Report One: Book Review: "Hollywood Shack Job" by Harvey Kubernick

Since my interests lie in music and its crossing over into film, podcasts, and really any other medium, I felt this book was the perfect read for me.
The format of the book is unconventional because of the great use of interviews. Each chapter is dedicated to an influential person, or power house of operations, in the movement of the fusion of music and film. The first few pages within each chapter elaborates on the life of the person and their importance within the industry, then smooths over into pages and pages of recorded interview segments with that person. I appreciated this concept because it laid a very concrete ground of truth within the writing and little was left to the bias opinion of the author.
My favorite person covered in the book was D.A. Pennebaker, a man best known for his creations of documentaries of ground-breaking musicians. A couple of his well-known pieces are "Don't Look Back", "Ziggy", "Monterey Pop", "Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock", and "Gimmie Shelter". Throughout the interview many filming techniques and stories are revealed, the two most memorbale for me were about Bob Dylan and David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust. Pennebaker mentions going into shooting "Don't Look Back", a documentery about Bob Dylan on tour, without a storyboard or any sort of focus as far as beginning and end. He discusses Dylan being a creative entity within the production, completely falling into the role of being the main character and putting on a show without meaning to. Pennebaker continues to share stories such as not knowing who Ziggy Stardust was since he was originally sent to film a performance by David Bowie! I found this story to be one of the most amusing.
The book progresses in this sort of fashion of intimate interviews and introductions to a slew of people who made a difference in the merge of music and film, such as Fred Raphael, Andrew Oldham, Larry King, Clem Burke, Stephen Wooley...etc.
It is an incredibly interesting read for anyone who is interested in the history of music in film.

Report Two: Hollywood Trip review

When I first registered for the class, I had no knowledge of what the session was going to consist of, but based on the title of the class I had a little hope in my heart that it meant there would be a trip to Los Angeles. Lo and behold, the first day of class the announcement of the trip was made and I was truly excited for the adventure.

The foundation of the trip was a packed schedule of opportunistic meetings and a literal close-up look of the television industry in Los Angeles. Accenting these activities were the many minutes spent packed in a car, the many hours of insomnia, and most of all the overload of sporadic laughter throughout the trip. But what I came back to San Francisco was more than just memories, and the ultimate relief of being done with airport hassles. The whirlwind of the trip, full of information and great experiences, brought me to a revelation of sorts, bringing a better sense of what I would like to accomplish in my road to a career.

The first day was the most out of ordinary experience I've had in a while. The long brutal wait and process to get into the CBS studios for the filming of "The Price is Right" definitely tested my patience, but as we waited I realized how much preparation goes into having a live studio audience for taping. Of course, the show we went to was following tradition in having a live audience and choosing the lucky contestant by surprise during the show, but there is more than tradition that pushes shows like these to have a live audience. Not only does having a live audience make each show slightly different and more interesting for the crew, but the abstract aspects of raw emotion could not be captured without the live shouts andboos. I thought the whole experience was magnificent!

Out of all the Q&A sessions, I found the time spent at Paramount was my favorite and most informational. Anita Pepper, Wendi, Carla, and everyone was very "real" with us. I felt they really provided the class with information we found useful, such as resume tips, what is expected from an intern, how they got their jobs, and the truth about how difficult it is to be in the industry. I think it really helped put things in perspective for a lot of us.

I learned a lot about the ins and outs of the industry during this trip. The cliche about Hollywood being the "hurry up and wait business" rings true, as does the fact about the industry being pretty cut-throat. Hearing from David Sacks about how they get roughly six thousand resumes a day clearly laid the solidity of the competition that boils in Hollywood. Still, the entertainment industry is a world I am driven by and through the trip I've learned that I am particularly interested in the combination of music and film. The idea of producing music videos or editing music into film is where my interests are currently floundering. This realization definitely came to me after the trip, on my way home, and I am ecstactic that I've found some sort of focus.


Some other things I learned: i can be in L.A. without partying and still have fun, i don't kick in my sleep as much as i thought i did, airlines are notorious for loosing luggage (it happened to my roomie AND to me when i got back to SFO), sometimes judging a restaurant by it's "cover" is an accurate conclusion, even adults will flock in groups to catch a glimpse of Jessica Alba, Melissa Camacho loves...no, REALLY... LOVES chocolate, you've got to be a bit wacky if you live nearHollywood blvd. and work as a tour guide, bunions can make your life MISERABLE, and most importantly... PROFESSORS CAN FLY!

FAME JUNKIES by Jake Halpern

This is Tauri Miller's Review.

I read FAME JUNKIES by Jake Halpern and I found that it was an interesting perspective on the subculture that is Hollywood. The book is less of a historical account or informative text, and more of a social scientific analysis of what drives America to strive for Fame above all else.

I would recommend the book if you want an in-depth look at the social implication of America's obsession with Fame and Hollywood celebrities. I wouldn't recommend the book if you are looking for a book about the history of business aspects of Hollywood.

Overall:

3 out of 5 Stars

Media Technology and Society: A History: From the Telegraph to the Internet

Brian Winston’s Media Technology and Society: A History: From the Telegraph to the Internet is precisely what the title implies: a history of media technologies and their places in the social sphere. The book is divided into four parts by type of technology: point-to-point, broadcast, computing, and networking. Each chapter, complete with endnotes, highlights the history of a specific technology discussed in detail. The writing is dense, dry, technical Queen’s English, aided by an evolving diagram that helps illustrate how technology fulfills needs in society.

An interesting and informative read for technophiles and media scholars, Media Technology and Society is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to know the history of communications technologies.

Hollywood

Hollywood (1989) by Charles Bukowski is a satirical novel loosely based around the real life experiences that occurred during the making of the movie Barfly, a film on centered on Bukowski’s real life experiences growing up in Los Angeles hanging out in bars. Bukowski’s literary alter ego, Henry Chinaski, writes a screenplay for producer Jon Pinchot (Barbet Schroeder) about his life. Pinchot sets about getting the screenplay turned into an actual film through various schemes and Hollywood dealings.
The Dance of Jim Beam (Barfly) starred Francine Bowers (Faye Dunnaway) and Jack Bledsoe (Mickey Rourke). However, Bukowski really wanted Sean Penn (Tom Pell) to play the lead role, believing Penn could add more authenticity to the role. The book is deeply veined in Bukowski’s signature style of dark humor and wit, although not as biting or self-deprecating as some of his poetry or other works of fiction it's still an enjoyable page turner and a humorous take on the movie making business.
Rating 4 out of 5.

Show Runner: Producing Variety and Talk Shows for Television

Show Runner: Producing Variety and Talk Shows for Television (2004) by long-time producer Steve Clements chronicles his own history in Hollywood and provides a thorough schematic of not only what it takes to be a successful show runner but also elucidates the various roles and responsibilities of the entire production crew that contribute to the final product. It is written for both the lay person and for those who already have some industry knowledge of Hollywood but may want an inside look at day-to-day activities.

This book is an easy and very entertaining read filled with humorous stories and insight spread across the years. Its greatest value derives from Clements’ vast experience as a producer and show runner. He not only breaks down the elusive titles and roles that the moniker “producer” is often attached to, such as executive producer, line producer, segment producer, field producer, associate producer, et al., but brings into focus the interactions between all members of the production team. As well, he takes the reader from initial show concept, pitches (to various different and intertwined industry entities) and pilots, to pre-production, production, and post-production. He includes samples of leave-behinds, budgets, rundowns, daily production schedules and more. What is also important is that Clements also addresses how industry roles and procedures have sometimes changed over the years, especially in light of mergers and conglomeration. Another, fine feature of the book, is that he also takes the time conversationally, to define all of the industry jargon that he uses—lingo that anyone who hopes to be in the business should be able to understand and use in order to hold a competent conversation in regards to any project.

The material covered within the chapters of this book is applicable to many other types of TV programs and even other media. I unhesitatingly recommend Show Runner to anyone with an interest not only in production but also how business in Hollywood actually works. This book is a keeper!

Directing for Television: Conversations with American TV Directors

Directing for Television: Conversations with American TV Directors by Brian Geoffrey Rose was a great book! When searching for information on directors, books, magazines and websites are almost always about film directors. However, television directors are much less famous and in many ways have much harder jobs. TV directors have tremendous challenges of getting hours of programming done every month and keeping things on budget all while being creative and keeping the quality of the show high. Film directors have months to complete a two hour movie, while TV directors may only have a few days to complete one hour of programming. TV directors also have the challenge of putting some shows together live.

This book is a rare source of great information about the hidden craft of directing television. There are many different types of TV directing. Some directors direct shows as if they would a movie, using a single camera at a time perfecting the acting, lighting, and sound of a scene, and then editing it all together at the end. Other directors sit off of the set and in a control room verbally putting a show together as it goes on, coordinating audio and lighting crews, talent, and as many as a dozen cameras all at the same time. Many of these shows are done live. Other directors do some kind of combination, producing a dramatic show with actors and a script, but as if it were being broadcast live to save money and time. This book covered all of these different directing approaches.

The book was structured in an interview format, with the editor asking questions of some of the best directors in the business. Many of these directors helped make television what it is today. These directors all came from different places and they all ended up in a different place in their careers. Not only does this give a great variety in perspectives, but it offers a personal view as well. This book doesn’t read like a textbook, giving one-sided facts about the industry. Rather, it gives practical advice from real people who have had success. It goes into detail about the daily lives of industry professionals and the challenges they face. As someone who wants to be a TV director, this book was a great resource for me!

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a career in television, or to someone who is interested in the media business. TV directors are in many ways the backbone of our world of entertainment, but they go very much unrecognized. For as hard as their job is, very few people know about TV directors, and the details about what their jobs entail. Most TV directors live in the shadows of film directors and TV producers. This book offers a hard to find perspective about the true craft of director for television.