Grip. I'll let you figure out what the Key Grip is. These guys make the difference between professional and amateur productions (You're either a Pro or a Noob). So I was working a lot with the lights as a grip and learned a lot about that job.

I also brought back some good contacts. I did my best to leave a good impression on the Gaffer and I'm pretty sure he liked me. He said that he gets a lot of work and implied that he would contact me if there was room on future productions. So that is bad ass. The other crew members in key positions also said they enjoyed working with me, so maybe they will remember me in the future, too. Fingers are crossed.

The video is going to be pretty awesome. Actually, I should say the videos are going to be pretty awesome because we filmed two. The Friday and Saturday we worked on the video for the first song. There were 5 locations total and 10-12 hour days. Most of the time was spent getting the lighting set up perfect or waiting on the talent to arrive. But it was all worth it because we got some really cool stuff. On Sunday we filmed a half day for the second video. The reason being is there was only one location and it was all filmed in one long continuous take. The way they did it should turn out to be really cool.

I am really glad that I got this work because it is good experience, but also because it justifies me moving out here. I was determined to actually do something once I got here and I made it happen, now I just need to make it happen again. At least I know it's possible. So far I can say that it has not been a waste to move out here.

On a lesser note, I got my first parking ticket, too. Welcome to LA, I guess.

Things I've Learned: The work of a Grip. I think this is a skill set that I can develop and become good at. I am going to meet a ton of people in this business. That's cool with me, I like meeting new people. Be more careful about where I park.

Plans for the near future: Make business cards, even if its just a name and number. The Gaffer asked me if I had one and I didn't. He said I should make some. Consider it done. Land some more jobs, however they may come.

First LA gig

2009-11-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

Less than a week living here and I'm already a working man.

At least I think so. It all happened yesterday when I was looking online for any kind of work as a Production Assistant. I came across a post on the website Mandy.com that was asking for Production Assistants this weekend for a music video shoot. Being that music videos are pretty much my specialty thus far (I've worked three), I figured I would be a likely candidate. So I sent in my resume and a cover letter and crossed my fingers.

In the afternoon I got a phone call from someone in charge of the shoot. I couldn't really hear the details because my cell phone doesn't get a good signal, but in a nut shell he basically told me I could have the job if I wanted it. Needless to say, I hopped on it! He said he would email me a treatment and outline with the details, but what I know so far is that the shoot is this Friday, 8am-8pm, Saturday, 8am-8pm, and Sunday 6:30am-12:00 noon. I haven't received the any email yet and the way it is probably going to end up happening is I am going to get it sometime around midnight tonight and have to be ready to go bright and early tomorrow morning.

I don't know who the artist is and I'm not even sure if I'm going to get paid, but nonetheless, I am excited to be out working. At the very least they will have to feed me. So that's something. I am going to make a strong effort to get to know everyone I am working with and build some relationships. I moved out here to get my career going and this seems to be a step in the right direction. I will keep you updated on how far I go in that direction.

-Things I've Learned: You can find work from the Internet. This was not the first thing I sent my resume to, but I eventually found something. It can happen and I will definitely peruse it further.

-Goals for the Near Future: To rock it on this music video and make some connections with the people I am working with.

I'm here to take over the city!

2009-11-09T15:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally arrived. I am now a resident of Los Angeles.

Now it's time to get the career on track. In a day or two I will be settled in and comfortable enough to start working. I think I will start by looking online for listings for Production Assistants and see what I can find. Supposedly you can find lots of opportunities if you put a little effort into your search.

The only thing I still need to figure out is how much I am willing to work for free. It's kind of like a right of passage and something I'm probably going to have to do in order to get started out here. And that's ok. I think the way I am going to play is if I am learning something new or gaining something else besides money, then I'll be willing work for free. I'm not saying I'm going to like it, nevertheless, I think I'll make it. But if it is something I have already done and I'm not really getting anything out of it, then I'm gonna need some compensation. Just a little somthin', you know what I'm sayin'?

I also need to get going on working my contacts. It's time to get out there and meet and greet and schmooze. Gotta work it baby!

Oh, and something I'm going to start doing for every post is writing out the "Things I've Learned" and my "Goals for the Near Future". Hopefully this will help keep me on track and will give you an idea of what I've done and what I plan to do.

So...

-Things I've Learned: Traffic in LA is crazy. There are lots of cars and everyone drives fast. Just something I'm going to have to get used to. And parking is crazy, too. I've only been here for a day or two, so the only thing I've had a chance to learn is about driving around. I promise this will be more informative in the future. Until then, every time I get in my car it's a new adventure.

-Goals for the Near Future: To settle into my new environment, research where to find work via the internet, get in touch with some industry contacts.

Taking the dive

2009-10-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

So I have made the decision, I am moving to Los Angeles.

Yep. I feel like if I am ever going to do it, now is the time. I'm young and I got nothing to lose and nothing holding me back. It almost surprises me that I didn't make this move earlier.

I just feel like I've going backwards while living in Houston. I worked really hard in college and got a lot of experience and felt pretty good about my prospects. Then I graduated and moved back home and did nothing. Well I shouldn't say I did nothing... lets just say I was able to keep myself from teetering of the tall, steep cliff of terrorizing apathy. At least I had a chance to do some good reading. Oh, I started running, too... yea, that's how bad it got...

Hopefully that will all change out in LA. And I'm moving into a pretty good situation too, I'm going to live with some family out there. My step-sister (Christy) is pursuing her acting career out there, so I'm going to live with her, her husband (Jim) and their 5 year old (Reese). I'm gonna get my own room and everything! So sweet! I also have some contacts out there, so I'm pretty sure that I can get some work.

So hopefully this blog will get a little more interesting after I make the move. Maybe I will actually be doing some stuff that is worthy of writing in here. And I promise it will not be another month before I update. I've been too busy watching TV and sucking at golf. Living a retired bachelor lifestyle while living with my parents. Dream life anyone?? Man, I've been such a slacker. But that's about to change (although I do plan on continuing to run, its really good for you!).

Get ready for a new route in this wild ride!!

Short film and Promising leads

2009-08-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a whole lot to do lately, as there hasn't been any work in a while, so I was surfing the web again and came across another one of the projects I worked on. It is a short film called "John the Angry Mover". I was a Production Assistant for one of the days when they went back and shot some pick up shots. I am supposed to get an IMDb credit for doing it, so we will see if that happens. You can see a preview of the film here: http://www.myspace.com/johntheangrymover. It's pretty funny.

Even though the work isn't really coming fast right now, I am working hard at trying to find some gigs. I probably called 20 production companies today. Most of them told me to call back later as they were not getting the crews together yet. Some of them had already started filming and others just didn't answer. But there was one who did answer and who was getting the crews together. And that's all I needed, just one. The movie is called "Flying Lessons".

But there was one problem. When I talked to the guy, he said they were filming in Santa Barbara, CA. This is kind of a problem, because if I moved to California I would be staying with my step-family in Los Angeles (West Hollywood to be exact) and those two cities are a little ways away. I am pretty determined to get some work, so I told the guy if I found a place to stay out there, I would give him a call back. But Santa Barbara? How am I going to find anywhere to stay out there?

Eventually I told my Step-dad, Skip, the story. He got kinda excited and proceeded to inform me that I have a great uncle who lives out there. He said that Uncle George would probably be really happy to have me stay with him. I got back on the phone and tried to call the Flying Lessons guy again, but he didn't answer. I left him a voice mail and I'm gonna try him again tomorrow. This could end up being the beginning of something great...

Skip also told me he had been talking to Susan (our producer friend) about me, and that she is going to try and get me some work too. It would be really awesome if she did.

I just wish there was more that I could do to get things going. I guess you just have to be Persistent and Patient and Proactive. Follow your Promising leads. And if that doesn't work, Plead to God. And mind your Ps and Qs. And take care of any other "P" words that might be out there too.*

*Sorry, that was kinda dumb...

Paul Wall Video

2009-08-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

I had a random idea to look if the any of the projects I help work on had made it on the internet and I stumbled across this one. This is the Paul Wall music video that I spent an afternoon helping on.

My contribution was on the shots where he is on the streets of Houston rapping into the camera. I was holding a reflecting white board that was bouncing a fill light onto Paul's face. I am squatting just to the left of Paul, just off screen. This is also the gig where I sat for about an hour watching a steady cam sit in a box on the streets of Houston. I was super excited to see it in action and was pretty let down that we didn't use it. But no, I will not hold a grudge...

I think it turned out pretty good as I'm pretty sure it was low budget. They couldn't even pay me, so it had to be low budget, right?

Check it:

Saturate the Market - Job Sites

2009-07-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

So I just finished applying to 7 or 8 jobs across the US. Some more appealing than others but pretty much everything from Registration Director with the Austin Film Festival to Crowd Control for Jerry Springer. I would love to get a job, but at this point I would be happy with just a call back and interview.

Here are some of the websites that I check periodically:
General Electric

Disney

Time Warner

Fox

MTV

602 Communications

The link will take you directly to the job search page for each company and you can input your criteria and they will show you what openings there are.

Good luck in your job search although I guess if you check those sites it makes us competition. (But good luck anyway)

Demo Reel

2009-07-14T23:09:00.000-07:00

Good things come to those who are patient.

So not a lot to report at the moment. I looked up movies that are about to start into production and e-mailed and faxed my resume to a couple production companies, but no returns so far. I am going to look into more and keep trying. Gotta be persistent.

Also, I made a demo reel of the work that I did in College. Check it:

I'll keep updating it and making it better, this is just a start so that I have something to send if a reel is requested.

A friend that I graduated with that is Mass Comm with me asked me a favor the other day. She wants to audition for the host of a travel website and needs to make a one minute video and she asked me to help her make it. I said I would and we had a meeting today to figure out what all was going to be in the video. We're going to be pretty ambitious and try to make an awesome video. Maybe I will get some good shots to add to my demo reel. Plus, she said that if she gets the job she'll pay me $1000. So needless to say, I have a lot to benefit from doing a bad ass job at making this audition tape.

Other than that, gonna keep looking for some work. Till next time....

Tryin' to make it happen

2009-06-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

You can live for the day, but you always have to plan for the future.

I met with an old college buddy (not really "old" as I just graduated a month ago) named Toby and we talked about some ideas for the future. We both have similar goals and he has some ideas and contacts that could be really good for him, and maybe me. In fact, Toby started his own small production company and has made a few commercials. Slowly but surely, he is getting on his way.

Well, Toby was contacted by another college friend who apparently knows someone who pitched a show to the Travel Channel. They gave him the go ahead to shoot a pilot episode and he was looking for a production company to work with. When they asked Toby if he wanted in, he said yes, then asked if I wanted to be a part. I, of course, said yes. This could be a fast track to getting a job with the Travel Channel or even the Discovery Channel and if not that I will at least have the experience. The show will have something to do with micro-brewerys and they were talking about shooting the pilot at the Shiner brewery. As of right now, the wheels aren't moving, but hopefully there will be a meeting set up sometime soon to figure out what it will be about.

Toby also told me about a short film that he was working on writing and asked if I would take a part in that too. I agreed and am waiting for a preliminary script.

I have also decided to try a new tact for getting work on a feature film. I researched films that are in preproduction on IMDbPro and are going to start filming in the next month or two. Then I found the production company that is in charge and got a phone number for their office to see if they are putting the crew together. I am going to try calling some of the better prospects tomorrow and see if I can't get a job. We'll see if it works...

Workin' Hard - I guess...

2009-06-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

I am glad that I am getting some experience. Even if it's just a little and it doesn't really seem like I am doing much. At least I am meeting people.

So, I did finally get a hold of Mikel. I had to call him, as he never sent the e-mail, and he just told me the cross streets of where to meet in downtown Houston and to be there by 6:30 pm. I left plenty early and after getting lost I made it there and got to meet him. He is a cool guy and was very willing to help me. Sort of.

I helped him move some stuff around and he told me what shots we were getting. It was going to be really cool shoot. They arranged for a steady cam operator to come in and lead Paul Wall around the streets of Houston. It would be a really cool effect and I was excited because I had never seen a steady cam before and I wanted to learn how it worked. Well, the guy was running late with the steady cam, so we decided to get some static shots with Paul Wall in the mean time.

It was all going fine and we were getting some good stuff, but the steady cam still had not arrived. We just made due with what we had. Then, as we were about to go a new location, the steady cam guy arrived. Apparently he got held later than he thought on an earlier shoot. But when he got to where we were, all the stuff was pretty much moved and they didn't want to carry the steady cam all the way to the new location. So they told me to stay with it and pretty much "babysit" it until they could get back. Well, about an hour later, all our sunlight was gone and the shoot was wrapped for the day. I had been sitting on the street of Houston with a boxed up steady cam the whole time and did not get to see majority of the shooting and I did not get to see how the steady cam worked. Pretty much a bust.

But not all was completely lost. It turns out that the next day Mikel was also re-shooting some scenes from a short film that he had been working on and invited me to come out. He said that the film was going to festivals and I would be able to get an IMDb credit, so I hopped on the opportunity. It was also another item to put on my resume. So, the next day, I left my house early in the morning to make it to the other side of Houston by 9:00 am. Half way there Mikel called me and asked if I could stop along the way and pick up his wife at the airport. She is a flight attendant, got the day off, had no other way home, as he was on the shoot, and it was on my way so I agreed to get her. Besides, if I hadn't, how would it be working with him all day?

So, I got his wife and eventually made my way to where the short film was being re-shot. It was fine enough and I got a chance to do some work. They were re-shooting a pretty funny scene where one of the main characters has his shit explode through his pants and splatter all over a garage door. We ended up doing the scene at least five times because they could not get the mixture of beans, cream of mushroom soup and other random stuff together to make a realistic looking shit explosion all over the garage. And in between takes, guess who got to clean up the bean splatter on the garage door. Yep, me. It was so hot that the beans dried and crusted to the garage with in minutes. But it wasn't too bad and they helped me out. And it was cool to see the little cannon they used to shoot out the concoction.

Hopefully more work will find its way to me. I am going to make a new resume dedicated to production and update my Texas Production Directory profile. I am also going to make a profile for the Houston and Austin and Louisiana Production Directories. Gotta put yourself out there!

Another gig - Back for round two

2009-06-21T21:58:00.000-07:00

The old saying is true: It's all about who you know.

I got a text from my Step-dad asking if I had received a phone call from Susan. This was out of the blue and I hadn't gotten the call, but I couldn't help but to be curious. I asked him about it the next day and he said that she might have some work for me. There is a guy that she knows that has a project coming up and he could use a PA. Needless to say I was excited and eager to find out what the work was.

A few days later I got a call from a guy named Mikel. He said he is shooting a music video in Houston next week and was told I am a good candidate for a PA. I hopped on the opportunity to get more experience and told him I was the man for the job. The work would be on an "internship basis" (i.e. I don't get paid), but it will be a good chance to make more contacts. So I am looking forward to it.

The video will be for another Houston rapper, although this one is a little more prominent. His name is Paul Wall and he is with Swisha House. I think that part of the video is filmed already and it will only be a half day. By the time I am done with this I am going to be an expert in making rap music videos.

So, anyway, I gave Mikel my e-mail address and I am now waiting for him to send me the details of where everything is going down. I think I learned my lesson about waiting to get info on these shoots because on my first gig I didn't get a call until 9 o'clock the night before, telling me where to go. And that was after I had called and said that I hadn't gotten any info yet. But maybe this one will be different. Regardless, I am still playing the waiting game...

First gig - the journey begins

2009-06-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Every great journey begins with one step.

I worked my first job in the industry. It was as a Production Assistant for a music video that was shot in Houston. It was for a small time local rapper named Mayalino. The song was decent enough and the production should be really good, but the experience was the real draw for me.

I think this was a good project for me to start on because it was relatively small but the production value seemed like it will be good. The production company that was working this project is called Full Fledge Entertainment and director/owner who was in charge of the shoot is named Anthony Oyedeji. He is a really cool guy who seemed well prepared and knew what he was doing. I'm excited to see the finished project.

I definitely worked my butt off on this first job. I wanted to leave a good impression. The day started at 8 am and went till 9 pm, and most of the day spent outside in the hot sun. Loading and unloading and setting up equipment for the shoot. Then repeat. This seems like the life of a PA. Setting up and breaking down. Move it around. Set it up and break it down. Pretty hard work. But it was worth it. Anthony said that he would stay in contact with me and will recommend me to other projects. That was my goal for working this project, so I think the day was a success for me. Hopefully this will lead to more work.

I should mention that I had the hook up for this shoot. Anthony is a friend of my step-brother, so through him I got to work on this video.

Speaking of hook up, I think that I am going to have a chance to work on a movie that is filming in Louisiana towards the end of the summer. This hook up is though my step-dad who some how knows the woman, Susan Fowler, who is producing the movie. I have met her a few times and she tells me that I should get work as a PA on the movie. If so, that would be awesome. I think that they have the budget, and are starting to put the cast and key creative crew together now.

Also, another step that I am taking to try and get more work is registering with the Texas Production Directory. This was advised from Susan during one of the times I met her. She said that when out-of-state producers come to Texas, they look for crew in the Texas Production Directory. Maybe this will lead to more work, and thus more experience and that is the goal right now.

Fingers are crossed, the future is starting to look better than bleak....

Introduction - Starting at the bottom

2009-06-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

Life ain't easy. No one said it would be. It especially isn't easy when you've got to start at the bottom and work your way up. That's about where I am in life.

Let me introduce myself. My name is John Nemec. I am a 22 year old college graduate who is starting out looking for work after school. I graduated from Texas State University in San Marcos. It only took me 4 years but I now have a degree in Mass Communication. I still have an apartment in San Marcos, but I go back and forth between there and Houston, where I am originally from. My lease on my apartment is up towards the end of the summer, so I pretty much have until then to figure out what I am going to do.

Thus, here I am. In that weird limbo between finishing school and finding a job. But what do I really want to do? That is a good question. And how am I going get to where I want to be? Another good question. Well, I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do. I would love to be a movie director. I am a creative person and I have ideas that I think would be great. If being a director doesn't work out, I would love to work for the Discovery Channel. I think they are the best network out there and I want to make shows for them. Its just the second question that is the hard part. How am I going to get where I want to be? This is my challenge. I cannot just jump into those positions. I have to work my way there, starting at the bottom.

I admit, I don't have the experience needed to be an expert director. And I know that the Discovery Channel doesn't hire any old chump off the street. It takes lots of knowledge to succeed in these positions and I'm not too arrogant or naive to admit that I'm not ready. But I am ready to work toward getting there. I'm not afraid of hard work, and I am determined to get to the top.

So, this blog is dedicated to the journey of my career. Here I am, starting at the beginning. Hopefully this will lead to somewhere, but only time will tell. Untill then, join me on my ride to the top.