California Dreamin' Part 2

Thursday (11/5)

Bright and early. Have to head to the lot. Not the parking kind, the movie kind. Drive past security gate and then through a production. Completely in fear that I’ve just ruined some major blockbuster on my first day. I didn’t. Make my way into the building housing my colleagues. Like the bizarro world of my office; coworkers like that on the East coast but yet not like the East coasters. Instead of drab walls there are glass walls. Instead of broken toasters there are master chef kitchens. I like this…and yet I miss the smell and feel of NY.

Hang with Laura until I link up with one of my two bosses who parades me around like a proud dad. I blush. 15 times. I’m recognized (because my photo is on the company homepage.) Completely unnatural experience. Mini-stardom. Doubt this could ever feel normal. Walk around placing faces with phone voices. Have an ordinary chat with the co-head of the studio. Discuss things like Yonkers and why they still race horses. What did you expect? A movie pitch? :-) Meet with casting group. Head shots everywhere. Big smiles and stern looks jump at me from glossy paper. So that’s what my head shot looks like when I’m not the one looking at it. Talk about the likes of new talent. Learning session. Walk out feeling more like a producer, less like an actor. Totally ok with that.

Been around for a few hours but walking around like I stomp there daily. Out the door with Couper and Steve S to grab some lunch. There may be traffic in LA, but driving out for lunch is way more doable than…well it’s NOT doable in NY. Settle at CPK. Steve asks me all about The Work Jerks. I’m flattered and honored, because he’s a funny dude. I feel like a role model, and yet I’m not. I give all the credit to the fact that I’m surrounded by very talented people who don’t ask me to pay them (yet.) We eat and chat, frequently interrupted by my ADD BFF. I laugh. Often. This LA thing is fun.

I make it a point to stop in on my fellow assistants who I book appointments with regularly. I’m called a celebrity. I am still but an earthling, not fully in the clouds. These are my trench buddies. Hellos and hugs we share. I laugh that my 15 minutes won’t last forever. I’m then pulled away with the words “So and so wants to meet you, come on!” Damn my feet hurt! Make one last meeting with Ines, who I have never met but thanks to the homepage spotlight, have made fast friends with. I’m asked to describe NY to someone who has never been there (or maybe was only there once?) I’m stumped. Suddenly know nothing of my hometown. Am I losing myself already?

Swing back to hotel to pick up Jaime who has made Venice beach his home for the day and has a tinge of tan on the tip of his nose. My pale face stains with jealousy. Redressed, we head to Santa Monica for dinner at BOA. Immediate release of my car keys to valet. No one parks their own car in LA. Join one of my three friends who we are meeting at a table in the back. Lights low. Candles lit. And all I can think about is steak. And all I can notice is the large man sitting next to us with a hat and coat on, yet he doesn’t seem like he’s leaving. Quick glance again. Ah! He’s Brad Garrett. I inconspicuously reach for my cell phone and text the friends surrounding my table. Just as inconspicuous, they find their way of responding to my message. Then we play the game of pretending he’s not there. Food arrives! Brad who?

Filet mignon falls to pieces on my tongue. Mashed potatoes rush in after them. Brad leaves. New couple arrives. Older man. Younger woman. I think they manufacture couples like these in bulk here in LA. Minding our own business. Small commotion comes from cradle-robber table. We’re human, we look left. New woman is standing beside seated man. She says: “Funny seeing you here. Who is your friend?” Look of worry comes over man’s face. Look of “we love drama!” falls on our faces. Talk gets softer then standing woman asks if the man will step away with her for a moment. Quickly, we return to the very interesting non-existent convo we were having. Except for Couper, he makes eye contact with the girl left behind. Girl says to him: “I think that was his girlfriend.” She’s brought him in, and by default, we are now all involved. Girl continues: “This is our first date.” One of us says “Then maybe it should be your last.” Girl contemplates but man returns. Straining to hear them because my brain has been affected by wine consumption. Darn! A cookie platter is placed in front of me. Ah, sweet sugary goodness! Wait, what was I talking about?

After many laughs and reenactments by Jaime and Couper the night winded down and once again I was falling asleep standing up. Said our goodbyes and headed to valet. A Saab is parked in front of me. I recognize it as my friend’s. Were this NY, I would drive away with it as a joke. Instead, I swap tickets, grab the right car, and head to the hotel once more. Sleep finds me quickly.

California Dreamin' Part 1

The trip to, in and from California left me with a vast amount of memories which would be entirely overwhelming if I wrote it all at once. So, I’m going to write it in 5 pieces, reflecting back on each day I spent in Cali. Here it goes...

Wednesday (11/4)

640am and dragging our carry-ons onto a plane. Virgin America. Purple lights and pop music greet us. Black “leather” seats. Comedic flight attendants. Order snacks from my TV screen. Watch the Disney Channel (not afraid to admit that.) Turn on some Wifi. Rockstar. I try to sleep. Can’t. Get to writing, Jaime snores. Look out the window. Highways then greenery, then crops in Ikea rug patterns, then blue mountains with cotton colored caps, then terracotta canyons and then…Jaime snores. We begin landing.

Oh car rental, car rental where are you? Ah, it’s off-site. Well then! Small talk and smiles gets me a free upgrade. A red Chevy Impala. Gangster. Side view mirror is smashed. Darn. Exchange. Now the car is “mocha.” About to get in and drive off, killer bee on the dashboard. Yikes! Rental attendant performs a murderous rampage. Attendant= 1, Bee=0.

Shades on. Driving through the wide-lane streets and one story buildings. This reminds me of Orlando. Pull into In-N-Out Burger. Oh wait, no it doesn’t.

Park @ hotel in Marina Del Rey, walk to Venice beach. Weather is lukewarm, sky is the kind of blue you want to wrap yourself in like a warm blanket, waves are gnarly (did I say that right?) Walk the Venice “canal.” Looking into people’s homes feels weird but they are beautiful. They are meant to be observed.

Clock says it’s only 4pm but I’ve already been up for more than 12 hours. Naps are amazing.

Get ready to meet my friend Steve R at the Red Lion Tavern on Glendale Avenue. On the phone with my bestie from westie, Couper, who warns me not to stray too far from the freeway, there are some “interesting neighborhoods” on the way there. Trooping across LA I only hope to not get a flat and end up in the middle of a gang war. Realize LAers are probably told the same thing about NY. Get to Red Lion in one piece. Beer garden with indoor/outdoor patio. Steve’s at a picnic table and our waitress is actually German. Beer name I can't pronounce. Yummy. Potato cakes and sausage. Double yummy. We talk life, love and beer. 9pm. I’m sleepy again. A huge bouncer takes our pic on the way out. Snap memory.

Hotel. Bed. Snooze.

My 15 Minutes (Part 2 of 3)

There's something amazing in having a vision and being able to realize it for someone else. What's more amazing? Sitting alongside the person(s) who are going to listen to your story and find a way to tell it for you.

Towards the end of the winners announcement, I was approached by two of the producers I'd be working with on creating my videography. What surprised me was not only how down to earth they were but how genuinely excited they appeared to be about the project. Besides the obvious reasons I should feel lucky, I was further enamored with the project after meeting them.

My first official sit-down with the producers came the very next day. We discussed my background and the project in general. We spoke of the other jobs they've worked on and I tried my hardest to keep my excitement just below the surface. A mini-movie about me. Surreal. (I’m going to use that word a lot, please forgive me now.) I’d love to give the pinpointed details about our conversation, but I’m not at liberty to say. Just know that the final videos will be online at some point for all to see.

When I returned to my office I was still wearing the same smile I’d been wearing for the last day and a half. It was just hard to get rid of. After closing up, I headed home to pack. It just so happened that weeks before the contest even began, I had scheduled a trip to Los Angeles. What originally was intended to be a quick stop into the office turned into several meetings, a lunch and a dinner. My entire packing situation had to be re-evaluated. What does one wear when meeting the head of an TV & movie studio? And, just a few days later, riding a horse? Then of course there’s the multitude of situations that fall in between. Needless to say, I threw almost every sensible outfit I own into my suitcase. Set my alarm for 430am (who chooses a 7am flight to LA, really?) and hit the sack.

Half a dream later, I was up and, soon enough, in a car on my way to the airport and the interesting trip that lie ahead.

(Part 3- The California trip. Coming soon.)

My 15 Minutes (Part 1 of 3)

I'm not the kind of person that wins things. I’m the person that plays $50 on a lotto card and watches the person standing next to me who spent $1 win a million easy. That’s me. So winning the “make.believe” contest was a huge surprise. And since the majority of you don’t work with me, I figured it would be helpful to explain what exactly I was so excited about a couple of weeks ago.

Within the last month, the company I work for (Sony) opened up a contest to its US & Canada employees in support of its upcoming "make.believe" ad campaign. In an effort to showcase how Sony impacts various people in various ways, employees were asked to tell their "make.believe" stories in 150 words. After taking a few minutes to think of it, I came up with this:

“Ever since I began writing short stories as a child, I had envisioned each plot, or each scene of dialogue as if it were taken from a film only I could see. For years I could not fathom the possibility of one day watching my stories, and later scripts, brought to life on film. Then, several months ago, I came across Sony’s Handycam HDR-FX1000 and was quickly aware that producing my films may not be as outrageously expensive as I had imagined. For a reasonable price and with exceptional quality, I was able to film my first web series, a sci-fi thriller titled Linked. After submitting the pilot episode to the NATPE NextTV competition, it was voted into the finalist round. I was both surprised and honored, but more so than anything, I was thankful for having been given the opportunity to show the world my vision.”

Very short version of a much longer story about how Linked was created and completed, but you get the gist. I submitted and continued with my workday. About a week later I received a call from two producers. They explained to me that my story was being considered and they wanted to hear more. Over a 15 minute conversation I explained more in depth the creation of Linked, my follow-up producer role with The Work Jerks, and how not only did purchasing the camera allow me much more creative freedom, but also opened creative doors for me within my position at Sony. They were interested. Very interested it seemed, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

The grand prize announcement was to happen on November 2^nd, and on the preceding Friday I received another call. The producer told me I was in the running to win one of three grand prizes. The grand prize winners would have their story made into a video directed and produced by the same group handling the TV ad campaigns. They would also be flown to Vegas for the launch of the campaign at CES (that’s the huge annual electronics tradeshow) where the video would debut. AND they would receive an array of Sony products. Needless to say, I spent the weekend sleepless, contemplating whether or not I’d win.

That Monday I sat silently throughout the day. I had only mentioned the possibility of my win to a couple of friends. I was too afraid I’d lose. Later that afternoon, the entire building gathered into our atrium for the announcement. I stood within a small group of friends that were aware that I was a finalist but I told them to play it cool if my name wasn’t called. Sir Howard Stinger, Chairman, CEO & President of Sony Corp, walked onto the stage, introduced a great Playstation Home presentation and then announced that the event was being telecasted to Sony offices around the US and Canada. And so the pressure worsened. Until he said my name.

I was announced as the first of the three winners. I think the first thing I did was squeal, I can hardly remember. He asked me to raise my hand and as I did, watched 500+ people turn towards me. I smiled awkwardly and was relieved when the attention returned to him as he went on to read my story aloud. Completely surreal. Some of my coworkers found their way over to congratulate me. My boss, friends and boyfriend told me I never should have doubted myself. The minutes that followed were a complete blur. I could hardly text!

The other two winners were from our SCS and SCEA groups, I was the only one from SPE, which immediately led to a flurry of congratulatory emails from my colleagues all throughout NY and LA. I was so flattered and appreciative that I stayed at my desk past my usual exit time to answer each email. This was the beginning of something very special. And all I had to do…was not completely blow it.

(Part 2: I meet with the producers , Part 3: I visit LA – coming soon!)

A Nightmare on My Street

First off, let me start by saying this post is not about some neighborhood meltdown. No one was robbed or battered during the writing of this blog. What is it about then? A childhood fear realized in its entirety.

When I was almost four years old I was consumed by many things; Rainbow Brite, My Little Pony and chasing cute boys. (It started early, what can I say?) During one particular chase I ended up in a dark room with the only light shining from a TV in a far corner. A VHS player cranked nosily and a movie crept across the screen. I was mesmerized. By the boy I was chasing of course! But later, I was also intrigued by the screen. Something was happening. Something bad, and I couldn't turn away. A man in a red and black stripped sweater, face leaky and holed, brown Fedora draped on his skull, was creeping across the tube and he was scary. Super scary. Like scary in a way that one little 4 year old could never forget. He was Freddy Kruger. And because of him, I wouldn't sleep for the next seven years.

From the moment I saw "A Nightmare on Elm Street" I lost my sense of cool. Everything scared the crap out of me, even my Carebear if you threw a trashy Fedora on it. At first I couldn't sleep alone at all. When dawn would arrive you'd find me in one of two places: my mother's bed or her floor (if I was kicked out of said bed.) As I grew, the fear subsided, but only by spoonfuls. I had to sleep with the TV on. Then with a night light. And, on the eve of my start to the seventh grade, I gave it my best shot and went to sleep with a hope that nothing would go bump in the night, or claw me to death from under my bed (lovely.) I made it through that night (and all the others that followed.) Until tonight. Tonight I came face to face with my fear.

I was to attend the Fearnet screening of "Fear Clinic" starring none other than Robert Englund. I had to say his name 30 times before finally realizing it wasn't actually Freddy. I floated around the party, Chardonnay in my well-past-four-year-old hand, and while looking at my Blackberry, nearly walked into the legend himself. Looking very distinguished in a grey jacket with the collar popped, Mr. Kruger didn't look so menacing. He almost looked cool. He's just a man. He's just an actor. Nine years of insomnia for what?

I crept up to him. "Excuse me, Mister Englund?"
He turned to me with a smile.
"Because of you, I lost nine years of sleep."
He smiled at me, put an arm on my shoulder and said, "Sweetheart, it's a dirty job, but someone has to do it."
Then he posed for this picture...





...and suddenly...
I'm scared ALL over again.

=o)

Electric Empire Bridge

Subject: NY

Soundtrack: Jay-Z "Empire State of Mind" and Eddy Grant "Electric Avenue"

I have a friend named Molly. She's a lot of what I am and pieces of what I want to be. When choosing a place for my bday dinner she ventures outside the city (I usually stay w/in 3 avenues of my job. Lame.). "Let's go to Dumbo (Brooklyn.)" So we end up at The Water Street Restaurant. It's the kind of places that screams "You're by the water!" the moment you enter. And that's incredibly cool.

There are mouth watering burgers and a wine selection good enough to make you lick your lips twice. Many things to talk about but we are more like vacationers in a foreign city remembering the woes of our home land. This is awesome.

Tummies full and several brain cells depleted, we are done. "Let's check out the hood," says Molly. I easily oblige. I trust this girl will find fun in anything she adds to her to-do list. We head towards Brooklyn Heights.

Up a hill and over a cobble stoned street, she stops, mouth agape. "What's wrong?" She turns to me and asks, "Can we walk the Brooklyn Bridge?" And it is then I remember I never have. I nod with childish excitement and with a skip we scratch a check onto our bucket list.

It's foggy out. Several buildings disappear into the white-grey thickness above. Captivating is not strong enough a word. Each piece of wood upon which we step reverberates 100 years of existence. I want to laugh. Just because. (What the hell was in that wine?)

We're giddy. It's ridiculous. But we pass a celebrity with a smile on her face and think, she gets it too.

New York City is called a lot of things. I think of only the positive as I gaze from halfway across the East River. I can never leave this place.

An Ipod speaker blares "I want to walk down to Electric Avenue." It's Molly. Now we're boogieing over the last few steps into Manhattan. We're laughing. It's fun.

Simply, because it's New York.

Are you a Work Jerk?

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1) Learn who they are (by watching a fabulous trailer):




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5) Be greatful that you had an amazing, extremely funny and very non-jerk cast and crew to work with in making this all come together :)

The Work Jerks is a 7 episode comedy webseries, executive produced by moi, written and directed by Jaime Fernandez, a product of Side Job Productions, LLC. Many thanks to all those involved. It was so much fun to produce. Let's keep our fingers crossed for a season two :)