And the long-awaited Part 2 is finally here! If you haven't read Part 1 yet, click here. Enjoy!

May 20, 2018

Today began with another one of my childhood dreams coming true — I saw Doc Brown’s DeLorean from Back to the Future! The historic Gamble House in Pasadena was the filming location for some of the classic movie, and each year they host a Back to the Future celebration. The event was open to the public, so the line of fans stretched down the street and around the block. But luckily, our student status got us a ticket to the front! We toured the craftsman home, which was built in 1908 by the famous family behind one half of Procter & Gamble. I love looking at places like this that are full of so much history and gorgeous architecture. Plus, the DeLorean was right outside, so that was nice.

The rest of the day was dedicated to a networking event that our professor set up for us. He invited a number of various creators in the industry who specialized in departments from video editing to costume design. I struck up a conversation with Maura Gannett, a studio teacher and welfare worker in LA. She told me about the steps she took to get where she is today, stories about working on set, and details of her job.

I’ve always said that if I didn’t end up working in the film industry, I would be a teacher. Probably English. I knew kids on set had to keep up their studies while they were at work. I remember seeing behind the scenes footage of Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson sitting at their desks with math textbooks open just before they were called onto the set of Hogwarts. But the idea of fulfilling this job had never dawned on me until I met Maura. Everything she talked about seemed like a perfect combination of everything I love.

I think there is part of me that will always want to be a teacher; I really do love the school environment and working with children. However, I also know there is no way I will ever give up my passion for this industry. I had never considered combining the two, but now that idea is stored in my mind. Maybe an opportunity will open up one day.

***

I know what it feels like to be excited, so happy about something that I can’t stop smiling. But I don’t think I’ve ever felt as much excitement as I did today in my whole life. I almost cried. I was over the moon, over the sun, over the universe. Yes, that is possible.

At the networking event, I got to talking with Jim and Dawn O’Keeffe, our hosts, and told them about my life goal to work at Pixar Animation Studios. When I mentioned the place, Dawn looked at Jim, said, “When you say Pixar, that reminds me…”, and left the sentence hanging in the air. My heartbeat sped up as I waited for the conclusion because I had a wish of what it might be. I never thought the wish would actually come true.

Long story short, I now have a connection to my dream job. It was the craziest moment of my life.

May 21, 2018

We visited another insanely busy set today on the Universal Studios backlot, of all places. We spent a lot of the day at the lot of Home & Family, a lifestyle show on the Hallmark channel, watching them tape the next day’s episode, observing the production trailer, and talking with producers and technicians. This set was unlike anything I had seen before.

I’m a huge fan of Saturday Night Live, which, as given by their title, is recorded live. In between segments and commercial breaks, they’ll sometimes show the crew setting up the next set or the cameras moving from one location to the next. It all seems fast and furious — gotta stick to the time! Home & Family was a lot the same, even though they film “live-to-tape”, meaning they shoot the show as if it were live, do minimal editing, and send the recording to the distributor for the next day’s airtime. Still, the set is full of manic energy. Cameras roll from room to room with seconds to spare before the recording light comes on, the make up department rushes in and out to touch up the stars’ faces, cue cards are shuffled around, and the assistant director is constantly on a countdown. I think if I ever worked on a set rather than in a studio, I would want to work on live (or live-to-tape) television. There is always something going on, somewhere do be, someone needing you to do something. It’s so exciting!

Also, William Shatner was there. No biggie.

Afterwards, we went back to USC to attend a screening of Bart Layton’s new film American Animals. Wow. This film is incredible. I was on the edge of my seat from the beginning to end. Every aspect of the picture captivated me. My heart was racing at times, and I wanted to cry in others.

American Animals is the story of four college students who attempted one of the most daring art heists in American history. It is a real story, though not necessarily or completely true. Layton found the structure for his film in the letters that the four real men wrote to him from jail. Each one of them came from a different perspective. They remembered the story differently, had different motives, different opinions and feelings about what they had done. Layton stitched a narrative and a documentary into one; the real life men added commentary to the story unfolding on screen, sometimes even jumping in the picture with their portrayal. At the base of it, the story not only concentrated on the heist, but also on the characters’ reasons for doing something so audacious. How did they rationalize the crime? How are they coping with it now? And we were able to hear an explanation from the real people, not just what was scripted for their caricatures.

We also heard from Bart Layton and one of the actors, Blake Jenner, in a Q&A at the end of the film. I have never gotten to see a screening of a movie like this, especially with direct commentary following. Being a religious follower of behind the scenes content, I was thrilled to listen to Layton and Jenner’s creative processes. I had fallen in love with this piece of art so quickly, and for good reason, I think. So to follow that with a truly unique explanation of how it was made caused me to fall even deeper in love. Go see this movie!

May 22, 2018

Everyone keeps saying that each day keeps topping the last. “This is the greatest day ever!” gets repeated literally everyday. Today has been one of my personal favorites, though.

We drove back to Universal Studios to take a tour of the backlot, which was something I had been itching to do since I saw them from a distance just a few days ago. We started at the post production office, made our way through the prop and costume departments, and stopped on the set of The Good Place.

I love that show so very much, and the only way I can try to explain the feeling of walking along the cobblestone streets is that it felt a lot like Diagon Alley. Let me explain. If you’ve ever been to the Wizarding World at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, and love Harry Potter like I do, you’ve probably walked down their Diagon Alley. It’s like stepping into the film or the book. There is so much detail, so many hidden gems, it is like you’ve really walked into the world of Harry Potter.

It felt the same in The Good Place. It was its own world. It’s like I had died and gone to heaven. Welcome! Everything is fine.

We continued our tour of Universal as we drove through the various sets that have been used in classics like Psycho and War of the Worlds. We were in the midst of history, and it was so inspiring. But there was still more to the day.

After a desperately-needed and glorious nap, we travelled to Palos Verdes near Santa Monica to meet with Joseph and Aalia Lanius, executive producer and author, respectively. As we munched on pizza and other various snacks, Joseph shared a lot of information about the business side of the industry that we hadn’t heard yet. I knew there was a lot that went into the legalities of filmmaking, but after hearing what he had to say about copyright law, budgeting, etc., I realized that I want to look into more of it. I know I don’t want to go into that area of the industry, but I need to be aware of what I can and can’t do.

Both of them gave some pieces of advice that I’ve added to the “Keeping in My Back Pocket Forever” file, too. It keeps growing; I might need another one by the end of the trip.

They told us to never give up on our dreams. They are what drive our creativity, our passion, our work ethic. Without those dreams, we wouldn’t be where we are today, planning for where we want to be in the future.

They also told us to invest in ourselves, which is something I hadn’t heard yet but made perfect sense. Building your name and your presence by taking trips to places like film festivals, attending networking events and parties, or simply updating your wardrobe for these events — it does make a difference. Get your name and your face out there. People will begin to recognize you and put a face to your work. From there, the path only goes up.

But most importantly, Aalia told us before we left, “It’s not about how many times you fall down. It’s about how many times you get back up.” And it’s true. Staying persistent, driven, dedicated, and passionate will only build your confidence and prove that you can get where you want to be.

May 23, 2018

Camera day! First stop: Canon.

Everyone at this facility was incredibly welcoming. It felt like such a nurturing atmosphere for creators of all kinds, whether you work with cameras or editing software or the public. Canon created an environment where everyone on the creative spectrum could come to ask questions, discover new ideas, and experiment with their knowledge. I realized how much I wanted to find a community like that with like-minded people who encouraged my work as I did theirs. As we all tested out the cameras before us, I looked to my right and to my left. I think I’ve found that community for myself.

Our second stop was Panavision, aka the birthplace of modern filmmaking and all its glory.

Here we got to see an overwhelming amount of history. From camera models to Oscars, Panavision has it all. David Dodson, a former MTSU student, showed us around the facility, spilling the details on the prep rooms, camera manufacturing process, and more. Being in the same place as all of the origins of the film industry, I made sure to appreciate everything that has brought the industry to where it is today. We started our tour with the earliest camera built by Panavision, the MGM Camera 65 from 1954, and ended with a look at an IMAX camera. We’ve leapt, and it has only been 64 years. Where do we go from here?

For dinner, we made our way back down to Sunset Boulevard and Downtown Hollywood. The lights flooded the famous street, and I admired the twilight glow of the evening until we turned off of the main road into a neighborhood. We stopped in at MTSU professor and professional sound master Daniel Rowland’s house for the evening. While we were there, we all talked about what we had been getting out of the trip so far. We have learned so much, but one moment still stands out to me — connecting to Pixar. I offered my two cents to the group, talking about how I had learned that putting yourself out there and knowing your direction with confidence can help you go even further. If I hadn’t mentioned my goals to Dawn, I would never have made the connection. Even though in the moment I felt like I was boasting or bragging, which I know now wasn’t the case at all, I stepped out of my comfort zone and laid my hopes and dreams out in front of me. It turned out well, and that mentality is something I will continue to keep as I move forward.

On our way back home, we took a detour up to the Griffith Park Observatory just as it was about to close. We had just enough time to take in the sight before us. Again, this was one of the things I had been eager to do since I knew I was going on the trip, but it was so much more than I could have imagined. The view was breathtaking. I was able to see everything including the Hollywood sign, dimly lit by the orange glow of the city. “City of Stars” kept playing through my head as I looked out over the twinkling lights. I took a picture to look at later, but after that, I wanted to just watch. I know I’ll be back one day, hopefully soon, but I will never experience that again for the first time. There is only one of those. I wanted to remember that moment, that place, that view forever. This is the place that fuels my goals, my inspiration. I finally found the golden, glittering treasure at the end of the rainbow.

May 24, 2018

I have always felt like my creativity is enhanced by my surroundings or the environment where I work. For studying, I like to be at an open table in the library with plenty of space to spread out my notes, papers, and laptop. For work on my websites, replying to emails, or editing videos, I like to be in a coffee shop where other people are being productive, too. For art pieces, writing, or journaling, I like to either be outside on my back porch or at my desk in my room listening to movie soundtracks. Each place focuses my mind into a zone for that type of work.

Today I visited two very unique environments, each with their own purposes for the people who work in them. First was the set of The Talk on CBS. We got to sit front and center in the live studio audience for a live broadcast and a taping of the show, and the energy there was incredible. Everyone was either dancing to the blaring music, clapping along, or laughing and cheering. My throat still hurts from all the yelling I did to talk to the people next to me, but it was such a fun time. It was a bustling set, a lot like Home & Family, so the crew had high-energy in the first place. Add in a warm up comedian, enthusiastic hosts, a roaring audience, and funky tunes, and you’ve got an atmosphere functioning on pure adrenaline. I felt lifted up by everyone else’s excitement, thus heightening my own. I don’t think I stopped smiling the whole time we were there.

After a quick stop at In-N-Out Burger, we met up with Dawn at Breakwater Studios. Now this place, this atmosphere, has been my favorite of the whole trip. Breakwater is housed in the original Walt Disney Studios, like where-Mickey-was-drawn-the-first-time original. We were in the birthplace of something so influential that it has touched everyone around the world and has been a crucial part of what pushed me to where I am now.

Breakwater functions on that creative air — everyone works together. Rather than being in separate studios, the composer is down the hall from the director who’s down the hall from the editor who’s next door to the production coordinator. Everyone works in unison, and I feel like that is a part of what made it felt like a truly creative environment. Yes, everywhere we have been prior to this studio emitted a ton of creative energy, but here, it thrived.

We got to watch a handful of projects that Breakwater has created over the years. Each of them was beautifully shot, directed, edited, scored, what have you. They do primarily documentary work, too, which I was enamored by. They showcase real people in the real world with real stories to tell. Made-up narratives are always entertaining and can offer a lot to an audience, but there is nothing like discovering more about the world around you through the tales of people just like you. It is true, concrete, and beautiful.

May 25, 2018

What did I get out of this trip?

This trip reaffirmed a lot for me. I know what I want to do. But there was also a lot about this industry that I didn’t know about and probably wouldn’t have known about until I came out here. I want to continue to hone my craft but I still want to stay open to other opportunities. If nothing else, I’ll continue meeting other creators and build my community. I will continue to stay in touch with everyone I met here, especially if their area of discipline is in my area. Although working here may not be my first choice, I can still use those connections to find other opportunities in other places.

But one of the most profound realizations I’ve had on this trip is my motivation and inspiration for doing what I do. Before now, I thought I was drawn to film because its a creative art that combines a lot of what I love. This is still true, but after talking to people like Maura and Dawn, visiting new places like Breakwater Studios, I know exactly why. I want to use film as a means of education. I love documentaries and obviously Pixar, which is targeted toward teaching and entertaining children. I want to teach people and learn more myself via the medium of film. I want to share and create stories that further the reach of the world.

That’s why I am a filmmaker. That’s why I am an artist.