A Preview of Life's Coming Attractions

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