So, I'm definitely over due for the update but good news is that I have had an eventful few months so hopefully the wait was worth it.
Firstly, I will kick off with the fact that I am now writing to you as a PAID employee of the production world. And it only took 324 job applications and a part time internship to get here. And even better news is that I got fired from my internship because I was working too much (fired maybe a little harsh but I was politely emailed to say they would be replacing me).
May was the month where it all started. I met a Production Supervisor at Washington Square Films and worked with her on a Rogaine Commercial. And the star talent was none other than Mr. Bill Rancic (from Season 1 of The Apprentice). I also co-produced a short film, with an amazing cast and crew, called "Left With A Bitter Taste In The Mouth" for a fellow director/producer, James Marcolin. You can check out the trailer https://vimeo.com/45483096 and hopefully it will have some success on the festival circuit in the next year. I have also had some luck with one of my own short films, called 'Cookies', which has been selected into the Washington DC Shorts Festival, which I will be attending in September.
The next job I worked on was at The Production Plant for an Ashford University commercial with Director Joe Pytka. His name may ring a bell as he directed the Michael Jackson film "This Is It" and of course, "Space Jam". Definitely an eccentric man but for fear of damaging my future career I will leave these tales for personal conversation. Also worth noting that the Assistant Director was the Assistant Director on The Notebook...definitely a sign that I am on the right path and rubbing shoulders with the right people.
Now, June. June, June, June, June June! New York and I have this love hate relationship. I love NYC and I THINK that feeling is mutual but every now and then this city turns and kicks me in the guts...then spits on me too, literally this month. So in a nut shell, June decided to steal $1800 from me. Then my MacBook Pro got stolen at an event I was volunteering at as part of my internship (Roberta Flack and Philip Seymour Hoffman were at this event so technically are still suspects and not to mention the bastard also stole my jar of peanuts...you have to laugh after you have no more tears to cry). And THEN, the trifecta was getting spat on in the subway. Yes, spat on.
WARNING THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTION IS GRAPHIC AND NOT SUITABLE FOR READERS WITH A WEAK HEART OR STOMACH: I got on the number 6 subway at 33rd St (ironically, this is one of the green lines), just as the doors closed a woman spat a loogie out the door into the gap between the train and platform. The doors sealed shut and the woman proceeded to stand in the door way opposite the seat I was on and the onslaught of spag began. Time slowed down. Her first projectile came hurtling towards me. I squealed and smooshed the passenger next to me trying to dodge the bullet of boogie. But it was too late. I avoided a fatal hit but snotty shrapnel sprayed all over my leg. A girl standing near her screamed and darted towards another area and crashed into other passengers almost causing a domino effect of falling people. The clearly deranged woman apologized to me in a Rain Man like state, saying "sorry, sorry, I know you're nice" but then continued to spray spit and hawk globs of mucus all over the place in a whooping cough like state. People where screaming, swearing and I was almost crying. Above the pandemonium one woman's voice rang out as she matter of factly announced, "Oh for fuck sake"! The carriage was a mist of sprayed spittle and pustulous pools of sputum. Finally the doors opened at 23rd street and there was a mass exodus of the train carriage as we all clambered into the next cabin, away from the erupting creature. Many of us already telling our tale of survival to anyone who would listen. My hands were trembling and I had the strongest desire to burn all of my clothes and remove a few layers of my skin with some sort of acid. For about a week after i was sick with flu like symptoms and semi convinced that i was transforming into a zombie but luckily some Frequent Flyer Fess, Betadine Sore Throat Gargle and Vicks Cold and Flu tablets were no match for the Zombie germs. It was a day that will go down as one of the most horrible in my life. So, not sure what sins I was paying for in June but in a rose colored glasses perspective, I'm looking at it as a very expensive and disgusting month of writing research and inspiration.
Moving onto July, I picked up some more work with a Nickelodeon Jr. Commercial and just wrapped a Optimum Cable ad with Director David Gordon Green (who most notable did Pineapple Express, Your Highness and Eastbound and Down). The biggest lesson I am learning from these director's is: be weird! There's always a hefty slice of crazy that comes with all of these directors. Of course it is backed up with a load of talent, glimpses of super charm, intelligence and high quality work but there truly is a fine line between genius and insanity.
I also had my high school friend Siobhan visit me and I got to enjoy a few days of being a tourist with her in this city. Among our adventures we visited Coney Island for the ultra disturbing Annual 4th July Nathan's Hotdog Eating Contest! There is something so grotesque yet so mesmerizing about this event. I got quite good tour guide reviews from her, so please visit me soon before I start charging for my 'NYC Adventures with Jessica'.
Tomorrow I begin work on a New York Lottery Commercial which will take me through to the end of summer. And I have just met with a Writer/Director who is in preproduction for his first feature film, so I'm hoping that by winter (Northern Hemisphere), I will have my first feature film credit!
Other random things to note are that I have seen four people on completely separate occasions on completely separate trains carrying a teapot. Not sure if this is a new handbag choice. I am living in an amazing penthouse apartment in Brooklyn with a Manhattan skyline view and I frequently find myself in a hypnotic state drooling over the view (although there could be some zombie poison still in my system responsible for this). This view also made for an amazing fireworks canvas on 4th July. Red Velvet Cake Ice-Cream is delicious! And finally, I have to confess that I have purchased 4 to 5 pairs of shoes (but who is really counting) in the past month, but haven't bought dozens more that I may have tried on or simple seen while window shopping.
Signing off, til my next blog!
Firstly, I will kick off with the fact that I am now writing to you as a PAID employee of the production world. And it only took 324 job applications and a part time internship to get here. And even better news is that I got fired from my internship because I was working too much (fired maybe a little harsh but I was politely emailed to say they would be replacing me).
May was the month where it all started. I met a Production Supervisor at Washington Square Films and worked with her on a Rogaine Commercial. And the star talent was none other than Mr. Bill Rancic (from Season 1 of The Apprentice). I also co-produced a short film, with an amazing cast and crew, called "Left With A Bitter Taste In The Mouth" for a fellow director/producer, James Marcolin. You can check out the trailer https://vimeo.com/45483096 and hopefully it will have some success on the festival circuit in the next year. I have also had some luck with one of my own short films, called 'Cookies', which has been selected into the Washington DC Shorts Festival, which I will be attending in September.
The next job I worked on was at The Production Plant for an Ashford University commercial with Director Joe Pytka. His name may ring a bell as he directed the Michael Jackson film "This Is It" and of course, "Space Jam". Definitely an eccentric man but for fear of damaging my future career I will leave these tales for personal conversation. Also worth noting that the Assistant Director was the Assistant Director on The Notebook...definitely a sign that I am on the right path and rubbing shoulders with the right people.
Now, June. June, June, June, June June! New York and I have this love hate relationship. I love NYC and I THINK that feeling is mutual but every now and then this city turns and kicks me in the guts...then spits on me too, literally this month. So in a nut shell, June decided to steal $1800 from me. Then my MacBook Pro got stolen at an event I was volunteering at as part of my internship (Roberta Flack and Philip Seymour Hoffman were at this event so technically are still suspects and not to mention the bastard also stole my jar of peanuts...you have to laugh after you have no more tears to cry). And THEN, the trifecta was getting spat on in the subway. Yes, spat on.
WARNING THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTION IS GRAPHIC AND NOT SUITABLE FOR READERS WITH A WEAK HEART OR STOMACH: I got on the number 6 subway at 33rd St (ironically, this is one of the green lines), just as the doors closed a woman spat a loogie out the door into the gap between the train and platform. The doors sealed shut and the woman proceeded to stand in the door way opposite the seat I was on and the onslaught of spag began. Time slowed down. Her first projectile came hurtling towards me. I squealed and smooshed the passenger next to me trying to dodge the bullet of boogie. But it was too late. I avoided a fatal hit but snotty shrapnel sprayed all over my leg. A girl standing near her screamed and darted towards another area and crashed into other passengers almost causing a domino effect of falling people. The clearly deranged woman apologized to me in a Rain Man like state, saying "sorry, sorry, I know you're nice" but then continued to spray spit and hawk globs of mucus all over the place in a whooping cough like state. People where screaming, swearing and I was almost crying. Above the pandemonium one woman's voice rang out as she matter of factly announced, "Oh for fuck sake"! The carriage was a mist of sprayed spittle and pustulous pools of sputum. Finally the doors opened at 23rd street and there was a mass exodus of the train carriage as we all clambered into the next cabin, away from the erupting creature. Many of us already telling our tale of survival to anyone who would listen. My hands were trembling and I had the strongest desire to burn all of my clothes and remove a few layers of my skin with some sort of acid. For about a week after i was sick with flu like symptoms and semi convinced that i was transforming into a zombie but luckily some Frequent Flyer Fess, Betadine Sore Throat Gargle and Vicks Cold and Flu tablets were no match for the Zombie germs. It was a day that will go down as one of the most horrible in my life. So, not sure what sins I was paying for in June but in a rose colored glasses perspective, I'm looking at it as a very expensive and disgusting month of writing research and inspiration.
Moving onto July, I picked up some more work with a Nickelodeon Jr. Commercial and just wrapped a Optimum Cable ad with Director David Gordon Green (who most notable did Pineapple Express, Your Highness and Eastbound and Down). The biggest lesson I am learning from these director's is: be weird! There's always a hefty slice of crazy that comes with all of these directors. Of course it is backed up with a load of talent, glimpses of super charm, intelligence and high quality work but there truly is a fine line between genius and insanity.
I also had my high school friend Siobhan visit me and I got to enjoy a few days of being a tourist with her in this city. Among our adventures we visited Coney Island for the ultra disturbing Annual 4th July Nathan's Hotdog Eating Contest! There is something so grotesque yet so mesmerizing about this event. I got quite good tour guide reviews from her, so please visit me soon before I start charging for my 'NYC Adventures with Jessica'.
Tomorrow I begin work on a New York Lottery Commercial which will take me through to the end of summer. And I have just met with a Writer/Director who is in preproduction for his first feature film, so I'm hoping that by winter (Northern Hemisphere), I will have my first feature film credit!
Other random things to note are that I have seen four people on completely separate occasions on completely separate trains carrying a teapot. Not sure if this is a new handbag choice. I am living in an amazing penthouse apartment in Brooklyn with a Manhattan skyline view and I frequently find myself in a hypnotic state drooling over the view (although there could be some zombie poison still in my system responsible for this). This view also made for an amazing fireworks canvas on 4th July. Red Velvet Cake Ice-Cream is delicious! And finally, I have to confess that I have purchased 4 to 5 pairs of shoes (but who is really counting) in the past month, but haven't bought dozens more that I may have tried on or simple seen while window shopping.
Signing off, til my next blog!
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