LA Update

I've now been in Los Angeles for about three weeks, and let me tell you, it has been quite a ride so far. I don't even really know where or how to begin.

I moved into my Oakwood Apartment on the 15th of December, spending the first few days outfitting the kitchen with food and supplies, while running around LA interviewing for internships. The Oakwood apartments are nice, but it is sometimes frustrating because everything the Oakwoods says seems to be a lie (I'm not sure that it's malicious... maybe just ignorance) and that we are basically paying 5,000 dollars a month to live in an apartment that couldn't possibly be more than 2,500 a month. Emerson College, just what are you skimming off the top? Your LA program is probably a cash cow for you.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying being out here, though I obviously miss all my friends in Maine, Virginia, Boston, etc. When I got here, I was able to get a little bit of assistant editing work from Incited Media. Aaron Galles, the Senior Producer of Speechless from my Freshman year at Emerson College works there and paid me to digitize a bunch of footage. It might be a re-ocurring opportunity as well, which is great.

I decided to go with the internship at Partizan Entertainment, which has been fun, but very slow so far. Since they are a production company, and there isn't very much production happening right now, I can't seem to occupy myself all day. Which is partially why I am writing this blog post right now.

Being three hours behind everyone back east is really weird too. It's after 9pm on the east coast, so I can't even call people when I get out of work. At the same time, though, I've been so busy that I haven't really had much time these last few weeks. I've been trying to get settled into a healthy routine so I can start working on my own projects and making sure everything runs smoothly.

What else? I've started to get to know Burbank and West Hollywood pretty well, but I don't drive the freeways much since my internship is so close. I've reconnected with Seth Donald, my couch-surfing friend from this summer, which was totally cool. I've also talked on the phone with Mike Jittlov, creator of the Wizard of Speed and Time, on the phone, and I'll soon meet him in person!

My home ward in studio city is really awesome, I feel very comfortable there, and welcome. I've also met a comedic film editor who goes to the ward, and I've getting to know him! It's very exciting since he's basically doing what I want to be doing.

Its really amazing to think I am almost done with college and entering the real world. SCARY, actually. Pretty soon I've truly be in the rat race, paying off bills, schmoozing and trying to make my way. I pray that the AMPTP and the WGA can come to an agreement. Then it might not be so slim in this town.

Anyway, I love you all and miss you so much. Take care and send me all your love and positive energy so I can rock this town!

A Quick Note...

People have often talked about "The Changing Face of Emerson College" --regarding the 'new' type of student that Emerson accepts.

I always used to say it was poppy-cock, but today I realized it must be true--because in previous years there would be many windows decorated with Christmas lights, but tonight I only counted FOUR ROOMS with visible Christmas lights (including my room), in a building with almost 750 students.

Emerson students are creative, fun people, but I guess the new Emerson students don't have time to be festive. Oh well.

Christmas Is Coming, The Goose Is Getting Fat!

For those who are interested, please check out my Christmas Wishlist. Whoopee!

I'm Up Earlier Than I Thought!

So I went to bed at about 3am, and set my alarm for 11am, but for some reason I woke up at 8:30am, and couldn't really fall asleep.

So I woke up, read a chapter in the Book Of Mormon, went and took a shower, checked my e-mail and social networking sites, sent out a few e-mails, and started realizing that I have a very light schedule, which has made me somewhat lazy.

Now I feel compelled to use a little bit of this time to write a blog entry about what I'm thinking and feeling these days.

I went to Maine for Thanksgiving break, and it might be the last time I'm physically in that state for quite some time. Hanging out with my sister was awesome, as was spending all day Saturday with my friend Tanner playing Guitar Hero and DoubleDash was a blast. But it was soured by that nagging thought that I am leaving it all behind for a place I'm not even sure if I'll like.

There is a part of me that is incredibly excited to go to Los Angeles and make my way in the industry. However, there is another part of me that is already longing to return to the Northeast. I can't really explain it. Perhaps it's because I spent all of my formidable years on the east coast/New England, that I have grown to be a part of the landscape.

Some people believe that the earth's magnetism or inherent energy causes a person to develop a sub-conscious energetic connection to the place where they were born/grew up. Sometimes I think that must be true, because it seems illogical for people to have these kinds of connections to places that are not that special other than that they are where the person lived.

There are only 23 more days before I fly back to Virginia, leaving Boston behind 'for good'. Obviously I'll be back for graduation, and maybe even for a wedding or two some day, but I'll probably never live here again. But I've grown to love the city dearly--it's twisted streets, it's crooked alleys and 3 story brown-stones, the Charles River, the Red Sox, etc, etc.

But I can't stagnate. I know in my heart there is something very important I was sent here to do. Maybe I'm already on my way--but in the mean time I'm trying to do my best and love those around me.

Woke Up From A Dream

I just woke up from a dream about flying.

It was rather vivid and though I'm a bit spotty on the details and context of what was happening in the dream, I know this much:

I was on some journey, in a very harsh but brilliant landscape. At first it was a desert but later it becasme a craggy rocky coast with pine trees--but it was other worldly in that the water was completely clear and still, allowing you to see all the way to the bottom.

There were these things in the water, or more properly, floating on the top in large swirling patches, mixing with one another. Vivid reds, greens, browns--like algae blooms upon the crystal liquid.

Anyway, I was looking for something, with someone, but they weren't physically there--more like a narrator or still-small-voice. The items I was trying to get at this particular moment in the dream were up in an eve or rafter in this large wooden structure in the middle of the desert. The items were in (fake) leather cases, and looked something like the boxes that Emerson's lavaliere microphones are stored in.

I somehow got it into my head that I could fly up there if I wanted to. So I ran forward, leapt into the air, stuck out my arms and tried to fly.

Well, I sort of flew--but I had no control over my direction or altitude, and I quickly slowed, glided and fell/descended. But I kept trying, and eventually, I figured it out--I needed to work with the physics, what I knew about updrafts, birds, gliding, banking right and left to turn. I leapt into the air and flew into the air, riding an updraft and circling over the crystal clear pools and craggy rocks in a stunningly beautiful wilderness. (I don't know where the desert went at this point)

I dove down, gliding just above the water, then climbed up again, circling around and climbing higher into the clouds. i learned that if I climbed too steeply for too long, I would slow down and start to lose lift. It was thrilling and invigorating.

But eventually I landed. And when I did, I couldn't get going again.

I was once again outside that little wooden shack in the middle of the sand, and I though I ran and jumped, I just felt like a fool for ever thinking it was possible.

Now, I'm not sure of the meaning of this dream. But I feel it might represent my spiritual journey. If I could only figure out how to maintain lift, how to get off the ground...

I could soar.

The narrator, the voice that told me, urged me on, was the Spirit, guiding me--but I must do the real work.

It was a beautiful and marvelous dream. I hope I really can fly like that someday.

I'M NOT DEAD, YET!

In the words of that old dying man in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, "I'm not dead yet".

Yes, my blog has gone horribly inactive. Sorry.

I just wanted to let you know that my film was shot two weeks ago, and I'll be getting the HD scanned footage back into the lab this Thursday!

WHOOPEE! On to post production!

Lifting Weights (From My Heart, For My Body, and From My Mind)

I'm hoping that I can lift the burdens that have been weighing me down in my heart, and weighing down my mind.

And in the mean time, to mirror the transformation outside, I am hoping to lift weights to physically change.

If all goes well I'll be a whole new man.

So much has gone through my head this summer. I've ridden the highest highs meeting exciting new people, hiking thrilling trails and traveling to new places, but I've also been dragged through the lowest lows--suicidal thoughts, tears, frustration. Sometimes I swear I'm bipolar.

I've recently learned that while you can't always control what happens to you, you are always in control of how you react. Two people dropped into the exact same situation will learn different lessons, be wounded in different ways, or respond with different emotions.

Patience, love, faith, my friends. I realize how lucky I am that I have all these things in my life, all these people in my life, and all this love in my life. I know sometimes, when my heart is tired, it's hard to feel--but it's always there, and I'm working on recognizing it, capitalizing on it, to become a better man.

I hope I'm not boring you with my positivity drivel--but I've just been learning a lot these last few weeks.

Yesterday, I went out on a limb (for myself) and went weight lifting with my friend Aaron and his friend Patrick at Dixie State University. Normally, I would have made up some excuse not to go, but I realized that I have just as much ability to be successful in a gym as anybody else. So we went, I lifted, I leaned a lot, and now I'm convinced that I want to continue with a program when I return to school. I realized that all I needed was the right attitude and the support of a friend, and I could do it.

We can do anything we want to. The limitations in our lives are all self imposed, and I'm learning how be like Gorbachev--

and tear down [those] wall[s]!