Locked in my Apartment (a random assortment of thoughts from the day)

Rains a coming this weekend. I hope the houses high on the hills above us don't slide down to our street.

Cutting documentary footage isn't really my favorite.

I was real grumpy this morning because I had to get up early and move my car for street sweeping. I absolutely hate the weekly street cleaning they do here in CA, one side gets cleaned on Wednesday's and one side on Thursday. The city does it for the money more than anything. The amount of tickets they must give out in all of Los Angeles...well, I don't want to think about it-It could probably pay off my loans in 2 weeks.

Ugh, working on this documentary special feature is driving me crazy!

I procrastinated by not only working on this blog throughout the day, but also by taking a few minutes to research about Janis Joplin. Then I convinced Laura to give me $14.00 to play her in a biopic based on her life. I think I could belt out a song like Janis and I'm going to try it the next time I'm at karaoke.

Back to work I go. Enough fun for today.

It doesn't look like the Holiday's outside, but we're making it work.

Thanksgiving

Ray and I made the turkey...

Napoleon just checking out the smells.
Nick doing a pretty ok job carving.
Me and the boys. We're only missing Nebojsa.
After dinner coffee anyone?

Christmas Tree

Napoleon thinks this is his new water bowl. He's kinda fallen in love with the tree. Like the wild beast inside of him knows this tree is his kind of thing.
Ray tries to yell at him to stop...but Napoleon is Napoleon. He does what he wants.

Happy Holidays

I was tagged and so you get what you ask for, friends.

Here's how you play....once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog with ten random facts, habits, or goals about yourself. At the end, choose ten people to tag, listing their names and why you chose them; don't forget to leave a comment on their page letting them know "tag you're it". You cannot tag the original people/person back that tagged you first, but let them know when you have posted so they can read your blog.

10. It's official. I'm a "cat person". I thought I just enjoyed having Napoleon, however, my cat-standing was fully realized last night whilst browsing the Christmas cards at Borders. The only ones I picked up were the ones with a cat theme.

9. Living in LA and working at home makes me feel really lonely sometimes. I miss the city of Orange and school a lot. Everyday, whether at the coffee shop, grabbing a sandwich or walking the halls of school, I saw someone I knew.

8. I want to polish up one of the two screenplays I wrote in school and submit it to some screenplay competitions.

7. I had three bikes stolen from me since moving to California (hence why I no longer have a bike...couldn't stand another one being taken from me) and my car broken into and my navigational system stolen.

6. I love editing but one day I would love to try and direct a movie.

5. My pet name for Ray is Monkey and his for me is Squirrel. Totally mushy I know, but I can't help it.

4. I miss fall time in Michigan.

3. Everyday I find myself more and more like my mom...and I don't think that's a bad thing. I really like my houseplants, doing little crafty projects, like converting a random piece of wood into a shelf, and giving a lot of unconditional love to my friends, Ray and Napoleon.

2. I really really want a vintage record player with the fancy wood cabinet and all. Then I want to go to Ameoba Music and buy a lot of records, new and old. Simon and Garfunkel would be my first purchase. "Slow down, you're moving too fast. You got to make the morning last. Just kicking down the cobblestones. Looking for fun and feeling groovy" - 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)

1. I want to learn French and spend an extended period of time in Paris.

Since the two people I know with blogs already did this survey, I tag no one.

Mamitas Wins again!

Last month Mamitas won the $10,000 Angelus Award. Today I found out it won the People's Choice Award at the Denver Film Festival for the whole Short Film section. I'm so proud of the film and I'm getting so anxious to cut the feature version!

How we do in LA

Ray and I practice our LA look. Ray prefers the blue steel, while I go for the Mona Lisa smile and staring eyes.
However, once out in the 'field' we don't really stay true to our practicing. Good thing Nick there in background doesn't either.

Speaking of Nick...here's the movie poster for our thesis. Hopefully soon you will be seeing the big screen version.

California Influence

Thai food (with Tofu!), Sushi, Health food grocery stores, navigating 5 lanes of heavy traffic and multiple highways to get to the same place, paying over $1,000 for a 1-bedroom apartment and becoming unfazed by seeing 2 bedroom 1 bath houses for over $600,000 are all things I've become accustomed to since moving here over 3 years ago. Crazy.

Malibu is on Fire; Napoleon hides in Fridge

The Santa Ana winds are in full effect. On my walk last night, valet signs were blowing over and girls perfectly blow-dried straight blond hair was flying about.
The quick and dirty about the winds:
"Several meteorological factors come together to create the hot, dry Santa Ana winds that often whip up roaring fires in Southern California."
The headline this morning: Malibu 'at the mercy of the wind'.

We aren't really feeling the effects of the fire here in West Hollywood. However, Napoleon may be feeling the heat. Every time Ray and I open the fridge today, he climbs in:

I can't believe you made me get out of the fridge.

Party on Hollywood Blvd: Schmoozing...oh the awkwardness

My week in Schmoozing School:

First, my two thesis films screened at Chapman's First Look at the DGA (Director's Guild of America) in Hollywood on Sunset (boo-ya boy!). Chapman invites tons of industry people to the screening with hors devours served before the show and desserts and coffee after with drinks served all the time (aw yeah). Scoring free food and drinks at these events is what I'm always excited for, but what everyone is there to do but at the same time what I think everyone hates to do is: SCHMOOZ. I had my business cards in my pocket and set a bunch out on the Mamitas table (they were all gone after the screening). You scan the room and see everyone else scanning the room, looking for people to talk to. You think about opening lines. You see a friend engaged in what looks like an interesting conversation but you can't butt your way in...I was recently informed it's bad form to interupt a friend mid-schmooz. You have to wait until it looks like the conversation is dying down. Once in the conversation, it's an effort to keep it going and finding a way out is always an awkward transition.

Scmoozing: I've realized I need to relax and just chat with ease, I usually get tense and nervous, thinking things like, am I boring this person? It's loud, can they hear what I'm saying? I also need to learn to take compliments. I got a lot of praise at the screening. I always blush and look away and I never know what to say. However, I think, I just need to say simply, "thank you so much for saying that," and then continue the conversation. Side-note: my movies looked polished and went over amazingly. After Mamitas screened, I heard someone a few rows up lean over to the person next to them and say, "that was really good."

The Emotion of it all (This is why I do this): I was sitting in the back of the theater and half way through the movie the tears started flowing. All the hard work and all my passion went into the two movies. I loved working on them, I loved how I molded them out of hours of raw footage. I loved how the audience responded to both of them...and now it's over. People keep telling me not to worry; that I'll have new things to work on. I know that there are many projects ahead of me, but I've just been so involved for over a year, it's hard now that it's gone. I guess, if the scmoozing will get me more projects that will make me feel like this, it's a neccessary thing to do. It's just so awful. It's definetely an artform in this business.

Last night there was an industry party on Hollywood Blvd. I saw Oliver Stone, scored some delicious bites of steak on a stick and partook in the free open bar. After a few parties, I will be an old pro...I'm going to avoid being that Hollywood slick annoying schmoozer.

GooD DeeDs in LA

Who was the mystery man in the white Prius who paid for the four cars behind him in the parking garage at the Beverly Center? As I was driving home I imagined it was one of the actors in 2 Days in Paris, the movie I had just seen. I mean, it was late, midnight, and the mall was closed and the only people leaving the structure were the folks leaving the theater...
I plan on seeing Lars and the Real Girl tomorrow. Maybe Ryan Gosling will buy my popcorn and soda.

What I Hate the Most:

All-Nighters. They suck.

The Good and Bad in LA...

What an eventful couple of days here:

1. Mamitas, one of my thesis films I edited, won the top prize at the Angelus film festival (http://www.angelus.org/) for $10,000!!! And, it gets to go screen at the Sundance Film Festival. I'm so going to Park City this year. =GOOD

2. Mamitas and my other thesis, The Line are both screening at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) in October for industry people and the like. This is kinda a big deal, so the school is paying for them both to go to a 35mm film print. Big time stuff for a student film. = GOOD.

3. Going to film is a technical nightmare for the workflow we have at school. And with two of my movies going to film, that's double work. Plus it's stuff I spent many sleepless nights during the last school year doing, so I just feel like, I've done this all before. It needs to be re-done because the school decided to wipe the drives that all our stuff was saved on. I feel like the amount of work I have to do in the amount of time is almost impossible. Plus, I'm not getting paid for the work. =BAD.

4. The Indie feature I was working on before the money ran out, had another day of work for me today. I get to make DVD's of the rough cut, so I get to see the result of all the footage I sunk (put sound and picture together) and organized in the computer. Pretty cool. =GOOD.
However, there is still all that work I have to do down in Orange hanging over my head. =BAD.

If anyone wants to see some excerpts from the movies I've cut in my years at Chapman, you can visit my website at: www.melissaannbrown.com
Let me know what you think. It's pretty basic, but it's my first attempt and I'm using some pretty rigid web building tools, which make some cosmetic things difficult.

When the view from your apartment is a brick wall...

Make it better...

I spent all weekend, painting this piece of wood, which I saved from my old bed frame. I feel pretty crafty and a whole lot like my mom.


Napoleon being sweet by the plants...


Ray telling him not to bite the plants...


Napoleon, not listening at all.

It Never Rains in LA!

Wow, finally weather different from warm and sunny to warmer and sunnier. The rain these past two days has been fabulous. It's always funny to see people outside right after the rain starts, looking toward the sky with their mouths open. People, do you know how much crap is in that rain? Think of the days where you can't see the mountains because the smog is so bad. That's what you are drinking. You can thank your mouth cancer on the blond bimbo driving the Hummer.

The View from the Balcony

This next portion for Anne, and for anyone else who wants to hear about how adorable my cat, Napoleon, is. Since Napoleon's scratching post look-out is placed in the corner of the big picture window of the apartment, he has taken to greeting the neighbors as they walk by. Occasionally we will hear people say hi to him as they pass and he sometimes replies with a meow. Last night as Ray and I were heading out, a neighbor was coming home and said that he loves our cat and if we ever go out of town he would love to cat-sit. I didn't mention that Napoleon likes to bite.
Napoleon sleeping, not greeting, on his perch:


Here he is out of the apartment, checking out the rain. The first time he's seen it in his life.

So cute you might throw up.


The little girl next door loves to talk to Napoleon through the window. Here they meet in person:

Hello you...

So good to meet you face-to-face.

Hmm... Well, if you promise not to grab me suddenly, I might come back.

It's a beautiful thing

I knew Los Angeles wasn't all bad. I found a cafe with free Internet. Yes, you heard me, free! None of this pay $3.50 for a latte and then $4.00 for a T-Mobile connection for an hour, where 15 minutes of that is spent figuring out the password and user ID and blah blah blah. Nope, not here. The coffee is served in plain white cups and there are bookshelves filled with paperbacks and art for sale on the walls and when you open your computer a message pops up and asks, "would you like to join the Cafe Marco wireless Internet?" Yes, yes I would like to join, thanks for asking so politely Cafe Marco. So, I click yes and like magic, the bars on my Internet connection are full. Just like that. It's a beautiful thing. A beautiful thing to do for people who want to sit around and write screenplays and look for jobs and maybe read a few chapters in a book and then get back online. No worries about time running out. If these walls could talk, they'd say, "it's cool man, relax, just do your thing." Cafe Marco is cool.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, Starbucks is not cool. They are the antithesis of cool. They are as corporate as they come. They are wolves dressed in hippie clothing tricking you into thinking you are cool for visiting their establishment. I'm going to make this statement here and now, so I stick to it: I will not be buying Starbucks coffee anymore. This is hard for me, since I've turned into one of those who gets a headache if not enough coffee is consumed in a day and with Starbucks everywhere, it's very convenient to just stop in, even if it's, "just this one time." However, this attitude is what has lead to Starbucks being built across the street from...Starbucks. This happened down the street in my old neighborhood. Starbucks bought my favorite coffee shop, which had free Internet, and turned it into a Starbucks, when directly across from it was already a...Starbucks. Both places, you need a T-Mobile account to get online. This needs to stop. Viva La Revolution!

Another cool point about Cafe Marco: it's within walking distance to my apartment.
Also, it has delicious fresh pastries, not stale ones, (eh hem, I'm looking at you Starbucks).

Ok, I'm signing off since I'm pretty sure I'm now on the Starbucks hit list. If I mysteriously disappear or if a sniper rifle...you know...I trust you to take over the revolution.

Making your way in the world today...

So, I'm back on the job market, which, FYI, sucks in LA. Everyone here has a lot of money, which I have determined by the fact that I usually find myself driving next to some obnoxious guy in a Lamborghini, with a comb-over and a hot broad in the passenger seat...or some dumb blond in a giant Hummer. I hate seeing some girls perfectly done French manicure on the steering wheel of a Hummer. So, where do they get their money? It's not like people around here work. People are everywhere at all times of the day. Traffic sucks at noon and just sucks worse at 5. So clearly people ARE making money and therefore there has to be positions open, like the jobs that people AREN'T doing whilst shopping at the Beverly Center per say. Well, fingers crossed that I'll get an interview for that celebrity website editor position.

Starting...

I need coffee before I can start this...

in Paris...

Oooh Paris...


That's what I need...

Coffee in Paris, spectacular Paris, with Ray...