Charles' Blog

Just booked my flight back to Buffalo :(

2009-08-03T22:16:43Z

Can this summer please slow down just a little bit!!!!!!! hahaha

]]> Time is flying by over here and as much as that shows how great things have been going it is kind of a bummer as well. Lionsgate is a great experience thus far and has been teaching me alot when it comes to writing and film production. I showed one of my student films to my bosses here and watching it again after a few months of not seeing it, along with my experience here, I found alot of things that I did not think about when shooting the film. When it comes to writing it is so important that you shorten stories so that the goal and the audience is hooked quickly. My attention span for films has grown ALOT SHORTER! I find that even when watching films in the theater if a scene starts to drag I just wanna skip to the next scene hahaha. It will be interesting to see this semester what that does to my writing and also my critique of the films I may see. Even though I was honest with people about what I thought of their films, I feel after this summer there may be a few people that think I'm a little too honest hahaha. I am always more than happy to read scripts and watch films that people make but I have also found that when I give my critique there is no reason to take it personally. I understand what goes into making/writing a film because I have done it before and it is nothing against the people involved...its just my honest opinion of what could make the film better or what the film is lacking. It is such a cool process to watch films and then critique them. I have found a new interest in Casting and the process that is involved when people cast the characters for their films. So please ask me to read or watch your films but also remember, and I will definitely tell you this when I agree to read it, that you cannot take what I say personally haahha.

Anyway other than that things have been pretty much the same. Working at Bubba Gumps is always an adventure. Last night I think I did over 8 birthday songs which involve dancing singing and running around the restaurant. Lets just say at the end of the night I was pretty exhausted and I was really happy my friend could drive me home rather than having me ride the 5 miles back home hahaha.

I guess I do not have much more to write hahaha. I will see everyone back in Buffalo in a few short weeks. Hope everyone's summer is going well!

Keep it real homies!!!

4 weeks left :(

2009-07-20T18:14:43Z

Hey everyone! Sorry about the delay on my updates its been a crazy could of weeks! hahaha

]]> Well here we go. Where did I leave you guys last time. It was forth of July weekend. Man so much has happened since then! So after I went to the Stunt Party meeting alot of great people, I kept in contact with my buddy Matt who has worked as a stunt man on many various films. We have been getting together regularly exchanging some scripts and giving each other some advice. It's been alot of fun so far. At Lionsgate things are going realyl well. We are moving through scripts very quickly so everyone is really happy. I've probobly written over 40 different types of coverage making sure that each one gets better and better. We recently went out to lunch with Jason Constantine and Eda Kowan who are in charge of Acquisitions which was alot of fun. It was great to talk to them and see how they got involved in the film industry and shared each of our stories about how we got our internships haha. Mine was definitely one of a kind haha. It was still alot of fun to hear about how much networking plays a part in how people got to where they are. Like I said in my last blog Networking is the best thing you can do and word spreads very very fast. So make sure that you take each person with a grain of salt because you never know who knows who.
Bubba Gumps is going really well it is alot of fun! Everyone there has been really great helping me get aclimated to the serving life style and the people I have met there are all really great. Many are involved in film which is funny because it totally fits the stereotype of film people serving. I ran into a man who was coming in for an interview and I asked him why he was looking into Bubbas and he said that he was and actor and that serving was something that he felt could help him improve. Bubba's is definitely a great place for that because they are all about having a personality and bringing something new to every table.
Other than that things are really good here. I did have a little scary moment when I was involved in a car accident out here. I was very lucky that both the other person and I walked away from the accident because both cars were totaled. What happened was I had gotten lost on the way home for hanging out with a couple of friends. Not having a GPS on my windsheild I used my cell phone for my GPS. I made the stupid assumption after turning down a street that all one way streets only have a stop sign and no light. Not seeing the side light because of a tree I looked down at my cell phone to find the next street to turn down I ended up going through a red light and getting T-boned. So just make sure you guys drive safe and the money that goes into buyinga GPS for the windsheild is definitely worth it haha. I am totally fine I had a little bit of back pain but that has gone away over the past week.
Again sorry for the delay in blog posts but as you can see I have had a very busy and hectic past couple weeks.

Keep it real homies. Ill put another blog post up next week no worries about that!

Week 3 and 4

2009-06-30T16:53:34Z

Keepin it real!!!

]]> So life has been pretty crazy over here on the west coast for me. I got the job at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company Resaurant so on all my days off I have been working there. It's pretty sweet actually, I enjoy it and it is based of a movie so what place could be better hahaha. Lionsgate is going well too. Still working in acquisitions reading scripts and stuff. The biggest piece of advice that I can give the people who are coming up in the major are: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! If you are writing a script and you don't think that you need character development please take your script rip it up and start again. It may seem obvious but so many people this summer have missed that. Another one that I have found many people miss is Dialogue, this is definitely something that I struggle with as well but in listening to people out here and talking to people about it my Dialogue has gotten alot better. I think. haha

Don't miss opportunities to do things. If someone gives you an opportunity to go to a party or do something involved in film dont miss it. I recently went to the Los Angeles Film Festival to watch the premier of the film PONYO. A Japanese anime film that told a young love story between a boy and a girl, who was a fish. Kind of a Little Mermaid type script. It was very interesting but I dont want to tell you about the movie. The reason I say don't miss an opportunity is that I sat next to two people. ONe was Earl and the other Matt. Earl is a Manager for actors and writers alike and asked me about what I was doing out here and various other things. I told him exactly what I was doing at Lionsgate, how I got here and etc. One thing I have noticed is that people out here who are in the industry dont ask you what your interests are in, they ask you what your PASSION is. Anyway, long story short Earl gave me his card and told me that if I ever wanted to pursue anything in film and needed a Manager to let him know. This is one of those crazy stories that only happen in LA hahahaha. Anyway, his buddy Matt was from Paris and is a stunt man/actor. A very challenging career but Matt is doing very well having just finished shooting Iron Man 2. Pretty crazy who you will meet. Matt ended up calling me and I am going to a party tonight in Agaura Hills with Matt and other people from the industry. Again, don't pass up anything that someone gives you. I had to work at Bubba Gump but i found someone to switch with me so that I can go to the party. When I called Matt back and told him I could come to the party he was very excited and said it will be a great way for me to meet alot of ppl in the industry. We also got talking and he said that many times if he invites someone to a party and they say no, he won't invite them again. Pretty much saying that if you say no it could break your career while saying yes can make your career. It's not what you know its who you know and Networking is so so so so so so so so so important. Don't forget that.

Other than that life is good. I can't complain at all. The sun is shining, the oceans starting to warm up hahaha although im still not swimmin in it just yet. Happy 4th of July weekend!!

Keep it real

A fun week two

2009-06-13T01:26:16Z

Time flies when you are having fun!

]]> So this week started off like any other week. It was a big movie release weekend with The Hangover released by Warner Bros. with Benderspink as a producer. So of course with our fellow TFA member at Benderspink and it getting awesome review I had to go see it. ITS AMAZING!!!! If you havn't gotten the chance to go see The Hangover, first of all what the heck have you been doing, and second GO SEE IT ASAP!!!! It's histerical! So make sure you add it to the movie list to see in theaters cause even with rising movie prices it was worth the 11.00 to go and see.

Monday was a normal day at LionsGate, full of reading scripts and writing coverage for my two bosses Lauren and Nick, nothing really exciting happened Monday. I guess I just had a case of the Monday's (thank you office space). Tuesday was the day that would decide if I was going to be able to stay out here in LA becuase it was the day that I had a final interview at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company Restaurant on Santa Monica Pier. Nervous as hell becuase, like Dan earlier this semester, I put all my eggs into one basket and ran with it. Also, like Dan they fell into the trap of hiring me as a server there. So if you ever find your way out to Santa Monica and are in the need for a nice little snack or meal, PLEASE come by Bubba Gump on Santa Monica Pier and help a poor film student pay his debts....hahaha yea what they say in the movies about film and theater students working as a server or in restaurants is definitely true! hahaha

Wed was another normal day at Lionsgate nothing to exciting except we finally got a second computer from HR so that we can all rotate doing coverage and screening movies. Thursday was another pretty normal day except I love thursdays cause I get to do Yoga X. Its part of the p90x program I am doing and I have fallen in love with it!!! Sorry ladies, yoga x has won my heart and forever will be my number one in life.....just kidding but seriously...i love it. If you dont do yoga, you should, its amazing, anyone who tells you different has never done it before.

Today, Friday the 12 of June was a very interesting and nerve wracking day. Today I was told on Wed before I left that I would be covering for an assistant for the day and to make my way over to this particular EVP's office. Wed I met with the assistant and was told that 'I need to make sure I do this right otherwise I hope you dont take when someone yells at you personally.' hahaha very nerve wracking yet I responded, "Im from New York, I dont take anything personally unless its an insult." She enjoyed this reaction and said that I would be fine just dont screw anything up. AWESOME! So today I began my day early at 815am to make sure that I was here well before the EVP arrived and reviewed the notes. The notes consisted of exactly how to hold calls, make calls, connect conference calls, recieve email, send emails, reply to emails, send AIM's to the EVP, what responses to use, what not to use, what can be touched, what cant be touched, what to file, what not to file....you get the picture. So after reading the notes and kindly greeting the EVP that morning I started the day with huge confidence as I took the first call without a hitch and did everything right. Same with the second call. The whole time I was speaking with Mr. Dan Bracey from adult swim. Unbenounced to me he had found out, by smart questioning, exactly who I was working for and decided it would be a great idea to prank call Mr. Cy Creamer at Lionsgate. Picking up the phone with my usual recited Lionsgate opeining line I was totally thrown off when I heard Dan's voice. Bursting into nervous laughter I told Dan that I could not talk to him on this line and quickly but politely hung up the phone. Awesome prank Dan it gave me a good laugh! hahahahaha

Overall a great second week. If anyone makes there way out to LA make sure to let me know! I love it out here and I now know the reason why my parents never took me here after the age of 3.

First week in LA

2009-06-09T18:38:28Z

WHAT UP!!!!

]]> Whats goin on everybody?! Hope all is well over on the east coast...I know Dan and Erik are still over there with you guys while we are all over here on the west coast so make sure you keep in touch with them to. Anyway, I am interning this summer at LionsGate. You all are probobly familiar with them for their horror and thriller movies like Haunting In Connecticut but they also have produced movies such as Crash, My Best Friends Girl and of course the entire Saw Series.

I am interning with the Acquisitions Department, which so far has been great! So far I have read a large number of scripts, most have been bad but that doesn't matter because with each script I read I find something new that I can improve with the scripts that I am currently writing. It has helped me hone my critisisms to things that actually matter when looking at scripts, like Dialogue. Now when it comes to the scripts that I am reading I am under contract as a LionsGate Employee to not disclose any specifics about what I have read so far, but with that said I can tell you that last week I read a script that was written by an Academy Award Winning writer. This particular script I was instructed to send directly to a VP of Production. That took place last week so Wed I will be speaking with the VP and talking to him about the script and the coverage that I wrote for him.

The awesome thing about the internship and working out here is everyone is really helpful. If I have a question or need some advice on writing coverage everyone is willing to help.

I am currently living just outside of Venice Beach with Brooke, another Buffalo State Student that is out here working for Reville. You can read her blog to find out what she is up to. I am currently training for a job at Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant as a Server so that will definitely help me pay the bills that are shortly coming my way for rent and such.

I guess thats it If you have any questions feel free to ask haha.

Keep it real!