My LA Experience
My experience in the C&IS IN LA program has been one of the most amazing and beneficial experiences I have ever had the opportunity of being a part of. The first week here was one of the most fun and most brutal weeks of the summer. We started the summer of going on studio tours for the first few days that involved being up earlier than you’d hope, a lot of walking and standing in the sun. It could get pretty tiring, but the exhaustion was so worth it. Not only was it worth it because we got to see things that not a lot of people get to say they have seen, like the actual suit that Michelle Pfieffer wore as Catwoman, or the plane crash site from War of the Worlds (which, fun fact, was also used in an episode of Key & Peele), but it also got me and most of the other interns prepared for the life that we would be living in LA. If you want to work in LA as PA, production assistant, like I do, then you have to get used to getting up at insane hours and being on your feet most of the day, sometimes in the air conditioning and sometimes in the hot desert. Not only did we get to go on fascinating studio tours but we also got to hear industry people talk at some really neat panels. One of my favorites was the panel for the CW show, Jane the Virgin. At the time that we went to the panel I hadn’t watched to show, but I still learned so much just from listening to the writers and showrunner talk about how they created their characters and how they come up with more storylines. Now, I have spent the last two weeks binge-watching the first two seasons on Netflix and am anxiously waiting for the third season to air on the CW. Side note: If you don’t watch the show, I would highly recommend it, it is a hilarious show that will make you laugh until your stomach aches and cry until your eyes have no more tears. I think my favorite class activities of the summer were the different panels that we went to because hearing the stories of the industry people on the panels and how they made it to where they are today gave me so much more confidence in myself. So many of them took these crazy paths to success that you would never think would lead to success, and so many of them didn’t find success until much later in their careers, but all that matters is the fact that they made it. Learning this and seeing that these people that have so much success was very refreshing and eye-opening. Lastly, this program is only 10 weeks long, it sounds like a long time, but it isn’t. It flashes by in the blink of an eye, and...if you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it (yes, I did just quote Ferris Bueller). So, if you think you want to be a part of this program, I would highly suggest it, because you get to experience things not many college students can say they have experienced, but also, don’t just sit in your apartment on your off days. Go out and explore the city, you will meet so many cool people and you will find so many interesting places that you never knew existed. Take advantage of your time here, but also work hard at your internship and leave a lasting impression on your employer's. They will remember you and it will only help you out in the long run when/if, hopefully when, you decide to move out here and start your career.
If you have the time you can get free tickets to different tapings from 1iota.com. @midnight is one of my favorite shows on Comedy Central, Alexa and I went to two tapings of it and had the time of our lives. Plus, I made eye contact with Chris Hardwick about 10 times and got to high five him at the end of the taping so you could say I left that day a very happy girl.
Some of us got to go to the 25th Anniversary screening of Boyz N The Hood, which was my first time ever seeing the film and I couldn't have asked for a better first experience watching this film. It was so powerful and such an amazing movie and the best part was that we got to hear the director, John Singleton, some of the producers and pretty much the whole cast; Cuba Gooding Jr., Angela Bassett, Morris Chestnut, Tyra Ferrell, and Nia Long, speak about the filming process of something they were a part of 25 years ago.
We also got to go participate in Cinegear, an expo for new camera gear including lights, rigs, VR, etc. It's amazing where virtual reality is going and getting to see some of the new VR technology was probably the most fun part of my day at Cinegear.
I would suggest going to the Writer's Guild of America Library if you are an aspiring screenwriter. It is free to the public and you get to read scripts of very popular tv shows and movies. One of my favorite movies is Dazed and Confused, so I had to get my hands on that script. I was sad to see that Matthew McConaughey's line "Alright, alright, alright" wasn't written into the original script, but hey, at least it made it into the final cut of the film.
If you want to have a great time on the Fourth of July, I would also suggest going to a Dodgers game. It was one of the most fun July 4th celebrations I have ever been a part of, getting to spend it with new friends that I made on this trip and getting to watch a great game of baseball with a firework grand finale.
Another screening/panel I saw on my own time was the director and a few cast members of the indie film How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town. I know, it sounds like a weird movie, and I was a little skeptical at first too, but it was actually a really great film, very funny and had moments of great emotion.
Sometimes, depending on your internship, you may have to go on runs for your boss. One that I had to go on was to pick up his lovely dog, Bob Dylan. He is one of the cutest and sweetest dogs I have ever met, and everyday that he was at my internship he made the day just a little more sweeter. I'm also obsessed with dogs, so being at an internship that has a dog was a huge plus for me.
Lastly, going on the awesome studio tours you get to see sound stages for shows that are currently on the air, but also there are some that are saved forever, like the Friends set of Central Perk. I think I've seen every episode of Friends maybe 20 times or more, so getting to sit on the same couch that the cast sat on with their very own butts was the most magical moment of my summer.
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