I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream during a Recession

Friends often ask me if I see the effects of the recession here in LA. My answer before was, "Not really." More recently I can answer an astounding "yes." All around my neighborhood there are apartments going for rent, houses for sale, and businesses shutting down. Most recently I've noticed the Videohut on my street has been shut down. Bad for them, good for any investor wanting to start a business. As far as commercial space goes, the spot is ideal. It's right off Vermont, and right in the heart of Los Feliz. I think it would be an ideal spot for anyone with a solid business plan. 

While I'm in no place to start a business of my own, I can't help but brain-storm what kind of business would work well there. At first I thought a new coffee shop would do well. It's tough because the resident coffee-shop (Pyshco-Babble) is right next door. But in all honesty I think any coffee shop could put them out of business. Their service sucks, the menu is extremely limited, and the seating is shabby at best(even with newly purchased couches). I'll admit I go there frequently, but only out of convenience. 

I thought a bar or restaurant would do well. But the area is extremely saturated with those services already, and while a few genres of food are missing from the area, I think it'd be way to risky to compete on such a busy street. 

As far as retail stores go, the area is missing a music store, tech store (like an apple store), and a world export/antique type store. But I think opening any type of retail based industry would be an awful idea in a recession/borderline depression. 

I also thought about a gym type service: martial arts studio, yoga gym, boxing gym, etc... But I think the demographic is not quite right for that type of place.

Which leads me to my last idea, which is a great one if I do say so myself: an old school ice cream shop. Brilliant eh? Firstly, it's hot in LA. People are always looking for something to cool down. Secondly, there are tons of yogurt stands and froo-froo smoothie stands, but no good whole calorie artisan ice cream places. Services  like Burger King and Carl's Jr. still compete with their healthier counterparts like Subways and, ummmm, McDonalds? Thirdly, you can use the space for a coffee-shop-type space as well. Los Angeles has more writers than anywhere, and they're always looking for hip-places to congregate and work. Congregating people=business. Just make sure you have some nice coffee to serve. Fourthly, it's a family friendly concept. Build anything that attracts a family atmosphere and you instantly open up your demographic two-fold. It's why G rated movies do so well. Lastly, you could remodel. Place a wall right under the loft, and you'd have space for the register and ice-cream makers. It works perfectly. And my favorite part of the whole thing? Me getting to make up ice-cream flavors...

Adobe Delight- A long time ago my Mom actually won a silent auction prize that enabled us to come up with an ice cream flavor (an owner of an ice cream shop was the father of a kind in my class). This is what we came up with: Coffee ice cream, swirls of caramel, and chunks of cookie crust. Just think mud pie in ice cream form.

Tahitian Vanilla- Everybody loves vanilla. Cause it's vanilla. Just make sure you get high quality vanilla, and add a little of that bean in there. Yum. 

Peppermint- Just take some vanilla and through in some peppermint in there. I had a homemade version of this on an ice cream cake and it was delicious. Plus the way the mint and coldness of the ice cream play on your tongue is wonderful. 

Berkshire Blackberry- There was an ice cream story in Lenox called Bev's that we would often stop at after school. My Mom's favorite flavor there was this blackberry ice cream. It was delicious. And it's a flavor you don't see too often, so I think it would do well. 

Fat Dad- Ok, so this is a poor rip off of Ben and Jerry's 'Chubby Hubby'. But it's one of the best flavors I can think of: vanilla ice cream, peanut butter swirl, and chocolate covered pretzels. If heaven was an ice cream that is what it would be. I think to add a twist I would try putting in crunchy peanut butter. 

Maple Pecan- Something about maple syrup ice cream sounds delicious. And with toasted pecan pralines? yum. 

Bailey's Mint Chip- Why don't they make Bailey's Irish cream anymore? I'd throw some mint chips in there. Who doesn't love mint in ice cream?

Lastly, I would totally offer root-beer floats, served in cool looking soda fountain style long cups, and with long spoons. Or any soda float you want for that matter. Hmm, all this ice cream talk is making me hungry...

What flavors would you make? 

Back from Vacation

Or I was. It certainly seems that way at least from the lack of activity in my blog. Sorry. Not that anyone is reading this, but sorry. I'm back. 

Yes, back from vacation. I have a few entries I want to throw in from my holiday times, but I'm going to put a bit more thought into those. One problem I seem to have blogging is that I sometimes work on pieces off-site, or save them as drafts. I then worry too much about them being well thought out, or well written. But that's not really the point of a blog is it? Blogs are "push-button-publishing". They're supposed to be that stream of thought you pour out in a single sitting. I suppose something to work on. I'll still have my long thought out posts, but I should make more effort to put ink on the page so to speak. But I digress...

So I'm back from the holidays. I had a wonderful time back home. I spent a lot of time with my family. Spent time with my friends, and saw a whole bunch of old alumni (which was very interesting, and maybe a topic for another post). But now I am back. And I actually feel pretty good about it. It's a new year. And I'm hoping to make it a good one. It's certainly started on a good note, cause I came back directly to working for my old boss and old company, and I couldn't be happier. 

It's always nice working for someone you enjoy working for again. This time around we're gearing up for a concert in Philadelphia for the Academy of Music. It'll be nice to travel, and see a bit more of a historic city I hardly know. On that note I'm off to bed. It's been a long week... what? It's only Wednesday?

The Dark Side of Hollywood

So I recently started a new job. A pilot for a major music station (Starts with an M, ends with a V, and has a T in the middle). It's a great gig so far, and I love the people I work with. I'm learning a ton, and I'm getting thrown into a lot of areas that I've never worked in before (casting, locations, etc...). I have many more stories, but I'd like to devote more time to telling them. But in the mean time I have a fun anecdote. 

So I was getting ready with my Production Manager to head out and do MOS (man on the street interviews. Not to be confused with the filmic term MOS which means "Mit Out Sound", another story) at Hollywood and Highland. Having worked as a PA collecting releases there before I was sharing my horror stories with her. One obstacle in particular is dealing with the wackos that dress up as various movie heroes and villains that hang around the area. They pose with tourists, then request a modest tip for their "performance"...

Me: I hate dealing with the characters there. They are so annoying. Especially Darth Vader, he's a jerk. 

PM: Yeah. Darth Vader's a big jerk. Who would've thought.

Me: And all this time I just thought it was a bad rap. 

Stories From Provo

Well this week has been different. Compared to my 12-14 hour work days from last week, this week's breather was nice. I'm still working, technically, although I've really had nothing to do all week save for a few calls here and there. So I thought I'd share some stories of my trip to Utah. It was a fun adventure, it was a lot of fun, with many stories. But instead of writing a long post I thought I'd do some bullet-blogging (patent-pending). 

*************

• I have a newfound respect for mormons. Upon first impressions I thought it was going to be crazy town USA. No swearing, no drinking, no overt sexuality, no drugs, no caffeine, and women can't even expose their shoulders. But instead I was pleasantly surprised by the people there. They were all so nice, and polite. Sure their work ethic was not as fast-paced as those coming from LA, but nearly the entire staff at the Stadium was filled by volunteers, people who were working for free, and proudly, to create something larger for the community. I feel like so many people think mormons are these weird polygamists with horns on their heads, but I found nothing to be further from the truth. What is wrong with a little modesty? If anything I think the world would be a better place if we all practiced it in our everyday a little more. 

• Blue Man Group is awesome. They were called in for a sound check the Wednesday before the show, but instead they had a full-scale rehearsal. They actually had three leading up to their performance Friday night. Even during their rehearsals their energy was amazing, and felt like a live show. Their main mission statement is to bring the audience out of their comfort zones, out of the culturally defined ways to behave, and try to transport them to a place of primal group reaction. A great show, backed with great sounds. I definitely recommend checking them out at some point in your life. I know I need to check out a full show sometime. 

• I love my boss. I probably couldn't say this enough times on this blog. During the shows my main job is to follow him around and assist him in anyway needed. But it's amazing to see him in action. He has this quiet and confident demeanor about him, along with dry wit. When he walks about everyone treats him with the utmost respect, and dignity. I don't think I truly understood what power was until you experience it first hand. He's like a General. A true leader, who always has a game-plan, who knows when to reprimand and when to encourage. I've learned so much from him, and I hope to be the type of leader he is one day. 

• M.i.l.e.y C.y.r.u.s. was interesting. I write her name like that so I don't have a million people Googling my website. Cause trust me, it will happen. She sold out a 50,000 crowd in less than ten minutes. There were a thousand little girls wearing pink t-shirts, dressing like MC, waving signs, and screaming at the very mention of her name. Not only was the noise from the crowd overwhelming, but the pitch at which they screamed at was deafening. Regardless, it was very cute to see five year olds dancing on top of their chairs at their first "rock" concert. And I certainly give credit to our headliner. For a fifteen year-old she had some amazing stage presence. 

• Did I mention I love my boss? Among the notes I take during the power meetings (when I get to sit in on the meetings between the two head honchos, one being my boss) like things for me to do and remind my boss of, I write down the side of the pad various vocab my boss spits out. He's ridiculously smart, and I'm a sucker for a large vocabulary (especially from a beautiful woman). Here are just a few of my favorite new words from my boss. 

Gestalt (noun)- An organized whole that is perceived as more than a sum of it's parts. 

Glib (adjective) - (of words or the person speaking them) fluent and voluble but insincere

Espouse (verb) - to adopt of support (a belief, a way of life, a cause)

he didn't use this one, but it's another favorite word I've recently discovered...

Schadenfruede (noun) - pleasure derived from another person's misfortune

• It was great to do something good for a change. One of my main jobs for the show was to assist in getting a satellite feed up so that three soldiers in Iraq could talk to their wives in Provo. The wives thought they were just going to make a recording to say 'hi' to their husbands, so they were completely surprised when they saw them on the big screen. It was really heart warming to see, and it made me feel good to be a part of that. 

• The entire show was broadcast around the world on the armed forces network, so that servicemen and women around the world could watch a fourth of July event back home. It really felt good to contribute back to them. I think military service is one of the most noble things you can do with your life. Sure you might not agree with our leader, but you're giving your life to your country, which I think is brave as all hell. When the service men and women walked into the stadium during the pre-show the entire audience stood up and gave them a standing ovation. I wish that was something more people did. 

• We had a chocolate fountain in our trailer. It started off as an inside joke between the Executive Producers and our Operations Coordinator, but then one day one actually appeared in our trailer. It was lovely. Great idea. Everything tastes better in chocolate. 

• Glenn Beck. Well, to begin with I've always appreciated Glenn Beck. I like some of what he says, then he seems to go too far with it, and loses me completely. But above all I do respect that he attempts to use logic in his arguments, and expects the same from his opposition. But meeting him in real life gave me a new appreciation for him. He is actually quite charismatic, and a pretty funny guy. He gentlemanly, and very professional. I don't think I agree with his politics any more than I did before, but as a person I respect him much more now. 

• A new friend (and reader) from Provo wanted me to share this story (my details may be off here or there, but the story should still ring the same):

What is Fourth of July without Flags? Not Fourth of July. So as part of the celebrations someone from the Foundation ordered a few thousand miniature flags for the event. And where do you go for cheap American  flags? China of course. Well they don't ship directly from China for some reason. A quicker air freight is from Beijing, to Chicago, to Cincinnati, to Salt Lake, to Provo. Well my new friend didn't order the flags, but she was in charge of tracking the package to see when it was going to arrive. She saw the slow progress the flags made as they leisurely traveled the world. So a day or two before our event, and after arriving in Cincinnati an associate called the shipping facility and talked to someone, who passed him onto someone, who passed him onto a manager. The manager located the shipment, and asked if they wanted it expedited to our offices so that the package would make it in time. He said "yes", and asked how much it would cost. The manager weighed the package. Now how much should thousands of flags weigh? Fifty pounds? Sixty pounds? Nope, twelve ounces. It looked like they sent a sample by accident. So instead of a large box with flags there was a small envelope. So the envelope was sent to the office, they figured out another flag source, and waited with bated breath for the "package". It arrived at the office moments before the event, impeccable timing. Eagerly they opened it. But no flag was to be found; instead a small sample of Viagra. Not even a full bottle, just a sample. (Insert flag raising joke here). Moral of the story? Never buy anything over seas with a money order or by wire. 

Day 5

Oh the wheel in the sky keeps on turning. I don't know where I'll be tomorrow. Wheel in the sk...

*snooze button*

                                                            ~ seven minutes later....

Everyone's wondering, will you come out tonight. Everyone's trying to get it right, get it right.

Everybody's working for the weekend. Everybody wants a little romance. Everybody's goin' off the deep end. Everybody needs a second chance, oh...

*fist pump - fist pump - fist pump*

I'm usually a two to three snooze guy, aspiring to be a no snooze guy. But today I felt peppy, and of course with the apropos Loverboy song rocking it was much easier to get up. It's still bizarre waking up in a hotel room. White stale sheets replacing my down comforter, polar-like AC replacing my fan, and a loud radio clock replacing my zen alarm clock. It's day five now, and I'm still getting used to this work on the road thing. I have a friend who does this for a living. Constantly traveling the globe and living from a suitcase. I can see the appeal, it's fun to explore a strange place as a small team. Being in new surroundings, getting the USA Today at your doorstep every morning, working together in a close-knit conference room, complaining about the chain restaurant food and hot weather. It's fun. I won't say I miss "home", but I miss my friends. It's far too early to say I'm lonely, but there are times I feel the pangs of longing. 

Yesterday we had our group meeting where we went over the rundown- a document giving in precise detail the timing of each element of our show. It was amazing to see everyone who works on the job in a single room, and it really showed me how many people it takes to put together a show. There were Producers, script supervisors, pyrotechnicians, audio designers, lighting designers, stage managers, stagehands, riggers, policemen, firemen, sponsors, dance choreographers, talent coordinators, production coordinators, production managers, vendors, cameramen, post production people, etc... It was incredible to see them all in one room working towards a single goal. In TV and film production you can take an abstract idea and turn it into reality using the magic of editing and film technique. In live events you have to use man-power and creativity to bring an abstract idea to life, oh, and you only get one shot at it. 

It's very exciting to see the entire thing come together. The stage being built, the dancers rehearsing, our pyro-guy describing the various fireworks displays he has planned (which was awesome. I'd love his job). Tomorrow we move into the stadium. I kind of got giddy when I saw our trailer, it's marked "Creative". There is something very satisfying about that. I think no matter what job I end up in I always want to be on the "creative" side of things, it's way more fun. It's definitely one of the things I love about my job, everyday I get to do something different. Sometimes it's researching the Revolutionary War to help my boss write the script, other times it's looking up "Americana" music to make a playlist when the audience in entering the stadium (which of course I loved), other times it's coordinating, acquiring media and working directly with our post production people. I've gotten a lot closer to my teammates, and it's definitely starting to feel like a family. I'm not sure if it's the show, or the place, or the fact we're on the road, but everyone here seems a bit looser. Which is good, cause I'm able to loosen up as well and act a bit more like myself. If you've ever worked with me you'll know I'll always work my but off, and put my all into my projects; but you'll also know I'll play around like a five year old any chance I get. I believe in working hard and playing hard. 

An example was when we first entered our work space. The tables in the room were set in a circular pattern around the room, leaving a large space open in the middle. I decided to place the trash can in the middle so that everyone could have a little free-throw practice during work. It's very amusing to see your older bosses shoot baskets. I highly recommend it if you get the chance. 

Anyhow, speaking of work I should get back to it. I felt a bit obligated to write in my blog. One of my original goals for this blog was to get back in the habit of writing, and I definitely feel it working. Throughout the day I find myself wandering into thoughts that I can later write and share with the world. I find myself crafting sentences, and playing with words. I recently agreed to join a script writing club, and hopefully that will inspire me to write more as well. Better get back to work. 

Oh, here is a funny link I found involving our headliner. She arrives Friday I believe, should be interesting.... 

Welcome to Provo

Today for work I traveled to Provo, Utah for the next show I'm working on Stadium of Fire. It marks the first time I've traveled for work, and it was pretty interesting. At the airport I met up with my bosses and a co-worker, then we hopped onto a little plane to head East. I think as far as airplanes go there are two types of people: aisle people and window people (I'm sure there must be middle-seat people, but I have yet to meet one). I'm definitely a window seat person. I like looking out the window to see the views from above. You can learn a lot from high up, like:

• There are a lot of people with pools in LA

• The I-10 looks much better from above than on and directly behind a parade of cars. 

• There are some beautiful mountains just North of LA. 

• Golf courses take up roughly about the same size as five or so neighborhoods

• Hills mean nothing for urban planners

The plane ride was short, and we soon arrived in Utah. We all hopped into our Lincoln Denali and started our trek to Provo. It was fun traveling with my team. We kind of felt like, well, a team. Like we were storming into this small town on a mission. We arrived at the hotel checked in then grabbed a quick lunch. There wasn't much rest time, as my boss had me bring my laptop to lunch so that I could work at the table  :/  

I am amazed by the internet, it is amazing. You can literally do almost anything with it. As an abstract idea we are having dancers hide behind a sheet to replicate famous photographs through time representing moments in freedom: end of WWII, the civil rights movement, the Berlin Wall coming down, etc... As my job I needed to track down these photos, and acquire them in high resolution form. So for example I needed to find the picture of the protester at Tiananmen Square blocking the tanks. So with that I googled a loose description, found the picture. Found out the picture is referred to as "The Unknown Rebel", discovered the photographer Jeff Widner. I found his website (check out his portfolio, he's got a lot of good stuff), and discovered he now works at the Honolulu Advertiser (Awful name for a paper, but at least they're honest). Yellowpages.com search for the paper, then called directly and got in touch with Jeff. Spoke to him, and got the photo use for free. My big victory of the day. 

But it's amazing how much information we can drum up with a few clicks of the keyboard and taps of the mouse. In the large scheme of things I think the internet is going to be an incredible tool for the future of mankind. I think it'll open communication between cultures, and bring people together. We will learn more about each other, and get a greater human understanding of one another.  Others will learn about human rights, and we will learn about those who infringe upon them and challenge them.  

Sorry, random tangent, back to the travel theme. I'm excited to be back in the Southwest. I think the four corners might be my favorite corner of the world. I love having snow capped mountains looming over me in the distance. I love that I can peek out my balcony and see a dark night sky with stars. I'm hoping I get to play a little while I'm here, but I don't have any expectations on that front. I know we're here for business, and there is a lot of work to do before our event. But I'd better head to bed, speaking of work; it awaits me only a few hours away- Goodnight room. Goodnight moon. Goodnight weekend. 

Best Job In The World

Randomly today my friend sent me a link to this video called "Where the Hell is Matt?" (2008). It's funny cause I was actually just looking at the video last week and I wanted to post something about it. So I guess it must be kismet telling me to write about this video. 

I originally stumbled across this video a year or two ago. I thought it was pretty awesome, so I checked out the guy's homepage to learn a bit more. 

Apparently he's just a normal dude with a weird dance, but during his travels he decided to record his goofy dance all over the world. He then posted it online and was approached by Stride gum to go and do it again with a bigger budget. So basically through his inborn ability to dance like a goofball, the internet, and a far reach by a gum company he was paid to go around the world and travel. How sweet is that? 

I've always had a saying, "Find what you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life." I recently shared my insight with a co-worker of mine, and she responded that I'm good to work with cause I also am open minded, and approach my work with a good attitude. It got me thinking, what if I'm cruising through life content with work, and missing out on a job, or other opportunities that I would love even more because of an easy going attitude. Living in a lake house in the Adirondacks and swimming the fresh waters every morning, and canoing under the full moon at night. Or a teaching skiing in Telluride, backcountry camping in the summers. Teaching in Santa Fe, enjoying the sunsets and earthy smell of the pinon pines. I love my work, but there are so many things about it that cause me hesitation in devoting my life to it. I love working on production, the thrill of thinking on your feet, working with people from completely different walks of life, adapting to challenges, doing something new everyday, and seeing a large abstract idea come together through a little elbow grease and team-work. But there are so many other things I dislike about it, mainly the time commitment, the 16-18 hour days, and the fact I'm more or less stuck here in LA if I truly want to make it. It hinders so many of goals/joys in my life: my social life, building a family, having a dog again, martial arts, skiing, travel, living abroad, being in nature- if only I had 100 lives to live. 

But I still do love what I do. I hope to achieve success in my field. I hope to create, share and teach through my craft. The main reason I chose to get into the film industry to begin with was to reach out to people, to teach and inspire. Sure travel and dancing like a goof would be fun, but I'm hoping to contribute more to the world than viral videos. Regardless, I am in awe of Matt's travels, and very envious of his adventures. 

Here is his newest video.

It's Show Time

I'm excited. I'm here late late late working, but it's ok. I'm very excited about tomorrow's show.

 

For those who don't know, my most recent job in my ventures as an independent contractor happens to be working in live events. Right now I am working on the Opening Night at the Hollywood Bowl and Hall of Fame concert. Tonight we've been going through rehearsal's, lighting focusing, sound checks, and testing the video playback. It's all very cool to see and be a part of. Ever since I was in high school I loved being back stage. I wasn't a very good actor, but I helped as a stage hand whenever my sports allowed. There is something so cool about being back stage, and being part of a live show. I love my work in film and TV production, but there is something so different about live events. It's that energy you feel the night of the show, the ability to be part of the event you help produce and feel the audience's presence. I love that I can sit in the wings and see both the crowd's faces peering out from the dark and the performers under the spot light. 

I'm even more excited cause a piece that I've been bleeding over for the past few weeks has come to fruition and is going to be shown to open the show. It's basically a short montage of TV clips involving the Hollywood Bowl in one way or another. I've been slaving away acquiring rights for all of the footage (which is probably the second most painful thing in the world to do only behind sticking a screw-driver between your fingernails). And most recently my boss has had me edit it together and sweeten the sound. Granted I didn't actually direct or shoot the footage, but it will be the largest audience of any piece I've created, so I am very very excited (and proud I might add). 

My thesis advisor in college once told me about this professor he had that would arrive to class with a paper bag in hand, then place it on his desk. He would sit, patiently, waiting for class to begin. As soon as the clock hit whatever time it needed to hit he reached into the bag and pulled out this crumpled up blazer, which he would then put it on and teach class. I guess the reason I'm referring to this anecdote is because I was reminded of it yesterday with my boss. Right when Liza Minnelli showed up it was go time. Him and his co-producer threw on their jackets and were ready to go. It's just so much fun to watch him work his magic at this event: working with people, organize a large amount of jobs, and string together a show opening last minute on only a few beads of information (because on top of everything else he writes the entire show). 

I love my boss. He's literally a genius. Watching him analyze, prioritize, and put together a long list of details in no time at all is amazing. He is by far the most eloquent, professional, and gentlemanly person I've ever worked with, and just being in his presence and observing I am learning so much. I'm learning the right way to request things, the right way to deal with people, the right way to conduct business, format a letter, basically produce. He's definitely become a teacher and mentor for me. I'm learning so much from him, and I will be forever grateful. 

But I digress... I'm actually finishing this post right now, Friday, as we're gearing up for the show, and I can feel that electric buzz in the air. Rehearsals are in full swing, and our show clothes are hanging on the wardrobe racks. I can't wait to hear the low hum of the people filing into their seats. Blue stage lights come up as they slowly replace the sun dropping below the Hollywood Hills. To see that glow in everyone's eye back-stage, preparing themselves for battle. 

I love my work.