Copy Cat

There is a girl in my class that copies off my notes right in front of me and the speaker. The speaker will say something and then I will put the pen to pad, she looks over and does the same. She doesn't hide it. I quite possibly could have heard something wrong and written it down. She would take the what she heard, which was the correct thing, write it down but then change it when she saw my notes.

I had to start guarding my notes. Whatever it took. For two whole days I wrote under the table. She still copied the bottom part of my notes that she could see. I am either going to have to start writing in code or write her a message in my notes saying stop being a copy cat. Knowing her she'd probably copy that too.

In Hollyweird it is totally normal to put spinners on your beat up 1987 Nissan pickup truck. To protect those spinners it is also totally normal to have the most annoying alarm system and it's mandatory, when you get this alarm system, to make sure it goes off at 3am and wake everyone up.

And if everyone does not wake from this most obnoxious alarm then never fear because a 4.4 magnitude earthquake will shake you until you do wake up. My only consolation is that California will fall off into the ocean and I will be able to sleep in.

In Hollyweird buses don't stop to pick you up. They slow down enough for you to jump on and if you aren't fast enough they will just leave as you are sprinting towards them. Most mornings I make it to the bus stop as the bus is driving away. Today I was literally passed by while waiting for a bus. I was sitting at the bus stop looking at my binder when the bus slowed down enough to let one guy on and the kept on going. I was flabbergasted. Hello I was sitting AT a bus stop. The bus is supposed to stop. That's what it's called a bus STOP. Apparently Hollyweird missed the memo.

Ice Cream

Every night when I come home from class I go to my room, relax for an hour or so, and then start my homework for the evening. Pretty boring I know. But my night gets a pick up every hour on the hour when I hear the sound of an ice cream truck driving through the neighborhood. Each night I am tempted to go out and get a ice cream popsicle.
But in the middle of scrambling to find some cash, my coat, and shoes I think why the hell does the truck only stick to this neighborhood? Doesn't the driver realize other places have people willing to buy ice cream too? And how is he right by my window every hour on the hour? Then it hits me. CIA. Turns out they really are tracking us and apparently not doing a very good job.

I wonder if there is a CIA hot-line where I can call in and tell them to not circle neighborhoods because us regular civilians are catching on. Maybe they have a "contact us" section on their website. I will look into this.

Stuff Mart

There is a wonderful Veggie Tales song about a store called Stuff Mart much like Walmart Super Centers or CostCos. Stuff Mart has everything you could ever need and they say it all in a really catchy song:

But if you need a window scrapper
And a gross of toilet paper
Or a rachet set and pliers
And surround sound amplifiers
And a solar turkey chopper
Or a padded gopher bopper
Flannel shirts for looking grungy
And some rope for goin' bunji
Bunji! Bunji! Bunji-wun-gee-fun-gee!
Here we go, bunji! Come on!

Well Hollywood is hyped as a Stuff Mart for the film industry:

And if you need a grip
or someone to read your script
go to Paramount to see
how lucky you could be
in finding a director
who'll be the protector
of your tiny little thought
that just might get bought
and made into a movie
that will be really groovie
Groovie! Groovie! Groovie-woovie-woovie!

Coming to Hollyweird was like walking into a Stuff Mart where all the products on the shelves talk. And all they talk about is themselves. Think about that the next time you walk into Walmart.

Advice De Jour

In class we have about 2 speakers a day that come to pass their wisdom down to us wide eyed film students. Its usually the same old same old saying, "to get anywhere in the biz you need to start at the bottom and be driven" blah blah blah. They even have catchy sayings like " the industry is a crazy ride and you just need to get on." Very profound of course and we are lead to believe that this philosophy only pertains to the film industry because there is only the film industry. If you aren't in the film industry, I am sorry but you are not important and why are you all named Joe Blow?

The advice so far has been interesting to say the least. I have been advised that if you are an AD (assistant director) then everything is your fault. Thank God I didn't get AD as a result from "my what I should be when I grow up" test. I have also been advised to not take pictures of celebrities or I will get kicked out of the program. They forgot to mention that at orientation. Finally I have been strongly encouraged to not do drugs because it will affect my work and I have been strongly encouraged to DO drugs because it will affect my work. Can't really make heads or tails of that one, but I know somewhere in the United States my father is jumping up and down yelling, "I TOLD YOU SO!"

Little Celebrities

So today was my first day on the lot. The studio my school partnered with produces mostly tv and tv commercials. They have three little tv shows being filmed right now: Private Practice, Castle, and The Closer have you heard of them?

Anyways... so as my instructor was telling us about these productions he casually mentioned that we might see Kevin Bacon roaming around. Ah what?! All of us got really excited that we might have the chance to see Mr. Bacon do the Footloose dance but sadly he was not on set today. Here's hopin' he'll be in tomorrow.

Fortunately Tim Daily and Amy Brenneman were on set. As they walked by me doing a very good job of not acknowledging my existence I couldn't help but notice how tall they were. I don't know what it is about the boob toob that makes them look like midgets but it is very misleading. Which leads me to wonder what if Kevin Bacon is giant? And what does a giant doing the Footloose dance look like?

Firsts

Hello all,

This is my first official blog, though I have been writing in journals for the past five years, which are kinda like blogs that nobody else sees. This blog will help me share all my experiences while I am out in Hollywood for school with family, friends and anyone else who stumbles on to it. My entries probably won't be that long, but I will at least try to make them interesting to read cause I don't like reading things that aren't interesting and I would assume you wouldn't either. If they aren't please feel free to tell me.

My first experience coming to Hollywood was while I was still on the plane. I was sitting to a gentleman on the plane who was asking me the standard questions of where you from?, why are you going to LA?, have you been here before?, etc only to find out that not only was he an architect that built sets for films who's clientele includes Michael Eisner but his wife is also an Oscar winning doc film maker. He wasn't the typical person from LA who blows his own horn but just a genuinely nice guy trying to help me out. Not only did he help me find my way to where I am staying by the cheapest means; he also gave me his contact info so in case I was ever in Malibu I should call him and let him know how I am doing. Needless to say coming to LA was looking pretty good.

My second experience came riding in the shuttle. We were crammed in a mini-van then driven to a starbucks. Where the driver excused himself to (which we later found out) go to the bathroom. While we sat there for 2 mins one of the passengers called the shuttle's 1-800 number and proceeded to point out to the management how "despicable" this was and yes that was the word he used. Obviously he was some important hot-shot that forgot to call his car service or why else would he be riding in a shuttle, right?

And finally my favorite experience happened today when I was mapping out the studio I will be studying at. As I came to the studio a very nice security man let me on the lot and showed me where my classes were going to be. I was so excited to be on my first studio lot that I didn't realize that across the street I was starring at Paramount Pictures stage 4. I took a picture with my phone when no one was looking so they wouldn't think I was a tourist. I also made a deal with myself that I would not gawk at celebrities when I saw them. I didn't when I saw Hugh Jackman while working at AMC theaters, though it was hard not to seeing as he was orange. I also didn't gawk when Michael Ian Black walked by me on to the lot. He looked at me and I looked at him then he looked at me again as if to say, "Why aren't you gawking at me? I am a celebrity!" Apparently not being gawked at was a first for him.

Sorry this one was a little long. And I am also sorry for all the bad grammar it's higher learning at it's finest.