Lately, I have been busy at work confirming press and photographers for the ‘Love Ranch’ press day and L.A. premiere, which happened yesterday and last night. I also booked cars for all of the talent. My job was to make sure everything was going to run smoothly. ‘Love Ranch’ was written by Marc Jacobson and directed by Taylor Hackford. The film stars Helen Mirren, Joe Pesci, Taryn Manning, Sergio Peris-Mancheta, Gina Gershon, Bai Ling, Scout Taylor-Compton and Elise Neal. The movie was inspired by a true story about the first legal brothel in Nevada. Mirren plays the madam in the film set in the 1970s and Pesci plays her husband/business partner. I watched the movie a few days ago and I loved it! The acting was great, it was the best movie I have seen in a while and the soundtrack is great as well.
Yesterday, Helen Mirren, Taylor Hackford, Sergio Peris-Mancheta,Taryn Manning, Elise Neal, Scout Taylor-Compton and Bai Ling came to the press day to speak about the film. It was surreal to see some of the actors in person. I sat in on two roundtable interviews in the afternoon. The first was a roundtable with Taryn Manning and Bai Ling. They talked about how they prepared for their roles and both actresses agreed they “leave their bodies” when they are acting and become different people. The second roundtable was with Helen Mirren and Sergio Peris-Mancheta. Helen talked about the fact that when actors kiss each other or have intimate scenes it is not a big deal. She does not understand why people cannot wrap their heads around that. She was so charming. Sergio looked just as sexy in person as he did in the movie.
After the press day, I drove to the Arclight in Hollywood where the premiere was taking place. I helped set up the red carpet and then waited for the cars with the talent to arrive. Once actors started to arrive, they walked the red carpet. The whole red carpet ordeal happened quickly. Some other people who were not in the movie but showed up were Benjamin Bratt, Kristin Stewart ( yes, Bella) and Doris Roberts (Marie, from Everybody Loves Raymond). After the red carpet, my job was done. It was a very cool experience and I was able to manage my “star struck” face. Oh and, Bai Ling and I are BFFs now. : )
Go see Love Ranch in theaters June 30!
Next up, I am working a red carpet tomorrow at the L.A. Film Festival.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
E!njoy the weekend everyone
It’s Friday : ) Today was a really simple day at work. First, I ran a package over to E! I this task should not raise much excitement, but for me it did. I am the biggest fan of E!, therefore, I was kinda like a kid in a candy store. I am still all giggly on the inside. For the rest of the day I composed a list of all of Jane Lynch’s well-known co-stars, and let me tell you, that woman has been in many different shows/films…134 to be exact.
Last night, my friend Pat and I went to the movie screening of ‘I am Love’ starring Tilda Swinton and this sexy Italian actor named Edoardo Gabbriellini. The movie is in Italian with subtitles. The movie was slow at first and then it rushed through the climax. I enjoyed every minute of it though and did not find it predictable in any way.
Last night, my friend Pat and I went to the movie screening of ‘I am Love’ starring Tilda Swinton and this sexy Italian actor named Edoardo Gabbriellini. The movie is in Italian with subtitles. The movie was slow at first and then it rushed through the climax. I enjoyed every minute of it though and did not find it predictable in any way.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Best day yet with a side of PR life lessons
Today was my best day at my internship thus far! YAY!!! I did not have to compose any press lists, which was nice. I started my day by reading newsletters from various indie film sites…not bad eh? Next, I made reminder calls to reporters from various media outlets to confirm their attendance at our film screening of ‘Countdown to Zero’ (documentary about the nuclear arms race). After that is where the real fun began.
Now, I know most people hate, despise [fill in adjective here] writing but I LOVE to write…anything, literally anything. A blank word document to me is like a blank canvas to an artist; waiting to be filled by beautiful art. I love the way writing triggers my mind to think in many different ways. One of my supervisors told me she had a writing assignment for me so I was sitting on the edge of my seat all morning trying to rush through these ‘reminder calls’. The assignment was to write two pitches for one of our clients, a company that deals with pets. In the first pitch, I wrote about the top 10 best breeds for kids: a pet can be a great addition to the family as well as teach kids about responsibility. I also wrote about the top 10 tips for keeping your loved ones (the two-legged and four-legged) safe, yada yada. In the second pitch, I wrote about the top 10 travel tips for bringing your beloved pooch with you on vacation: follow these tips for happy travels for both you and Fido. In addition, I wrote about the top 10 pet friendly hotels: do not stress about booking your furry family member at the kennel, bring him with you to create fun memories! Bottom line, the reason I love PR is because I can be creative, have fun and use adjectives which is something I do not experience very much of at ASU.
Later on, I read this week’s People magazine, answered the phones, took care of the mail and composed a list of sponsors for various film festivals.
At the end of the day, all of us interns had a meeting with the company owners. The meeting was great and I learned a lot. Some of the advice we got was to take classes like psychology, philosophy and writing. At least I know the Cronkite School’s rubric is right on point. I was also told not to get an MBA for PR or journalism…waste of time and I will still make the same salary without one; good I do not think I could handle four more years after my undergrad studies. I think that the most valuable piece of advice I received today is that it is not important to take boring classes; you only get to go to college once (most of us anyway), so learn what YOU want to learn, and most importantly KEEP AN OPEN MIND ALWAYS.
Now, I know most people hate, despise [fill in adjective here] writing but I LOVE to write…anything, literally anything. A blank word document to me is like a blank canvas to an artist; waiting to be filled by beautiful art. I love the way writing triggers my mind to think in many different ways. One of my supervisors told me she had a writing assignment for me so I was sitting on the edge of my seat all morning trying to rush through these ‘reminder calls’. The assignment was to write two pitches for one of our clients, a company that deals with pets. In the first pitch, I wrote about the top 10 best breeds for kids: a pet can be a great addition to the family as well as teach kids about responsibility. I also wrote about the top 10 tips for keeping your loved ones (the two-legged and four-legged) safe, yada yada. In the second pitch, I wrote about the top 10 travel tips for bringing your beloved pooch with you on vacation: follow these tips for happy travels for both you and Fido. In addition, I wrote about the top 10 pet friendly hotels: do not stress about booking your furry family member at the kennel, bring him with you to create fun memories! Bottom line, the reason I love PR is because I can be creative, have fun and use adjectives which is something I do not experience very much of at ASU.
Later on, I read this week’s People magazine, answered the phones, took care of the mail and composed a list of sponsors for various film festivals.
At the end of the day, all of us interns had a meeting with the company owners. The meeting was great and I learned a lot. Some of the advice we got was to take classes like psychology, philosophy and writing. At least I know the Cronkite School’s rubric is right on point. I was also told not to get an MBA for PR or journalism…waste of time and I will still make the same salary without one; good I do not think I could handle four more years after my undergrad studies. I think that the most valuable piece of advice I received today is that it is not important to take boring classes; you only get to go to college once (most of us anyway), so learn what YOU want to learn, and most importantly KEEP AN OPEN MIND ALWAYS.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Venice Beach: unique artwork, a man in a mu-mu and the Kush doctor
Last week I found out two exciting pieces of information:
1) I get out of work at 3 p.m. every Friday
2) My friend Pat, from Williamsburg, is out here interning for an entertainment group that represents bands like Slightly Stoopid and Rebelution….Hello, summer concerts :)
I am so excited I have a Williamsburg friend out here that I can experience Cali with. Last Saturday, Pat and I decided to check out Venice Beach.
*I should note that we were too distracted by the boardwalk sites and never actually made it onto the beach…maybe next time*
First, we looked for somewhere to eat on the boardwalk and found a place with a GREAT people watching view. We ordered an over-priced pitcher of Bud Light and over-priced burgers…welcome to California, right?
After lunch, we continued down the boardwalk. I will start with the odd first. We saw a gentleman (with a full beard mind you) walking around in a white and blue floral mu-mu and lovely straw hat. We also saw a dread-locked man telling anyone whom would listen “you did not follow the gospel!”…thanks for filling me in guy.
On to the cooler stuff, there were men playing music in drum circles. There was a man on stilts wearing a costume that was covered in leaves and branches. He hid in some bushes, and then tapped passers-by on their shoulders and resumed hiding leaving the passer-by clueless… it was pretty funny to watch. A few yards down from the twigs and leaves guy was a belly dancer who balanced a sword on her head while her hips continued to move faster than my eyes could follow. A man balanced on a cylinder lying horizontally on top of a table WHILE juggling samurai swords. Pat got a custom henna tattoo by an artist and musician named Jason. We passed by the “Kush Doctor” where employees told passers-by “WEED love to help you” lol.
One art vendor was selling wind chimes that were by far the coolest wind chimes I have ever seen. Some of them were made of cheese graters, some pots and pans, metal plates as well as other various kitchen items. The parts of the wind chime that clink together to make noise were forks, knives and spoons. It was cool to see old household items be recycled into one-of-a-kind artwork. Lastly, we visited a woman who painted original artwork with her poetry included on some of the pieces. The paintings mainly consisted of hearts, ohm symbols and trees of life. The foreground colors and background colors contrasted beautifully. You can check her out [here or here].
1) I get out of work at 3 p.m. every Friday
2) My friend Pat, from Williamsburg, is out here interning for an entertainment group that represents bands like Slightly Stoopid and Rebelution….Hello, summer concerts :)
I am so excited I have a Williamsburg friend out here that I can experience Cali with. Last Saturday, Pat and I decided to check out Venice Beach.
*I should note that we were too distracted by the boardwalk sites and never actually made it onto the beach…maybe next time*
First, we looked for somewhere to eat on the boardwalk and found a place with a GREAT people watching view. We ordered an over-priced pitcher of Bud Light and over-priced burgers…welcome to California, right?
After lunch, we continued down the boardwalk. I will start with the odd first. We saw a gentleman (with a full beard mind you) walking around in a white and blue floral mu-mu and lovely straw hat. We also saw a dread-locked man telling anyone whom would listen “you did not follow the gospel!”…thanks for filling me in guy.
On to the cooler stuff, there were men playing music in drum circles. There was a man on stilts wearing a costume that was covered in leaves and branches. He hid in some bushes, and then tapped passers-by on their shoulders and resumed hiding leaving the passer-by clueless… it was pretty funny to watch. A few yards down from the twigs and leaves guy was a belly dancer who balanced a sword on her head while her hips continued to move faster than my eyes could follow. A man balanced on a cylinder lying horizontally on top of a table WHILE juggling samurai swords. Pat got a custom henna tattoo by an artist and musician named Jason. We passed by the “Kush Doctor” where employees told passers-by “WEED love to help you” lol.
One art vendor was selling wind chimes that were by far the coolest wind chimes I have ever seen. Some of them were made of cheese graters, some pots and pans, metal plates as well as other various kitchen items. The parts of the wind chime that clink together to make noise were forks, knives and spoons. It was cool to see old household items be recycled into one-of-a-kind artwork. Lastly, we visited a woman who painted original artwork with her poetry included on some of the pieces. The paintings mainly consisted of hearts, ohm symbols and trees of life. The foreground colors and background colors contrasted beautifully. You can check her out [here or here].
Thursday, June 3, 2010
My new BFF Microsoft excel and my first film screening
This past week I have learned a lot—most of it is generic office work. For the most part, I have been putting together press lists for an upcoming bus tour for a new ABC Family show called ‘Huge’. I have also been collecting contact information from fan sites of Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd and ‘Pretty Little Liars’. Basically, Microsoft excel and myself have become really good friends. I have also been uploading event information for ‘The Jumpitz’ (dancing and music group for kids) to different event Web sites.
Last night, my friend Colleen and I went to the film screening of ‘Finding Bliss’ [watch trailer here] which premieres June 11th. The movie stars Denise Richards, Leelee Sobieski, Matthew Davis, Jamie Kennedy, Kristen Johnson and even a cameo by Ron Jeremy (lol). The movie deals with the porn-err Adult Film industry and Colleen and I were the youngest ones there by at least 30 years! Overall, it was a cute, funny yet predictable movie; I would still recommend going to see it.
Last night, my friend Colleen and I went to the film screening of ‘Finding Bliss’ [watch trailer here] which premieres June 11th. The movie stars Denise Richards, Leelee Sobieski, Matthew Davis, Jamie Kennedy, Kristen Johnson and even a cameo by Ron Jeremy (lol). The movie deals with the porn-err Adult Film industry and Colleen and I were the youngest ones there by at least 30 years! Overall, it was a cute, funny yet predictable movie; I would still recommend going to see it.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
First week of the internship
Here is some background about me first…
I grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia, a small tourist town. Two years ago, I found out that I did not get into any of the colleges I applied to and it broke my heart. I had my heart set on getting out of Williamsburg and having a college experience somewhere new. The next step was to find out what schools were still accepting applications. I applied to the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University and I was accepted! I had never been to the west coast and was excited that I would be able to get my college education somewhere I had never been!
Fast forward to sophomore year. First semester was a tough one. My writing and reporting class required us to write one story per week on a given subject (ex: court story, crime story, diversity story etc) 12 stories total. In addition, we had to have at least six stories published. I was overwhelmed, stressed and second guessing my decision to major in journalism. I could not think of anything else I wanted to do; I LOVE writing and I have since I was four years old. I decided to stick with the major and I am so happy I did.
Last summer, my good friend Chris’ godmother, Ariel, told me about a PR firm in Los Angeles she used to work for. Since its focus is entertainment, I knew it was right up my alley. This past semester I applied to be one of their summer interns and I got the internship!! I was ecstatic and could not believe how far I had come in the past two years. Getting this internship is something I have worked very hard for. This internship is one of the many steps that will lead me to my dream job in the entertainment/ public relations industry.
A little about the firm:
The firm has four different divisions: film, television, digital media and home entertainment (DVD/Blu Ray). Interns rotate to different divisions bi-weekly. Currently I am working in home entertainment and a little in TV.
About the first week…
I started on Monday of this week. The first day was mainly orientation; I met everyone, learned what my daily duties will be stuff like that. At the end of the day, some women who work in television asked us interns if we would be able to help with a press junket on Tuesday. I said yes…very smart decision.
Tuesday I woke up at the crack of dawn and drove to Warner Bros in Burbank. The press junket was for a new TV show that will premiere on ABC Family June 8th at 8 pm. The show is called ‘Pretty Little Liars'[watch trailer here]starring Ashley Benson, Troian Bellsario, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, Laura Leighton and Ian Harding. People are calling the show ‘a teenage Desperate Housewives’ it looks soo good and very juicy. It is filled with cliques, a mysterious death, and a hot affair. Back to the press junket, this was my first time ever being to a TV set and it was sooo cool! TV makes everything look much bigger though. My job was to show various media outlets where they would be interviewing the actors. Once the press was where they needed to be, it was time to bring in the actors. First was Ashley Benson, the star of the show (girls might remember her from some of the ‘Bring it On’ movies). Ashley was in and out of her interviews pretty quickly because production needed her for filming all day. The rest of the actors gave longer interviews and I helped with making sure interviews were going smoothly and the actors made it around to each media outlet. Some of the outlets that came were E! Online, OMG!! Seriously? WTF??, HollyWire, Alloy, ESPNU and Young Hollywood.
Overall, it was a very cool experience and I am glad I was invited to help.
*Fun Fact* the stage I visited is the same stage where Casablanca, ER and The Perfect Storm were filmed.
Yesterday was a tedious workday. I composed press lists, and got scene stills ready for the DVD/ Blu Ray release of Gossip Girl, Smallville, The Mentalist, Chuck, Vampire Diaries and Supernatural….I won’t bore with details.
Next week I am going to a film screening and will update then!!
I grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia, a small tourist town. Two years ago, I found out that I did not get into any of the colleges I applied to and it broke my heart. I had my heart set on getting out of Williamsburg and having a college experience somewhere new. The next step was to find out what schools were still accepting applications. I applied to the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University and I was accepted! I had never been to the west coast and was excited that I would be able to get my college education somewhere I had never been!
Fast forward to sophomore year. First semester was a tough one. My writing and reporting class required us to write one story per week on a given subject (ex: court story, crime story, diversity story etc) 12 stories total. In addition, we had to have at least six stories published. I was overwhelmed, stressed and second guessing my decision to major in journalism. I could not think of anything else I wanted to do; I LOVE writing and I have since I was four years old. I decided to stick with the major and I am so happy I did.
Last summer, my good friend Chris’ godmother, Ariel, told me about a PR firm in Los Angeles she used to work for. Since its focus is entertainment, I knew it was right up my alley. This past semester I applied to be one of their summer interns and I got the internship!! I was ecstatic and could not believe how far I had come in the past two years. Getting this internship is something I have worked very hard for. This internship is one of the many steps that will lead me to my dream job in the entertainment/ public relations industry.
A little about the firm:
The firm has four different divisions: film, television, digital media and home entertainment (DVD/Blu Ray). Interns rotate to different divisions bi-weekly. Currently I am working in home entertainment and a little in TV.
About the first week…
I started on Monday of this week. The first day was mainly orientation; I met everyone, learned what my daily duties will be stuff like that. At the end of the day, some women who work in television asked us interns if we would be able to help with a press junket on Tuesday. I said yes…very smart decision.
Tuesday I woke up at the crack of dawn and drove to Warner Bros in Burbank. The press junket was for a new TV show that will premiere on ABC Family June 8th at 8 pm. The show is called ‘Pretty Little Liars'[watch trailer here]starring Ashley Benson, Troian Bellsario, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, Laura Leighton and Ian Harding. People are calling the show ‘a teenage Desperate Housewives’ it looks soo good and very juicy. It is filled with cliques, a mysterious death, and a hot affair. Back to the press junket, this was my first time ever being to a TV set and it was sooo cool! TV makes everything look much bigger though. My job was to show various media outlets where they would be interviewing the actors. Once the press was where they needed to be, it was time to bring in the actors. First was Ashley Benson, the star of the show (girls might remember her from some of the ‘Bring it On’ movies). Ashley was in and out of her interviews pretty quickly because production needed her for filming all day. The rest of the actors gave longer interviews and I helped with making sure interviews were going smoothly and the actors made it around to each media outlet. Some of the outlets that came were E! Online, OMG!! Seriously? WTF??, HollyWire, Alloy, ESPNU and Young Hollywood.
Overall, it was a very cool experience and I am glad I was invited to help.
*Fun Fact* the stage I visited is the same stage where Casablanca, ER and The Perfect Storm were filmed.
Yesterday was a tedious workday. I composed press lists, and got scene stills ready for the DVD/ Blu Ray release of Gossip Girl, Smallville, The Mentalist, Chuck, Vampire Diaries and Supernatural….I won’t bore with details.
Next week I am going to a film screening and will update then!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
