Friday, June 24, 2011

Of the lack of angels, plenty of scripts and bliss of perfect assistants

This is my first post from LA. One second. Nope. Second of the many series of posts to come from the City of Angels. The first was when I was here on an 'Industry Trip' with Newhouse fellows in Jan early this year. That's when I had accepted that as much as I disliked the idea of leaving behind my dreams of living in the Big Apple, I had to make the move to LA to pursue a career in the motion picture industry. 

So here I am, two weeks into the internship at M and blessed to have my father's State Bank network find me a great family that is literally 'sheltering' me from hunger, being broke and homeless in this city. I don't know if it was a co-incidence or good luck but my office is a 10 minute bus ride from my generous host's apartment, one of the most coveted real estate areas in LA. To imagine I was miserable when the Focus internship tanked. Ma's right. Everything that doesn't work out is for a reason.

So what is an intern's day to day routine in a major motion picture financing and development company. For starters to break the stereotype, we never fetch coffee for anyone except fellow interns (more like soda). Yes we do photocopy, shred paper, file and distribute mail amongst the other things we are assigned or expected to do. Like? Script coverage to begin with. I get to read tons of scripts, specs, developing material and get asked to give my notes, feedback and what in the layman's world would be a 'report' and in mine a 'script coverage' that gives a detailed analysis of the literary material and what works for it or doesn't. I am getting to give a 'HIGHLY RECOMMENDED' and actually explain WHY to the assistants of some of the top producers and executives in this trade. And it gets better. We've been split into teams and have to pitch story ideas for a film to DZ at the end of this month. He will be helping us polish our pitching skills and gives us further assignments based on our performance. Sometimes working for a more intimate and small company (only in numbers not the quality of work that M does) does have great perks. 

One of the reasons why I love coming to work every day so far has been this almost perfect, too good to be true assistant. Let's call him G. We already have a great rapport. Guess foodies and film buffs across the globe should just have their own secret club. Also hanging out in his cubicle provides constant entertainment since he is at the center of two exec's offices. The other day I walked in to see G busy researching strip clubs in Paris for his boss who was vacationing there (with his mother....!?) and yet another day overheard the said boss yell out this question in the middle of his brainstorming session with a writer, "What's the most raunchy way for a woman to say I am bout to c@#$.". I laughed until I was asked to answer that question.

Writing coverage has been exciting. To imagine that your comment may actually be that very small yet first step in the direction for a film to be either developed or thrown down the chute. Or help a writer get his big break. I set myself a deadline of reading a 100 page script at least in 2 hours and doing the coverage in the next hour and half. The SRR 'script reading rate' (I coined it so it's not legit so refrain from using it elsewhere) in the industry is a page a minute so I still have a long way to go. I started my coverage spree here at M by reading a splatter film that was close to the 'torture porn' genre (my eyes and brain hurt by the middle of it).  Managing to progress in the world of literary sophistication, next I picked up a teen action flick that is in production in South Africa and finaly to my pleasant surprise, a wildlife epic story awaiting the last chunk of finance based on the legendary Daphne Sheldrick's (elephant conservationist) life. TODAY, I  read the funniest spy film I think that people are yet to see. Gave it a thumbs up so hoping MV will push for it.

Apart from that, not having a car in LA is frustrating. I am not against hitching buses but was racially hassled for the first time ever yesterday and kept a poker face through all of it. When I got off, my hands were trembling. Ignorance and hatred. Two of the most dangerous qualities a man can possess. Being a victim of it can give you quite a reality check.

I did manage however to do a few interesting things so far like go to a stand up performance at a gay bar called Akbar (ironic ha?!) with Carm. Attended the premiere of 'Bernie' a M production where I got to see Richard Linkslater ('Before Sunrise' and 'After Sunset' were two of my favorite films of all time), Jack Black, Shirley Mac Laine and Matthew McConaughey and then cursed myself for not attending the after party where Julie Delphie was present as well :/. Apparently she was incognito as always. Love that woman!

R, my Indian friend has been super helpful and we've been cooking meals together and bonding over 'Entourage' and ice cream bon-bons. Waiting to see the museums and also a Tim Burton exhibit that is on at LACMA next to where I live. And oh yes. I've driven twice, when the roads were almost empty with R sitting next to me but still hey, I DROVE in LA! Texted Jery immediately who said he is super proud of me. Miss our drives and fun times Jery :) :/

I need to step up the job search. And wait before I forget, why do they call this place the City of Angels???? This place can be more ruthless than NYC!

On the more emo side, I miss Jess, Jack, Jerry and Ryan so very badly. And I almost wish I could have both coasts to myself whenever I want.

If only your best friends could be family that you could always return to.