Lots of excitement!

Hello, everyone! LOTS of big news to talk about today, so this entry is going to be a long one. Take time to read the whole thing...because this week, there's alot of exciting news.

First, and foremost, I got my grades for this quarter at school - and I got a 4.0!! All A's! Whoohoo!

Alright, now that all of my bragging is out of the way...yesterday was a very, very busy day for me. I started at 5 AM waking up and heading off to location to teach a Red Cross class. After that, I booked it (in 30 minutes time) to Sutter Middle School, where I teach film class each day. After THAT, I booked it to the school to eat some dinner and releax for less than an hour before my night class began....WOW, it was a busy day. I came home and slept like a rock.

Actually, I didn't come home and sleep right away. I edited for a while. What? you ask? Well, as some of you may have heard - I am shooting a movie for a CLOVERFIELD contest (in celebration of the new movie's release) with my two friends, Jared and Marcus. The three of us recently shot the movie on Monday afternoon, and now, I am currently editing it with the help of an AMAZING special effect artist in Flordia.

Here's a screenshot from the short film. I'm not going to release the story...you'll have to wait and see for yourself.



When the movie IS released (by no later than next Monday), the videos that were submitted to the contest will be put online and America will decide a winner. That means I'll need EVERYONE's help in ensuring our team wins! More details on this soon to come...

One last bit of exciting news: I got a call from Ramon (my boss) today offering me a summer position to teach at a Film Camp. The good news: This is an all day, every day job - and it should be pretty fun (long day + good pay + film + camp = fun). The even better news: We get to pick a few weeks that we'd like to have off (so I can come home and stuff!) I'm looking forward to this, and it should be a really good time since I will still have time to come visit back home :-)

That's about it for now, folks. Tomorrow I am heading over to the DISNEY Corporation for a few hours to meet with their Head of Archieves. I am VERY excited. Following that, Saturday I will be meeting with Sean (with Jared) at Starbucks for a few hours to catch up and gossip....should be pretty fun!

Wednesday Night Update

Hello Again, Everyone! Happy Wednesday.

Things have been changing like crazy this past week - so let's see what I can do to catch you up to speed.

1) New classes at Columbia started Monday. I have "Writer's Workshop" on Monday night, and "Visual Design" later tonight. My writing class is interesting....the instructor knows his stuff and he has had quite the experience in the industry, but he's a little...okay, he's VERY....political. He likes to share all his thoughts and opinions :-) Which is fine, it just makes class interesting.

2) I've been at the Middle School since Monday. Wow...what a change of past and atmosphere. The good news, is that the staff is super friendly and welcomed me to their school with open arms. The other good news, is that the kids I have are bright, intelligent young middle schoolers. The interesting news is that these kids don't stop - HYPER ENERGY all the time! I have them under control, it's just getting them to all work together on the SAME thing at the SAME time that is interesting at times. That being said, they do have a script that they created (over the past 3 days) for the movie they want to do called "SCHOOL WARS" - a parody of Star Wars. We'll see how that goes...

3) I was offered a priority seat to the Country Music Awards. I passed on the offer, because I really can't get to Vegas that fast and cheap. Ah well...maybe next time.


That's about all for now....more to come soon!

TGIF!

Hello Again, Everyone! Lots of fun stuff has been happening this week. Here's some updates....

1. I got re-located for my teaching job! While it sucks that I lost out on Reseda, I have been re-located, and starting Monday, I'll be teaching and doing the same stuff as before - only this time, at a Middle School.

2. As many of you know, my parents have been visiting this week - and the other day, we had the chance to see AMERICA HAS TALENT and the Craig Furgeson show. Both were fantasic. It was REALLY interesting to see how they shot the talent show. (Once the show goes on air, I'll go into more detail that I can explain next to the visuals).

3. Yesterday, the family went on a 2-hour tour around Hollywood to see all the famous houses of celebrities and such. It was pretty neat and I learned some good tips for the area...which made me happy!

4. Today, my parents and I had the opportunity to check out the Reagan Museum today, which was neat. I had been there once before, but it's always fun to go up to Simi Valley, where the museum is located - its so nice up there.

Tomorrow should be a nice, relaxing day for me.

Oh, and a quick FYI: My e-mail has been down the last 2 days. If anybody needs to get in contact with me, please call me (and if I don't answer, leave a message). Otherwise, I will get to your e-mail as soon as I possibly can.

More to come soon!

Sad News :-(

Greetings Everyone and Happy April Fool's (a day late)!

Things have been crazy busy, as usual, but sadly, some of the 'busy-ness' didn't pay off.

As many of you know, over the past two weeks or so I have been fighting to keep Reseda High School's film program (and after school club) alive. The district has ran into some financial issues, and it seems as if my department - Film - was one of the Top 10 on 'the list' to be cut. Ever since I was made aware of the situation at hand, I have been doing everything in my power to keep the class/club alive. I pushed Open House really hard, and tried my best to get as many students involved as humanly possible.

Unfortunatley, my efforts did not pay off. I recieved word today that they have officially cut the Film Club at Reseda High School, and thus, I am no longer working at Reseda. With some luck, I'll be able to be re-positioned at a different school for the remainder of the school year -- but the concern is that other schools within the same district will soon be cutting THEIR Film Clubs, etc, too.

Words cannot describe how much that sucks. I am so upset - I feel a VERY wide range of emotions right now...I don't know where to begin. I knew how much this club meant to the kids....and I really think alot of good was done in the time that I was there. Sadly, the time was too short.

Fingers crossed, a new opportunity will knock in the next week or so.


In other news, Kyle has been summoned for Jury Duty (just to add to the excitement of today).

Thanks to everyone who has listened to me rant and rave about my emotions and feelings about the school job - Adrianne and Brandon, in specific.

I'll be updating again by the end of this week....I'm going to a TV taping tomorrow (with my parents who are currently out here visiting) of "AMERICA HAS TALENT", so that should be fun.

Mid-Week Update

Hello, Everyone!

WOW...things have really been moving along the last few days. It seems like last week Wednesday until now has been a complete and total blur, since I've been crazier than ever editing "CCH: The TV Series". I had my instructor, Sean, at my house at least 4 times during the week until 2 or 3 in the morning editing like CRAZY - but in the end, the result was worth the effort.

Tonight our premiere of "Chaos TV" went off without a hitch. Everyone really enjoyed all of the skectches and I got some great feedback - not just on my editing, but on my writing for "Who's On First - The Parody" and "Part of Your World". After the screening, a large group of cast and crew went to Denny's and Sean picked up the entire tab for everyone - which was so nice.

Tomorrow, my good friend Jared and I will present our Final Exam for Cinematography 1. For the exam, we were asked to study the concepts learned in the class...which, sadly, weren't much. We decided to film non-stop for 2 hours and challenge ourselves to edit and score the move into a 5 minute piece that highlights the entire 2-hour adventure that we took part in on Easter week. It should be pretty cool, and when it's ready (on Friday, most likley), it'll be on YouTube. The other videos from the TV class will also be on YouTube, soon, too.

Tomorrow is also the day that I get to prove my worth-while-ness in the Reseda High School family. Due to the outrageous budget cuts that Reseda High is facing, the after-school division of LAUSD (L. A. Unified School District) has decided to cut alot of programs that don't have at least 20 students involved - one of which is my Film Club / Class. The cuts are scaring alot of other groups, as well - including the theatre department and sound production class. I have gotten together with some of the instructors who are on the 'threatened species list' and we have come up with some game plans to stick together during this challenging time.

There is an Open House tomorrow, at which I need to present my case as to WHY the Film Club should stay in existance. I have students making posters, along with myself, which will hopefully leave a lasting impression with the administration - as well as parents, teachers, and students. Wish me luck, because tomorrow I will need alot of it...

I can't wait until tomorrow is done and over with. It will be nice to finally relax after all this pressure and crazyness. Lots of videos will be coming in the next day or two!!!

Hoppy Easter!

Happy Easter, everyone!

It's so weird having Easter in a land where its 95 degrees and SUPER hot. I was blasting the A/C all day! I even jumped in the pool for a half hour or so today.

Things lately have been going well. I have been VERY busy this past week with my "CCH: The TV Series" class. As many of you know, I am one of the producers/directors for a TV series that the school is sponsoring and broadcasting. As usual, however, I am one of the only people that know how to edit - so I have been giving the exciting job (not) of editing the whole darn TV show together. In some ways I enjoy it, while in other ways, it's the last thing I'd like to be doing right now.

Sean (the instructor) has come over a few times to check out the footage and help give suggestions for editing. He'll be coming over again around 10:30 PM, along with 2 other kids in the class, to check out some final edits. The screening will be on Wednesday and then I will be able to rest easy for a while. In reality, once this entire WEEK is over, I'll be able to rest easy (it's exam time at Columba).

Other than editing like crazy and working on too many projects at once (nothing new there, huh?), life is going well. I am still enjoying the nice weather. Did I mention I am at the pool typing this blog entry?

ANYWAYS, Happy Easter to everyone - I hope all is well back home in the 15 inches of snow.

I'll be posting A LOT of YouTube video links this week to some of my completed works. Get excited.

More to come soon!

30-second update

Good News: I'm working at Universal Studios on Friday - Holiday Pay - 3x!!

Bad News: The IT Department at Columbia College lost my footage for "Part of your world" and "Who's on first". Guess what we might be re-shooting tonight??


Coming Soon: A post about my trip home for the weekend to see OLiVER!

WOW!!! Crazy Week!!!

Wow...so much has been going on latley, it's crazy. Here's an update:

1) I passed Red Cross Instructor Training! This is super exciting because now I am an official Red Cross instructor. The class started with 12, ended with 8, and only 4 of us graduated - so it was a VERY good feeling to know that I made it to the end. I even got the highest marks in the class! :)

2) Disney's California Adventure with my friend Jared was a blast. For those of you that didn't hear, I went to California Adventure recently to grab pictures for Disney as a part of a photography contest they are running. I got some neat photo opportunities while also being able to have a BLAST with Jared for the entire day at the Happiest Place on Earth. We had SUCH a good time, and I'm sure we will both be back in the near future.

3) Tonight was the filming of the "Who's On First?" parody (that I wrote), AND the "Part of your world" parody (which I also wrote). It was a GREAT evening and we had a ton of success. The Abbott & Costello parody is going to be a riot; and our Hillary Clinton impersonator was out of this world hilarious. Check out a few shots that we got from the shooting:


The Setup


Artsy shot filming with Amber


Giving notes to our wonderful Hillary impersonator


Notes with Jared, Sean (our instructor; director of shows like Rodney and Home Improvement), and Jody (director of shows like Hannah Montana).


Framing the shot


Kyle sitting in back - overseeing all the action


The star and the director posing for a quick picture.


My FAVORITE picture of the batch!

When I have the final product complete, I'll be posting it on here for sure.

A special thanks to everyone that is still watching this blog and checking back often. I really appreciate you checking out the latest news in my life, and I hope you're enjoying it and maybe even getting a laugh or two out of reading about my life out here in California. I know sometimes I don't update as much as I'd like, but I hope that it dosen't take away from my 'blog experience'.

Thanks Again! I'll be back soon!!

A Roller Coaster of Updates

Hello, everyone! It's time for some more quick updates.

1) CCH: The TV Series - Things are going to hell. But, as always, TV has its ups and downs. Three sketches were supposed to be filming this week. Ironically enough, they were all mine - "Part of your world" spoof, "Who's on first?" spoof, and the "Mac/PC Ad" spoof. 2 of the actors left our cast for unkown reasons, and one of our actresses is sick. Yep. That definatley sucks. It should be interesting to see how class goes tonight.

2) Reseda High School - Things are going great at Reseda. My students are getting ready for a few film shoots, and they have everyone at school talking about them. It should be neat to see their work over the next few weeks, as I'm sure it'll be nothing but entertaining!

3) Krystal's Grandma Passed - It brings me great sadness to report that Krystal's grandmother has passed on. Obviously, this is a very difficult time for her and her family, so I am just stepping back and helping fill in wherever I can. I know some of you had expressed concerns earlier this week for Krystal's family, and I will make sure to pass those along the next time I talk with her. I know she appreciates all the support and care....even from thousands of miles away in Wisconsin.

For now, that's all folks! More to come in the next day or so.

Red Cross Boot Camp Weekend

This past weekend was CRAZY!! Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I spent my entire day at the Red Cross learning skills in CPR, First Aid, AED, and a few other fun things. The skills I learned were great and I think they will be good to have, but being able to master the skills was not an easy task. I had a little trouble getting all the concepts down in a fast-paced environment, but I DID eventually manage to get them down, so life is good!

Outside of my crazy weekend at the Red Cross, everything else is going well.

Reseda High School is keeping me happy. We'll be releasing a new fundraising plan soon, and we are also starting to film a new movie - which is fun.

School, as usual, has me running around like crazy. The TV Series class is a lot of fun, but also a fair amount of drama as well. Like any school, there are always complications with stuff such as 'finding a budget'.

On a different (and sad) note, Krystal went home this evening to deal with a family emergency - her Grandma isn't doing well and is in the hospital. With a little luck, all will turn out well. Obviously, her and her family are on my mind and I hope they continue to show their strength is this challenging time.

Life is going pretty well right now. Things are picking up for me and I seem to slowly be getting busier and busier. I'm still stuck with the 'I miss back home' syndrome, and I think it's going to stay like that for a while. As much as I enjoy the small handful of friends I am (slowly) getting to know out here, nothing beats being back home. Everyone is reminding me that the Spring Musical back home is coming up, so I will for sure be making an effort to make it home for that.

More to come soon! Thanks for continuing to read :-)

Oscar Weekend Wrap Up

Hello, Everyone!

FINALLY, I get to post an update to share what has been going on this week.

On Sunday, the day of The Oscars, I was lucky enough to get a press pass to be on the Limo Run where all the fancy cars pull up right in front of the Kodak Theatre. The experience and opportunity was amazing, and I got some neat pictures. Unfortunatley, I didn't get a TON of great pictures, because it was raining for most of the event and all the celebrities had their windows up.

Not long after I was on the Limo Run, I traveled to ABC Studios for the special Monday Morning (Live from Hollywood) edition of Good Morning, America! I arrived around 2 AM, for a 4 AM filming...but every second I was on the stage was a BLAST. Diane Sawyer was a ton of fun to be around...I even got a chance to chat with her for a bit. Seeing all the other celebrities was also pretty cool. I REALLY enjoyed the set design for the episode! It's amazing to think all that hard work went into one two-hour episode, and then it will all be torn down. Here's some shots of me on the show:





Overall, I had a great Oscar weekend and I enjoyed every second of it!

In other news, here are a few quick headlines:

1) I got a job as an instructor at the Red Cross! (My 2nd teaching job, ironically) I'm going this month for training, and soon I will be teaching CPR and First Aide.

2) Last night was IMPROV NIGHT in our TV Production Class. I was the host of the improv segment, which we called "Out on a Limb". The entire show (once edited and everything), will be playing on closed-circut channels, as well as some independent TV stations, as well. Here's our teaser promo shot the graphics team edited of me:



That's all for now, but there will be some more exciting updates in the near future!

COMING SOON!!!!

I have SUPER busy this past week since Oscars weekend occured, but I promise you there will be an update by this evening!

I'll be including pictures from the DAY OF the Oscars....and also some footage of me on Good Morning, America! I'll also have some other new news, as well.

Don't give up on the blog :) I'll be back tonight!!

I'm ready for my close up!

Hello again, fellow blog readers! I am pleased to report I have some exciting news today.

First, and most exciting: Kyle got the chance to travel downtown to Hollywood today to see the 'work in progress' for tomorrow's Oscar show! WOW, what an awesome experience! I even got to see some celebrities!!

Check out the pictures here:

http://ppshollywood.com/The%20Oscars/

This week's quoteable, as I'm sure you're all DYING to see, is a picture that I actually took downtown in Hollywood today.

Here it is:



The sign says: "I want to get married. Must be at least 18 years old. Must have at least $250,000."


Last, but not least, I got some rare tickets to be a part of the GOOD MORNING AMERICA audience on Monday morning (the morning after the Oscars). They are going to feature some of the Oscar winners and other celebrities, and it should be pretty cool! The sad thing, is that I can't take my camera :( The other sad thing, is that it starts at 2 AM (since it must broadcast live on the other coast). But I am still VERY excited about it.

Which brings me to my last thing (I lied before): I need to create a poster to take onto the show with me. They usually enjoy seeing posters that stroke their egos and are funny in some sort of way. An example can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzfZSuac6V8

ANY IDEAS?!?!? The winning poster idea could be seen on GMA! (I'd offer a bigger reward, but I'm a poor college student).

Brandon's Visit: Day 3

Brandon and I had a very nice, relaxing day today. We started off with a trip to FRY'S - the fun, themed electronics store in California. Brandon definatley had a good time in that store. After that, we grabbed some snacks and went over to get in line for THE TONIGHT SHOW. We were one of the first in line, which was great...and our seats definatley reflected it. Second row!!

After the filming, we went over to Hollywood and Highland so Brandon could check out some of the fun of downtown Hollywood. They just started setting up for the Oscars, so its neat to see all the Construction in progress. I'm going to do some research over the next few days and find out where little people like me can be in the big world of the Oscars. In other words, where can I stand and get some nice pictures? I'm sure it might be interesting...but we'll see how that pans out.

Speaking of the Oscars, Kyle got to hold one!!!! WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!



Isn't that a great picture? Let's hope we see alot more like that in the near future.

ANYWAYS, after we drooled over the Oscars....or rather, after I drooled over the Oscars, we went to Chinatown for a small visit. It's a pretty neat area, and Brandon got some fun pictures of the area.







Brandon and I have definatley had a lot of fun over the past three days. We are both tired and pooped as heck, but is was a very fun-thrilled and fast moving weekend for us. Unfortunatley, that's a wrap for Brandon's visit out to Hollywood...but hopefully someone else will be making a visit out my way in the near future!

Now it's time to get back to my normal life. School resumes tonight, and the job search continues. I'm getting closer....with more offers now than before...it's just making the right moves to get any one of these jobs secured and finalized.

More to come soon!

Brandon's Visit: Day 2

Yesterday was yet another great day. Kyle's benefits at Disney definatley helped make our day of fun, excitement, adventure, and magic one that was unforgettable.

Brandon and I had a very enjoyable time in the park, despite it being really PACKED! There were tons of people, but we still got to see some neat shows and walk onto rides since we were smart and made a logic of Disney and where the people were, etc.... It worked out pretty well!

For dinner, we went to a Character Dinner where we both paid an amazing $15 (more magic discounts) for an all you can eat buffet. We hadn't eaten anything else since Breakfast, so we definatley took advantage of the buffet and enjoyed the food while we could. It was alot of fun seeing all the neat characters, too. (For all you Disney fans, this place was called GOOFY'S KITCHEN...same as CHEF MICKEY'S...only Goofy!)

Here's some pictures from our day of magic:


It's the YEAR OF THE MOUSE, so Minnie got all dressed in fun clothes.


Look Mom! It's Tinkerbell.


There's a longgggggg and funny story that goes with why this picture is fun.


Here's Brandon and Goofy...it's hard to tell who is who in the picture. (Brandon is eating a piece of AMAZING PB&J Pizza....out of this world!!)

Today we are heading to Hollywood and random assorted places. My feet REALLY hurt from yesterday, so we are taking it slow. We'll also be on tonight's show of "THE TONIGHT SHOW, WITH JAY LENO"...so watch and see if you can see or hear us!

In just a few hours, I'll be holding my first Oscar :)

Brandon's Visit: Day 1

Yesterday (by the time this blog is up it will have been 2 days ago), luck would have it that Brandon actually got on his standby flight that seemed impossible for him to get on. The lucky guy even got one of the first three rows...which I've never even had before! He arrived around 11 AM and we had a great day over at Universal Studios and Citywalk.



All in all, we had a great time and topped it off with a dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe (which I got a super 50% discount at!). Today we will be exploring the magic of Disneyland....which should be EXTRA magical with someone like Brandon. It's always fun seeing Disneyland for the first time through a Disney virgin like himself. More to come soon!

Kyle's Hollywood Blog 2.0

Welcome, Everyone!

This is Kyle's Hollywood Blog 2.0!

I figured I'd change up the look and feel of my blog - throw a new banner on top, and just keep things exciting for everyone.

I have also added three VERY new and exciting features to my blog. On the right hand side of the screen, you can now see the weather in Hollywood at this very moment. Also, I have added a backyard cam which streams LIVE every minute and shows you a constant shot of my wonderful neighborhood.

The third (and final) new update is the 'weekly quoteable'. Every week, I'll be uploading a new picture that I find amusing. I'll upload them on Fridays so everyone has something to look forward to. At some point or another, I have recieved a suggestion for a quote for the picutre, and thus, it's funny and will be featured on the blog's right hand side. You'll get the idea as we all play along.

THE FIRST QUOTEABLE:


Example Quoteable:
Kyle: "You think these New Year's confetti guns are still loaded?"
Sean: "Allow me to shoot your crotch and we'll find out!"

Let me know if you have any funny quotes for this picture by e-mailing me.


Enjoy the new upgrade...and I'll be back soon to update.

Is it just me, or is it 82 degrees out?

Hello everyone!

Boy, it sure is getting hot out here. It's in the mid-80s this week! I don't know if I can keep going on like this....

I thought that I would post a picture today for you to see what the High School I teach at looks like. It's ALOT different than the High Schools we are used to back home....this one is ALLLL outdoors. It's pretty neat, though...take a look:




Big Brother 9 premiered last night. Of course, since I'm a fan....I watched. I nearly beat myself up watching the intro and the "GET MOBILE UPDATES" commercial...but I survived. Yeah.....not much else to talk about there.

My good friend from Wisconsin, Brandon Clemmer, will hopefully be coming to visit this weekend. We have some exciting things planned for his visit and it should be a good time! Fingers crossed, the flights stay open like they are....

When he comes out, one of our stops will be in downtown Hollywood. They have all the Oscars on display right now....and for a small $5.00....you can hold one and get your picture taken with it =] ! YAY!

In other news, I was informed a few days ago that the High School is doing another "Persian Market" this year. I was asked if there was anything for this auction I could donate. After some thinking and talking with one of my friends out here, luck would have it that I did, in fact, find something. I mentioned to one of my classmates that I was looking for something to donate...and he said, "why don't you do something with your 007 movie?" I asked what he meant, and he said "get someone like Pierce Brosnan to sign a copy". I thought this would be cool, but I also knew the odds of THAT happening were about 10,000,000 to 1. However, my classmate and friend happens to be friends with the neighbors of Pierce, and said he could probably get a few copies of my movie signed. So, I am pleased to report that one of these few copies of SMHS: 007 that I am getting back signed, will be going to the Persian Market, in hopes of helping Mr. Cartwright and SMHS in meeting their goals for raising money this year!

Anyways, thats about it for right now. I have TV Production tonight and then Cinematography class early in the morning. I'm sure there will be more updates soon...especially once Brandon gets here.

Stay tuned!

Kyle on Amercia's Funniest Home Videos

This is from the show that aired on February 10th on ABC:



Enjoy the clip :) It's pretty neat!

Failure always leads to sucess

Hello Everyone

Sorry for the lack of posts latley. It's been a rough and winding week....from CBS, to Warner Brothers, and every job in-between. Plus, school has also been keeping me quite busy.

Holy crap it's been hot the last 2 days. 83 degrees! Just thought I'd share that...

As for the job hunt, I have been recieving more opportunities to interview latley than ever before. This is obviously a good thing, but sometimes it gets tiring wearing the same stuff day after day and putting 110% forward. Soon enough, however, I'm sure this crazy stuff will actually pay off.

As for my job at Reseda High School teaching kids about film, things are going great. We are improving our numbers daily, which is outstanding. I gave the kids a challenge to script and shoot a film in one hour last week...and to my complete surprise, they pulled it off in 55 minutes. I seriously don't know if industry professionals could do that. It was OUTSTANDING! Check out the video:



School at the college is going well, too. Not a whole lot of NEW things to report here...but just alot of busy-ness and action.

Other than that, I'm just continuing to fight and work to get things working out here. Slowly, but surley, they are happening.

CBS Called

CBS Called today. Take a look at the video below for what they had to say.

Good Day

So today has been a pretty good day.

I talked to two of my instructors about my CBS confusion and they said that this isn't the first time I'll hear that. It happens alot where people have a nice start date in mind, but get delayed for whatever reason.

Today I also took one of my instructors and let him and his friend into Universal Studios using my wonderful benefits. He hasn't been there in over 15 years, so he really appreciated me letting him in. I even got a $20 tip :-)

After Universal, I drove home and passed by the movie theatre where they were having a movie poster sale. The nice, big movie posters (print on front and back for a back light) were on sale for $6....and the small banners were on sale for even cheaper. I spent my $20 tip on some really nice movie posters :)

Other than that, just relaxing around the apartment and cleaning up some stuff. Tomorrow I have some plans to keep myself busy during the day to keep my mind from drifting onto the topic of CBS. I have an interview with Warner Brothers on Tuesday if I don't hear anything by then from CBS, so I feel confident that something good will happen in the near future.

More to come soon...

More Confusion

This just in. I e-mailed the people at CBS to see "when they would be making a decision" on the position.

The reply: "I will be contacting you next week."

So, this isn't a NO. This isn't a YES. It seems like I am still on the table for consideration.

Possible Outlets:

1) They extended the original Monday start date to a later date to have more time to make decisions or whatever

2) They have a new offer for me on BB9

3) They have a new offer for me on CBS Mobile

4) I didn't get anything (but I would think they would have said something in the last email if I didn't).


So yeah....yay for adding more confusion and crazyness to the current situation.

Obviously, alot to think about. It dosen't seem like they have made a decision because I would assume I would have been told something. It seems like I am still somewhere in the system....it's just a question of where.

Blame Hillary

People are wondering why airlines such as Midwest are in such trouble latley. Well, it's all because of Hillary Clinton. (Isn't it great when you can blame all sorts of things on one woman?)

Take a look at what I mean:



Now seriously....who would want to be on that flight??


No word from CBS today. Damn. That sucks. Maybe I'll hear somehting tomorrow. Otherwise, we keep moving forward.

I am going crazy

First and foremost, thank you to everyone who has shown outstanding support for my exciting life. I really appreciate hearing many of you send me your best wishes.

As excited as many of YOU are to hear what happens, I am literally on the edge of my seat waiting for a call. I am assuming I'll hear either way...and if I don't hear tonight, I will likley hear tomorrow. If not then, I would assume I did not get the position...but usually they call to inform people either way.

Until then, I will be doing lots of exercises to keep my mind FAR FAR away from CBS. I have my hopes so high and I really don't want them to be dashed now that I've gotten this far and I am SO CLOSE to what I want and have worked for.

As Hollywood would say, "TO BE CONTINUED..."

Hopefully, the ending will include me living happily ever after :) At least for the next few months!!

So now we wait.

The 2nd interview at CBS today went great. Now I am more excited than ever before.

Of course, now, I am sitting around...thinking about every second of the interview and being picky about what I said/should have said/etc.....

Ah well...

Fingers crossed, I'll be getting a nice phone call sometime today.

30 Second Update

Here's a 30 second preview of life right now:

1) I had a successful interview today at CBS
2) So successful, I am meeting with the VP tomorrow at CBS
3) Holy crap.
4) Warner Brothers called today.
5) They want me to come work for them.
6) Holy crap.

I think that's about it for now. I'm BEAT and tomorrow is another LONG day.

More soon.

The fun has just begun....

Guess who called today?

That's right....

CBS.

I have a one-on-one "in person" interview with them tomorrow as Step 3 of this marvelous process. I am excited, confused, nervous, confused, happy, confused, and did I mention confused?

Tomorrow I will find out more about the position, what it entails, etc. etc etc. Obviously this would be a dream job, but we need to see how much I am willing to give and take to make it come true. After tomorrow I am sure I'll have alot more answers.

Until then, keep watching the blog for more updates. I'll be in class tonight and tomorrow night so I will have limited time to talk, but I'll be updating this inbetween as much as I can.

Paula Abdul wasted my day

Today I had plans to go to FOX Studios for a recording of Paula Abdul's new song release, which she sings with Randy Jackson. They needed people to come and be in the audience for it because it's airing before the Super Bowl. It sounded pretty exciting, PLUS it was a paid gig, so I figured I would check it out.

I arrived at FOX around 10:30 AM. There was a small line, but nothing major, so I was pretty excited that I would have a good spot for the show. As time progressed, more and more people began to show up (as expected), until we reached about 11:30.

(For the record, the show was planned to start filming just after noon)

At 11:30, it started to rain. Hard. But I thought "don't worry, not too much longer and we'll be inside".

At about 12:00 (noon), the audience coordinators came out and told us we were going to a studio to sit and wait to be called into Paula's stage. We were taken to the set of "Best Damn Sports Show Period", where we all got to hang around the cold, dark, and empty (until we got there at least) set.

1:00 PM - We were told that everything was just about ready and we should be traveling to Paula's set very soon.

2:00 PM - We were told Paula just got back from lunch (!!!!!), and that she just needed to practice the number one more time before we came in.

By this point, my thought process (along with other's), is "we've waited this long...why not keep waiting?". So, we did.

3:00 PM - We are just about ready to go on stage. Paula's band has been practicing with her STAND IN (!!!!!!), and so Paula needs one run and we will be ready.

3:30 PM - We are offered the chance to leave the studio (you can't just leave at anytime because they have to escort you out). When I asked 'how much longer', the guy said "I honestly have no idea".

So I left.

I felt like I kept taking 2 steps forward and 2 steps back and I couldn't handle it anymore. (okay, bad joke)

I couldn't handle it....I was hungry and weak and I knew that I could not stand for a concert for 2+ hours when filming actually DID begin.

No payment, no nothing. We don't get paid unless we would have been waiting on Paula's set.

The truth is, it really isn't the not getting paid that bugs me. It's the fact that my ENTIRE DAY was wasted. Ugh, how dissapointing.

I've heard the rumors before that Paula is often late...but this was 'holy crap' late.

Unfortunatley, this IS the business of Hollywood and everything runs on a 'hurry up and wait' motto.

Ah well.....Hollywood Happens.

False Alarm

Alright, well it seems that I have not made the last round of the Dream Job interview process. Dam. That kinda sucks.

At the same time, it kinda dosen't, because I get to continue enjoying my classes, etc this quarter and move on to making some friends and such for once.

Thanks to all the people that have been supportive of me in this roller-coaster type week....obviously my parents, but also Brandon, Sean, and Adrianne - you guys were there to chat with me and listen to my rants about the 10,000 different thoughts in my head about the possibilities of me getting/not getting a CBS job, so thank you.

Other than the excitement of CBS calling me this week, there hasn't been a whole lot else going on. TV Production class is still going great and I'm making some friends out here...slowly, but sure.

Time to share a funny picutre or two that I edited latley:





We all know I love Sean...but with a pose like this, I couldn't resist.

Holy Crap.

CBS Called.

They called in regards to the application / e-mail I sent them. They were impressed by it and think I sound right for the job.

They sent me a small 'editing test' and also requested to see a reel of something I edited. I replied to the test and sent a reel, and now I am just waiting to hear back.

If I get this, it could be a huge break for me into the industry.

The only downside - I would have to give up some school and everything I've worked up to thus far out here.

Crap. Either way I have to give up something.

More to come soon...

The Ultimate Hollywood Goal: Big Brother

Many of you are aware that I am currently persuing a job to fill my morning hours before my evenings of schooling. I am really not picky at all to what I get for a job -- I just need something that can bring in the cash flow that a college student like myself needs.

Well tonight, I found an extra special job post. As I do every night, I search a few websites for different job listings they may have availible. I very rarely look under the 'writing and editing' category, but tonight, I decided to take a stab at it. When I clicked into the category, the top post was: "BIG BROTHER FAN & EDITOR NEEDED".

My first reaction was to scream out loud and say "THATS ME!". This is totally my job.

For those of you that are unaware, I am a HUGE fan of the reality show, Big Brother. I have watched the show activley since Season One and I can't get enough of that show.

When I saw the listing for a job opportunity, I just about went nuts. The job is for a freelance editor to edit things together for their "Previously On..." and other small segments. It would be an amazing experience; especially for a show nut like I am.

The odds of me getting the job are...who knows what. What I DO know, is that I put my heart and soul into trying for that job. I made my e-mail and resume stand in a way that I hope nobody else's does. What a truly amazing job that would be....

Now obviously, this isn't goinmg to stop my job search. I will still continue actively looking for work...

..but I can dream, can't I?

I Couldn't Resist

Isn't Photoshop great?

NOTE: The numbers are NOT photoshopped....for those that are confused.

Busy, Busy, Busy!!

Hello Everyone!

WOW...things have been going QUITE crazy latley. I haven't had much time to stop and catch my breath until today. Alot of new excitement happening:

1) Teaching at Reseda High School - it's a blast and the kids are fun. I like what they are doing, and I think I have alot of things to bring to the table that can also help them, too.

2) TV Studio Classes - I am still loving my classes for Intro to TV, AND, my newest one - CCH: The TV Series. I am one of a few people in a very small class that will be directing and producing a TV series which will be put online, on the air (channel 36?), and all over. It's going to be alot of fun. We are creating a sketch show similar to SNL, so it should be a good time. Our auditions for parts went excellent, now we just need some band auditions...which are next week).

3. I created a sketch! - It's a parody of a song from Disney's Little Mermaid. Check it out and let me know what you think:
http://www.ppshollywood.com/In%20The%20Free%20World.html

Dedicated to my FAVORITE liberals: Scott, Joe, and Adrianne :) hahaha

4. My TV instructor (same guy for both classes) and I got a chance to hang out on Friday. We put together some sets for some upcoming TV shows and we even had some spare time to go over to Starbucks, before coming back to play with the green screens and such :)

5. Last night I had the chance to go on set of "According to Jim" for a really late night shoot. It lasted a few hours, but it was very cool. I actually got to shake Jim's hand and talk to him for a bit :)

Other than that, things just won't slow down around here. I'm sure I'll be updating again next week Tuesday after we do JEOPARDY in our TV class.

To Be or Not To Be

As many of you may already know, for over two years I have had a condition on my hands that is known as excema. Essentially, this condition irritates my hands, makes them extremley dry, and at other points, makes them extremley hot and flared up.

Since I've been in California, my hands have been decent and haven't acted up TOO much more than they should. However, later last week, the problem became difficult to manage, so I made an appointment to see a doctor.

I went to see my new, California doctor - Dr. Shakespeare - today. (I was kinda nervous seeing a guy who was named after a man who was famous for saying quotes such as, 'OFF WITH HIS HEAD'...but it was alright). He was a very nice man and wants to help me with my hand problem as much as he can. He sent me to a dermatologist, which he requested I see ASAP.

I went to the dermatologist and he is an extremley nice, friendly, and down to Earth guy. Upon looking at my hands, he seemed confident that I didn't have excema....but yet, something more rare and of course, more difficult to treat. The exact name of what I have is Gydropfdjkfdjkhwiwufnjfsdhujshwsjrwsh90210-olyon". :) It was a long name....

Basically, because it is this 'highly advanced' (and more rare :D) version of excema, I have a few options for treatment. The option that I am starting with is a procedure called UV LIGHT THERAPY. Sounds like tanning at a salon, eh? It's similar, but not quite...

The process is simple, but kinda freaky. You step into this large room and put on some fun sunglasses. Then, you step into this big giant Tootsie Roll and theres a whole BUNCH of UV lights all around you. Then, the doc closes the door and you feel like you are in a freaky Time Portal for a few seconds...until the really bright lights come on. Then, you stand there with your hands up...not like you are being yelled at by a cop, but as if you are feeling a warm campfire...and you stand there....and stand there....and stand there...and BEEP! Just like a turkey in an oven, you're done! :) A wonderfully simple and harmless exercise. The only downfall: I have to go in 3 times a week for it...but frankly, it's worth it if it gets rid of it.

So that's that :) I posted this not to give you my not-exciting story about my hands, but because alot of you have showed concern and wanted to hear updates on my situation. Thanks to everyone who has cared about my hands, and with a little luck, within a few months we won't ever have to mention it again :-D

Tonight is TV Broadcast class....WOOOHOO!! Tomorrow I start teaching at Reseda High School...double WOOHOO! I'll update more tomorrow!

Krystal is sick :(

Poor Krystal :( She is sick with food poisioning. She's been to the bathroom to throw up about 6 times. Hopefully she'll get better soon! Cross your fingers....

Updates

Hello Again :)

Hopefully people are starting to catch on that I am sending out blogs again after my long absence over winter break. Make sure to tell all your friends that Kyle is back on the web so they can all come rushing over to the computer to check out what is new.

My job search is going alright. I've applied at a lot of places on-line and in person, but I haven't come across any positives yet...although I do have an interview or two that is pending. Hopefully Universal will pleasantly surprise me with some work next week, so I can fill these mornings with something that I get money for!

The other two classes I had this week at Columbia were "Intro to Visual FX" and "Cinematography 1". The Visual FX class is cool - we get to look at alot of neat films and talk about some cool concepts. The teacher is actually an Emmy-winner, which is also pretty neat. The Cinematography class is alright...the teacher is alot of fun, but sadly, it was not the same teacher that everyone was expecting (and had hoped for). We were supposed to have Charlie Rose as our instructor, but due to conflicts with his schedule, we ended up with someone else. It'll still be a neat class, but not QUITE as neat without Charlie.

Other than that, not TOO much is going on. It seems that our kitchen sink backed up and clogged up the other day. I called the "Apartment Fix It Man" to come fix it, and he did within about 10 minutes! Whoohoo! :)

Stay tuned for more updates in the near future.

PS: I thought I'd upload a fun picture. This was my meal from the hotel I stayed in on Christmas Eve. Not bad for $12, eh?

Awesome Night :-)

So tonight was a great night. Only one small downside to the evening...it seems that the job that said "you're hired" to me seems to be hiding some details. I have my doubts that it will work out now, unfortunatley. This just means I have to pump up the other jobs and move forward with them.

But ANYWAYS! The part that made this night so great was my TV Production class. It is AMAZING!!! I knew there was good reason to look forward to this class....it's because this will be a very hard class to beat.

First, and foremost, our instructor is a dynamic teacher. He welcomes us to make mistakes and he wants us to learn with as much hands on time as physically possible...which is great!

The outline for the class is spectacular. Each week we are filming a different sort of TV show....talk show, game show, cooking show, etc etc....until the end of class...which is VERY cool.

The students in the class (there are a whopping 10 people in the class) are awesome and extremley down to earth. This is a major plus...especially considering my really sucky classmates last quarter. There's a few students in the class that I am already getting along with quite well that I have found I have alot in common with, which is exciting.

Tonight we were recording a TV Talk Show. For the first run (we did about 7-8 runs), I was the director. As the director, it is my job to call the shots (literally), tell the graphics people what to do, instruct camera operators, cue hosts, etc...etc...etc.... After the talk show (which ran about 10 minutes) was complete, we all huddled up to hear feedback from the instructor. He said...

"You didn't do good. You did GREAT. I have NEVER seen it run so smoothly on a first try and I have NEVER seen such clear and articulate directing on the first run."

He could not stop praising us, and the feeling was sensational.

After a few runs, it was my turn to be the host of the talk show. It was decided I was going to be Donald Trump and the guest was going to be Trump's son. The show went extremley well, and we had the entire crew (and instructor) laughing the entire time. They let the show go an extra 10 minutes just to see what else we would improv on the spot. It was great. I even through some tricky challenges at the camera guys by standing up super fast without warning, and the operators caught every moment on tape without a hitch.

I realize that alot of this seems like a forgein language...and the fact that I am uber excited about a class is confusing...AND the fact that I really enjoyed directing and hosting a show seems odd...but trust me, it was definatley a great time and a class that I am REALLY looking forward to attending next week. :)

The Blog is Back

For those of you that were worried that I had fallen off the face of the Earth, I apologize. As many of you already know, I have a weird (and totally bizarre) pet peeve of only updating my Hollywood blog when I am actually IN Hollywood. But enough about my silly little things...

This trip back home was something truly special. I appreciated the time back home and enjoyed seeing all of my family and friends again for the holiday season. A special thanks to those people who really made my visit back home extra special. I truly appreciate it.

On this most recent trip home, some of my friends caught me a few times when I referred to my apartment in California as “home”. Whenever it was brought to my attention, I froze up in shock and didn’t know how to react. It was easier to say than to actually think that California is my new home. However, while I may live their the majority of the time now, I will still always see South Milwaukee as my first (and best) home. I proudly advertise to people in California that I am from the area and I truly enjoy being able to say that I am proud to be from a state that produces snow. (Even if nobody in California knows what snow is.)

Visiting back home in both November and December was a lot like giving myself a new, fresh breath of oxygen. It is so incredible to be able to be around friends that KNOW me and see people that I have made close friendships with over the years.

Without question, living in California is the most difficult thing I have ever done. One of my biggest struggles out here is one I continue to fight with myself. All alone. There are many times when I am lonely and I wish more than anything that I could be back home with my friends from Wisconsin. I know that friends in California will come over time, but unfortunately that doesn't make the present day any easier. I know that within due time, it WILL happen, but its just rough at times. One of the reasons my start out here was so challenging was because literally overnight I was away from my family and friends, starting off on my own in a state that I knew nothing about(with the help of my awesome roommate, Krystal).

I am extremely fortunate to have found a ton of great things in the short time I’ve been in California. I am grateful to have an amazing job at Universal Studios, and I look forward to starting a new job teaching in a school district out here within the next week. As some of you know, I am now searching for a 3rd job to fill some of the time that I will have open in the mornings when I’m not at college, teaching, or working at Universal. All of this is a completely new experience (I had a perk of running my own business back home, but out here, I’m not the only one producing and directing videos), but I am confident that over time, things will get easier and come more naturally.

I cannot thank those that have helped me enough. Whether you have just talked to me in person or on the phone, sent me a letter, or given me words of encouragement to know you are thinking of me....all of it really helps and is truly appreciated.

This is a challenge that is like nothing I’ve ever done, and it is a lot harder than I expected it would be. I am giving it my all to make sure that it works, but as we all know, all good things come with time. I’d like to hope that Steven Spielberg will be knocking at my door tomorrow morning, but if that doesn't work, I have a back up to get where I want to be.

Again, thank you, to everyone that has supported me and my journey out here. I miss being back in Wisconsin more than some people realize (I miss the people, not the snow....just for the record), but I know that being out here is where I need to be to get where I need to go.

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...