REFLECTION ON LOS ANGELES

I just had the best week of my life. If I ever had doubts about moving to Los Angeles, they are completely gone now. 

I feel comfortable moving out west now. This past week gave me the ability to understand how the professional film industry operates by experiencing it first hand. I know myself and the rest of the group were able to receive so much help and advice and I am sure we all feel like Los Angeles can be called home very soon. Getting out to LA is something my gut has told me over and over again. I feel one step closer to being successful out here. Matt Rhodes said "this is a creative city and a creative town". To be successful out here, you not only have to be creative in the work you do but the ways in which you network yourself and find opportunities. This city operates on its own rules. To be successful, you have to follow your gut and be open-minded. I have no idea how I am going to break into the industry, but exposing myself to as many opportunities as possible will put me in a position to adapt and understand the whole process that goes into creating a film. Matt Rhodes said that he wasn't fearful of finding work, but more fearful of what he would do if things didn't work out. Making films is all he knows how to do and I feel similarly. This is what I'm best at and this is all I want to for the rest of my life. He said he "had nothing to lose and everything to gain." The worst thing people can say is 'no" so there is no point to being fearful. He was one of the most inspiring and motivational people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. 

Devin Doyle, an OU alum working as a camera assistant, was one of my favorites to talk to. He too is a visual person, pursuing a position behind the camera. I talked with him about how he got his break. He gave me a ton of advice about how I should look for a position at a camera rental studio so that I can work first hand with all of the industry cameras. Familiarizing myself as much as possible with all of the latest equipment, that way when a camera gig lands in my lap, I will be ready and comfortable. He actually has already responded to one of e-mails with advice on how to get into Panavision Hollywood. 

Houston Curtis, the CEO of Legend Group Studios is another person who really helped me this week. I took a lot of his advice to heart. He said that you can follow your dreams out here if you truly believe in yourself as an artist and if you are constantly challenging yourself while remaining passionate. Houston too has gotten back to me and even loved seeing my demo reel. I really hope to continue talking with him in the future and helping him in whatever ways I possibly can. 

Alex Weschler, an OU Alum, came up and complimented me on my film Bad Eggs. He genuinely was interested in me and my work and I had a great conversation with him after the screening about how to survive out here in LA. He told me that he grinded out months of work at Chipotle to get where he is now. I really respect his ability to fight through the difficult times in LA and continue chasing his dreams. During the panel, he said "the worst thing you can do is give up". While out in LA, there are going to be bad days where things don't seem to be going right. I'm going to take Alex's words to heart about fighting through because the struggle is worth it. This town is too great to give up so easily. To work in a creative field, you must have some fight in yourself. 

Kyle Bowser was another OU Alum that I was thankful to meet. He was able to set up so many great opportunities for our group and he really seemed interested in helping out the students in any way he could. Although his path to success is clearly not the traditional route, his story about wanting to work with Barry Gordy had a great lesson to be learned from it. Had he not been scared to speak up and say what he really wanted to do, he would have been able to meet Mr. Gordy and who knows where that would have landed Kyle. It just goes to show that if you are passionate about something you want, then speak up. Who knows who could help you out. 

Networking. Networking. Networking. The group heard this word a million times this trip. To make it in the film industry, we learned that its about showing your personality and being able to work well with others. You never know who can help you out. Like every alum said, the crew on set are going to hire people they can stand to be around with for hours and hours. Constantly pushing the boundaries on yourself and what you are capable of and being hard working is what is going to make me successful. Being adaptable and learning the whole production process and not being afraid to try things that I didn't intend to pursue will make me well-rounded as a filmmaker and as a person that people will want to be around. I can't forget the novelty of this trip when I move to LA permanently. I will have to constantly have to remind myself of why I am out here in the first place. This is what I love to do. I love self expression and getting emotion out of images I put on the screen. We learn from the movies and I want to teach with my films. Moving to LA is the first chapter in my life's movie. Its so exciting and every day is going to be a beautiful and new experience. I want to thank you Roger for making a trip like this possible for students like me. You are the most passionate and helpful professor I have ever had and I am thankful for every opportunity you gave me. I can't imagine where I would be without this trip under my belt. 

I love you Los Angeles. See you in two months. 

Tyler .

March 6th, 2014

The first thing on the agenda was a meeting with Rocco Hindmann, an alum who has found work in LA as a below-the-line agent. He was very knowledgable about what it takes to find work for people who generally work on crew. Like Rocco himself, I've never really considered being an agent. I really loved how he talked about how he used to work on productions and then he gradually drifted from that field to focus on strictly being an agent. Kyle Bowser, another OU alum joined us as well. Kyle is the president and CEO of Res Ipsa Media. His path to success in LA was truly remarkable to listen to. From Bill Cosby taking him under his wing, even to Kyle's Aunt Edna that years later revealed she was an assistant to Barry Gordy, Kyle's favorite producer as a kid growing up. If anything, a story like that just tells me to speak whats on my mind when its on my mind. Had Kyle of asked his aunt about where or how he could find Barry Gordy, he would have been able to meet him and who knows what kind of opportunities would come from that. I'm glad he is able to tell that story with a sense of humor and not too much regret, because it really speaks to me about being passionate about what I am doing, letting people see that passion, and asking questions. You don't get what you don't ask for.

Kyle was nice enough to hook the group up with a tour of the CW, more specifically their promo and marketing building. I cannot believe how many awesome things are constantly going on in that office. Kyle and a man named Leonard Richardson, who works in the sound department, took us around the building to meet the various people and to see what they do to contribute to the promos we see for the shows on the CW. We met people who do layover graphics, after effects for title sequences, nonlinear editing for the promos, and sound for the promos. Every person we met literally posts up in their office for the day and is being creative every minute they are there to deliver the best promo so that people actually tune into the show when it airs. If these people were not as passionate as they are, the shows would not be as popular as they are right now and the CW is finding a lot of success, especially with shows such as Supernatural and Arrow. The thing I enjoyed most was meeting Mike, the video editor for the 10, 20, and 30 second spots we see on TV. As someone who loves editing film, I found myself jealous that he gets to sit in his office with gigabytes of footage from every shoot, and he gets to choose what works best and put it together for the promo. I really liked a quote he said about editing promos, "Each week I get to edit a mini movie". I think thats such a cool way of thinking about what his job entails. I am so happy that Kyle set us up with a tour of the CW. It was a really great experience seeing how a team of people are able to successfully market shows. 

We then met with Randall Winston, the producer for shows such as Scrubs and Cougar Town. He came to show us a pilot for his new single-camera show Surviving Jack, and an episode of the new multi-camera show Undateable. Both episodes were so incredibly funny, I would be surprised if they both don't become very successful. I've always been a fan of mostly single-camera shows because they have the feel of a movie. They are very cinematic and the lack of audience laughter really pulls you in and makes you forget you are watching a show. I really like seeing the difference between both types of shows and how they are produced. Undateable is a new multi-cam sitcom starring Chris D'Elia. The show has already been picked up so Randall showed us the sixth episode of the first season. After seeing Mike & Molly, it was more interesting to see Undateable and picture the studio audience and how they move from set to set, now that I know how productions like that work. Randall was a very insightful guy and very down to earth. I'm glad he is so successful and took the time to show us these new shows before anybody else in the world gets to see them. 

Lastly, we had the OU Alumni Screening at the Charles Aidikoff Screening Room in Beverly Hills. I was even fortunate enough to have my film "Bad Eggs" premiere in front of everyone. I cannot stress enough how grateful I am for that experience. I had a ton of people come up to me in the reception afterwords and compliment me on my work. It was such a rewarding experience that I will forever cherish. I met with two alums specifically afterwords that were really eager to help me out when I get here, Alex Weschler and Jeff Kolada. Both of them had so much advice for me and actually came up to me first and initiated the conversation. They each offered to take me out when I get here and even look for job opportunities for me in the meantime. I am so happy about how the screening went and how all of OU's work was received. It just goes to show how prestigious our media school is and the quality of work the students can create and I know the alums out here are so excited to see the content we bring each year. 

The Charles Aidikoff Screening Room

The Oscars selfie has nothing on us

March 5th, 2014

Another great day in Los Angeles. We started off the day at The Lot. 

Panorama of LA from The Lot

Our tour started off by going to the hangar where films such as Seven Pounds and Austin Powers in Goldmember were filmed. It was even mentioned that The Wizard of Oz was scored in the same hangar as well. 

The Hangar

The white wall helps for green screen footage and for large scale productions to occur. Its so crazy to think that some very famous scenes were shot here and then the background footage was superimposed on the original shot to create the final scene. This is just one of the many examples in LA of services and utilities for filmmaking that OU simply cannot have for obvious reasons. Its for such large productions and requires such precise up-keeping to maintain its quality. I would love to work on a stage like this at some point in my career. In essence, if you can dream a scene, it can be done on a stage like this because of new technologies such as CGI and increased quality in green screen work. After touring the hangar, we were able to tour an ADR room that is used for dialogue replacement in films. They have a large screen to allow actors/actresses to watch the scene closely as they attempt to recreate the same emotion that they did when doing the scene originally. The last stop at The Lot was on the set of HBO's series "True Blood". Honestly, I have never watched the show, but that did not stop me from appreciating the kind of work that goes into maintaing a set for a permanent show. I like seeing large production sets and seeing how they differ from more independent ways of creating sets at places like OU. 

On set of "True Blood"

The next stop led us to Mandalay Vision, where we met with President and fellow OU alum, Matt Rhodes. If I could sum up his entire presentation into one word, it would be "WOW". Matt really knows what it takes to succeed in an industry like this. I could tell how extremely passionate he is about what he does. His ability to get to the point and be direct, while also maintaining an insightful presence is a quality I wholeheartedly respect. He talked a lot about how got started in LA: moving out here with $800, sneaking onto sets, making up fake names to meet people on the phones, etc. All of this showed what it takes to get your name out and connect with people in the entertainment industry. One thing he said that really stuck with me was the fact that this is a creative field, meaning to get a job or to get where you want to be, not only do you have to be creative in the work that you do, but also be creative in the ways you network and meet people. His initiative and strong work ethic (especially at such a young age) is so inspiring to me. He reiterated the fact that you have to be passionate to work here. Its the same advice alums have been giving to us all week. Don't come out here if you aren't completely driven by this field of work. Luckily I am, so I took all of his words of advice to heart. I asked him a personal question about what I should do as an aspiring DP to get started out here. He told me to look for work in camera and lighting stores, that way I can get familiar with equipment and really learn the technical side of things before I initially start work. Everything he said was useful and was exactly what I needed to hear. I really enjoyed talking with him today and hopefully I have the opportunity to work with him in some fashion at some point in my career. 

Next up was the Warner Bros. Lot

Warner Bros. Studio Lot

The tour around Warner Bros. was truly my favorite experience of the trip so far. From a fan point, it was incredible to see dozens of locations that films and shows I love have used for scenes. Everything from Friends, Spiderman, Austin Powers, Pretty Little Liars, Seinfeld, The Mask, Terminator 2, and so on. The list goes on forever. I can genuinely see myself working on a studio lot full time. The rich history of a lot like this was really a lot to take in. I was like a kid in a candy store, or rather a film student in a camera store. After today, I really find myself wanting to work full time on a studio lot. There are so many projects being shot day in and day out, from sunrise to sunset. I think working on a lot like this would expose me to a wide variety of different kinds of work because of everything from television shows, to features, to talk shows are all shot here. I was really moved by the whole experience. 

Still upset I got sorted into Hufflepuff

The retired "Central Perk" set from Friends

The rebooted cast of Friends. And to answer your next question, yes I am Chandler. 

Hermione was so happy to see me

Lastly, we attended a live taping of "Mike & Molly" starring Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy. This is both similar and different in regards to how "The Talk" is filmed. "Mike & Molly" was the first time I have ever seen a multi-cam television show being produced. It was interesting how they film the show and I found myself surprised at little takes it took to create the full episode, sometimes only spending two takes on a certain scene. I found myself really paying attention to what the DP, AD, and Director were doing while on set. After getting passed the fandom of just watching the acting, I started paying attention to how the crew worked on set. I really wanted to see how they carried themselves on a set. The AD was the most busy person on the set it seems, always making sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to be and making sure the crew and audience were quiet when a new take was about to be filmed. I don't necessarily see myself as wanting to work in television because everything seems very rushed, but I would absolutely love to try it sometime either way. I was amazed at how similarly the sets run in comparison to sets I have been on since being at school. There really was almost no differences other than the large crew size. I was also fascinated by the guy commonly referred to as the "switcher". Basically, they switch the camera angles during a scene depending on who is talking or whose reaction shot we should be looking at at that particular time. The ability to anticipate the next funny line or reaction is really a difficult thing to do and I wish a job like that was not so under the radar. To me, its one of the most important positions on a set even though they hardly get recognition for such work. In closing, I found it truly inspiring to see how a multi-cam television show is shot and I feel like I learned a lot about how to carry myself on a professional film set. Each day in LA is progressively getting better and I am constantly learning new information about how the industry works out here and I am so happy that I feel more inspired than ever to begin my life out here. 

March 4th, 2014

Another great day in LA. We started off at the Jim Henson Studios where we met our tour guide Ashley Griffis. She was so insightful about opportunities in the animation field. This field is something I wouldn't necessarily say I am interested in, but after the tour and meeting Craig Bartlett, I felt like it was something I could definitely see myself doing. Craig Bartlett (the creator of Hey Arnold!) was one of the most passionate people I have met while in LA. He had so much advice for future LA residents like myself about how to get into the industry and make a living. Everybody at Jim Henson had so much to say about following your dreams, no matter where they led you. Like I said, puppeteering and animation is something I never thought I would be interested in, but after the studio tour, I found myself surprisingly fascinated by everything they do. I found it refreshing that these people found work in places they originally thought they would never be interested in. It goes to show that there are so many opportunities in LA that should not be taken for granted.

Charlie Chaplin and I are best friends

After the studio tour, we had some down time to explore Hollywood. I met a Batman impersonator, a Michael Jackson impersonator, and I even found time to buy my family some gifts. 

Hollywood Boulevard 

After our down time, we went to Warner Bros. to meet Bruce Rosenblum. He had a lot to tell us about the marketing side of entertainment. I never knew how much work went into understanding the ratings of TV shows, such as the Ellen DeGeneres Show. I won't lie, the marketing side of entertainment is something I never thought I would be interested in, but Bruce and his colleagues made it very appealing. They have such a vast knowledge of viewers tendencies and what makes a show successful in the long run. Warner Bros. seem to be making large strides in the field of understanding where viewers come from and how they interpret the content in which they are watching. 

At the end of the night, we met with our last panel of OU alums.  This specific group of alums have established themselves in the LA, which means they have extensive knowledge in the area of working in this area after you inititally have your foot in the door. I made it a priority to point out that I have a specific interest in being a camera operator and it caught the attention of both Devin and Houston. Devin who works as an assistant camera had a lot to say about the technical side of production, mostly about knowing your way around different kinds of cameras, whether its Red Cameras or the Arri Alexas. When I spoke with him after the meeting, he basically told me to learn my way around these two cameras by researching both of them and watching tutorials on YouTube about how to operate them. He was very insightful about the technical side of things which is what I'm very interested in and how to get work out here. I'm definitely going to contact him when I move here and see what opportunities may arise out of it. After meeting with Devin, I met with Houston. He happens to be in the process of hiring interns for his latest productions. I told him about my passion for visualization and how when I read a script,  I'm immediately thinking of shots that fit with the overall tone of the script. I hope to work with him in the near future on any projects that may come his way. The overall feel of this panel of alumni was nice because everybody has in some way established themselves in LA already. Its nice to hear from people who have been out here awhile and have tips about sustaining work out here. I was really intrigued about their advice and I really took it to heart because they were all so passionate about what they do and thats the kind of person I hope to be very soon when I can call myself a resident of LA. 

Another great day on Hollywood Blvd. 

March 3rd, 2014

We started off the day with a trip to the famous CBS Studios to view the live taping of The Talk. The process leading up to the show was what I found most interesting. The ability of guys like Bill to get the audience pumped up and interested in the show is truly remarkable. Virtually everyone who watches the show from their home is completely unaware of what is going on around the hosts, in between commercials, and before and after the taping itself. It really opened up my eyes to the wide array of production details that I had no idea existed until today. There is so much that goes into making a successful episode look and feel professional.I have a tremendous amount of respect for shows in this type of format now. 

I couldn't help myself from peeking behind my shoulder to look at the camera operators. As an aspiring DP/Camera Op, I was fascinated at two things primarily: how many cameras there were, and how precise their shots were. The framing of each shot was excellent, as well as the lighting in general. Everything looked pristine and well thought out when it came to the visuals of the show. I don't really see myself ever wanting to work on live television. I don't really like the hurried nature of it all. I prefer to plan things out in advance and take my time on stories and characters. Thats what drew me into my love for films. Then again, who knows where I'll end up finding work. One thing is for sure, I would not say no to a job offer from a live talk show. While its not necessarily what I really want to end up doing, there is countless knowledge waiting to be learned on any production. I really enjoyed the entire experience of The Talk. 

CBS Studios Lot

After our splendid lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen (I absolutely devoured a pizza in like 12 seconds), we headed over to YouTube Space. I never thought a place like this existed. For those of you reading this, its essentially a hub for successful "YouTubers". Once you hit 10k subscribers, you are able to use this facility to produce new content. The entire place seems like it runs so smoothly. Everything looks so advanced and high tech. I swear I felt like I walked through a time machine when I came through the front door. I think its really awesome that there is a place like this for young aspiring filmmakers who are using the internet as a voice for their work. I could absolutely be discovered on YouTube. Anybody can, and the fact there is a place literally dedicated to those who use this specific platform is to me, essential. YouTube Space had some really great sounds studios and green screen rooms. I would love to work out of there at some point in my life. Everything seems so collaborative and team-related there and thats definitely an experience I would love. The fact that there is a growing market for young, independent filmmakers is refreshing. While I am out in LA looking for large production jobs, I still want to explore the independent filmmaker within me by seeing what opportunities arise out of places such as YouTube Space. 

YouTube Space

A PREVIEW OF LIFE'S COMING ATTRACTIONS

TYLER DAWLEY

LA TRIP 2014

MARCH 2, 2014 - DAY 1

Los Angeles...you have already astounded me. As someone who has dreamed of being a filmmaker since being just a little kid, and now being in the national hotspot for production, I can genuinely say I feel humbled already. I arrived in Los Angeles for the first time ever on March 1, 2014. My buddy Mike Mulig and I went down to the Dolby Theater and got some pictures of the red carpet and the various pre-production plans that were being carried out that night. I do not think it is possible to dream up a better first impression for LA. Coming into this new town and not knowing what to expect, just seeing the Oscars being set up was such an experience that I will never forget. 

On the night of March 2, I finally got a chance to meet some of the young alums that have established themselves here in LA. I am grateful that we get to talk to alums every night. What better way to learn about how to get your foot in the door than getting direct advice from people who were in my shoes not too long ago. I spoke with Justin Kohlas after the meeting ended because he spoke a lot about working on a film set as a PA. I want to do hands on work on a set; its always been my dream. I asked Justin about what its like transitioning from independent film sets to professional ones. He told me about not overstepping my boundaries, and being adaptable. Every film set is going to be different. Directors are going to have different tones on a set. So in a sense, you'll never do the same thing twice in this industry (how exciting). Justin had a lot to say about adapting to new ways of doing things, being open-minded, and he also had a fair bit to say about learning on-set lingo. Taking that extra step to google on-set terms (or googling anything you want to know for that matter) is what is going to separate you from the rest. Capri Ciulla, another OU alum, had a lot of good things to say about general living conditions in LA. She talked a lot about predicting traffic patterns, where to live, how to get around, safe places to live, etc. Even the small things that don't necessarily have to do with working but rather learning how to operate in a new world is so helpful. The differences of LA from Athens, OH is an endless list. Just knowing that similar people came out here and made it is so refreshing. I know that when I move out here in June, there are going to be scary times. There are going to be moments where things don't seem to be going the right way or how I initially imagined how things would be. What I do know is that the struggle is worth it. 

FIRST NIGHT IN LA

Ryan Seacrest texting in a golf cart. Interesting.

The RED CARPET

The 86th Academy Awards