La La Land Summer

    The summer is winding down and I’ll be hitting the road back to Tuscaloosa for one more year in just a couple of days. My time in Los Angeles has been a wonderful learning experience and I’m thrilled I was able to spend my time here with our class. We were able to see and do so much as well as meet and hear from so many amazing people from different parts of the industry. 

I learned about where I want to live, what jobs I want to have, and all the things and people to stay away from. This city has so much to offer and even though it can be incredibly daunting and intimidating, it’s also very welcoming and full of opportunity. Let’s talk about some of the things I did in LA this summer.

    First, most of my time in the city this summer was spent exploring. On days when I got bored when we had nothing going on, I would get in the car and drive around the city, learning the different areas and neighborhoods. I discovered loads of cool places to read, buy movies, get a drink, or see a show. 

I also found some places that I might want to live in when I get out here after graduation. One of my favorite spots in the city is the Vintage Los Feliz Theater where I saw Baby Driver and It Comes At Night. Also, while trying to build my movie collection, I learned the best way to buy movies is to get $2 FYC screeners from Goodwill. 

    The events and activities we experienced as a class were fantastic. We did so much and frankly, I forgot about most of them until just now when going through all of my photos. From studio tours to FYC events, to screenings, to meetings with studio executives, the list is almost never-ending. We heard from industry professionals from all parts of Hollywood that we may never have been able to hear from if it weren’t for the program. For example, Nicole Kidman walked within three feet of me at the Director’s Guild during the Big Little Lies event. That was pretty sweet. But also, we met with high-up folks at places like NBCUniversal, Code Black, and more. These people had terrific insights to their careers and what they do, as well as our aspirations and professional goals. 

    I definitely learned a lot about myself and my future this summer. After hearing from countless professionals and people trying to make it in the industry, I’ve really developed a new mindset for taking on this career. I interned at a small company in Santa Monica called Threshold Entertainment. My boss, the head of the company, who has been in the business for decades, really gave me perspective into how the business works and how I may not have been as ready as I thought I was to start my career. 

The biggest thing that this summer has taught me is that I need to take ownership of my goals and aspirations, and not let anything deter me from accomplishing them. This will be hard in the years to come while I’m hopping from gig to gig just trying to pay rent, but tenacity and dedication will benefit me in the long run. I’m almost ready to come out here and try this thing for real, but there’s still some unfinished business for me to attend before I do.