Additionally, Some Pictures of My House

The First Day of The Rest of My...

Grad school career!

Last week was orientation, and I must say that I am glad it is over with! We had screenings of past student's films and an alumni panel, a screening with a professor who is a writer and producer for TV, welcomes galore, introductions, boot camps and mixers. The screenings were interesting (albeit, long) and gave us a more solid idea of the types of projects we can expect to complete while we are here. The welcomes gave us overviews of the program and the chance to meet some of our faculty. The boot camps taught us how to use the industry standard equipment and software on which we will be learning our craft. The mixers gave us the chance to meet each other.

Most of our meetings were slightly painful. I ended the week wondering just how so many people got both to and into graduate school without a basic understanding of how either health insurance or internships work. Questions were asked and answered repeatedly, much to the chagrin of those of us who have dealt with these things before. We found that some of the faculty are to be avoided, but most have been nothing but kind and welcoming.

The highlights of the week were most certainly the mixers. It is very difficult to move to a new place where you have no connections and having been able to spend time with my classmates will make walking into classes this week infinitely easier. Faces are familiar, names are coming and, if nothing else, we all have movies in common!

My class schedule is considerably lighter than some (Monday 7-10pm, Tuesday 4-7pm and Wednesday from 9am-4pm) but I believe the work will keep me busy. Not to mention the film I am currently producing, which is already keeping me busy! In addition, I will have weekly projects to be done outside of class and will most likely end up working some crew positions on additional films. Add to that that I am working on getting a part time job (so I can afford to go see all the movies I will need to!) and I think my plate is rather full!

It is not, however, all work and no play here in SoCal. Yesterday I spent the day at Newport Beach, the first time I have been to a beach in over ten years. It was endlessly fascinating to stand in the waves (though I will admit that the taste of the salt water was a bit disconcerting!) and, simply to prove to myself that I could, I swam out about half a mile into the ocean and back! There were a couple of moments when I was sure I would be eaten by a shark, but luckily my lack of knowledge of all things ocean worked in my favor in those moments! I didn't see so much as a fish, and I made it back to shore to sculpt a mermaid around my friend!

Today I will meet with my director and fill up any free time I have this week with location scouting, writing letters to request food donations, calling studio teachers and continuing the attempt to find a taxiermied dog. This evening I have my production class where my introduction video will be watched and forgotten. All in all, it is shaping up to be a busy and productive week. With that being said, I'm going to get to it!

xxx

Reader's Digest of the Last Week and a Half

The remainder of the road trip went relatively smoothly. We arrived in Orange rumpled and rather tired on Monday the 11th. From there, Mom, Daddy and I spent four days driving all over creation accumulating all and sundry things needed to furnish my apartment and my life. Luckily a bed was acquired on day one, meaning no hotel was needed for the duration of the parents' stay. All three of us in the apartment was made slightly more difficult by the fact that I forgot to call the gas company before arriving, meaning we had cold showers and no stove all week. The stove proved not to be a problem as we did not get a refrigerator until Thursday, but hot showers would definitely have been nice! (In fact, when the gas man finally came on Saturday, he noticed my focus on the shower and laughed when I told him I was tired of cold water! He also complimented my taste in art and asked for descriptions and reviews of both the Twilight and Harry Potter series. Altogether not an uninteresting utilities visit!) Internet and TV were also put off until Thursday due to the fact that new wiring had to be put in. (This experience again made that much better by the AT&T phone representative who thought I was absolutely nuts when I told her my follow up appointment could not wait until the date they had scheduled it. Which was the 13th. I was talking to her at 5:15 pm on the 12th. In my defense, I did think she said the 30th. But we cleared up the misunderstanding and the, again extremely nice, AT&T guy got me all set up!)

Walmart, Ikea, Best Buy, Big Lots, Kmart, Home Depot, Target and Ralph's were all raided to supply my TV, desk set, dresser, kitchen table and chairs, hangers, shoe rack and enough food to last me a good long while. Furniture was built, pictures hung, laundry and dishes washed and much organizing and arranging accomplished. (Much of this with the expectation that it will be moved upon Theresa's arrival this Friday when we can decide together where we would like to keep things.)

Thursday night we went to Huntington Beach for a farewell dinner with the parents. We had lovely Hawaiian plate dinners at a Tiki bar and walked around the touristy strip for a bit in the surprisingly brisk evening air. Afterwards we drove past the many beaches, but unfortunately were unable to stop as they were being closed up for the night. Just one more reason Mom and Daddy will have to come back to visit!

Friday morning was the early trip to John Wayne Airport and the hard goodbye. As much as I am excited to start all things new out here, I was sad to see them go.

Friday was also my final meeting with a director for the fall Cycle film. After a three hour meeting (Matt and I get along very well and found we had a lot to talk about) and much deliberation, I decided that this was the film for me. It is a bit simpler script than some that I had read, which may be good as I have much to learn, but I like the direction it is going and think it will turn out very well. Since Friday, Matt and I have met twice more to start setting down a schedule and tonight I also met the Cinematographer and Set Designer. During one of our meetings I met quite a few of the other film students, too, and everyone has been very nice.

(As an interlude, a good portion of my week has also been spent at the DMV. I got my California Driver's License when I was here in June, but I still needed to register my car. This involved a two hour stint at the Whittier DMV yesterday where I filled out stacks of paperwork, had my car inspected and waited and waited and waited. What all of the people I had spoken to previously had somehow forgotten to tell me was that I was also required to get my car smog checked. So today I drove Oliver to the Jeep dealership for his 12,000 mile checkup and smog test and on to the Santa Ana DMV where I spent a considerably shorter amount of time waiting and walked away with California registration, plates and stickers. One more thing off the list.)

As far as things yet to come go, tomorrow night a group of incoming first year graduate students are meeting for drinks and I think I will stop in to meet them. At least one more meeting is in my future in the next two days as I will be starting to make phone calls to Studio Teachers (the tutors needed on a film set whenever there is a child actor) and taxidermists (to find a dog...more on that later) tomorrow and beginning location scouting as early as this weekend. Next week we will take a break from the Cycle film as the Director and Cinematographer are working on another student's shoot and the Set Designer and I will be in Orientation. I am definitely looking forward to that as I think it will jump-start everything I am able to do on my project and I am eager to meet my classmates and get to work.

Well, I think I have been long-winded enough for tonight and the tappity-tap-tap of the keyboard is beginning to stave off my excitement-induced insomnia for the time being. So off I go to dreamland, where I will hopefully come up with a way to make my introduction video better than it is setting up to be right now! Goodnight to all, sweet dreams and much love!

Road Trip!!

Day one of the cross-country road trip has come and gone. Day two is about to begin, and it promises to be just as long as the last.

Yesterday morning we got on the road at 8:30 and drove down to St. Louis. From there we crossed Missouri and into Oklahoma. (And, yes, I have been singing the musical non-stop since we entered the state.) The drive was fairly uneventful, it just went on for ages. Missouri looks very similar to Illinois (with the exception of hills, which are killing my gas mileage) but we've gotten to the red dirt in Oklahoma. Today is what I have been looking forward to: Texas and New Mexico! I've never been to the desert, and while I keep being told I will tire of it quickly, I can't wait to see it! If only we had somewhere to put some water in the car...

I have been talking to my roommate, Theresa, and figuring out all the fun stuff that goes with moving: internet, TV, refrigerators and decor. I am excited to get in, get settled and be able to use my own things for the first time in three years!

I received an email from school yesterday with all of my orientation information. Classes start on August 31st, but we are required to be there from the 24th to the 28th for orientation. This entails meeting with with all the incoming students, only the producers, the continuing students and faculty and staff as well as "boot camps" in several of the programs we will be using to make our films and acclimating to the facilities and the town. It will be a very busy week, but it sounds like it will get the year off to a good start.

I have emailed several directors about working on their second year films, so I will have meetings (in person and via Skype) set up as soon as I get to California. That will certainly be an experience, if nothing else!

Well, off I must go. We are aiming for 8am again today, which leaves 22 minutes for Daddy to get out of the shower, all of us to eat breakfast, check out of the hotel, get directions and get on the road. I don't think we'll quite make it. Do you?

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday evening I received an email from the head of production at Chapman. Apparently some of the second year producers are too busy working on their thesis projects to produce the fall Cycle-films. This means that the heads of the department have recommended several of the first year producers to take their places. Including me. So I have now received three offers of films that directors would like me to consider producing. And I haven't even gotten to school yet.

This is quite exciting. There is, however, one small problem: I have never done this before! But, concerned as I may be, I won't let this stop me. Presumably someone will point me in the right direction about what to do once I've chosen a film and then I will hit the ground running. I'm a big fan of learning as I go, so this pretty much fits the bill.

And now I am going to stop procrastinating. I must finish cleaning my room/bathroom. I must finish my laundry. I must finish packing. I must curl my hair and go to lunch. I must enjoy my last two days of having relatively little to do. So, onward!!

xx

The Last Day Of My First Quarter Century

I leave for California in two and a half days. My car must be packed, my house cleaned and cleared of all of my things. I must be mentally prepared for spending four days in the car driving through at least seven states, three of which are composed primarily of desert. I am nowhere near ready.

This week marks the closing of the biggest chapter of my life to date. I have moved before, and moved far away, but there was always the knowledge that I was coming back home. It has begun to sink in, for myself and for my family and friends, that this may be the last time I am "home." For this move takes me to Orange, California to attend Chapman University. I will be working towards my MFA in Producing for Film and Television. My program is two years long and then I will be released to the lions that are the film industry in Hollywood. I have never been so excited about anything in my life, or so scared.

I am so lucky to have the opportunity to follow my dreams and pursue a career about which I am truly passionate. I am lucky to have the support of my family and friends. I am lucky in ways that I cannot count.

Tomorrow I will turn 26 and begin down the road that will lead me to a new place, new people and a new career. But for today, the sky has turned black and I will enjoy my last thunderstorm while I fit all of the clothes I own into a car topper and make my bedroom look like no one lives here. I will make last stops to visit friends and spend time with my family. I will tie up all the loose ends that come with changing your life. It will be bittersweet at best, but I will sleep easy knowing I am making the right decisions. I will be thankful for all I have.

And now, I will stop procrastinating and get to work!