Blog's Still Kickin'

No, I haven't forgotten about the blog. I'll be posting more reflections soon. Until then, here's a screencap from my photo appearance in the Law & Order Criminal Intent season finale, Renewal:

Reflections, Part Two

I've been home two weeks and miss New York already. I knew it would happen, of course. I went through the same thing when I went to Manhattan.

Regarding my favorite thing about New York:
Being able to walk anywhere I wanted! It's a freedom I'd never experienced before. Michigan, being the automobile capitol of the world, is not pedestrian friendly. I hate driving - absolutely despise it. The act itself isn't horrible, I suppose. It's the mannerisms some people exhibit when doing it. The honking, the fingers, the road rage. It's awful. So, I loved not having to deal with any of that. Any place I wanted to go to was within reach by foot, subway, or cab.

Recreational walking is gaining popularity in Michigan. Local counties built bike paths through several rural neighborhoods, but it's not quite the same. In Manhattan, there was so much to do and see. Just walking a couple of blocks was an adventure in and of itself. Landmarks, water, parks, stores, and restaurants were all around me. What's there to see on my bike path? Trees and a ditch. Scenic? Yes. It just feels strange not being surrounded by buildings of all sorts.

Reflections, Part One

The first part in a series looking back on my internship.

Regarding my favorite department:
I loved them all! I can't choose just one. I have to say Art was the biggest surprise, mainly because everybody there was so much fun. It's not what I want go into career-wise, but I truly enjoyed everybody's company. Production also caught me off guard. The hours were long, but there was never a dull moment. I think it forever changed my image of an office environment.

Working in the Writing Department was an awesome experience. My time there was mainly spent in observation, but it was a wonderful opportunity and an honor to watch Warren Leight at his craft. It was enlightening to witness him bouncing script ideas and revisions back and forth with the other writers. The fashion in which script structure is formed is fascinating. Warren keeps a storyboard in his office. He pins a note card with a synopsis of each scene on the cork board, in order that they can be easily moved around as the story changes/evolves.

The set was a great place to be. As my career aspirations lie with acting and scriptwriting, I'd been looking forward to my time with this department since the onset. Unlike Writing, there was more work and hours involved, less observation. However, I did get to view several scenes being shot. Watching the process only further reinforced my desire to be in the industry.

April 22, 2007 - That's a Wrap!

Packed-up and ready to go, I got up at 7 and called Allstate cab service to reserve a car for 9am. My flight was scheduled for 12:30 and I wanted to leave plenty of time to get there. Yesterday, I stopped by Allstate to see if I should make reservations. She said no, as “we’re open 24 hours.” When I called this morning, I received a different story. “Sorry, Sir, but we’re all booked for today,” she said. So much for Allstate.

At any rate, I found another service online for the same price. They were on-time (early, even) and had me there in less than a half hour (around 9:30). I spent my last few hours in New York doing Sudoku puzzles. So ends my journey…

That’s a wrap! I'll be posting a few new entries over the next week or so, reflecting on my time in New York. Stay tuned.

April 21, 2007 - Talk Radio

I set my alarm for 9am, but ended-up waking at 7. After relaxing a bit, I had breakfast at Moonstruck and got my laundry out of the way. I also started packing, as my time to do that is a bit limited.

Tsahai and I were slated to meet-up at 8pm to see the Broadway musical Wicked. Unfortunately, the tickets for that were sold out. As a second option, we ended-up meeting at one, grabbing some Thai food, and seeing Talk Radio, Eric Bogosian’s (Captain Ross) new play. It was excellent; funny, but very heavy.

Afterward, we walked around the city for a bit, before parting. I’m glad I had the chance to hang out with Tsahai before leaving. I’m sure we’ll see each other again, but I probably won’t be back in New York for awhile.

I spent a few hours walking around Midtown and Times Square, shooting movies and snapping pictures, before returning to my apartment, cleaning up a bit, and packing.

Photo Album

April 20, 2007 - The Goodbye Guy

As I mentioned in Thursday’s post, I fully intended to sleep-in. And sleep I did. I didn’t wake up until 2pm. My initial plans for the day were to visit the Piers say my last good-byes to the crew, talk to John Roman, then walk down the Hudson River Park, as I did my first Saturday. The good-bye fest ended-up lasting the entire day.

I started out in Art, chatting with the entire crew. At first, only Lyle and Harry were there (and Harry was sleeping), which disappointed me, as I wanted to say good-bye to everybody. Luckily, people started spilling in over the following half-hour. I even snapped a picture of the Art Department crew. Nicole and Lyle finally convinced me to stay for the wrap party on Sunday. I’m slated to fly out Sunday at 12:30, but the party is 7-11pm. It sounds like a great way to see everybody one more time, network, and get cool gifts.

I hopped online and looked to change my flight. My jaw dropped. It would cost an additional $400 to reschedule it for Monday. So, the party’s out of the question. I got a great consolation prize, though. Mary from Locations stopped by and said that all the crew (including me) would be getting a free iPod Shuffle. Not bad at all. It’s blue, shiny, and inscribed (reads “Law & Order: Criminal Intent – Season 6”)

Next, I stopped upstairs and said good-bye to the Production crew. As it turned out, I would be returning there three or four more times throughout the day, so it was an extended parting. Maggie (John Roman’s assistant) snapped a picture of me with the crew. Warren Leight even posed for a few pictures. Leslie Gyson (Production Coordinator and the supervisor of my internship) wasn’t there, however.

She’d gone to set. Before going downstairs to see Leslie, I spoke with John for a few minutes. I thanked him for the amazing opportunity he offered me and we spoke about my future.

Down in the Green Room (the holding area for background and also the lunch room), Leslie and I reminisced about my internship. She had only good things to say about me, which (of course) made me blush. Our conversation and the one with Roman only solidified the fact that my experience in New York was an amazing opportunity that few people are offered. It’s been such a pleasure working with the different departments and meeting so many friendly and hard-working people. I’m very grateful for the time I spent with Criminal Intent.

I topped off my night by joining some of the crew that’d already wrapped for the evening at the Chelsea Brewery (inside Chelsea Piers) and having a few (too many) drinks. I don’t much care for alcohol, but it was nice to have the chance to relax with some of my friends and see them in a non-work context.

Photo Album

April 19, 2007 - Checking the Gate

My last day on-set (and the last officially scheduled day of my internship). The show’s filming schedule had already been extended to Friday, but I requested that day off. They were slated to shoot until 6 or 7 in the morning Saturday, and there’s no way I could pull that off and pack and enjoy the city a little more before leaving Sunday.

We were back in the Lower East Side, returning to the apartments used last week. Most of the day was comprised of interior shots within a tenement building, with a few outdoor scenes at the end of the day. To me, the most interesting thing about the shoot was their exterior lighting. As the outdoor scenes were shot (late) at night, they blew up two huge helium balls (China Bulbs, as the crew calls them), with a light bulb inside.

In preparation for the end of the episode, catering cooked up a wonderful feast for the crew – turkey, stuffing, yams, dressing, cranberries, and all the fixings. Of course, as the night was only half over, turkey might not have been the best thing to serve to an already tired crew. By the time they wrapped at 3:00am, everybody was pretty much done for. Luckily for me, I was able to sleep-in on Friday…prepare for one last fling with the city.

As the 1^st AD says at the end of the night, “Cut! Checking the Gate… And, on the good gate, that’s a wrap. Thank you, everybody.” My internship with Law & Order: Criminal Intent has officially drawn to a close. Where has time gone?