The Power of the Network

Well I've officially begun my first "period of unemployment," as promised by the DGA training website. So with my free time, I've been taking the opportunity to better understand the nature of the job and connect with friends in the City.

As for the job, it couldn't have been more stressed throughout orientation week that I was signing on to freelance work. I will be paid by the production companies I work for, not the Directors Guild. If I work on a film that gets nominated for and wins a DGA award, then I get to fly out to LA with the rest of the Director's team to accept it. So this is as real as it gets! For those who, like me, don't really understand many of the positions that roll by in the credits, here's a quick breakdown: every department (Lights [Electrical and Grip], Sound, Hair, Makeup, Wardrobe, Camera, etc.) has a Head or Key guy. He's the top dog. The Best Boy (usually only for grip and electrical) is the number two. On the production team, there is the 1st AD, the 2nd AD, sometimes a 2nd 2nd AD, and then sometimes a DGA Trainee. That's where I come in. There are also four staff Production Assistant (PA) positions—Key PA, who oversees all the other PAs; 1st Team PA, who responds to the needs of the principal actors; Background PA, who responds to the needs of the background actors; and Paperwork PA, who does all the paperwork. As a DGA Trainee, I will essentially operate as one of those four staff PA positions on each project I work.

It's pretty much guaranteed that I will be a paperwork PA on my first gig. Why? Because we spent two full days out of seminar week discussing how to properly do paperwork. It's not the most romantic of positions, but it's a pretty solid start. And it should provide me a great opportunity to interact with everyone on set.

As for seeing friends in the City, it's almost hard not to meet someone I know. On an island with over a million and a half people, I thought I'd inevitably get lost. But then of course, all those people are packed into a 23 square mile area. So it's pretty easy to be exposed to a lot of people. The other night, I was out with a couple of friends, and we went to this place called Pommes Frites. As the name suggests, they make one thing...french fries. But the rub is that they make an endless amount of sauces. I got pesto mayo. It was delicious. Unfortunately, there's a line out the door, so seating is scarce. My buddies and I got our fries and ate them out on the sidewalk. All of a sudden, I hear my name. I look up and there's a group of about 4 or 5 people from college. I saw one of them again the following night, and she said that her friend asked her later about the homeless guy she was talking to. I know I need a shave, but homeless?!

In other news, we're pretty set to move into the Belltel building in Brooklyn, and tonight I'm going to make some pesto gnocchi and watch the Bravos rattle Stephen Strasburg. Till next time...

Just a Leisurely Stroll

So I woke up especially early this morning under the belief that work started at 9am (as opposed to the usual 9:30) per the orientation calendar I received with my acceptance letter. So abiding by the film mantra that you're late if you're on time, I showed up to an empty office at 8:30. People slowly started trickling in around 9. Apparently I missed the memo that the seminar indeed started at 9:30.

When we finally got started, we continued yesterday's discussion on paperwork and went over the homework assignment. As difficult as it was to do yesterday, it actually seems pretty straightforward now. Also, the good thing is that in the real scenario of putting a production report together, I will basically just be copying each department's daily notes into my report, so it won't require too much deciphering on my part. It also seems like production's beginning to pick up. On our first day, we all drew numbers. I drew number four, so I probably won't start until mid-August. But the guy who drew number one is 99% certain to be assigned to Gossip Girl and the girl who drew number two will likely go to Law and Order: SVU. I wonder what I'll get?!?

After work, I decided the day was too nice to take the subway, so I walked home through Central Park. This city really is quite remarkable. When you get lost in the depths of Central Park, you really don't feel like you're in one of the most populous cities in the world. Especially when the hillsides are dotted with sunbathers in swimsuits, it's easy to forget that around you is a logjam of traffic. There are also somethings that I think are only suitable near bodies of water, and swimsuits are one of those things. Semi-clothed men and women just look awkward sunbathing in Central Park. Also, I guess New York has installed pianos all across town and I stumbled across this one on the main drag of Central Park (see above). He was playing a stylized version of "Brown Eyed Girl." I can't believe I'm saying this, but I kind of enjoy living here.

I Can Cook!

I've just completed eating my first self-cooked meal as a New York resident. It sure is unceremonious when you're just cooking for one. But it's good to know that I can do it. And on the plus side, I now have leftovers for tomorrow night. I've decided that, in addition to learning the ins and outs of every union contract, I'm also going to use my month off to learn to cook. I went with my staple tonight—apple chicken sausage, couscous, and green beans—but I'm looking to diversify and feel free to comment with delicious, quick, cheap recipes.

The past couple of days since last I posted have been a rollercoaster. Monday and Tuesday's seminars put the fear of God in me about this job, but Wednesday's seminar reassured me that no one ever remembers the Monday or Tuesday seminar. Two recent DGA training program graduates spoke about how it really is. My job will certainly be difficult, but it will be fulfilling and every project eventually ends. So that put me at ease a little bit. Today I was given my first (and, I think, only) homework assignment—to put together a production report based on a call sheet, a script supervisor report, film inventories, and productions notes. It was actually kind of fun in the same way that a puzzle would be. I was basically given all these misshapen bits of information and I had to piece them into a coherent picture. I think I may just be able to do this job after all.

Also, Tuesday was the first time that I've felt like I was supposed to be in the City. After work, I decided to walk around midtown (where the DGA headquarters is) and I stumbled upon the Rockefeller Center. There were hoards of tourists walking aimlessly, but I really felt like my aimless walking had purpose. Slowly but surely, I'm starting to come around on the whole living here thing.

First Day of Work

Wow! I don't know where to start, other than to say, I can't wait to get assigned my first job. Everything about the program sounds right up my alley—I got a new laptop, a sweet t-shirt, and about 50 pounds of books dictating every contract agreed upon by every union involved in stage, film, television, or commercial production (wait, what?). Luckily it sounds like I'll have over a month to familiarize myself with all of them. Unluckily, however, is the reason why I should have over a month. Apparently, the New York state budget is caught up in the legislature, and in that budget are the tax incentives for the next year pertaining to films being shot in New York. So while that's still held up, a lot of productions are holding off shooting, making job availability terrible for us trainees.

I'm really impressed with the group of trainees that will be going through this process with me. They're for the most part all over the place—though a lot of them have a connection to New England and particularly Boston. They also seem to have all had more experience than I, especially in New York. But they're all good people, so I look forward to getting to know them better.

After work, Brother and I went and looked at the apartment in Brooklyn and, as promised, it had that "wow" factor. The building is a converted, old-timey telephone company building, so it has this cool art deco lobby. Also, as I learned from my mom, her grandfather worked for a phone company while he lived in Hell's Kitchen. She's going to look into it, but I may be living where my great-grandfather may have worked.

Brother and I got pizza in Times Square, and he said it perfectly that Times Square is like Blade Runner. I still feel like a tourist in the City, but I'm slowly getting comfortable with the subway, the traffic, and the overall hecticness of big city living.

I've Arrived!

Well I had a fairly uneventful flight up to LaGuardia today—though when I sat down with my salad for a late lunch, I failed to cut a dense piece of lettuce with my fork. The result was that my fork snapped in half and my salad flew everywhere. Probably one of the more embarrassing moments of my life. I feared it was a sign of things to come, but a friend of mine reassured me that it was only a sign that I should've gotten a pizza or a hamburger. So I went to Arby's and got a roast beef sandwich and some curly fries.

But after two painless legs of flying—Birmingham to BWI to LaGuardia—I have finally arrived in the City (my brother, who is also going to be one of my roommates, said we can only refer to it as the City now—that may take some getting used to). Brother, as I will henceforth refer to him as in this blog, had a productive day on the apartment hunt and may have found us a winner. But, get this, the apartment might be in Brooklyn!! After all this build up of dread about waking up in Brooklyn, I very well may be waking up every morning in Brooklyn (gasp!). "Waking Up in the Bronx" doesn't quite have the same ring to it, and I don't think it's possible for one to be "Waking Up in Staten Island"—unless I were to sleep walk onto the ferry. So alas, my blog's name may be taking on a more literal tone.

Tomorrow, I begin my weeklong orientation for the DGA training program. I'm excited to meet my fellow trainees and get a better idea of what to expect over the next two years. I'm also excited to see the training program's office—which, according to my highly scientific Google maps searching, seems to be in the same building as the Late Show with David Letterman. I have no idea what to expect, but I am fully prepared to dive headfirst into whatever tasks I'm given (So I will beat on, my boat against the current...or something like that). Stay tuned...

FML

My brother sent me this piece from the New York Magazine today, and it's really getting me amped up to move to New York. And by amped up, I mean nervous as heck. I think it's a sign, that I may potentially be reminded daily to "f*** my life."

As the column suggests, I will (hopefully not) be running late, (definitely) be overheated, and (probably) otherwise dejected. The good news is that my line of work will likely not take me as far downtown as 14th Street, unless I end up living in Brooklyn.

I suppose I should use this as an opportunity to explain the title of this blog. I've heard horror stories from friends who live in the city about falling asleep on random subway trains after a long day and waking up in Flatbush. So here's to hoping that, after clocking a 15 hour day, I don't wake up on the F, M, or L trains.

Theme Song

Right when I had reached my most apprehensive point about moving to the city, my mom sent me a link to this New York Times Op-Ed. It's called the "Brooklyn Bridge Song" and seems to fit my situation perfectly:

1) The masterminds behind this little project are not only not from New York, but also from an area that I'm willing to concede is part of the South for the sake of this blog (Austin, Texas is cutting it close).

2) The drawings are of the Brooklyn Bridge and seeing as this blog is called "Waking Up In Brooklyn," that goes without saying.

What sold me? This passage:

"...he felt for a moment that he could live in New York forever, that it was a limitless source of inspiration, beauty and wonder that — despite everything that makes living in this city difficult if not impossible — was almost holy in its ability to inspire."

Thank you New York Times! You have not only put my fears to ease, but also provided me with a sweet theme song. Enjoy!

Welcome

It seems like everyone's doing it, right? So why not me...

This is my first time blogging, but I must say it's an intriguing idea. As a native Alabamian, I feel like I'm caught in a reverse "My Cousin Vinny" situation. "I've heard of lox. I just never actually seen a loc before." I had grown up to hate New York—the home of the Yankees is all I needed to hear—but lo and behold, here I am, about 10 days out from moving there for the next two years of my life. Why? Well, in short, because I got a job. I applied for and got one of six spots in the Directors' Guild of America's Assistant Director Training Program. It's a pretty sweet opportunity to work on film and television sets, for me, straight out of college. It's a dream come true...until I heard that I'll be working 70-90 hours a week (divide that by 5 days a week?...eesh). But nevertheless, my ambitions cannot be swayed. I'm moving to New York (apartment be damned!) with likely little more than a suitcase, which brings me here to this blog.

As the description indicates, this blog will include my (hopefully) daily musings, meditations, and mishaps of big city life. Hopefully I'll be dishing out more musings and meditations than I will mishaps, but, with me, there's no telling. As much as I legally can, I'll try to name-drop who I get the opportunity to work with, without giving away spoilers about the shows and movies I'm working on (and thus piss off everyone I'm working with).

As an added bonus, hopefully I'll be able to shed some light on this program for anyone who's interested. I scoured the internet for any information I could and came up fairly empty. So as best I can, I will try to give prospective DGA trainees a good idea of what to expect.

So without further ado, stay tuned for more posts as they come (probably won't update again until I'm actually in New York starting June 20). Welcome!