Hello everyone, sorry for such a long time in between updates! I've been absurdly busy in the best of ways.
Internship is continuing to go well. I got to go on a shoot a few weeks ago. 13 hour day - on set at 6am, left at 7pm. Watched the sun rise AND set. Met some cool people, sweated a lot, got sunburn on my lips. All in all it was a cool experience. I've been doing a lot more script coverage, which is cool, and I was introduced to LaRoux, the editing chick. They're gonna let me play around in the editing suite, which I am VERY STOKED FOR.
I'm still working out a lot, it feels really good to be healthy again. California kind of encourages it. It can make you feel like a fat, gross slob for not being vegan. Go figure.
Still following the Jets like mad. But who expected that to change?
Classes are going well - I finally got my writer's block to take a hike, so I've been writing like crazy. That makes me REALLY happy.
The homesickness is hard to combat. It comes in waves - huge, brutal, intense, tumultuous waves with vicious undertow. But you do what you can. This is still the best decision I've ever made - the experience is invaluable.
I'm not positive if I want to stay out here, post graduation. But I have a ton of time to figure that out.
What I am really looking forward to are the following:
- Upcoming Fray video shoot
- Finishing my script
- Halloween party at Seabass's (and my costume)
- Coming home and hugging the hell out of my friends
- Mom's sauce
- My senior season with ECSB.
I miss home and Boston and my puppies. Happy Birthday Papa, sorry I had to miss it. Enjoy your Leon jersey.
Love everyone.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Many things to discuss!
Hello interfriends! Sorry it's been so long since I updated - I've been incredibly busy!
Things are starting to fall into place out here, and everything is coming together. Lets move piece by piece.
Radical Media is proving to be the best decision I've made in my life. I absolutely love my internship. I get to do some really interesting things there, including visual presentations and research for Dave Meyers, shoots, and script coverage. We start a new commercial this week, so I get to spend some days on set. Being down in Santa Monica is incredible - the weather is perfect, every day. I want to move there if/when I return to Cali post-graduation.
Classes are going really well. My peers in my Feature Film Workshop class are brilliant - everything is fresh, new and frankly, hilarious. I know making me laugh is about as difficult as breathing, but I wasn't the only one cracking up. Every time I go, I look forward to being able to workshop some really excellent writing as well as really improve my own screenplay (which, for those of you who knew about it, has been completely revamped!).
I've gotten myself on a pretty regular work-out schedule here, and I've joined the NBC-Universal slow pitch softball team. That has been a total blast. They like to call me "Rockstar" since the first time I played with them, it was helping them in a pinch, and I played in Cons. It's been great seeing Hartman every week, and I finally saw Heather Drobiarz for the first time in about 2 years!!
Every Sunday, I diligently march down to Timmy Nolan's, the best bar on the planet, to watch my Jets. It's been a great 3-0 start, and I've met some crazy and wonderful people. There's Frankie Gabagool, our fearless leader, Mikey the Jew, Brookline Clive, Mike Coffee, Paulie Chopsticks, Sunshine, Matty Shamrocks, Chef Alex (for those of you who watched Top Chef NY, the one and the same), Mike Cool, Fox, Ty the Model, Jackie Jets, and of course, the Goodfella, Henry Hill. It's like another family out here - they take the best care of me and I have officially been renamed Jersey, and the corner of the bar I sit in every morning is "Jersey's Corner". Also, Ruthie our bartender is an angel straight from Ireland; she buys me far too many drinks.
So, all in all, LA is a total dream. I'm networking my butt off, and managing to go out here and there. We went out to Happy Endings, a bar in Hollywood, last Saturday. That was a great time. In-and-Out Double Double Protein Style is probably the best 1am dinner of all time. Again, Andrea Kosek - thanks for being the DD. I have this Saturday for you all. Plus, this Friday, the one and only Catie McDonough is trekking across the state lines for an LA ECSB reunion. I am so excited!!!! Now only if someone would hire me for a part-time job, things would be perfect.
I'm going to finish my script coverage and some other intern work, and then work at my screenplay. I miss you all!
Love Always,
Nik
Things are starting to fall into place out here, and everything is coming together. Lets move piece by piece.
Radical Media is proving to be the best decision I've made in my life. I absolutely love my internship. I get to do some really interesting things there, including visual presentations and research for Dave Meyers, shoots, and script coverage. We start a new commercial this week, so I get to spend some days on set. Being down in Santa Monica is incredible - the weather is perfect, every day. I want to move there if/when I return to Cali post-graduation.
Classes are going really well. My peers in my Feature Film Workshop class are brilliant - everything is fresh, new and frankly, hilarious. I know making me laugh is about as difficult as breathing, but I wasn't the only one cracking up. Every time I go, I look forward to being able to workshop some really excellent writing as well as really improve my own screenplay (which, for those of you who knew about it, has been completely revamped!).
I've gotten myself on a pretty regular work-out schedule here, and I've joined the NBC-Universal slow pitch softball team. That has been a total blast. They like to call me "Rockstar" since the first time I played with them, it was helping them in a pinch, and I played in Cons. It's been great seeing Hartman every week, and I finally saw Heather Drobiarz for the first time in about 2 years!!
Every Sunday, I diligently march down to Timmy Nolan's, the best bar on the planet, to watch my Jets. It's been a great 3-0 start, and I've met some crazy and wonderful people. There's Frankie Gabagool, our fearless leader, Mikey the Jew, Brookline Clive, Mike Coffee, Paulie Chopsticks, Sunshine, Matty Shamrocks, Chef Alex (for those of you who watched Top Chef NY, the one and the same), Mike Cool, Fox, Ty the Model, Jackie Jets, and of course, the Goodfella, Henry Hill. It's like another family out here - they take the best care of me and I have officially been renamed Jersey, and the corner of the bar I sit in every morning is "Jersey's Corner". Also, Ruthie our bartender is an angel straight from Ireland; she buys me far too many drinks.
So, all in all, LA is a total dream. I'm networking my butt off, and managing to go out here and there. We went out to Happy Endings, a bar in Hollywood, last Saturday. That was a great time. In-and-Out Double Double Protein Style is probably the best 1am dinner of all time. Again, Andrea Kosek - thanks for being the DD. I have this Saturday for you all. Plus, this Friday, the one and only Catie McDonough is trekking across the state lines for an LA ECSB reunion. I am so excited!!!! Now only if someone would hire me for a part-time job, things would be perfect.
I'm going to finish my script coverage and some other intern work, and then work at my screenplay. I miss you all!
Love Always,
Nik
Thursday, September 17, 2009
First Week Of Classes
We finally have to attend class. Bummer? You'd think. But for the first time at Emerson, I love all my classes immensely. Maybe it's because I only have two real ones, plus an 8-cred internship. Hmm.
I'm taking the Feature Film Seminar which will take the film I worked on over the summer and expand it into a real, 90+ page feature script. This is INCREDIBLY exciting. I've never written a feature before, so this should be a real challenge/eye opener. My class is small, 8 people, which is great. My prof is also pretty sassy. She's currently working on a novel so she's in the same place we are in terms of first drafts (despite her 12+ years experience over us). I'm really excited to see what gets produced in that class, both by myself and my classmates - some of them had some pretty fresh ideas.
My other class is Film and Television in the Age of Anxiety. This class is AMAZING. My prof, while a little off/smelly, seems perfect for the course. Our first class we watched The End of America, the documentary that accompanies a book of the same name by Naomi Wolf. It was incredibly interesting and a bit frightening. The shocking part about it was that I was actively involved in the class discussion, something I've never really done at Emerson. I've never found the seminar topics interesting enough for me to lend my opinions too. This is different though. I think I've withheld myself from politics long enough to experience something like a reset, or a fresh start. Either way, it's exciting, and I was scribbling final paper topics all over my notebook during the film and that is completely unlike me!
So those were two huge positives. I'm still hunting for a job like a devil woman, hopefully one will show up soon so I can finally rest and enjoy my time out here. Hopefully it isn't a job that requires me to take 3 different buses to go 6 miles (seriously Los Angeles, what's up with that?).
I START AT RADICAL TOMORROW!!!! I don't think I can properly convey how excited I am about this. Jen, my supervisor, is all sorts of chill. The dress code is casual - bonus. I was even told that the post division would "love to throw me some projects"... *insert nerd moment here* All in all, I am totally stoked on this...now only if I can find a ride so I won't have to wake up at 6am when work reports at 10am...
I'll post again after my first day or two of Radical. Enjoy the weekend, friends. And all of ya'll in Boston, enjoy that fall weather - I'm jonesing for it real bad. Sunshine is overrated when you get it EVERY DAY.
I'm taking the Feature Film Seminar which will take the film I worked on over the summer and expand it into a real, 90+ page feature script. This is INCREDIBLY exciting. I've never written a feature before, so this should be a real challenge/eye opener. My class is small, 8 people, which is great. My prof is also pretty sassy. She's currently working on a novel so she's in the same place we are in terms of first drafts (despite her 12+ years experience over us). I'm really excited to see what gets produced in that class, both by myself and my classmates - some of them had some pretty fresh ideas.
My other class is Film and Television in the Age of Anxiety. This class is AMAZING. My prof, while a little off/smelly, seems perfect for the course. Our first class we watched The End of America, the documentary that accompanies a book of the same name by Naomi Wolf. It was incredibly interesting and a bit frightening. The shocking part about it was that I was actively involved in the class discussion, something I've never really done at Emerson. I've never found the seminar topics interesting enough for me to lend my opinions too. This is different though. I think I've withheld myself from politics long enough to experience something like a reset, or a fresh start. Either way, it's exciting, and I was scribbling final paper topics all over my notebook during the film and that is completely unlike me!
So those were two huge positives. I'm still hunting for a job like a devil woman, hopefully one will show up soon so I can finally rest and enjoy my time out here. Hopefully it isn't a job that requires me to take 3 different buses to go 6 miles (seriously Los Angeles, what's up with that?).
I START AT RADICAL TOMORROW!!!! I don't think I can properly convey how excited I am about this. Jen, my supervisor, is all sorts of chill. The dress code is casual - bonus. I was even told that the post division would "love to throw me some projects"... *insert nerd moment here* All in all, I am totally stoked on this...now only if I can find a ride so I won't have to wake up at 6am when work reports at 10am...
I'll post again after my first day or two of Radical. Enjoy the weekend, friends. And all of ya'll in Boston, enjoy that fall weather - I'm jonesing for it real bad. Sunshine is overrated when you get it EVERY DAY.
Friday, September 11, 2009
I don't think I can stress how beautiful LA is.
The weather is perfect. It gets warm with no humidity. At night it's cool. I love this place. I feel like I've been transported to a resort for communication nerds.
I've secure my internship. I am happy to report that I will be interning at Radical Media, like I had hoped. They are out in Santa Monica, which is the only downside (SM is 40 minutes-80 minutes from here depending on the traffic), but on the upside SM is beautiful - right on the water. The place itself is a dream - huge warehouse turned into office, an actual post-production suite in-house (most places a. ship their stuff to post houses to be finished and b. don't do any of the editing themselves; RM edits their own stuff from start to finish), and I basically am allowed to get my hands dirty in whatever I want. They have their own espresso bar, for Christ's sake. The woman who interviewed me was very personable and enthusiastic and consequentially lived in Colts Neck for a time, which is the town next to me.
I'm calling back this afternoon to set up my schedule there. I am thinking of dropping one of my courses and making my internship 8 credits instead of 4 so I can spend more time at RM and less time doing menial coursework. Besides, I really don't need writing classes in one semester, now do I?
Finally, I think I've gotten myself onto West Coast time. Last night a few of us were going to go out to a club. We went to the pool, had some drinks, tanned, came back, I cooked dinner, and then we all laid down for a few minutes. This was around 7pm. When I woke up, it was 7:30am. Oops?
We have a lot of big plans here. Trips to San Francisco and Las Vegas are already in the works. Looks like Santa Monica beaches are going to be a frequent weekend deal. I'm working on securing a job - it looks like it's going to be at Starbucks. Please don't judge me.
Anyway, I'm going to end this post here because I'm going to go run around Burbank and most likely get myself lost.
The weather is perfect. It gets warm with no humidity. At night it's cool. I love this place. I feel like I've been transported to a resort for communication nerds.
I've secure my internship. I am happy to report that I will be interning at Radical Media, like I had hoped. They are out in Santa Monica, which is the only downside (SM is 40 minutes-80 minutes from here depending on the traffic), but on the upside SM is beautiful - right on the water. The place itself is a dream - huge warehouse turned into office, an actual post-production suite in-house (most places a. ship their stuff to post houses to be finished and b. don't do any of the editing themselves; RM edits their own stuff from start to finish), and I basically am allowed to get my hands dirty in whatever I want. They have their own espresso bar, for Christ's sake. The woman who interviewed me was very personable and enthusiastic and consequentially lived in Colts Neck for a time, which is the town next to me.
I'm calling back this afternoon to set up my schedule there. I am thinking of dropping one of my courses and making my internship 8 credits instead of 4 so I can spend more time at RM and less time doing menial coursework. Besides, I really don't need writing classes in one semester, now do I?
Finally, I think I've gotten myself onto West Coast time. Last night a few of us were going to go out to a club. We went to the pool, had some drinks, tanned, came back, I cooked dinner, and then we all laid down for a few minutes. This was around 7pm. When I woke up, it was 7:30am. Oops?
We have a lot of big plans here. Trips to San Francisco and Las Vegas are already in the works. Looks like Santa Monica beaches are going to be a frequent weekend deal. I'm working on securing a job - it looks like it's going to be at Starbucks. Please don't judge me.
Anyway, I'm going to end this post here because I'm going to go run around Burbank and most likely get myself lost.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Day One in the City of Angeles
Well I am finally here, in LA. I am still slightly in shock; I can't believe a. the summer is over and b. I'm finally here.
Now that I'm here I keep walking around with my breath held and my mouth agape - I feel as though this is some dream, some far-off event that always seemed so far away I'd convinced myself it was never going to happen (similar to my twenty-first birthday). I'm partially afraid that I'm going to wake up and I'll be either in Boston or New Jersey.
The place where I'm residing, Oakwoods Toluca Hills, is absolutely beautiful. Secure, gated, tons of things to do, and most enjoyably, a convenience store that sells alcohol. I have my first interview tomorrow at 2pm with Oil Factory, and I am incredibly excited. I emailed Radical Media to set up an interview, but have yet to hear back, and I need to contact FreeMantle. I've not heard from Digital Kitchen but it's okay because they really don't have a suitable program for me anyway.
This place is slightly culture-shocking. Lots more Spanish. It's almost refreshing, actually - my butt needs some more culture. Everyone that I've met so far is exceedingly pleasantly. Many people have this slick, MexiBaja kind of accent that I find rather alluring. It makes me feel very aware of my own dialects and accent - might as well tattoo 'East Coaster' on my forehead.
More than anything I am affronted by the overwhelming peace I feel here. From the second I stepped off the plane I felt as though I fit, even though I was walking around with my head on a swivel and my jaw on my knees. Part of me wants to love it here, I want this to be the best, most rewarding, most enjoyable four months of my life. Another part of me, a devilish, loyal part of me, wants to hate it here so I am not destined to be so far away from everything I've known and love my whole life.
Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. I have been here for six hours, after all. But it's been pleasant, aside for arriving to check in and finding that I didn't check in until tomorrow. But this just leaves more time to go to Target later. My father and I are absolutely exhausted. The flight, which we woke up at 4:30 am EST to catch, left us in LAX at 10:30 am PST so really it feels like 6pm. I have not slept well for some time, and there were two little boys on our flight who felt the need to shriek almost constantly. We are tired, therefore we are holed up in his room drinking Sierra Nevada watching Rutger's football (albeit painfully - Cincy is working us over).
To everyone back at home, I miss you, and I wish you all the best as you gear up for fall semester, most of you it being your last. Please write. I'll post my address tomorrow when I actually know what it is. And I apologize well in advance for drunk dials that may occur at 6am, or thereabouts.
Be well,
Nik
Now that I'm here I keep walking around with my breath held and my mouth agape - I feel as though this is some dream, some far-off event that always seemed so far away I'd convinced myself it was never going to happen (similar to my twenty-first birthday). I'm partially afraid that I'm going to wake up and I'll be either in Boston or New Jersey.
The place where I'm residing, Oakwoods Toluca Hills, is absolutely beautiful. Secure, gated, tons of things to do, and most enjoyably, a convenience store that sells alcohol. I have my first interview tomorrow at 2pm with Oil Factory, and I am incredibly excited. I emailed Radical Media to set up an interview, but have yet to hear back, and I need to contact FreeMantle. I've not heard from Digital Kitchen but it's okay because they really don't have a suitable program for me anyway.
This place is slightly culture-shocking. Lots more Spanish. It's almost refreshing, actually - my butt needs some more culture. Everyone that I've met so far is exceedingly pleasantly. Many people have this slick, MexiBaja kind of accent that I find rather alluring. It makes me feel very aware of my own dialects and accent - might as well tattoo 'East Coaster' on my forehead.
More than anything I am affronted by the overwhelming peace I feel here. From the second I stepped off the plane I felt as though I fit, even though I was walking around with my head on a swivel and my jaw on my knees. Part of me wants to love it here, I want this to be the best, most rewarding, most enjoyable four months of my life. Another part of me, a devilish, loyal part of me, wants to hate it here so I am not destined to be so far away from everything I've known and love my whole life.
Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. I have been here for six hours, after all. But it's been pleasant, aside for arriving to check in and finding that I didn't check in until tomorrow. But this just leaves more time to go to Target later. My father and I are absolutely exhausted. The flight, which we woke up at 4:30 am EST to catch, left us in LAX at 10:30 am PST so really it feels like 6pm. I have not slept well for some time, and there were two little boys on our flight who felt the need to shriek almost constantly. We are tired, therefore we are holed up in his room drinking Sierra Nevada watching Rutger's football (albeit painfully - Cincy is working us over).
To everyone back at home, I miss you, and I wish you all the best as you gear up for fall semester, most of you it being your last. Please write. I'll post my address tomorrow when I actually know what it is. And I apologize well in advance for drunk dials that may occur at 6am, or thereabouts.
Be well,
Nik
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Now, We Sit And Wait
Today I submitted my cover letter and resume to Digital Kitchen, one of my top two choices for an internship. I've applied to Radical Media, my other top, as well as Oil Factory and FreeMantle Media. I've been told that Radical would contact me the week I arrive to set up an interview, and I had a rather successful phone interview with FreeMantle yesterday.
Hopefully one of the top two's get back to me soon so I can stop having anxiety.
I finally unpacked my car - that was a great adventure. You don't realize how much crap you have until you pack up your apartment and try and stuff it into a Hyundai Accent coupe.
We're officially under the 2 week mark for Los Angeles. Someone tell the city to get ready for me.
I'm watching Cash Cab right now, it's always entertaining. I could use a Cash Cab trip. Or a cab, period. Anyone know anyone in LA who has a car they don't use all that often?
Hopefully one of the top two's get back to me soon so I can stop having anxiety.
I finally unpacked my car - that was a great adventure. You don't realize how much crap you have until you pack up your apartment and try and stuff it into a Hyundai Accent coupe.
We're officially under the 2 week mark for Los Angeles. Someone tell the city to get ready for me.
I'm watching Cash Cab right now, it's always entertaining. I could use a Cash Cab trip. Or a cab, period. Anyone know anyone in LA who has a car they don't use all that often?
Monday, August 24, 2009
I Did Not Invent The Wheel; I Was The Crooked Spoke Adjacent
When I envisioned writing this I had so much more energy and vigor. But four days of work, 5 hours of driving, and not much sleep later, I can't seem to find it.
I will be using this blog to chronicle my adventures, pitfalls, experiences, and my general time out in Los Angeles. So if you have an interest in me in any way and want to know what I'm up to, this is your best bet.
I came home late last night (after a forced pull over in Connecticut because I was falling asleep at the wheel - resulting in a 20 minute power nap in a bank parking lot somewhere) and since walking into my house I've been feeling the strangest combination of emotions. Mostly a sense of security. I've been very productive today and plan to keep it up until I leave. I found my schoolyear drive and it's rather intense this year. I've been writing a lot, thinking a ton, and visualizing way more often.
I know I'm going to be successful in Los Angeles. It's not cockiness or even confidence - I can tell you that I will find what I'm looking for out there with just as much certainty as when I tell you the sky is blue. I have big things planned, so just wait.
Oh, and football is here. My puppy is asleep to my left, my dog is snoring to the right, I'm in comfy pants because it's cool enough in my house to wear them, and it's been gorgeous weather. Did I mention I'm turning 21 soon?
I will be using this blog to chronicle my adventures, pitfalls, experiences, and my general time out in Los Angeles. So if you have an interest in me in any way and want to know what I'm up to, this is your best bet.
I came home late last night (after a forced pull over in Connecticut because I was falling asleep at the wheel - resulting in a 20 minute power nap in a bank parking lot somewhere) and since walking into my house I've been feeling the strangest combination of emotions. Mostly a sense of security. I've been very productive today and plan to keep it up until I leave. I found my schoolyear drive and it's rather intense this year. I've been writing a lot, thinking a ton, and visualizing way more often.
I know I'm going to be successful in Los Angeles. It's not cockiness or even confidence - I can tell you that I will find what I'm looking for out there with just as much certainty as when I tell you the sky is blue. I have big things planned, so just wait.
Oh, and football is here. My puppy is asleep to my left, my dog is snoring to the right, I'm in comfy pants because it's cool enough in my house to wear them, and it's been gorgeous weather. Did I mention I'm turning 21 soon?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
