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!
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