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...

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!