I'm typing this at the USC Student Cafeteria. I just finished my first meal of the day -- a chicken Caesar salad with no Caesar dressing (which I was just as happy about). It's 4:45. Class isn't until 7. I have the laptop with me; better make use of it.
Had to get up and out this morning so that Darin could get to the airport on time. He almost didn't make it, but the lessons I've learned in LA traffic came in handy as I zoomed in and out of traffic.
(Speaking of which: today's close call again happened on the 110 Fwy, this time as I was heading towards USC. A car driven by an old man merged in downtown...and just kept heading left through the lanes. He was in my lane by the time I noticed him and honked and swerved -- thank God there was no one in the lane to my left. I hyperventilated all the way to school and for a while after that.)
After dropping Darin off I goofed off on-line for a while and then started doing the storyboard for the scene I was going to shoot today. I drove to USC (and nearly got smooshed) at 12:30, and checked out the video equipment at 1:20 after deciding on a location. The crew (actors Bernice and David, sound man Glenn, cameraman Evan) showed up by 2:15, and we finished before 4, just as I predicted. It's not great, it may not even be good, but it's done.
I remember an article about Raiders of the Lost Ark, one of my all-time favorite films, that quoted Spielberg as saying he didn't try to be a perfectionist when making it -- he went for the B+, not the A. As a result the whole movie worked a lot better.
Generally, in my productions, I shoot for the B+. Except when I'm pressed for time and I just want to get the damn thing done; then I shoot for the C. Hey, I'm not in the production track, you know what I mean? Get it done, get it on film, can you hear the lines -- fine. We're done. Next.
(Next is my new favorite saying, right after don't go there and don't be that guy, both of which came courtesy of Nina. Next is from Lynda Obst's book, about how you can't let any one little thing in Hollywood get you down -- you have to pick yourself up and move on to the next thing.)
Bernice wants to put together a group to work on TV specs, which I think is a good idea, because we can't take the one-hour episodic drama class until next year. I think we can take sitcom writing next semester. We have four predetermined classes, totalling eight units (who's fooling whom here?) and we should take up to 12 units, in order to be done with the program in 2 years without summer session. I'm thinking I'll take a four unit critical studies class, but critical studies is being cagey about what classes they're offering and not telling anyone.
Bernice also polled the five of us to see who was getting writing outside of class done. No one. We're barely treading water, I think. Good thing I've already got the relationship thing down, because there wouldn't be any time to pursue one if I didn't. There's hardly enough time to pursue the one I've got.
Brooke talked TV tonight. Boy, TV sounds like a nice racket if you can get it, and I wouldn't mind. I wouldn't mind being a nice female influence on a cop show (none of which have female characters worth discussing -- either whiny or plastic).
I also showed Brooke The Paperwork, though she didn't have any time whatsoever to look at it. She thought it looked cute. ACK. She asked me to tell you all she says Hi so I changed the title of this entry.
I also gave her my business card with the URL for my page written on back. I can only hope, I guess.