Week Three in L.A.

Wow I can't believe that three weeks have passed already which send us speeding into week four. Amazing. Anyway, this'll be rather brief since I need to go get ready. Good week, I was selected to direct one of the five Hollywood Production Workshop films that we'll do this semester, and my script was chosen as one of those five films. so, that was exciting. David and I have been working on developing a feature length script and that's going very well and we're having a lot of fun doing it. Definitely looking forward to where that will lead us.
I started my internship this week and ended up having dinner at the Marina Del Ray Ritz with the two producers and casting director from my office, the writer/director for the film they're working on, and the investors. It was pretty cool. I felt a little like Leonardo in Titanic :-)
The weather continues to be wonderful for the time being: 65 degrees and sunny. I even walked several miles around town yesterday in shorts and a t-shirt. My legs hurt, but I can still live with the weather :-)
I had a couple tough mornings this week as I really felt the absence of my family. One of those mornings I even called Lori and, more or less, broke down. Usually the mornings are so quiet and that's when my mind has time to register the time and space between us. Normally there's so much going on that my mind stays occupied. Not that I don't miss them or don't think about them in those times, but it's just easier to deal with since my mind is in a different gear. If that makes any sense at all.
What else? I shot my first Motion Picture Production class project and have been working on editing it this week. Another final tweak or two this weekend and it'll be done. Woot woot! I also worked on David's project and had a blast and today I'm helping Ben out with his project and am looking forward to that as well.
As far as trying to get through the top 100 movies on the AFI list, I had to bring Lawrence of Arabia back to give someone else a chance to watch it. I felt like I didn't have time to watch all aprox. 4 hours of it. I could've broken it into chunks, but I feel like I've been so busy with projects and stuff. I'll get through it eventually. I'm going to try "the Searchers" and "The Clockwork Orange." We'll see how that goes.
So, I think that's about it. If I think of anything else I'll add an addendum.
Thanks again to you all for your love, prayers, thoughts, and support.

Week Two in L.A

Well...it's Monday, so this report will be for slightly more than one week. Oh well. Let's see what I can remember about this last week, the second of sixteen. We finished up our two weeks of orientation which means that our schedule will begin to take on a degree of normalcy, so that's nice. The last two Sundays I have attended a church called Ecclesia: Church In Hollywood (www.curchinhollywood.com). I really enjoyed it. Great worship (a congregation not afraid of a little volume during worship...no offense to anyone, just one of my little pet peeves), great preaching, and a an overall nice environment. The church is located at Hollywood and Highland, meets in an old theatre, and is smack in the middle of some not so, well...churchy places :-) Great place for a church and it's right on the Hollywood walk of fame...too neat!
I started my internship with Beverly Holloway (Beverly Holloway Casting..."The Ultimate Gift" among others) and Dave Ross at Dean River Productions. I'm very excited about this opportunity. It'll be well-rounded and give me a chance to see a larger part of the industry whereas many places only allow you to see one piece to the puzzle. In fact, this Thursday I'll be in a development meeting for a project they are working on. Yesterday I read the script and started doing character breakdowns. Love it.
What else? I shot my first project for my Motion Picture Production class sunday evening. Working with a different camera made me a little nervous, but the footage seems to look alright. It felt a little chaotic and we even a little old Asian lady yell at us and threaten to call security. Ah, the joys of student filmmaking! :-)
Anyway, on Wednesday I'll find out if I've been chosen to direct one of the five main films that we will do this semester, and I'll find out if they chose my script as one of those five as well. The script I'm not so concerned about, but I'll honestly be a little disappointed if I don't get to direct. I'll get over it and my next choice is producing which means I'll have a big hand in casting and scheduling meetings, etc and I can live with that :-)
What else? I found out that one of my best friends bought me a plane ticket home at Easter, when we have our spring break, to see my family. God has surrounded me with such wonderful people and I'm overwhelmed. I wish our break was sooner and not so close to the end of the semester since the last couple days especially I've found myself really missing Lori and the kids. Like right now as I'm typing this everything's quiet and nothing's going on...these are the moments when I feel their absence the most. Many times there are so many things going on that my mind is occupied/distracted, so that's helping :-)
We had a week of nothing but rain. WOO HOO for SOCAL! We finally got some more 60-65 with sunshine and I'm loving it!
Met up with some Asbury grads the other night at the Hard Rock Cafe at Universal City. That was a lot of fun...stupidly expensive food, but a lot of fun :-)
Then on Saturday, the 24th, our entire class headed out tot he L.A. Dream Center. I was assigned to a bus that I was told was going to skid row. I'm not going to lie: I was a bit scared. I texted Lori and the kids, "I love you guys very much." You know? Just in case I died. Anyway, we went to a "hotel" which is kind of a last stop before the streets. People living in one room. some of them with kids, some by themselves, but all their belongings are crammed into these little rooms with them. We handed out food down in the lobby and then the regular dream center people went around from door to door and asked any of us if we wanted to go. Everything in me wanted to stay right there in the safe lobby. So, I decided to step violently out of my comfort zone, my mind and body fighting each other each step I took. It was amazing. These people that reach out and build relationships every week with these people living at this "hotel" just blew me away. Their heart for these hurting people and their sincerity really touched me. We handed out food to people that couldn't walk down to the lobby, talked and prayed with them. I've never experienced anything quite like it.
As we rode home on the bus I asked one of the girls in my group how she got involved with the dream center. She shared her testimony and how she goes downtown every weekend to pass out food and talk to the people and then she goes again on Thursdays and Sundays to offer them rides to church. Her passion for the people is amazing. Then she asked the question that I didn't want to answer. "How about you?" I was looking forward to the outing, I thought it would be a great experience, but it was a class requirement. So, you can imagine how little I felt having to say, "Well, I'm a student, and...uh...well, for this class we're taking..." You see what I mean. Anyway...There's so much I could say but I don't have time right now. We can talk more when I get home. :-)
So, that's that. I jumped around a little and probably left stuff out, but it gives you the basic idea.
Well, until next time...love you all!

Day seven in L.A.

Alrighty then! This not only concludes my first full week in the nifty town of Los Angeles, but it also will conclude these daily blogs. I will, instead, post once a week. As things get busier I believe that will be the easiest to keep up with. Of course, there may be times when something so cool happens that it warrants its own blog...anyway...
So, day seven, the last day of the first week here at the LAFSC (Los Angeles Film Studies Center) we met in our "expectations" groups where we discussed what we sacrificed to be here and what our expectations/plans are for the semester. It was fun to hear so many different perspectives. From there we at lunch at a place called Fiddler's Bistro (I think that's the name) and it was amazing. I got the chance to talk with a couple guys that I don't normally get a chance to chat with since we aren't in any groups (other than this one) together.
Anyway...Went to class, pitched a rather crazy and darkly comedic idea, got some feedback and am going to take it in an entirely different direction. Then, David and I bounced some story ideas around, watched Scorsese's "The Departed" with one of my roommates. One of my other roommates came home and brought a friend and we all sat around laughing and talking for quite some time before David and Josh (one of my roommates) decided to make a late night run to IHOP. It was a good day :-)
So, I love you all and appreciate and value all your continued support and prayer. I'm having a great time here, but most certainly miss my family.

Day six in L.A.

I can't believe that an entire week has nearly passed. Only fifteen more to go :-) Just kidding...I'm having a great time. Missing my family, but having a great time nonetheless. So, day six...hhhhmmmmm...had our morning session with a couple in the morning that have created a network for Christians in the film industry. They had some good things to say and it was an interesting session. A lot of practical tips for working in this industry.
So, after that I spent the afternoon working on my resume and talking to my parents, filling them in on the happenings here in L.A. Then, had a camera lab from 3-5, which was primarily just a review since the cameras we're using here are similar in functionality to the cameras we use at Asbury. Except...these cameras don't shoot in true 24 frames per second. What!? I know...they assure us that it still looks great. We'll see :-) Before the lab, however, I got a little thingy in my mail box telling me that I had been selected to to go to the next round of the selection process for choosing directors for the five main projects that we'll do this semester. So, that was cool and flattering. Next Tuesday I have to show what I consider to be the my "best" piece that I've directed. I talked with Lori and David about which one to use and well all seem to agree that that is "The Power Within," which many of you will have to wait until May to see. Sorry about that. Anyway...afterwards I had a good little conversation with Jeremy, one of the instructors, yeah...so that was good.
The highlight of my day here (other than talking with my lovely wife and fantastically, amazing children) was getting to meet Doug Jones. Before I go any further, for those of you who may not know, Doug has been in several big movies...the ones that people are usually most familiar with are Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, and Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer. Here's his IMDB page link: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0427964/ You'll be surprised at what all he's been in. There were films I had seen but had no idea he had been in them.
At any rate...We listened to him share his story and experiences for almost three hours. We laughed, laughed, and interacted, and had a great time. Doug is one of the funniest and most down to earth, genuine guys I've met. I watched him afterwards as he interacted with the other students and he took time with each one and made them feel important and special. Too cool. So, needless to say it was a fantastic experience.
Then it was off to the apartment to work on a paper that I should have done earlier in the day...se la vi...It was pretty simple. A couple pages about me and my expectations for the semester. Oh! funny story: Okay, so because my sense of humor is slightly off center I think it's fun to say off the wall things in a group of new people and see how they respond. So, the first time my Motion Picture Production group met, before the instructors arrived, someone asked about what needed to be included in our Expectations paper. Another guy says, "What do you hope to accomplish while you're here in L.A.?" He, of course, wasn't actually looking for anyone to answer, but I did anyway. "Instant success and fame, lots of sex and drugs." I got several shocked and blank stares. "That's a joke, people." Then I got some nervous chuckles...it was awesome. The instructors arrived and to my delight had an eerily similar sense of humor :-) Ok, that's all.

Day five in L.A.

I have come to the conclusion that after this first week I will only blog once a week. So I am blogging for day five on day six. Let's see if I can keep that straight! We had our last orientation class for our internship yesterday and interviews start today...mine isn't until next week though. Listed casting directors' offices as my first choice, Agents' offices as my second, and then post production houses as my third. I know that last one seems totally unrelated, but...
There is an acting class that they are offering as an extracurricular type of thing that I would love to take. It's being taught by someone who is working as an actor and has studied at five different schools here in L.A. So, this is another faith thing for me since it's an additional cost and this program is already been pricey. Anyway, so pray that God will make a way for me to do that since it is my primary passion in the world of film.
Blah blah blah...So in the afternoon we had our first meeting for our Hollywood Production Workshop (HPW) where we will all right a script based on one of seven characters they gave us and they will pick five of them. Then we will split into five groups and apply for the different positions and make those five scripts into films. Sounds pretty cool. I think I'll apply to direct and edit as my second choice. Anyway...
Last night we had a student screening where we could show some of our previous work. It was fun to see what some people have done prior to coming here. I know we'll all learn so much and the quality of what we are doing will exponentially jump ahead. It was a good time and then spent an hour or so chatting with some of the guys before I headed off to bed. Here in the next day or two I plan on watching "The Departed" with my roommate from Connecticut...so that'll be fun.
Well, that's all for day five. I will have some neat stuff on day six and then you will all just have to hold your breath for the once a week blog!
Love you all

Day four in L.A.

I figured I should do these while I had the chance :-)
Had our second orientation session of the week this morning from 9-12:30. I enjoyed it. We talked a lot about three act structure. Talk about writing always stresses me out, especially since I'm in a bit of a creative writing dry spell. Anyway...
After lunch I head back to the center for my equipment lab, mostly a review of what I've learned at Asbury, where they go through the rundown of what equipment is available and what they expectations are of the students. From there is was onto the first meet of my Motion Picture Production (MPP) group. We have to do three 5 minute films, two of which are done on our own and one in a group. At least I think that's what they said :-) I volunteered with one other brave soul to be one of the first to go. That means I have to pitch a character driven idea on Friday and will start shooting next week. On the upside, I'll be done with this segment almost a whole month earlier than those who are going last. I'll still have to go to the class, but I'll be done with my part of it.
After class I got to chat with Lori and the kids, something I always enjoy and look forward to and then it was off to the gym with my buddy, David. We'll both probably be sore in the next day or two. Anyway, now I must sit down and write this "coverage" on a script they gave us. We'll see how that goes :-)
Talk to ya'll soon!

Day three in L.A.

Alright. I may or may not keep doing this for everyday that I'm here. Why? I'm glad you asked. Some days will simply be less interesting than others. But still, I may try even if a day's entry is super short and super boring.
Anyway, I'm writing day three at the the start of day four since I totally forgot last night. So...I think I'm adjusting to the time and have been able, so far, to go to bed at a reasonable time and get up early and not be rushed, so that's nice. I'm sure that as we get into projects that will change.
Day three we had a 9-12:30 orientation session in which we played a game about culture. I won't go into details, but suffice it to say I felt really silly playing this game. The point,however, was good. When you step into a new culture you have to be sensitive to that and also have an understanding of your own culture. Like people honking at me because I took a millisecond to decide which way I needed to turn...it annoyed me because in Versailles we're not nearly as fast paced as people here in L.A. Anyway, you get the idea. We also had a question and answer time and the faculty dispelled some of the common misconceptions about Hollywood and the industry. That would be my favorite part of the session.
That was it for me that day, so I came back to the apartment and read the script they wanted us to read. I talked with Lori and the kids for a while - best part of the day. Then David and I got lost trying to find each other and when we did meet up we were supposed to take our gym membership forms to the pool office, but ended up in the wrong place. So, later my roommate, Josh, was headed out to take his membership form, so I tagged along. We also got a little lost, but eventually found it. Now, I know where it is! The pool is quite awesome too. Two salt water pools and a hot tub. Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about!
Well that's about it. I'm sure you'll get tired of reading these everyday, but I promise there will be some days that are very exciting. Again, though, no promises that I will do these blogs every day, but I'll try to be somewhat consistent.
Love you all!

Day two in L.A.

The good news is that I think I've sorta figured out a large part of the apartment complex. The bad news is I was up at 5:30 AM because my body was telling me it was 8:30. Oh well, I'm drinking coffee and trying to make this a little later of a night so I can normalize. Right now, east coast time is great in the morning. I'm up wicked early and have lots of time. But it sucks around 2-3 in the afternoon and you can forget it after 8. I went to bed at 8:30 last night. Well, anyway...
We had breakfast with our class and faculty at the LAFSC facility this morning at 9:00. It's about a 5 or 6 block walk, which will be great exercise doing that everyday. I'll have to take a picture of the building, it's impressive...as is the view of downtown L.A. from the 16th floor window. I'll have to take a picture of that as well. And, speaking of pictures...I've posted some of my trip and of the complex I'm living in, so check those out if you haven't already. They're on FB.
So, After breakfast, we had a little worship service and our resident director, Sarah, shared a little bit before we heard from a couple alumni from the LAFSC program. Then, David and I took off to do some shopping. I learned two things: 1)everything is typically busy in L.A. 2)there are a lot of impatient drivers out there who don't give a crap that you have out of state plates and might be new to the area. There are however a lot of friendly people that I've bumped into. I even got to ride a crowded elevator with a sizable Indian family. I was going to take the next elevator, but they insisted that I join them. Cozy.
So, we survived our first shopping venture that required us to drive. Most things are within walking distance, but we didn't feel like having to carry so much stuff back to the apartment, so we drove. That makes sense, right?
I spent some time talking with Lori, Abbi, Allison, Sharon, and Thomas today and that made my whole day. I was really missing them.
We had a two and a half hour meeting tonight on community living, standards, earthquake safety(did you know that FEMA suggests that if you're trapped under debris, not to light a match? Good to know, right?), and basic street smarts.
I'm excited about the semester laid out in front of me. It's going to be a lot of work, but it's going to be fun as well. There's so much to do too. I won't be able to do it all, of course, but there will be several things that have to be done. You can't come to L.A. and not go to certain places...like the walk of fame. And there is a church here that actually has a walk of fame star for Jesus. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but may attend once just to see the star. I think I'll actually visit several churches while I'm here, you know just for fun. And there's a book study that the resident director and her husband will be hosting. They study books like, the Screwtape letters and stuff by Bonhoeffer (I probably spelled that wrong). and things like that.
Anyway, I've probably bored you enough with today's events. Now, I must finish writing a 2 page character description that is due tomorrow.

Day one in L.A.

I'm not going to lie. The sprawling apartment complex I'm in is enough to intimidate me. Trying to remember where everything is and it all looks the same. It's nice and I've met some great people. My roommates all seem on the level, so that's an answer to prayer.
We drove into town this morning to get our room assignments, etc. It was cool seeing the Hollywood sign on the mountain as we drove down into the town. We arrived at the apartment complex, The Park at La Brea and, for the first time, got lost within the complex. Anyway, all is good and we found our respective apartments. I took some time getting moved in, thought my key wasn't working, turns out I'm silly and just wasn't pulling the door toward me hard enough as I turned the key. Whatever :-)
David, Ben, and I went to lunch with some Asbury alums at "In and Out Burger." It was quite tasty, but was the busiest place that I have ever seen. So busy, in fact, that I gave up trying to fight through crowds to get ketchup. It was a fun experience and the alum assure me that after a week or so I'll have a handle on the layout of the complex and the town. Let's hope they're right. Classes, shopping, food (although I plan to eat in) are all within walking distance, so that's nice.
Today was the Sabbath and it was a new experience for me to see so many Jews dressed up, some in their "robes," leaving the synagogues. Very neat.
One thing that is also pretty fun is seeing billboard after billboard for different movies. Super fun.
I plan on taking some pictures tomorrow of the neighborhood and my apartment. I'll post them on face book, so keep an eye out for them.
So far I'm batting 1000 on this current update thing. We'll see how long that lasts :-)

L.A. Trip Day Three

We left Flagstaff, Arizona (where it was cold and there was a lot of snow) this morning and headed to the Southern Rim of the Grand Canyon. WOW! Absolutely breathtaking. I am freshly amazed at what a beautiful world it is and what a beautiful country it is that we live in.
After walking around the southern rim we had lunch and continued our journey to L.A. We stopped in Barstow, about 130 miles outside of L.A. and had dinner. Not a big fan of Barstow. Be that as it may...
We had a great day and I have enjoyed the scenery from New Mexico all the way through to Southern California. It's beautiful out here. We arrived at the hotel around 8:30 PM local time. David's dad, Bob, David, and I sat around the pool outside chit chatting and looking at the palm trees. That's right. I said palm trees!
Tomorrow we will begin our registration and move in at Los Angeles Film Studies Center.
Thanks again to all of you for your love, support, and prayers. Ya'll are the best and I will tr to be consistent with these blog updates :-)
-Eric

L.A. Trip Days One and Two

My goal is to keep this blog updated on a regular basis, but I'm not making any promises :-)
We left Kentucky on Wednesday morning, drove through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and arrived in Oklahoma City later that night. We got a decent nights sleep and headed out again Thursday morning. We drove through some more of Oklahoma, which isn't much to speak about from a visual stand point...although they had rest stops that stretched across the highway. Cool.
The thing that stood out to me about Oklahoma would have to be all the signs for different Cherokee products: handmade goods, etc. My initial thought was, "cool!" since I have a little trace of Cherokee in my family. Then I thought about it some more, called my brother to confirm my thought, and realized that the Cherokee people were, of course, not indigenous to Oklahoma. They are there now because that is where they were relocated when they were moved from their homeland. The Trail of Tears. Then I was more sobered by the history of the place I was driving through.
Then we went through a bit of Texas. Other than the "Biggest cross in this hemisphere: a spiritual experience you'll never forget" nothing was really any bigger in Texas. Oh well. I did see two signs that I particularly enjoyed: "Catholic Superstore" and the "Jesus Christ Is Lord (not a swear word) Travel Plaza."
Around Amarillo I was really digging on the landscape and really wanted to stop and shoot a western then and there, but everyone else wanted to keep going. Oh well again :-)
I fell in love with New Mexico. What an absolutely beautiful state. I wish I had been able to stop and take it all in. Maybe on the drive back? I was so taken with the breathtaking landscape and the beauty of the people there I was sad when we crossed into Arizona. I may have enjoyed the scenery there too, but the sun had set and all I could see were the cars around me and the white lines passing me by.
We are now at the hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona and have seen our first road signs for L.A. We're all getting pretty excited. We've driven a little over 1600 miles in two days and have several more to go. We plan to see the Grand Canyon tomorrow morning and then get into L.A. later in the evening.
I will try to keep you all posted on the events.
Thanks to all of you for your love, support, and prayers.