So it's been a little while since I've blogged...blah blah blah....
But, hey, we all know I like to take it easy over the summer.
And most of fall.
And don't think I'll be doing ANYTHING during the holidays.
BUT, I will always sit down and focus up for a good three to four weeks in September and October and boy, are those golden.
So, here we are back in the swing of another semester, except, there IS no semester. School is over.
And yet the blog continues....
For now, at least.
Part of me had wanted to wrap things up on the blog around graduation and let it stand as a cohesive look into my tenure at USC. But that didn't happen for a few reasons...1) I didn't have time to wrap up everything on the blog since I got busy finishing school [speaking of, USC Top Moment #3 coming down the pike any day now] and 2) I got busy doing a few other things this summer, like helping a friend make his thesis and helping my family move out of the burbs. And 3) I don't really think I can shut the book on USC yet even though I'm graduated. I'm still defined more as a former USC student than anything else right now, though in time that will change. I feel like the months after graduation are kinda still part of my education and time as a Trojan.
So....yes: the blog continues. I'll probably spend a good chunk of time looking back at USC just to make sure I get all my 'Final Thoughts' out on my time there.
I'll also do my best to offer up some snapshots of the murky post-USC landscape. Bottom line right now: it is not great (nobody said it would be) but I wouldn't say it's awful either (lots of people say that).
Clearly since I'm not working on a TV show or applying for membership in the WGA right now things aren't as swell as they could be. But I'm testing the waters of my writing and working hard to get work and taking any and every opportunity* with an open mind.
I'll fill y'all in with more specifics as soon as they bceome available....
or as soon as I figure them out.
Talk soon,
MJK
*This includes, but is not limited to: becoming a gigolo, becoming a pimp, dealing drugs, selling my sperm, selling someone else's sperm, telemarketing, the Bloomingdale's executive training program, hitman, grease man, hatchet man, assassin, social assassin, day laborer, organ harvester, professional daredevil, stand-up comedian, ventriloquist, magician, magician's assistant, sorcerer's apprentice, dentist, shoe salesman, copywriter for the Dayton Bugle, hand model, stunt double, bodyguard, drug dealer-keeper-awayer, personal savior, televangelist, Republican nominee for President, pole dancer, ghostbuster, dog-walker, gold-trader, gold-prospector, oil man, entrepreneur, real estate mogul and curator for the Lost City of Atlantis. Lady, if there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe whatever you want. Congrats for reading this far down, the list just became a nice snippet from 'Ghostbusters' that I hope you enjoyed. Okay, this list is ending for real....right......now.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
CARMAGGEDON UPDATE! - feelin' fine
Yeah, so right now everything is smooth sailing in L.A. People were sufficiently terrified to go anywhere or do anything last night and today and all the major highways are as clear and open as a theater showing 'The Green Lantern'.
In other "LA transportation ridiculousness" news, saw this story today in the L.A. Times with the appropriately mocking headline - "IN L.A., A SNACK SHOP IN A SUBWAY STATION COUNTS AS NEWS"
Here's the full online article, pretty much talking about how L.A.'s subway system finally has a water-coffee-newspaper shop in it. You know, the kind of shop that is usually IN EVERY BUSY SUBWAY/ 'L' STATION IMAGINABLE.
Sometimes its pretty unfathomable that this is the second largest city in America. Anyway, here's the story....
In L.A., a snack shop in a subway station counts as news
The dreamers of downtown are sensitive, even to the smallest shifts.
Brigham Yen was among the first to feel the one at 7th and Hope streets, 16 steps beneath the surface of the sidewalk.
When he documented it on his blog about a month ago, the news spread fast to others tracking downtown development.
"Wow, this is almost too good to be true!" one reader commented. "This is very awesome news," agreed another.
The object of their glee, still under construction: a small shop with a glass front and a young owner who planned to sell coffee, fresh-squeezed juices, salads and sandwiches.
The excitement, however, was not over what Andrew Cohen would serve.
In subway stations all over the world, travelers can buy things — newspapers and magazines, coffee and candy bars, aspirin, tissues, cough drops, and even, in some places, meals. That hasn't been the case in L.A., which has rankled boosters who want this city to hold its own against the big boys, above and below ground.
Rush Snack Bar, which Cohen expects to open sometime this weekend, will be the first retail establishment underground in a Los Angeles Metro station.
Or close enough.
It is, in fact, a former basement storage unit for 655 Hope, an apartment building that used to house offices but now bills itself as "the ultimate urban living experience," with "live-work, flexi-space units" and kitchens of "stainless steel motif."
The shop is not on Metro property. And it's not on a subway platform. But it fronts a corridor leading in and out of the 7th Street/Metro Center station, and those entering or exiting on the Hope side will pass it, going up or down the stairs.
To Yen, a self-described "transit and urban geek," that's worth celebrating.
"I just feel there's not a lot of love for this city. I think the city needs cheerleaders. It's important to be rah rah rah, and really kind of focus on the steps that are made in the right direction instead of the two steps backward," said Yen, a 30-year-old sales agent for the online real-estate brokerage Redfin.
"I've looked at stations in New York and Madrid and other cities. They are so cool. They have all these shopping options and eateries. L.A. is more utilitarian," he said. "So when I saw the snack bar, I just about flipped. I was like, 'Wow, this is symbolic. This is what other cities have.' I like to call it urban maturity, L.A. maturing."
Cohen, 24, had hoped to open Friday — in time for the big "Carmageddon" weekend, when some subway lines would operate for free. He passed his health inspection. His two staffers came in early on opening day. The place looked spiffy with its blackboard menu, bright reds and yellows, and wall of urban-chic reclaimed wood planks. He looked hip too, in dark jeans and a fitted blue and black lumber shirt.
He spoke of pulling inspiration from European travels, and said he'd offer discounts for Metro riders and Metro employees.
"People are telling me that it's revolutionary," he said of the little shop.
But he was having a sort of Barmageddon — a malfunctioning cash register, a front-window sign slow to arrive — that left his actual moment of opening uncertain.
Still, at morning rush hour, hundreds of people paused to look — lawyers wearing suits, young fashion and design students wearing hardly anything.
Some lifted bikes up the stairs. Others spit in the corridor's trash bins or dug around for scraps. One woman in a swimmingly large T-shirt, worn jeans and flip-flops said loudly to no one and everyone, "How do you like that? There's going to be snacks."
It's the smallest of shifts, a blip, a pebble plopped in the ocean. But it has been noted.
- - - - - - - - - - -
That's it from the land of La-La. Enjoy your weekend in a normal city, Chicago!
MK
In other "LA transportation ridiculousness" news, saw this story today in the L.A. Times with the appropriately mocking headline - "IN L.A., A SNACK SHOP IN A SUBWAY STATION COUNTS AS NEWS"
Here's the full online article, pretty much talking about how L.A.'s subway system finally has a water-coffee-newspaper shop in it. You know, the kind of shop that is usually IN EVERY BUSY SUBWAY/ 'L' STATION IMAGINABLE.
Sometimes its pretty unfathomable that this is the second largest city in America. Anyway, here's the story....
In L.A., a snack shop in a subway station counts as news
Commuters and urban-development watchers cheer a small snack shop's opening at the 7th Street/Metro Center station. Such outlets are common in other cities, but this seems to be L.A.'s one and only.
 A mirror reflects the entrance to the 7th Street/Metro Center subway station, where Rush Snack Bar owner Andrew Cohen talks on his cellphone. He expects to open the shop sometime this weekend. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times / July 16, 2011) |
Brigham Yen was among the first to feel the one at 7th and Hope streets, 16 steps beneath the surface of the sidewalk.
"Wow, this is almost too good to be true!" one reader commented. "This is very awesome news," agreed another.
The object of their glee, still under construction: a small shop with a glass front and a young owner who planned to sell coffee, fresh-squeezed juices, salads and sandwiches.
The excitement, however, was not over what Andrew Cohen would serve.
In subway stations all over the world, travelers can buy things — newspapers and magazines, coffee and candy bars, aspirin, tissues, cough drops, and even, in some places, meals. That hasn't been the case in L.A., which has rankled boosters who want this city to hold its own against the big boys, above and below ground.
Rush Snack Bar, which Cohen expects to open sometime this weekend, will be the first retail establishment underground in a Los Angeles Metro station.
Or close enough.
It is, in fact, a former basement storage unit for 655 Hope, an apartment building that used to house offices but now bills itself as "the ultimate urban living experience," with "live-work, flexi-space units" and kitchens of "stainless steel motif."
The shop is not on Metro property. And it's not on a subway platform. But it fronts a corridor leading in and out of the 7th Street/Metro Center station, and those entering or exiting on the Hope side will pass it, going up or down the stairs.
To Yen, a self-described "transit and urban geek," that's worth celebrating.
"I just feel there's not a lot of love for this city. I think the city needs cheerleaders. It's important to be rah rah rah, and really kind of focus on the steps that are made in the right direction instead of the two steps backward," said Yen, a 30-year-old sales agent for the online real-estate brokerage Redfin.
"I've looked at stations in New York and Madrid and other cities. They are so cool. They have all these shopping options and eateries. L.A. is more utilitarian," he said. "So when I saw the snack bar, I just about flipped. I was like, 'Wow, this is symbolic. This is what other cities have.' I like to call it urban maturity, L.A. maturing."
Cohen, 24, had hoped to open Friday — in time for the big "Carmageddon" weekend, when some subway lines would operate for free. He passed his health inspection. His two staffers came in early on opening day. The place looked spiffy with its blackboard menu, bright reds and yellows, and wall of urban-chic reclaimed wood planks. He looked hip too, in dark jeans and a fitted blue and black lumber shirt.
He spoke of pulling inspiration from European travels, and said he'd offer discounts for Metro riders and Metro employees.
"People are telling me that it's revolutionary," he said of the little shop.
But he was having a sort of Barmageddon — a malfunctioning cash register, a front-window sign slow to arrive — that left his actual moment of opening uncertain.
Still, at morning rush hour, hundreds of people paused to look — lawyers wearing suits, young fashion and design students wearing hardly anything.
Some lifted bikes up the stairs. Others spit in the corridor's trash bins or dug around for scraps. One woman in a swimmingly large T-shirt, worn jeans and flip-flops said loudly to no one and everyone, "How do you like that? There's going to be snacks."
It's the smallest of shifts, a blip, a pebble plopped in the ocean. But it has been noted.
- - - - - - - - - - -
That's it from the land of La-La. Enjoy your weekend in a normal city, Chicago!
MK
Friday, July 15, 2011
CARMAGGEDON!!!
So, for all those friends and family who are on the verge of enjoying yet another GORGEOUS summer weekend in the city of Chicago, I want to alert you to an unspeakable evil that is about to envelope Los Angeles tonight (no, not 'The Kardashians' they're.....they're always here).
No, the epic, frightening, "Katrina-esque" hardship coming our way is the event known as CARMAGGEDON.
Now, I don't know if this news has traveled all the way to Chicago, much less east of the 210 freeway, but one of L.A.'s biggest and most crucial freeways - the 405 - is being shut down for two whole days beginning at midnight tonight (midnight, of course, is the most epic deadline time to set, whether its getting home before the carriage turns into pumpkin or finding the deed for Toontown).
This complete shutdown is expected to create traffic havoc across all of Los Angeles as the cars who would be on the 405 fan out to alternative routes, further clogging L.A.'s already overcrowded streets. I mean, this thing is like a man in desperate need of a cholesterol reduction seeing how many Culver's Bacon-Butterburgers he can eat in an hour.
This trafficapocalypse has been Micheal Bay'd into the term CARMAGGEDON.
Cue appropriate music!
People all over L.A. have been freaking out and the city is doing its best to put the fear of God (or, whatever L.A.'s many atheists would be afraid of) into residents into staying home or leaving town to hopefully lessen the congestionopolis.
I have been getting a really big kick out of the whole thing because I've never felt closer to my fellow Los Angelinos. The thing is, for a city that barely shares the same air, let alone any kind of collective experience, CARMAGGEDON has really given everyone - from the slickest, coked-up agent to the lowliest background actor - a common topic of conversation. Nowhere is that more true than in my 'hood of Venice, because the whole of the Westside will be ground zero for the CAR-trastrophe.
Here's a map I found online that is very helpful for navigating the disturbances.
From 'A' to 'B' is what is going to be completely closed. Now, as you can see, Venice is right in the F*CKED zone. To make things trickier, I often travel from the F*CKED Zone to the area that is S.O.L. (Shit Outta Luck)...so you can see how this could disrupt my weekend plans.
But, how often does one get to be in a city going through such a massive crisis of transportation, infrastructure, AND identity?
I think that's what's really going on. L.A. is being forced to stare its Automotive Addiction right in its ugly smog-filled face. I mean, there is NO WAY to get from the Valley to the Westside other than driving. No trains or decent alternative routes are available and it's just a reminder of how messed up this city is. But, meh- that just the way things are out here.
I will attempt to flee the F*CKED Zone entirely by escaping today to the Eastside of L.A., where I will be taking a bit of a 'Staycation' in a friend's apartment who'll be out of town. I'll often go to the Eastside for a night every so often, but now I am taking my "casual sex" relationship with the Los Feliz/Silverlake area to a new level by spending a whole weekend together. Now, don't think this means I'm getting a divorce from Venice...just taking a little break....JFK used to do that all the time.
Confusing neighborhood-sexual metaphors notwithstanding, I'm hoping I don't feel too left out staying half a city away from the swamp of congestion. I do always enjoy these ridiculous "problems" that usually get way overblown (see my report on the Santa Monica Tsunami), but only because they provide such rich material to make funny things, and CARMAGGEDON is no exception.
Case in point, this rather brilliant video of Hilter raving about the 405 Closure... (The HITLER RANTS video from 'Downfall' has been used on everything from sports catastrophes to bad movies to...the actual rants themselves), but this one is really pretty good and painfully filled with local L.A. jokes.
This part about people living downtown LA is pretty on the money.
Keep tuned to the Twitter for all the CARMAGGEDON updates you don't care about because you'll probably be at Cubs game or a cool street festival or on a boat on Lake Michigan instead of a stupid burnt-out city desperately trying to fix its infrastructure that will probably be destroyed by an giant earthquake in the next five years anyway!
No, the epic, frightening, "Katrina-esque" hardship coming our way is the event known as CARMAGGEDON.
Now, I don't know if this news has traveled all the way to Chicago, much less east of the 210 freeway, but one of L.A.'s biggest and most crucial freeways - the 405 - is being shut down for two whole days beginning at midnight tonight (midnight, of course, is the most epic deadline time to set, whether its getting home before the carriage turns into pumpkin or finding the deed for Toontown).
This complete shutdown is expected to create traffic havoc across all of Los Angeles as the cars who would be on the 405 fan out to alternative routes, further clogging L.A.'s already overcrowded streets. I mean, this thing is like a man in desperate need of a cholesterol reduction seeing how many Culver's Bacon-Butterburgers he can eat in an hour.
This trafficapocalypse has been Micheal Bay'd into the term CARMAGGEDON.
Cue appropriate music!
People all over L.A. have been freaking out and the city is doing its best to put the fear of God (or, whatever L.A.'s many atheists would be afraid of) into residents into staying home or leaving town to hopefully lessen the congestionopolis.
I have been getting a really big kick out of the whole thing because I've never felt closer to my fellow Los Angelinos. The thing is, for a city that barely shares the same air, let alone any kind of collective experience, CARMAGGEDON has really given everyone - from the slickest, coked-up agent to the lowliest background actor - a common topic of conversation. Nowhere is that more true than in my 'hood of Venice, because the whole of the Westside will be ground zero for the CAR-trastrophe.
Here's a map I found online that is very helpful for navigating the disturbances.
From 'A' to 'B' is what is going to be completely closed. Now, as you can see, Venice is right in the F*CKED zone. To make things trickier, I often travel from the F*CKED Zone to the area that is S.O.L. (Shit Outta Luck)...so you can see how this could disrupt my weekend plans.
But, how often does one get to be in a city going through such a massive crisis of transportation, infrastructure, AND identity?
I think that's what's really going on. L.A. is being forced to stare its Automotive Addiction right in its ugly smog-filled face. I mean, there is NO WAY to get from the Valley to the Westside other than driving. No trains or decent alternative routes are available and it's just a reminder of how messed up this city is. But, meh- that just the way things are out here.
I will attempt to flee the F*CKED Zone entirely by escaping today to the Eastside of L.A., where I will be taking a bit of a 'Staycation' in a friend's apartment who'll be out of town. I'll often go to the Eastside for a night every so often, but now I am taking my "casual sex" relationship with the Los Feliz/Silverlake area to a new level by spending a whole weekend together. Now, don't think this means I'm getting a divorce from Venice...just taking a little break....JFK used to do that all the time.
Confusing neighborhood-sexual metaphors notwithstanding, I'm hoping I don't feel too left out staying half a city away from the swamp of congestion. I do always enjoy these ridiculous "problems" that usually get way overblown (see my report on the Santa Monica Tsunami), but only because they provide such rich material to make funny things, and CARMAGGEDON is no exception.
Case in point, this rather brilliant video of Hilter raving about the 405 Closure... (The HITLER RANTS video from 'Downfall' has been used on everything from sports catastrophes to bad movies to...the actual rants themselves), but this one is really pretty good and painfully filled with local L.A. jokes.
This part about people living downtown LA is pretty on the money.
Keep tuned to the Twitter for all the CARMAGGEDON updates you don't care about because you'll probably be at Cubs game or a cool street festival or on a boat on Lake Michigan instead of a stupid burnt-out city desperately trying to fix its infrastructure that will probably be destroyed by an giant earthquake in the next five years anyway!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
On the Blog Again...
Well, there's never any post I hate writing more than the one after taking a month or more off for some or no good reason.
I had good reasons, though, and I'm going to do my best to recap the past month or so as succinctly and humorously as possible with a little thing I'd like to call "Highpoint - Midpoint - Lowpoint."
Hopefully, just going over these three things will give a slightly accurate portrayal of each event. I'm going to run a test case first....
FOR EXAMPLE: 'Jurassic Park'
Highpoint: EVERYTHING...but especially "Clever girl..."
Midpoint: "Mommy can you see the fleas?"
Lowpoint: they shoot the raptor and Hammond's all like "Noooo!" Dude, your grandkids are about to get eaten.
Okay, that kind of works...here we go
USC SCHOOL OF CINEMATIC ARTS GRADUATION
Highpoint: Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich's speech. Highlights include "I was rejected from USC" and "You will all fail. I hope you fail soon." Amazing. Perfect.
Midpoint: Sumner Redstone's speech, with a BAHSTON accent so thick it could have been selling peanuts at Fenway PAHK.
Lowpoint: pre-ceremony flask whiskey fill-up in bathroom (also highpoint!)
TRIP TO VEGA$
Highpoint: The Spa at Ceasar's Palace. No question. The pool is a close 2nd.
Midpoint: Losing yet again at my beloved game of roulette. Just didnt get my numbers.
Lowpoint: "This weekend can be summed up as a series of poor decisions and bad luck."
SAN DIEGO HALF MARATHON
Highpoint: Um, finishing? (also post-race drinking)
Midpoint: 6.55 miles
Lowpoint: Running past the mall with the Cheesecake Factory. Really SD? this is the best route you could come up with? All that ocean and I'm running past a Cheesecake Factory? Can't wait to run a real route...Chicago 2012...full 26.2 mi, anyone?
VERY BRIEF TRIP TO CHICAGO
Highpoint: Dinner at Chicago Q w/ fam and beers at Nick & Kelly's.
Midpoint: Burgers at the Billy Goat.
Lowpoint: Russ going beard-to-beard with a crazy homeless White Sox fan outside of Daily's.
JOSE'S THESIS SHOOT - "UNSETTLED" IN WISCONSIN/ CHICAGO
Highpoint: EVERYTHING. Seriously. Filming in the Midwest + great friends + a shocking amount of alcohol. Can't wait to start making stuff in CHI. If forced to pick standout highpoint, I'd say the Wisconsin wrap party complete with party bus.
Midpoint: Some people got slapped.
Lowpoint: When it was over. Also, my being identified with 'salad' the entire shoot and beyond.
FAM VACAY IN AZ
Highpoint: Smores.
Midpoint: Pool.
Lowpoint: Stepping into a cactus.
4TH OF JULY
Highpoint: EVERYTHING. Its America's birthday. Fireworks @Dodger Stadium were pretty good.
Midpoint: Pool.
Lowpoint: 30 minutes for a goddammed Dodger Dog. I hate LA.
So that's it. I actually really like this game. I think I'll use it whenever I hear a long and probably boring story coming...just interrupt: "Um, yeah...can you just gimmie the highpoint-midpoint-lowpoint? I've got blogging to do...."
Anyway, that's been the last few weeks. You may notice a distinct lack of entertainment industry-related events going on...that will change...more USC posts to come and info about the dark and stormy post-grad waters ahead....
Feel free to highpoint-midpoint-lowpoint this post!
- mk
I had good reasons, though, and I'm going to do my best to recap the past month or so as succinctly and humorously as possible with a little thing I'd like to call "Highpoint - Midpoint - Lowpoint."
Hopefully, just going over these three things will give a slightly accurate portrayal of each event. I'm going to run a test case first....
FOR EXAMPLE: 'Jurassic Park'
Highpoint: EVERYTHING...but especially "Clever girl..."
Midpoint: "Mommy can you see the fleas?"
Lowpoint: they shoot the raptor and Hammond's all like "Noooo!" Dude, your grandkids are about to get eaten.
Okay, that kind of works...here we go
USC SCHOOL OF CINEMATIC ARTS GRADUATION
Highpoint: Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich's speech. Highlights include "I was rejected from USC" and "You will all fail. I hope you fail soon." Amazing. Perfect.
Midpoint: Sumner Redstone's speech, with a BAHSTON accent so thick it could have been selling peanuts at Fenway PAHK.
Lowpoint: pre-ceremony flask whiskey fill-up in bathroom (also highpoint!)
TRIP TO VEGA$
Highpoint: The Spa at Ceasar's Palace. No question. The pool is a close 2nd.
Midpoint: Losing yet again at my beloved game of roulette. Just didnt get my numbers.
Lowpoint: "This weekend can be summed up as a series of poor decisions and bad luck."
SAN DIEGO HALF MARATHON
Highpoint: Um, finishing? (also post-race drinking)
Midpoint: 6.55 miles
Lowpoint: Running past the mall with the Cheesecake Factory. Really SD? this is the best route you could come up with? All that ocean and I'm running past a Cheesecake Factory? Can't wait to run a real route...Chicago 2012...full 26.2 mi, anyone?
VERY BRIEF TRIP TO CHICAGO
Highpoint: Dinner at Chicago Q w/ fam and beers at Nick & Kelly's.
Midpoint: Burgers at the Billy Goat.
Lowpoint: Russ going beard-to-beard with a crazy homeless White Sox fan outside of Daily's.
JOSE'S THESIS SHOOT - "UNSETTLED" IN WISCONSIN/ CHICAGO
Highpoint: EVERYTHING. Seriously. Filming in the Midwest + great friends + a shocking amount of alcohol. Can't wait to start making stuff in CHI. If forced to pick standout highpoint, I'd say the Wisconsin wrap party complete with party bus.
Midpoint: Some people got slapped.
Lowpoint: When it was over. Also, my being identified with 'salad' the entire shoot and beyond.
FAM VACAY IN AZ
Highpoint: Smores.
Midpoint: Pool.
Lowpoint: Stepping into a cactus.
4TH OF JULY
Highpoint: EVERYTHING. Its America's birthday. Fireworks @Dodger Stadium were pretty good.
Midpoint: Pool.
Lowpoint: 30 minutes for a goddammed Dodger Dog. I hate LA.
So that's it. I actually really like this game. I think I'll use it whenever I hear a long and probably boring story coming...just interrupt: "Um, yeah...can you just gimmie the highpoint-midpoint-lowpoint? I've got blogging to do...."
Anyway, that's been the last few weeks. You may notice a distinct lack of entertainment industry-related events going on...that will change...more USC posts to come and info about the dark and stormy post-grad waters ahead....
Feel free to highpoint-midpoint-lowpoint this post!
- mk
Thursday, May 26, 2011
USC Moment #4 - Acclimating with Cocaine, Heroin, and Gun Violence
After taking a lengthy hiatus from looking back to, uh, you know, graduate, I'm going to try and run through these top moments at USC before the fading nostalgia quickly morphs into vitriolic bitterness.
ANYWAY, for my fourth fave USC film school moment I'm going all the way back to my first semester...good ole' spring of 2008. Back then, a promising young Senator from Illinois was stunning pundits with big wins in Iowa despite being a radical Muslim born in Kenya, the Cubs were looking good early on with mutterin' sputterin' Lou Piniella leading the way, and a very select percentage of cultured Americans were making jokes about drinking milkshakes.
I had been enjoying my whole USC experience so far but still felt an overriding sense of doubt. Did I really belong here? Am I ever going to get over bars closing at 2am? Is it really as hard as people say? That's what she said. Overall, I was rolling along, making movies and sh*t, but still feeling out of place in the land of palm trees and freeways.
Those feelings of doubt went away when something kinda cool happened - my very first film project at USC was selected to be shown to the whole class.
We had a class called "510", where our whole semester class came together to get insight from real-live industry professionals (who were also almost all current USC professors, but that's not so bad..right?) and it was okay, for the most part. Some offered real insight and others were boring as hell. But when the great and insightful editor extraordinaire Norm Hollyn asked for us to submit our projects to examine good and bad editing, I actually got a little excited.
I dropped off a DVD of my first 507 project- a dialogue-free 5 minute short. "507" was the class where you made a bunch of movies by yourself and it was crazy and you made fast friends (or enemies) and got essentially thrown into the "ring of fire" as far as production was concerned. Nowadays, most of the 507 films are like the shuttered-away stepchildren we all like to keep hidden from our new friends and usually end up being embarrassing when they come out in a social situation. Back then though, they were the bees knees!
So lo and behold my surprise some two weeks later when Norm announced he was going to show my dark comedy film to the whole class. I went to the front and Norm said "We probably won't watch the whole thing" (I had made the USC classic "Five-Minute Short Film" with a running time of over eight minutes).
But, we watched it all the way to end. I thought that was the coolest fucking thing in the world.
And- holy shit- people actually laughed.
And not because it was a poorly-made over-acted drama piece. It was a comedy and people seemed to like it.
Now, lets be clear, it means nothing now and meant very little then, except that it was a little sigh of relief that "I may very well be okay here". The class proceeded to pick apart my editing problems but just to be in the mix was really nice. I mean, here I had a real Hollywood features editor suggesting that I maybe should have put the heroin scene after the jerking off scene. Or, maybe I should have intercut the jerking off, the heroin, and the cocaine all together! They were all really good suggestions for changes! (I never made them)
We watched another short (which was really good and charming and funny) and then class ended. I felt invigorated by the showing. I knew we had some really good filmmakers in our class, just in our little section alone with talent like @coog510 and more and so even to be up there and having gotten a few laughs was a real big thrill and made me feel like I could do the kind of comedy I like writing AND people may like it.
I mean, at the end of the day, all this effort of writing/ directing/ producing/ camera operating/ casting/ editing/ getting coffee/ paperwork/ running late/ being stressed/ not sleeping/ asking 'Why God, why?' is all just so that whatever I'm making can get seen by other people and hopefully bring out some kind of a reaction. Ideally a positive one.
It was a moment that, like a super-mushroom on your first lap in a game of MarioKart 64, just gave me a nice and needed boost early on in film school and gave me confidence when I embarked on more ambitious projects down the line.
I decided to finally share this rookie endeavor with the world and now its up on my snazzy Vimeo page, you can watch it here:
http://vimeo.com/24206861
Man, if I could just talk to the excited, nervous, idealistic, Hawaiian-shirt-wearing film student who made that short I'd beat him to within an inch of his life and tell him to start working harder if he ever wants to make it in this town. Then I'd tell him to make a massive bet for the Blackhawks to win the Stanley Cup in two years.
God, what a shmuck that guy who used to be me was. But at least he made a decently funny movie.
- mk
ANYWAY, for my fourth fave USC film school moment I'm going all the way back to my first semester...good ole' spring of 2008. Back then, a promising young Senator from Illinois was stunning pundits with big wins in Iowa despite being a radical Muslim born in Kenya, the Cubs were looking good early on with mutterin' sputterin' Lou Piniella leading the way, and a very select percentage of cultured Americans were making jokes about drinking milkshakes.
I had been enjoying my whole USC experience so far but still felt an overriding sense of doubt. Did I really belong here? Am I ever going to get over bars closing at 2am? Is it really as hard as people say? That's what she said. Overall, I was rolling along, making movies and sh*t, but still feeling out of place in the land of palm trees and freeways.
Those feelings of doubt went away when something kinda cool happened - my very first film project at USC was selected to be shown to the whole class.
We had a class called "510", where our whole semester class came together to get insight from real-live industry professionals (who were also almost all current USC professors, but that's not so bad..right?) and it was okay, for the most part. Some offered real insight and others were boring as hell. But when the great and insightful editor extraordinaire Norm Hollyn asked for us to submit our projects to examine good and bad editing, I actually got a little excited.
I dropped off a DVD of my first 507 project- a dialogue-free 5 minute short. "507" was the class where you made a bunch of movies by yourself and it was crazy and you made fast friends (or enemies) and got essentially thrown into the "ring of fire" as far as production was concerned. Nowadays, most of the 507 films are like the shuttered-away stepchildren we all like to keep hidden from our new friends and usually end up being embarrassing when they come out in a social situation. Back then though, they were the bees knees!
So lo and behold my surprise some two weeks later when Norm announced he was going to show my dark comedy film to the whole class. I went to the front and Norm said "We probably won't watch the whole thing" (I had made the USC classic "Five-Minute Short Film" with a running time of over eight minutes).
But, we watched it all the way to end. I thought that was the coolest fucking thing in the world.
And- holy shit- people actually laughed.
And not because it was a poorly-made over-acted drama piece. It was a comedy and people seemed to like it.
Now, lets be clear, it means nothing now and meant very little then, except that it was a little sigh of relief that "I may very well be okay here". The class proceeded to pick apart my editing problems but just to be in the mix was really nice. I mean, here I had a real Hollywood features editor suggesting that I maybe should have put the heroin scene after the jerking off scene. Or, maybe I should have intercut the jerking off, the heroin, and the cocaine all together! They were all really good suggestions for changes! (I never made them)
We watched another short (which was really good and charming and funny) and then class ended. I felt invigorated by the showing. I knew we had some really good filmmakers in our class, just in our little section alone with talent like @coog510 and more and so even to be up there and having gotten a few laughs was a real big thrill and made me feel like I could do the kind of comedy I like writing AND people may like it.
I mean, at the end of the day, all this effort of writing/ directing/ producing/ camera operating/ casting/ editing/ getting coffee/ paperwork/ running late/ being stressed/ not sleeping/ asking 'Why God, why?' is all just so that whatever I'm making can get seen by other people and hopefully bring out some kind of a reaction. Ideally a positive one.
It was a moment that, like a super-mushroom on your first lap in a game of MarioKart 64, just gave me a nice and needed boost early on in film school and gave me confidence when I embarked on more ambitious projects down the line.
I decided to finally share this rookie endeavor with the world and now its up on my snazzy Vimeo page, you can watch it here:
http://vimeo.com/24206861
Man, if I could just talk to the excited, nervous, idealistic, Hawaiian-shirt-wearing film student who made that short I'd beat him to within an inch of his life and tell him to start working harder if he ever wants to make it in this town. Then I'd tell him to make a massive bet for the Blackhawks to win the Stanley Cup in two years.
God, what a shmuck that guy who used to be me was. But at least he made a decently funny movie.
- mk
Saturday, May 14, 2011
pomp / circumstance
Graduation was yesterday.
And that's all you're going to hear about it!
So, how bout this weather?
JUST KIDDING.
There's obviously a lot to say about graduating yesterday, but I don't really want to get into talking about graduation and look back at my time at USC until I've....taken a look back at my time at USC. See, I got these other moments recapping the ride I've been on the last 3 1/2 years that I want to get into...and will.
They may just come all in a week or so...I just know things should be a little bit easier now that I don't to deal with all the formalities.
THE POMP.
THE CIRCUMSTANCE.
ETC...
More to come!
And that's all you're going to hear about it!
So, how bout this weather?
JUST KIDDING.
There's obviously a lot to say about graduating yesterday, but I don't really want to get into talking about graduation and look back at my time at USC until I've....taken a look back at my time at USC. See, I got these other moments recapping the ride I've been on the last 3 1/2 years that I want to get into...and will.
They may just come all in a week or so...I just know things should be a little bit easier now that I don't to deal with all the formalities.
THE POMP.
THE CIRCUMSTANCE.
ETC...
More to come!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
April is the Cruelest Month
And that's not just the immortal words of T.S. Elliot talkin'!
From what I've heard Chicago has been really rainy recently...
How rainy was it!?
it was so rainy that Mayor Daley decided to start taxing puddles!
[click here]
it was so rainy the Chicago River almost looked like it was made of real water!
[click here]
it was so rainy that the outfield walls of Wrigley Field were covered in kelp!
[click here]
Ah, just a little Carson-esque fun. A laugh is needed though, because April has been a month of little fun and laughs. In addition to the wet weather in CHI, I have my own downpour of work to attend to here in L.A. (I won't say how the weather has been out here, but lets just say it rhymes with kleventy and trunny).
Its been a very busy month - I've been working overtime to get my scripts as close to "show ready" as possible, and there's been a great amount of work here and events back home that I don't want to get into at this time. But it has been rough.
I do feel bad because I was getting so much more in the swing of things with the blog and haven't been able to share some of the few bright spots of this month and keep up on my Top 5 USC moments.
So, just wanted to drop this post so I didn't go the entire month of April without a word.
This year has been just as much work as I set out to do, and I am proud of what I've accomplished so far this semester, but there's still a lot to do. The next two weeks will be a real blur as far as getting anything done, but hopefully I can find some time to keep this thing a bit more updated as we head into May.
Many, many things happening and I want to try and get it all down as much as possible.
Wrapping up for now - I've still got my feature to polish up - but here's hoping that May brings a little more joy, a little less work and whole lot more SUN.
-mk
From what I've heard Chicago has been really rainy recently...
How rainy was it!?
it was so rainy that Mayor Daley decided to start taxing puddles!
[click here]
it was so rainy the Chicago River almost looked like it was made of real water!
[click here]
it was so rainy that the outfield walls of Wrigley Field were covered in kelp!
[click here]
Ah, just a little Carson-esque fun. A laugh is needed though, because April has been a month of little fun and laughs. In addition to the wet weather in CHI, I have my own downpour of work to attend to here in L.A. (I won't say how the weather has been out here, but lets just say it rhymes with kleventy and trunny).
Its been a very busy month - I've been working overtime to get my scripts as close to "show ready" as possible, and there's been a great amount of work here and events back home that I don't want to get into at this time. But it has been rough.
I do feel bad because I was getting so much more in the swing of things with the blog and haven't been able to share some of the few bright spots of this month and keep up on my Top 5 USC moments.
So, just wanted to drop this post so I didn't go the entire month of April without a word.
This year has been just as much work as I set out to do, and I am proud of what I've accomplished so far this semester, but there's still a lot to do. The next two weeks will be a real blur as far as getting anything done, but hopefully I can find some time to keep this thing a bit more updated as we head into May.
Many, many things happening and I want to try and get it all down as much as possible.
Wrapping up for now - I've still got my feature to polish up - but here's hoping that May brings a little more joy, a little less work and whole lot more SUN.
-mk
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