Is it Worth It? by WM

Well the semester is almost over and even though it seems like so much was accomplished I feel like there is still so much to do. Both internships have been an amazing experience and I can honestly say I somewhat understand what a life in entertainment is like. There is nobody more passionate about their job than those who have a career in entertainment. At first it seemed like all the actors out here were going to suffocate you but once you find the right group of people, this place is fun to be. LA life is kinda hard to explain because while everything is constantly flowing and projects are going at such a fast pace, it still seems like LA is full of laid back cool people. Overall this can’t be compared to a semester or even four years of college because what and how you learn out here is completely different from what you are taught in school. The best advice to give is to be organezized, very social, and write a review on every script or film you ever see. It all starts with a script and without that perfect script nothing else is possible. Of course this program was worth it. Nothing else could prepare you better for a career in entertainment, A class can only teach you so much about film, but it very rarely if ever teaches you how to have a career in film.

L.A. - Was is worth it?

Most simply put, the answer to this question is H*** Yeah! When I arrived in L.A. I was pretty confident that I had a good handle on who I was and what I was doing. I soon realized however that every experience is different and that the trick is to learn everything you can. At times this experience has been difficult, but no matter what the future holds the lessons learned here will stay with me forever.

I would strongly recommend this program to anyone who is looking for a career in the real world, whether it has to do with the entertainment industry or not. This program teaches you skills that are invaluable in any job in any city. I would not trade this experience for the world.

Jeffrey Whitlock

Is It Worth It?

So we only have about a week left here in Los Angeles. And now the question laying on all of our minds is, "Is it worth it?"

So was The Ladder Program worth it? I'd answer with a definite "yes."

A lot of the time we are bogged down so much with work for the program, staying late at our internships, and work for those internships that goes into off-hours, that we can get pretty frustrated and ready to be done with this. Nonetheless, I have learned more than I have in my life.

Going back to school and into the film program, I have so much to apply and feel 100% ahead of the game than most people. I've still got two and a half years left until I graduate, but that means that I have all that time to continue to build and nurture the network that I have already begun to establish.

The amount of money and time that this program takes is well worth the experience. It definitely opened up my mind to new opportunities that the industry offered. There was more than one time where I was second guessing where I want to be and ultimately end up in the entertainment industry. After it's all said and done though, I've solidified in stone that what I wanted to do in the beginning is still what I want to do now- of course, that can still change.

But along the way I have learned countless lessons that will ground me and give me a level head going into the crazy world of film and television. What I have learned will help me along the way tremendously. It was well worth it.

-Jake Castiglioni

Half Way Point by WM

So far my time here has been very productive. I haven’t been bored since I came to L.A. and the most difficult thing has been to try and organize everything I’m learning so that I don’t forget it by the next day. What I expect to get out of the second half of this internship is a structured plan for the beginning of my career when I graduate college. I hope to make sure my connections are reliable in a year from now. I also hope to complete a short film that is in the process of being made. If I can do all these things then my time here will have been well spent.

Half Way There

Wow! I can't believe that already half of all of this is done. There are so many things that I have learned so far- both for the entertainment industry and for life.

First off, don't bite off more than you can chew... ever. It's not fun. I had the advantage of living here before this program started, but that also left me with a lot of obligations and activities to do since I didn't really 'move away.' I've definitely learned that going 5 days a week with only 3 hours of sleep every night, 12+ hour work days, and other obligations isn't something that should be done.

On a more fun note, the internships have been awesome. I am finally breaking waves at Spyglass and am really starting to enjoy it. Today we find out is SCC is going to be canceled or not (cross your fingers!) There are still some things that I hope to do though.

I want to try a day or two in the art department at SCC. What they create is absolutely amazing and I am in awe of everything that I see on the stages and even on location. What they can think of and what the construction crew can cook up is beyond spectacular.

At Spyglass, I am just hoping that I can continue to build strong contacts that will last outside of the internship when I leave. So far, it's looking good.

That's all I got for yall!

-Jake

What the Industry looks like in motion by WM

The entertainment industry is a very strange place because many people will tell you being on a set is extremely boring and you’ll end up standing around for most of the time. This is true but at the same time these people are working very fast and hard, and at the end of the day an enormous amount of material is produced. When you look at everything produced you realize they are starting from scratch and creating an entire world for the camera. The background, foreground, props, walls, costumes, makeup, and characters have all been finely tuned to represent a greater whole. This is a big achievement. So when someone tells you that all everyone does is stand around on set, its better to think of it as a stop and then sprint kind of job. You may be standing for a short period waiting for another crew to make their contribution, but then it’s your turn and you’re sprinting again.

A Look From The Inside

Now that I have been on the "inside" of Hollwood for almost seven weeks now, my ideas on what the industry is and what makes it tick is a little more defined. There is much more business going on than I thought. Everything that happens, happens according to a business decision. Nothing is just "done." I've also come to understand that the business is very, very, VERY dynamic. There is not just one way to do something. There are so many issues that come to mind when someone needs to solve a problem, hire an individual, or choose a project to work on. There are an infinite number of ways one can climb the ladder to success out here.

-Jake Castiglioni

Industry in Motion (Jeffrey Whitlock)

I think we all have different ideas of what the film industry looks like from the inside. From my experience so far, I think everyone is partially right. Whatever you can imagine, it seems this industry has seen it. It is at times fast and furious, with fast paced negotiating and deals being thrown around the room, assistants madly dialing the phones and the interns huddle in the corner (Kidding). At other times it is slow, and executives wait endless weeks to get an answer from a partner.

But no matter what the speed or disposition of any one any time, there is always the drive to create. Someone is always looking for a good story, and a way to turn into a fantastic film.

Typical day in the life of an intern ( by, WM)

A typical day includes waking up 20 minutes before you’re supposed to so that you can be 20 minutes early when you arrive. This will be a typical day at the production office for the Sarah Connor Chronicles, on the Warner Bros. lot. You park across the street and at the gate swipe in and go through a metal detector test. Once in the office there are outboxes for each department that may have anything from a new bike for the cast too the usual envelops for accounting, post, costumes and the other departments. Now your off with the golf cart to deliver, while dropping these packages off you must see if there is anything to pick up, everyone is extremely friendly on Sarah Connor so you say good morning to whoever is in and when you get back, there may be more things to deliver or instead you find different little jobs to do until the prelim call sheet comes in. Then you’re off to the copier making a copy for everyone involved in production. You get lunch where you can and continue making the rounds. Towards the end of the day around 8 there are sides and final call sheets to be made. Sometimes one-liners, so your off to the copy machine again although each task is different they all include copying something for the entire cast. Throughout the day you get a chance to check out the sets and maybe watch a scene get shot here and there. Before you know it you’ve been there 12 hours and its time to go home. You get home make a quick meal settle in for about an hour, maybe do some home work and then off to bed to start it all over again. It may sound boring but it’s actually full of interesting scenarios throughout the day. Sure beats any other job I’ve had.

50 Cannon

The mornings at 50 Cannon are usually very similar. First things first, I pick up the Trades from the lobby, and then its up the elevator to the office. The 50 Cannon office is fueled by large amounts of caffeine and so a large pot of coffee must be brewed. Then, I check for new emails alerting me to schedule changes and new assignments. After that, there is really no telling what could happen throughout the day. I could spend most of it quietly reading scripts at my desk, or running errands for the execs. Everyday has its challenges and its opportunities, but no matter what happens, chances are Rock Band will be played at least once a week.

A Day in the Life of...

... an intern at Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Spyglass Entertainment!

My two internships are very different, so outlining what I do at each is pretty different. If there was one thing that I wish I would have known before starting the Ladder Program it was what the interns were doing on a daily basis.

T:SCC
At Sarah Connor I work in the production office, basically as a production assistant (PA). My daily duties include doing sides, copying schedules and call sheets, distributing materials to the other departments, and generally making sure that everything as a whole is running okay. Throughout the day I might be called to another department to help out. For example, I have helped match cut some footage in post, visited location, and helped the art department with various tasks.

Overall, working on the WB lot is very "hands on." I get to attend meetings, meet all the crew, and help out where ever I am needed, or where ever I would like to be that day. The days are long (about 12 hours) but because of all the tasks to be completed, it goes by fast and I am always having fun.

Spyglass Ent.
Spyglass, on the other hand, is a very different type of internship. I work in the creative development office and have less "running around" to do and more office work. On a daily basis I collect articles for the staff to read throughout the day, read scripts, provide script breakdowns, cover desks as needed, bind scripts, and, unfortunately, go on lunch runs every now and again.

It's a good internship to really expose someone to the fact that Hollywood is very much a business and not all glamor and excitement. Although it is the office of creative development, I see wheeling and dealing by the creative executives every day, all day. There are different writers, directors, cinematographers, and other personalities coming in to meet with the CEs all the time. Although it may not be as exciting as T:SCC. there is definitely more going on in the office that will soon translate onto the big screen in a few years.

-Jake

Settling In (WM)

Well, L.A. is definitely new territory and something I’ve never experienced before. It seems like if you’re not in the entertainment business then your not supposed to be living in L.A. It’s been two weeks now and I have yet to find someone who does something else for a living. I came close when I was talking to someone who said they sampled Breyers ice-cream for a living, but I soon found out they only used that as a disguise to pick up chicks. Apparently it’s more interesting to be something different and unique, I haven’t gotten the chance to try it yet I’ll let you know on my next blog.
It’s really strange to realize your co-workers (stars on T.V.) are just people who are fighting just as hard as anyone to make a living. I always use to wonder how films and shows can produce something so unique and almost perfect, but after working behind the scenes I see where all the hard work comes from. There are hundreds of people involved all working to achieve to same thing; amaze, surprise and entertain the audience. As far as the stereotype of snobby L.A. people I used to hear about before coming out here, I don’t really know where it came from. Everyone has been very nice and generous. People may sometimes give off the vibe that they are invincible and capable of accomplishing anything, but then you step back and realize that no other city has as many paparazzi and news teams reporting even the slightest moral fowl up of a celebrity. It’s hard not to try and hide your flaws and flaunt your strengths. I’ve only been here two weeks and already I feel like I’m getting dragged into the system, after all we are the best at what we do.

Introducion (WM)

Hey my name is Wes, I’m from the east coast, I grew up in a little town called Harwinton in northwest CT. I’m the kid always looking to have some new adventure, there is always a lesson to learn in anything and everything you do so why not do it all, with a few exceptions.
This is my second time in L.A., the first time I was only nine and on a family vacation. This time I’m here to explore my future career in entertainment. I have two internships, the first is at Rogue/Focus Features development department, and the second is in the production department of the Sarah Connor Chronicles. Both are extremely fun and challenging at the same time. It never really hit me until I started that people in the entertainment business really do work looong hours. There’s no complaints yet though, until I know how to do everything at both companies, long hours is fine with me, and I’m sure it will be years before I actually can say I know how to do everything, maybe more.

Settling In

Well, I have been here for two and a half weeks now and it's been quite a ride. I'm splitting my internships between Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Spyglass Entertainment.

Working at these places seems very unreal. At home you sit and watch all of the projects produced by these people but it's amazing to see it all get made... in a front row seat! At Sarah Connor things are constantly moving. People are constantly doing things- whether it be running to set, choosing a costume, or deciding on a final edit, there is always something to be done. I am working in the production office so I get to see how all of the departments tie in together. It's amazing.

At Spyglass I work in development- seeing how projects start from the very bottom. It's amazing how even in development- the creative side, that there is a ton of business involved. Even more amazing is how small and tight knit the company is. Spyglass produces huge movies, but their development department consists of only five people!

These first impressions will probably change as time goes on, but for now, this is what I have to let everyone know. I'll update again soon with more specifics of what I do and how things work.

-Jake

Starting in Los Angeles

Hello everyone! My name is Jake Castiglioni and I am a student in the second phase of the Ladder Program. This year I am interning with Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles at the Warner Bros. lot, and at Spyglass Entertainment on Wilshire Blvd.

Moving to Los Angeles can be quite the challenge. It's an entirely different world it seems sometimes. Luckily for me, I had a bit of an upper-hand in that I've already been here for a year on the National Student Exchange to California State University, Northridge.

I'm excited to start the semester off and learn as much as I can, as fast as I can! There is so much to see, learn, and do here. But first a little about me:

I grew up in Harrison Township, MI on the lakes. I lived there my whole life up until the summer after graduation. From high school I left to the University of Utah where I lived and studied there for a year. I soon realized that I needed to be in Los Angeles if I was going to be able to actually go somewhere in film. I knew that I wanted to do the Ladder Program so instead of transferring, I did a student exchange to Cal State Northridge. I spent a year here, starting my double major in film production and business management with a minor in mathematical statistics. A mouthful- but not nearly as hard as it seems. :) And now I am here!

I love the outdoors, especially skiing and the beach- an oxymoron, I know. I look forward to updating my life as I go through this all!

-Jake

Jeffrey Whitlock

My name is Jeffrey Whitlock from American Fork Utah. I am a senior film student at the University of Utah. My hobbies include golfing, skiing, writing and most of all, making movies. It was this hobby that led me back to film school two years ago, and I am very excited to graduate and pursue a career in the film industry.

Being in L.A. as a part of The Ladder Program's internship has been a huge eye opener. You can read all the books you want and see all the films in the world, but there is no substitute for on the job training. In just a few weeks, I have learned more about the business of making movies than all of my classes put together. It is awesome to go to work and copy a script that could very well be the next blockbuster. Make no mistake, there have been some rough days, but I am confident that by the end, I will be very well prepared for life in the "Industry"