All Bright and Shiny!

When I first visited Los Angeles last summer I remember driving down this street called "Avenue of the Stars". It's on the westside and it's got lots of shiny high rises, fancy gyms, malls, etc. In fact, the night Angela got her job we celebrated with dinner at the Century City Mall right there on Avenue of the Stars. Right across from this huge, gleaming building with a valet area in front that rivals those in Vegas. (If you've spent any time in Vegas, you understand that valet areas are huge there. Huge.) A building with three letters hanging on the side. CAA.

I know a lot of people have no idea what those letters mean. But I do. I remember seeing that building and thinking wow. Thinking I'm going to be there someday. They're going to represent me. See CAA is the biggest talent agency in the world. They help get movies made.

Now it hasn't happened - yet. But on Wednesday, as I headed to my internship I realized that the company I'm working for is in that exact same building. Yes, the CAA building. And I got to walk right in. (Well, I had to stop at security first, then get an elevator pass, then get by the receptionist, but anyway, I walked in regardless.)

Needless to say I was fairly excited. I took this as a good sign. First I have a business teacher who is a literary rep with CAA. Not just an executive or an assistant but an agent. Then I get to work in the same building. Say what you will about signs. I believe this is a good one.

So the internship. Yes. Way too cool. I'm working with a creative executive who's super nice, Kevin, and he spent a while Wednesday telling me about the company, showing me around, introducing me to some people, etc. Then he gave me four scripts to read that have already been made into movies or are in the process, so I could get a feeling for the kind of movies Gold Circle makes. And honestly, even though two of them were supernatural thrillers, I loved them all. Maybe it was that I was sitting in a production company reading them. Maybe it was that I was surrounded by boxes of invoices and movie paraphernalia. Maybe it was hearing assistants on the phone scheduling lunches with very cool biz people (one of whom I've met!!!). But they were all good scripts.

I read The Haunting in Connecticut first, which opened this past weekend and is the number two movie in the country. And because I am now a part of "the team" (Kevin's words), I felt incredible pressure to go see it. So I did. I bribed Angela with Pinkberry and convinced her to go with me. To a horror movie. And let me tell you, she was a trooper. (I think it definitely helped that I knew the ending and told her everything that was going to happen, I know that helped me. Would not have wanted to go in "blind". And if you've seen the movie, you'll understand my new fear of losing my eyelids.) And the movie? Scary, in that suspenseful, there are dead bodies coming alive sorta way that was really intriguing. Seriously, worth it if you're into that kind of thing!

Then I read an alien script - The 4th Kind - which was not necessarily my cup of tea but interesting all the same, and different from a lot of scripts I've read which was very cool. I also read a new Katherine Heigl vehicle which was fun, and exactly my kind of movie, and something called The Widows' Adventures, which can I just say, I loved. So good, and great parts for some older (hence the widows) actresses which I say doesn't happen enough. This last script also made me a little teary-eyed, which I thought was fantastic. Picture it, me in a cubicle, surrounded by boxes of invoices for all the recent films, reading and trying not to cry. Hoping the guys who keep popping over to find records, don't see my tears. Too funny!

So that was my first week. Next time I'll get to start reading new scripts that have just been submitted for consideration and start writing coverage. I cannot wait!!!