Frank TV Audience Member

This past Tuesday, I was one of the lucky audience members that was sitting in the front row for FRANK TV's Christmas Special.

Here are some pictures of the back of my beautiful head!

Christmas Decorations

Many people have been requesting to see some pictures of the apartment decorated for the Holidays, so I have created another fun album that highlights all the pictures for you all!

Enjoy and let me know what you think :)

http://www.ppshollywood.com/Apartment%20Decorations/

Magical Memories

Here are all the pictures I took during my magical visit to the Happiest Place on Earth for their Christmas Celebration. I hope you enjoy them!

http://ppshollywood.com/Disney%20Christmas%202007/

Please, tell me what you think!

I'll have an update of more details of my day at Disneyland tomorrow....for now, I am pooped!

Good Day :)

First, and foremost, if Portia Young is reading this...HI!!!! Send me an e-mail because I'd love to hear from you! I'll be home in a week or so for the holidays, so we should meet up! (For those wondering why I might think a news anchor from WISN is reading my blog, we'll just say nevermind, it's a long story.)

Today was a good day :) I got a turkey, pumpkin pie, and 3 tickets to Universal from Universal Studios, as part of their "Gift Giving Days" that they hold each year.

Other than that, not a whole lot of excitement going on. I am DONE with exams and done with my first quarter of school and I am excited for this break that I now have to get some work in and have a chance to go back home for a bit.

I'll update again soon :)

D-Day

Well, tonight is my final exam of the first quarter and it is going to be a toughie. The ever-popular DESIGN exam!

The good news, is the rest of the week (and looks like most of next week), I'll be busy at Universal which will be fun work. After that if my work schedule is clear like they are predicting, I'll likley end up coming home to visit for a little time, too.

But to get to all that, we must first defeat the Design Exam. Oh crappppp it's going to suck. I've been sutdying for this all week, and I have yet to fully grasp the concepts.

Wish me luck......

Hollywood Happens...still....

Dear Mr. Olson,

Thanks for meeting with me regarding the head of PR position. At this time, I have filled the current position. Your application will be retianed in case anything changes, and I sincerley appreciate your efforts. You were one of nine people I interviewed for a position that over 300 people applied for. You will go far in the industry with determination like you have.

Thanks again, congrats, and good luck in the future. I'll be looking for your name in lights.


That, my friends, is the letter I recieved from CBS radio regarding the position I applied for. Unfortunatley, I didn't get it. :( Which really sucks, because I don't quite know where I went wrong...since everything seemed to go well and he seems to like me.

Fortunatley, Universal said that I will have work with them next week so I can fill some of my time with them getting paid before the holidays. In the end, all I need is something to keep me busy and getting paid, so I technically get what I want/need...but dam, that sucks.

Ah well....Hollywood Happens....

NOW SHOWING: Diced

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give to you...."DICED"

The movie featuring the un-credited Kyle Olson. Enjoy!

WARNING: The film does contain alot of not nice words.

Hollywood Happens

I have a new phrase that many people might hear me using more often. It's "Hollywood Happens". This refers to Hollywood in general...the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything else related.

Example of it in context (for those of us still confused and learning):

Did you hear that J-Lo was pregnant?
Yeah!
Did you hear that Michael Jackson was the dad?
NO WAY!
Yeah, well, Hollywood Happens.

Okay, so not the greatest example...but it's kind of an excuse for 'shit happens...but in Hollywood.' (Pardon my french to all the children of the world reading my blog)

So, here's what happened Monday that makes me want to use this phrase:

In our PRINCIPLES OF PRODUCTION class, we showed our final exams (which were two movies) in class. For those that didn't hear, the movie shoots went horrible because the people didn't really recognize me in one (where I set up most of the lights), and in the other one, they had me as an actor but decided not to tell me until 2 minutes before the shoot...which was...special since everyone else knew except for me.

So, we screened the first movie...the one I helped with lights on...and first off, the editing was horrible. They had fades EVERYWHERE for a scene that didn't deserve more than two, but that's besides the point. The credits rolled at the end and my name came up as a "grip", when in reality, if I did lights, I should be "Director of Photography" or "Lighting Assistant" or something higher than grip. But OK, I'll bite the bullet on that and move on....Hollywood Happens, right?

So then the second movie premieres, and contrary to the first, this movie was very well edited. I found out that (through the magic of editing, making my voice scarier than it already is, and making my feet seem 10x bigger than normal) I was the main antagonist in the movie...which is kind of neat. I was pretty happy and things were well and good.....until the credits rolled. It seems as if KYLE OLSON was nowhere on the credits....which is extremley wierd since....oh, I don't know...they backstabbed me to begin with and then I practically saved their film and they don't have the common curtosey to put my name in the freckin' credits!?

I let out some of my feelings about both films after they were sreened and it seemed as if the instructor was with me. Wow....I just can't believe these low-life people are honestly THAT low.

Ah well, Hollywood Happens.....

Update

Greetings All,

Sorry for the lack of a blog post the past few days. School has been crazy this week with preparation for Final Exams next week. Furthermore, I have been on the hunt for another job to fill some of my availible time. Today I have an interview at CBS Radio, so fingers crossed, that will end with a positive result.

Tonight is the premiere of the 1st Annual MOVIES ROCK concert on CBS! Make SURE you do not miss this exciting event. I gaurauntee you will enjoy the concert! :) Plus, my close friends Usher and Paris Hilton are going to be there... haha

I think that's about it for now. I guess today I will start taking early orders for anybody that wants a DVD Copy of MOVIES ROCK autographed. It makes a good Christmas gift.....

MOVIES ROCK!

The “MOVIES ROCK” event tonight was AWESOME! To fill more of you in on the idea behind the show, it is basically a huge concert with TONS of celebrities (both hosting and singing) that are together for a 2-hour concert spectacular to pay a tribute to some of the greatest movie songs of all time.

As some of you saw, I got an opportunity (due to sucking up to a producer) to be a part of the Red Carpet…or should I say, Green Carpet premiere. I had my chance to walk down the carpet and be a part of the crowd that watched the celebrities come in. Unfortunately, they were running behind with the celebrity Green Carpet intros, so I had to leave before I got to see too many big stars on the carpet, but it was still neat to be a part of.

Once I was taken inside the Kodak Theatre, I was brought to a VIP lounge since I had a ticket (essentially a ‘stand by’ ticket) to sit in the front row, if one of the celebrities didn’t show. Unfortunately, the celebrity showed and I was given the option of being a seat-filler (hopping from seat to seat the entire show filling where the camera sees), or sitting in my pre-purchased seat in the first row of the first balcony. I decided to go to my seat on the balcony and I am glad I did. WOW, What a view!

When I was in the lobby of the Kodak Theatre (before the show started, I needed some M&Ms since they weren’t selling popcorn at such a ‘fancy’ place), a blonde lady just RAN right into my side. I looked over and Paris Hilton is standing there, apologizing for not looking where she was going, before walking off looking embarrassed and like a fool.

Furthermore, I ran into another celebrity while I was taking my Hollywood style bathroom stop. Usher was at the sink next to me washing his hands as we were both about ready to leave the bathroom. We said hello and both went on with our lives. It was cool, though.

The concert itself was simply amazing. It was so surreal hearing the famous Kodak Theatre Lady Voice saying "LIVE from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood". The same voice you'd normally hear on TV, but I was ACTUALLY THERE!! It was so cool to be in the middle of the action and see them filming this show for TV.

I CANNOT stress enough that this was a HUGE event and you WILL NOT WANT to miss it on Friday on CBS. It was simply out of this world.

Highlights included the following…

Beyonce: (the first song) preformed, which was “Over the Rainbow”. It was EXCELLENT and received a standing ovation.

Elton John: gave a tribute to Disney music that has changed the way we look at animated classics – it was SO neat to see the Disney movies on the big screen of the Kodak Theatre with celebrities surrounding the place. It was such a surreal/goosebump feeling.

Usher: did a GREAT tribute to ‘singing in the rain’. This also received a standing ovation from the entire house. ALOT of people were impressed by it, and for good reason - you'll see why on Friday night.

John Williams: perhaps one of the most exciting parts of the evening, Mr. Williams preformed a movie montage of some of the greatest movie songs of all times, which received a LONGGGGGG ovation!

Tony Bennit: obviously a classic who received a standing ovation for his finale of the concert.

There were tons of other performances and celebrities on hand, but I must say it was a once-in-a-lifetime concert.

Some of the others were:

Fergie and Danny DeVito: singing '007's "Live and Let Die"

Carrie Underwood: singing "The Sound of Music"

There were also musical tributes to: Jailhouse Rock, Diamonds are a girls best friend, Shaft, and more :)

DO NOT miss this event on Friday! I guarantee you won’t be sorry you saw it.

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!

I am home for just a few minutes to update my blog and get dressed up real nice for the Red Carpet walk that I will be taking this evening.

I received the ticket downtown today (by sucking up to a producer) which allows me to be part of the red carpet, so I can take pictures and then go inside to enjoy the concert!!!

Here's my outfit for tonight :)


Here's some pictures I took earlier of them setting up:

Frank TV & America's Funniest Home Videos

Yesterday (Friday evening) I decided to go to a filming of a new show that is being aired on TBS called "FRANK TV", which stars comedian and impersonator Frank Calliendo. I'm glad I took the time to go because the episode was HILARIOUS, I got a front row seat, AND I met a really nice guy that I'll likley be in contact with again. Overall, it was a great night and I was extremley glad things went so well :)

For those wondering, the episode of "FRANK TV" that I was on will air right around Christmas time, as it was their Christmas week episode. I'll post an exact date when I hear of one.

Today was another exciting day...although not QUITE as exciting as yesterday. I had the opportunity to go to Raleigh Studios and participate in the audience on "America's Funniest Home Videos", where I got paid to sit, clap, laugh, and have a good time. The host, Tom Bergeron, was extremley funny, nice, and VERY down to earth, which made things even more enjoyable.

The second reason I went to the filming of AFV today is beause I gained a tip saying that people that go to the show well dressed have a chance at winning $500. Well, they did indeed give out the $500, but not to me :( I was one of the five that they brought on the stage to vote upon, but sadly, my good looks and charm did not win me any money (guess that's not a BIG surprise, but oh well). Regardless of the fact that I didn't win money for looking good, I still got paid for the few hours of audience work I did which was pretty neat.

Tomorrow should be an EXTREMLEY exciting day, as I am going downtown Hollywood to see "MOVIES ROCK" - an extraordinary concert that features a HUGE list of celebrities and singers that are paying tribute to some of the greatest movie songs of all times. I'm sure I will have a nice, long post after the event! I can't WAIT to go!

A picture is worth 1,000 words....

Since a picture is worth 1,000 words, I'll let you think what I am thinking when I took this picture:



and yes, that is the gas price EVERYWHERE right now which is expected to go up (as stated by our fabulous governator)

Passion

"Hollywood runs on passion; it is the only thing that keeps you going."

- David Lloyd, Editing Theory Instructor (the one I like, not the other guy)

Happy Late Thanksgiving!

Greetings, Everyone!

I am back home and safe from my visit to South Milwaukee. I had a great time, and enjoyed seeing as many of you as I could! I know my time was limited, but I'm glad I got some time to come home, because it truly raised my spirits!

Sorry for the lack of blog updates. This is my HOLLYWOOD blog, and for some reason, I get picky on myself about updating my HOLLYWOOD blog when I am in SM...ah well.

Anyways, here are the new updates:


1. FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! There is a hot one just over the mountain that I can literally see from my backyard. It isn't close enough to be scared yet, but I am hoping it dosen't come TOOOOOOOOOOOOO much closer....

2. I GOT THE JOB! I am happy to report that I got the job as a High School A/V Advisor and Teacher! More details to come soon!

3. HAPPY SANDWHICH RESULTS SOON! That's right, folks. On Monday, we will find out if Kyle's Happy Sandwhich video was worhty of making the Final 5. Cross your fingers and maybe I'll have a chance at $50,000.

4. I SWAM OUTSIDE IN THE POOL TODAY. This really isn't breaking news, but it IS BRAGGING news :)


Tomorrow is another day to catch up on the job hunt and decorate the apartment for the holiday season. I'll be sure to post pictures soon!!

Awe Inspiring

Check out this image taken from a NASA Satelliete from California during the mass fires. It's quite an impressive shot.

Updates

Sorry for the lack of updates the past few days, here's a little bit to catch you up to speed:

1) I am offically pyro certified! :) I completed the 2-day boring as heck seminar and learned how to load, light, and fight (with a fire extinguisher) pyro!

2) My interview for the job to teach film went extremley well. Now, I just have to wait for the response from the head man in charge - which is sooooo painful. I just want to hear from him! Fingers crossed, that'll happen sooner than later.

3) I overslept today :( I had class at 9 AM and I woke up at 10, freaking out that my alarm didn't go off. Impressivley, I made it to class at 10:30 and things were fine, but GRRRR do I hate when that happens!!

That's about all for right now. More updates to come soon.

Happy Birthday to me :)

Today is my birthday! :) Yay!

Check out the pictures of my fun cookie cake!





I miss everyone back home, but don't worry...I'll be back soon!!

Kyle's thoughts on "Editing Practice"

As many of you know, one of the classes I take currently is "Editing Practice". Thus far its been quite slow for EVERY student...the teacher is a little different than most, but as usual, I try and be patient and let things work themselves out. Tonight, however, it was difficult to sit back and not do or say anything.

Tonight, we watched our midterm projects, which, as you may recall, were trailers that we put together of a movie of some sort. I posted mine on here a week or so ago, and for those that couldn't guess, it was on SMHS: 007.

After the trailer was played, the class went wild. People were asking questions left and right..."Did you really get on the news?! How did you get the police and stuff? Can I get a copy to see? Did you get any submission deals? That is so awesome!" It felt great, and I was glad that I had impressed the class and that they saw some of my better work.

But then our 'professor' has to speak on the trailer. He said that I am a very talented editor and that he enjoyed my synced editing - specifically with the cuts of music, and the music selection alone. This is good :) He likes it, too!

Not.

THEN HE GOES ON! "I was extremley confused about the story. I wasn't quite sure what was happening and it seems as if the story goes no where in the trailer. I didn't know what to make of it and I didn't quite understand the point".

The class starts gasping and saying "What?!" Then, a student speaks out and says, "I disagree!" and a few others echo him.

He didn't seem to really care...in fact, he didn't seem to even comprehend that the entire class thought it was good. But he thought it was NOT a good story line at all.

So now I sit with a B- on a trailer that the entire class truly enjoyed. I took it to his attention after class and he said he would re-watch it and re-consider his grading. I told him that I thought that'd be a good idea, considering I did not agree (nor did the class) with his rating. I did so in a respectful manner, but its getting really hard for me not to lose all respect for this guy.

Anyways, not much else to say on this subject. Kyle got a B- and hopefully that will be changed. Not because I'm an "A student freak" - but because I KNOW I did much better on it, and I have the audience response to prove it.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

I forgot to mention...

The other day in our "History of Critical Analysis" Class, we watched CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. It was my first time seeing it, and I must say, beyond art direction, I wasn't very impressed at all.

Then it occured to me...there were no tigers or dragons in the movie.

Then it REALLY occured to me..."DUH, Kyle...of course there aren't! They are all croutching and hidden!!"

Silly me....

100% on the Driver's Exam!!

Greetings Blog Readers!

I hope you've been enjoying all the updates latley.

Not much news today, except that I went to the magical DMV to get myself a California state license.

I scored a 100% on the written exam, so I beat the odds AND got my license! Whoohoo!

Tomorrow is my birthday, so that's exciting. We'll see what new and fun adventures await for then...

Never Give Up

People in Hollywood are constantly saying "never give up", and there is likley a good reason why. Things take time in Hollywood, but when they happen, they happen!

Example #1:

Kyle recieved a call today about a job interview this Friday for a position I've been fighting for. It's an opportunity to teach kids about film and television at a school! Fingers crossed, I'll land that job and be very very happy :)

Example #2:

The Hollywood Writer's Guild. They are officially on strike and I decided to travel to get some pictures of them today.

Take a look...

Hello, Mr. President!

Today I decided to take a trip up to Simi Valley, California - which is about a half hour away - to check out the Ronald Reagan National Library and Museum.

First, I must say, the site for the museum is amazing - with some great views of the valley to be seen. The entire atmosphere is very nice and relaxing, and the museum exhibits inside were stunning.

Here's a few pictures from inside the museum:



My artisitc attempt to take a picture of the Oval Office replica 'through the window'.



Another artistic attempt...this time, on the replica of the President's Situation Room.



Marine Force One



The President's Limo



President Reagan's Motorcade Escort



The President's Motorcycle Escort



An actual CHUNK of the Berlin Wall - outside the museum


Then! I got to travel outside the museum to find out that AIR FORCE ONE was parked and just WAITING for me to go by it and take a picture. We couldn't take pictures on board, but I DID get a Presidential Pose outside of the aircraft. (I even wore my Camp David shirt to make it look more presidential-like.)



So, to all my flight attendant friends and family....BEAT THAT!! :)

Info on the strike

So many of you have asked about the Writer's Guild Strike and what all is involved with it and how it can actually affect people.

Here's my condensed version:

The Writer's Guild of America (all the writers for TV Shows and Film) are going on strike.

Why? They want royalities, credit, etc... for what is called "NEW MEDIA".

What is NEW MEDIA? Things like Podcasts, TV on DVD, etc...

Why do I care? Well, for starters, how many people enjoy John Stewart, Jay Leno, and other late-night talk show hosts? Not only are their writers on strike, but THEY are as well - since people like Jay Leno are a part of the Guild because that is how they got their big break through. Late night TV and countless sitcoms are going right down the drain until a solution is created.

How does this concern California? Glad you asked! This affects us in more than one way. Imagine this story, for example:

A group of writers for FRIENDS (yes, I know the show is over...but its an example) goes to Joe's Cup of Jo for some coffee each day. After their coffee, they go to the studio and work for a few hours on next week's episode, followed by a trip to numerous other places in the Hollywood area to catch up on errands, social life, and whatnot.

Each and every thing in that story - from the coffee shop and forward - is affected.

So what does this mean? Reality TV, here we come. Reality is the only thing you don't need actors or writers for and you can practically do anything to consider it reality - from sticking people in a house, to putting people on a deserted island. So until things shape up in Hollywood, get ready for a reality surge like you won't believe!


Hopefully that answered some questions :) I'll be posting some more excitement soon!

Have a Happy Sandwhich

Tonight I saw a contest that Kraft is holding until the 12th of the month. The idea is to make a video that is NO LONGER than 15 seconds that relates to making a Kraft Grilled Cheese Sandwhich. Obviously, the sandwhich must make the person making it happy, smiley, etc... and thus, the theme, "Have a Happy Sandwhich".

Here is my entry that I hope you'll enjoy!

KRAFT - Have a Happy Sandwich

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Not only can you view it on this site, but if you visit the following link, you can check out my competiton.

http://adsupport.myspace.com/modules/common/pages/advertisers/gallery/videogallery.aspx?galleryid=61

If you have a MySpace account, I encourage you to give it a "Thumbs Up" and positive comment, if you can.

Otherwise, wish me luck and hopefully I'll see the $50,000 1st place award!

Happy November 1st and Belated Halloween!

Happy Belated Halloween, everyone! I hope you all had a great day being spooked.

And Happy November 1st! How exciting! That means only 7 more days til my birthday...which is crazy...because that means Thanksgiving is coming up...and then Christmas!! Time is really flying out here....

Not a whole bunch to update on quite yet. This week is midterm week at school, so I'm finishing all the wonderful tests for my four classes. Tonight is the last one - Design Class...and that will likley be the most difficult of them all.

Outside of school, I will be traveling to MAGIC MOUNTAIN tomorrow to see if I can find a job opportunity there. I have an interview set up, so fingers crossed, something great will come out of that. I'm really looking for something that can use my mornings - so I can still have the nights for school and night shoots.

Wish me luck on the interview! I'm sure I can pull of the 'why you want me' part, I'm just hoping the schedule fits around it.

Oh, and here's a picture I thought I had lost on my camera from Universal but found the other day. Take a look and enjoy!

Now Showing: My Midterm Project

Check out my midterm project for my EDITING PRACTICE class. We had to make a 5 minute trailer on a movie we've done. HA - Piece of cake!



Let me know what you think :)

Kyle's Apartment Tour

I've heard from many of you that people would like to see a tour of my apartment here in Hollywood, so I decided to create a video for you all to watch! :)

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

I got a High-Five!

Wooohooo! Kyle got a High Five while working at Universal Studios last night. No, not just a slap on the hand....but an actual coupon.

Consider a High Five like being Employee of the Day/Week. It's pretty exciting and it means that you're doing something right. It's also worth $5.00 :) That's pretty cool.

Here's what they look like:

Late last night when we were all in bed.....

Greetings from SUNNY, HOT, and FIREY California! It's official - these fires are 'State of Emergency' worthy and they are EVERYWHERE. It's crazy how much has burned and how much more is projected to burn. The firefighters only have a small handle on the huge blazes, so fingers crossed, their luck will change soon!

Anyways....outside of crazy fires....what else is new?

The other evening I worked overtime at Universal Studios til 4 AM! Talk about being tired... Then, on the way home, I was driving and came across a road block on the freeway. All lanes of traffic were blocked for a really bad accident, so I sat on the freeway (with 500 of my closest car friends) for 45 minutes before moving. On a POSITIVE note, the person next to me was Mr. Jackson! No, not the drama teacher from High School. And no, not the crazy singer... This was Samuel L. Jackson coming home from a late night shoot. We chatted for the majority of the time and I even shared a mint with him. It was pretty cool and he was a very nice and down to earth guy. :) Definatley something good that came out of something yucky.

Today was yet another good day. I met with Mr. Bill Ratner, who is one of the main guys who does voiceovers for a TON of different TV shows and Films. It was great getting to meet him! He's an awesome guy and very fun to talk with. I think I'll have a great paper published soon that people will be very interested in reading. :)

After the interview, I stopped by the Empire Business Center to pick up some packing materials (I'm starting to sell on eBay again) at Staples. While there, I noticed they were hiring for techies! I think I might have a good chance with them, so I am going to give it a shot and see how it goes. Fingers crossed this could be a cool, fun job. :)

Other than that, not much else going on. Tomorrow is Day 1 of pyro training at Universal Studios. Check out the pictures below that I took today stopped at different stop lights, etc... on my journey to meet with Mr. Ratner and on the way back home. You can just see the smoke drifting over the sky (and you can feel it if you were here) - and it's quite the sight. Let me know what you think!!

Hollywood on strike!?!

Breaking News in the Industry:

"Hollywood screenwriters have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike, which could happen anytime after Oct. 31."

Everyone is freaking out about this. The instructors at school said that this could be BIG. The strikes of all Hollywood screenwriters for TV and Film means that the upcoming February 'sweeps' period (and beyond, for that matter) could be seriously endangered.

The strike regards issues of putting TV shows on DVDs and the internet (such as iTunes, where people can download an episode for $2.00). Up until now, nobody has really paid attention to the concerns...but now it seems as if everyone wants a say in it.

This should be really interesting to see how it pans out...and this COULD mean a potential market for job opportunities in the near future.

More to come soon...

Hey Mom, Look, I'm 50% Tim McGraw!

So I recieved an e-mail from one of the people at Universal saying that I should try out this new 'My Heritage" thing. Apparantly, it's a program (co-created by Universal perhaps??) that matches your identity to other people's.

You'll get the idea once you check out mine below...

Keep Moving Forward (still)...

Here's my advertising for Disney for today....

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."
--Walt Disney

Great Quote :) Used in a great theme park ride at Disney World (Carousel of Progress) and recently used in a great movie that's coming out on the 23rd (Meet the Robinsons)! Make sure to reserve your copy :) I did!


Anyways, not much to update about. Tonight is work at Universal Studios and I shall update more after that :)

Hollywood, Here I Come!

Good News, everyone! I will be meeting with some celebrities in the near future.

In an effort to learn more about the industry, and to prepare myself for some film projects that will come up in the near future, I have sent emails for interview invitations to some of the "Hidden Hollywood Celebrities". These are the people we most commonly refer to as voiceover actors.

I have successfully got in touch with FOUR of these people - all who are willing to meet up with me and have an interview and chat. They are....

Mark Aston: Most known for his voice overs on SMHS: 007 and GHOSTBUSTERS

Ashton Smith: Most known for his SPIDERMAN, XXX, TEARS OF THE SUN, and many other action thrillers

Joe Cipriano: Most known for his DEAL OR NO DEAL voiceovers; as well as many other primetime game shows and such - such as 1 VS 100

Bill Ratner: Most known as the "Voice of Primetime" - does a wide variety of TV and film promos for all kinds of studios, including Disney


So that's pretty cool :) The job hunt is going well - I have a potential interview happening early next week with Circut City. We'll see how that goes.

Other than that, not much else going on. I invite you all to check out the hilarious video below from the CONAN O'BRIAN show the other day. This clip was all over the news and I remember watching it on TV that evening...it was pretty funny.



Enjoy...and I hope to talk to you all soon :)

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Ahhhh yes...yesterday evening was yet another exciting night of work at Universal Studios. Working at Universal Studios is so amazing - being able to work on classic movie sets, being able to actually TALK to people, and seeing all the fun actors in their scary costumes makes for a great environment. However, unfortunatley, the great environment was ruined last night by a lttle rain shower. Well, actually, it was a BIG rain shower. We never officially closed down any of the Terror Tram (which is where I was working), but boy were we wet. It was noooo fun.

Of course, since we lacked fun due to the rain, the scaractors had to find new ways to create fun. So, during their breaks, a few of the scarier people decided to gang up against Kyle and sneak up behind him as he was talking to one of his supervisors. They came up very quietly and successfully scared the heck out of me. My supervisor and everyone around thought it was pretty amusing and couldn't stop laughing. Unfortuantley, now, I have the reputation for being easily scared...so I'm sure this is the beginning of a long line of screams for me.

Tonight should be an exciting night at work. It's the 13th (not quite Friday, but for Universal, it's close enough to use as a gimmic to get a few more bucks). Saturday crowds so far have usually been the most chaotic of them all, so we shall see how tonight goes. The one GOOD thing about tonight, is that I get to park in the Technicolor Parking Lot. This sounds so exciting, I know. But hear me out:

The Technicolor Parking Lot is NEVER open to Theme Park employees. But, since they are expecting huge numbers for tonight's event, they are putting us in a different lot so the guests are closer to the park and all that jazz. So whats the excitment about? This is the parking lot where all the famous and fun people park when they are filming. It is right next to the "CSI" and "Desperate Housewives" sets, so you never really know what you are going to see. Most people wouldn't see it as very exciting, but being the film geek I am, I think its cool.

One last thing before I go today: If any of you are fans of the movie GHOST RIDER, you'll enjoy the 2 pictures below. This is from the original motorcycle used on screen.




And here is one more picture to look at. This was the sight last night before the rain hit. (Too bad I didn't catch this sky over by War of the Worlds, huh?)

So you had a bad day...

In the words of Daniel Powder, "You had a bay day". Yeah...that's kind of how this day is shaping out to be.

It started this morning when I was driving to Universal to get fitted for my Uniform and get my IDs, etc... I was about a block away from Universal and BOOM! The bus that was literally a car's length in front of me blew. A car hit the bus head on in the front, sending something to go bad on the bus, which lead to the bus's explosion. Parts, goop, and debris of all kinds were flying everywhere and one piece came within very close proximity to my van. I am fine, as is the van, but unfortunatley, I can't say the same for everyone on the bus.

The Universal fittings and ID Tag getting was alright. Nothing too out of the ordinary...wasn't bad or good, so that went fine.

After Universal, I went down to Nielsen Media to apply for a position as a Film/TV Interviewer. I got in for an interview right away (I was at the top of the list) and everything was going nicley. However, it appeared as if this manager interviewing me was turned off by the fact that I had been self-employed and hadn't had many 'real' jobs. He stated, "I don't think you are right for the Nielsen lifestyle". Yeah...okay. Great.

So, yeah....not bad. I nearly got blown up by a bus and I didn't get a job I thought I would have no problems with (considering that I practically walked in at Universal's interview). Ah well...

Tomorrow will be better, I'm sure. Tonight certainly won't be...I have design class.

Sorry for the sour blog...but there will be more to come soon (with much more exictement, I hope!) Make sure to check out my fun Universal ID and badge below:

Working at Universal Studios, Hollywood

So yesterday (Friday) was my first official day working at Universal Studios, and I had a blast. I was helping out with some of the acting and hosting of the Terminator Show, before going over to assist with backstage crew operations for random parts of the park - such as the haunted mazes and the haunted terror tram. (Remember, it’s the month of October and I'm working long nights during their Halloween Horror Event).

Today was another good day at work. I got to spot out a few celebrities that were coming to the park this evening when I was stationed as an assisting crew member near the terror tram maze. The celebrities included: Harrison Ford, Rob Zombie, and Jessica Simpson. It was pretty neat to see them all. Rumor has it that Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom are HUGE fans of the maze and they will be stopping by at some point.

During one of my breaks at work, I had the chance to roam off to a few sets some of you may recognize and take some neat pictures. Take a look at them and let me know how you like them! (FYI: to see a larger version of an image, just click on it!)














Some interesting facts about the Psycho set:

The stairwell that leads from the Bates Motel to the Bates House is completely fake. It's made out of a heavy cardboard-like material and hasn't been moved since the filming of the movie. The Bates House porch is still the original from the movie - with the mailbox nearby.

The Bates House, Bates Motel sign and Motel are the originals from the movie. The car is also the original from the movie, as well. The motel has 13 rooms (irony?) and room #1 is the one they used for filming in the movie. Room #1 is also the only room in the motel that has a bathroom. The bathroom in that room WAS the one used for the filming of the movie where we see the infamous shower and bathroom sink/drain scenes. (You'll even notice there is a giant whole above the shower for the camera to squeeze in).

And while the picture of Kyle in the bathroom with a standup Norman Bates is fun, the actor that is playing him for the Halloween Horror Nights does a far better job and creeps the crap out of people.

New Feature - Calendar

Ladies and Gentlemen, I wouild like you to direct your attention to the RIGHT side of the screen, where I have added a new feature which highlights all of my upcoming events.

On this calendar, you'll be able to find dates of shows when I am going to be on them, etc...so be sure to watch and stay updated with the calendar, as it will be updated often!

Other than that, Krystal is here today and I'm helping her get some new stuff settled in. We are going to view a filming of an episode for "The Big Bang Theory" at the Warner Brothers Studios this evening, which should be fun.

More updates coming soon!

"According to Jim" & Kyle turned into a Simpson!

Yesterday evening was very enjoyable! I was part of the "According to Jim" live studio audience. For those that are unaware, this show has made it through 6 seasons and is currently filming their 7th.

Jim and the entire cast for the show are all VERY nice people and extremley social with the audience. Our audience host was amazingly funny...he does comedy stand up for a living, so it was fun to watch. The show itself ran extremley smooth, too. I was extremley impressed at how fast they moved on and how well they took care of the audience! Not only did they entertain us, but they fed us! We got soda, water, sandwhiches, and cookies! :) It was a very enjoyable and relaxing evening.

Kyle even scored an "According to Jim" T-shirt. :)

While at the show, I also met a animator for "THE SIMPSONS" - who said he wanted to (just for fun) make an animation of me. I gave him my e-mail address and recieved the final result today. I must say I am impressed!



So beyond that, not much else happened yesterday. Today went rather smoothly and I enjoyed the Nielsen gig.

Tomorrow is orientation at Universal Studios! Looks like I'll be working Friday and Saturdays...and possibly Tuesday/Wednesdays.

I got a job!

Great news, everyone!!!

Universal Studios has hired me for their "Show Crew" for their upcoming Halloween season. The odds of me staying on staff past the peak season are very good, so I am definatley excited for the opportunities that await!!

I have an orientation on Sunday and tomorrow I'll be catching up on odds and ends. I'll be writing more soon about my classes, etc...

Until then, stay in touch!

1 vs 100!

Today was a neat day. I got to participate in the hit TV show - 1 vs 100 on NBC!

This morning, I arrived to Raliegh Studios at 9 AM excited and ready to go. I was classified as a stand by mob member and a VIP audience member. (In other words, if they needed a mob person, I was in - otherwise - it was the audience).

When we walked into the studio, the first thing I realized was that the set had dramatically changed from what I noticed and had remembered on TV. This is because NBC completely redesigned the set for the second season.

By the way…the premiere of the second season was the taping I was present at today. As well as show #2!

Anyways! This new set was SO new - that unfortunately, it had quite a few technical difficulties and took some training and getting used to for the crew. At one point, we left the set for an hour, so that the NBC techies could fix all the problems.

Once the show was on the road, I was in a mob seat for the promo shots that NBC will use throughout the season to highlight different things. After my time of promos was up, they (sadly) had all the mobsters they needed, and I then took a seat in the audience. (When you watch the season premiere, you will most likely find me sitting somewhere in the audience.)

The big gimmick for the season premiere was "Battle of the Sexes" on 1 vs 100. The first game featured 100 male mob members and a female contestant. Sadly, she didn't do very well, and she ended up giving her winnings to the mob. The second half of the show featured the exact opposite - a mob of 100 females and a male contestant. Ironically, the male contestant was a film college student.

The film student, named Jason, did MUCH better than the first lady. In fact, he did so good that he made history on the show. I can't tell you how, so you'll have to tune in to find out...but it was VERY cool!!

Speaking of neat things to witness…Bob Saget was hosting again this season! He was extremely fun to watch on set. Bob is not only funny and entertaining (both on and off camera), but he is a very kind person and definitely doesn't have the ego, etc… that many other people like him (ie: Howie Mandel) do. It was really neat to finally see (and shake hands with!) a person I had watched literally growing up as a kid.

Speaking of watching people as a kid…one of the mob members in the SECOND episode of 1 vs 100 was someone very special. They had a few special people, actually. While most got excited for seeing 3 of the playboy bunny triplets, I was jumping out of my seat when I saw Oscar the Grouch arrive on set. Oscar was playing as a member of the mob - but unfortunately, didn't have such great luck. Locking in answers is tough when you are a puppet. He was the first one eliminated :( and boy…Bob Saget didn't let him forget it!

All together, it was a great day. It was an EXTREMLEY long day….but a good one none the less. I walked away $100 richer, and I also received a T-shirt for dominating "Bob Saget's TV Theme Song Name That Tune" Game. I successfully identified 25 theme songs in a ROW…which was apparently a new record.

Anyways, more updates to come soon. I'll likely be returning to Universal tomorrow to continue the job hunt, and I will let you all know how that goes as soon as I hear something!!

The Job Hunt

Hello Everyone! Thanks for your patience with my postings. I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

I’ve been crazy busy lately hunting for jobs, and I am FINALLY breaking through and getting some call backs, etc.

My first offer was at a great theatre downtown – which offered me a position to run a sound board for the upcoming musical, “Evil Keneval: The Rock Opera”. The show sounds amazing and the position sounds great, but the pay isn’t the best and the dates would eat up my weekend. Which I wouldn't mind - but if something like Universal came along, they would likley need weekends more than anybody.


Today, however, my luck increased. I saw that Universal Studios, Hollywood is hiring – so I drove over to their studio HQ at 10 AM and talked to some people about getting a job. I was part of a group interview in the afternoon and I passed with flying colors. Here’s why: the people in the room made me look smart.

The question that was asked during this group interview was: “What is one word you would use to describe an ideal worker at Universal?”
Contestant #1: “Caring” – he felt that being caring was a good thing for employees to be (which is true!)

Contestant #2: “Ecstatic”
Interviewer: “Why?”
Contestant #2: “I don’t really know what that word means.”

Contestant #3: “Concept”
Interviewer: “Why?”
Contestant #3: “Because its important to have hard working people.”

Contestant #4: “Hard Ass” – I had a hard time not choking when he said that

Contestant #5: “Neat” – he felt it was good that employees were well groomed, etc.

Me: “Initiative” – because it’s important to take initiative before someone must tell you what needs to be done :)


So, like I said, I passed the interview. The next step is to get a 1 on 1 interview with the manager of my department of interest. (I applied for a video technician and crew tech person). Unfortunately, none of the managers were available for this position today – so I have to wait for Universal to call me back. Hopefully, this will occur tomorrow while I’m on set of 1 vs. 100 being a ‘mob member’. If not, they told me to call them back and see what the status is. I feel pretty confident that I can handle the interview…it’s just GETTING the interview that is nerve-wracking.

This just in:

As I was writing this blog, a very nice man from Sanford Studios called me. He received my resume, information, and picture samples via e-mail and was extremely interested in hiring me part time. However, when we both learned we were 2 hours apart from each other, that was obviously a major turn off, and he declared that the job would not be a fit. :( Dam. That sucks.

So, basically I am waiting on the edge of my seat for Universal. My sincere hope is that it pulls thru and I might be stepping into an interview on Wednesday. Otherwise, back to the drawing board.

They say this industry is the most difficult to get into. I’m so close I can smell it. I didn’t think it’d be QUITE this difficult, but I’m doing the best I can to pass up the competition and make it to the top.
More to some soon…

Hollywood Pics

Below are some pictures of some of the fun events I've participated in the past few days:


On Location of "John Hancock" - coming to theatres Summer 2008.


The crash on location of "John Hancock".


Will Smith - acting on location of "John Hancock".


Universal Studios (in front of the classic logo)


Check this out...NOBODY on the Red Carpet. THAT IS RARE!!