(The cast of Carnage)

As summer comes to a close, the raunchy comedies and action flicks that define the season start to drift toward the dollar theaters to make way for fall releases. The Venice Film Festival kicks off next Wednesday, Telluride two days later and Toronto the following Thursday, setting off the much anticipated fall film festival season and the eminent Oscar race to follow. As things get kicked off, I’d like to highlight a few of the titles coming out this fall that I’m most excited about seeing. 

The Iron Lady

Directed by: Phyllida Lloyd; Starring Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent and Richard E. Grant

See the teaser trailer here. 

It’s no shock to anyone who knows me that Meryl Streep is my favorite living actress. Whether she’s divorcing Kramer or wearing Prada, she is perfection… she could even play Batman! Bonus points if you know what that’s from, but I digress. Meryl’s next electric onscreen turn is as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. If there’s one thing I adore as much as Meryl, it’s British period dramas about historical figures (think The Queen). Although she might get some competition from Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs, I have a sense that Meryl is the one to beat in the Best Actress category this year. 

Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy

Directed by: Tomas Alfredson; Starring Colin Firth, Gary Oldman and Tom Hardy

See the trailer here. 

Even the first line in the trailer begins to build the suspense and mystery present in this upcoming release. If recent Oscar winner Colin First isn’t enough to draw you to see Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy, consider the excellent art direction, compelling score, strong supporting cast and source material from John le Carre, the same writer who provided the original idea for The Constant Gardener. This thriller follows the search to locate a Soviet mole within the British secret intelligence forces during the Cold War. From what little I know about this film, I already feel like it will be a strong contender come awards season. Time—and initial reactions at upcoming festivals—will tell. 

Carnage

Directed by Roman Polansky; Starring Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster and John. C Riley

View the trailer here. 

Any fans of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe and other Tennessee Williams style character driven dramas will be excited about Carnage. The film is set around an informal conference between two sets of parents after their sons are involved in a schoolyard brawl. What starts off as civilized and cordial quickly intensifies as personalities clash and tempers go through the roof. I have no doubt this strong cast with translate Polansky’s script to the screen with hilarious precision. 

My Week with Marilyn

Directed by Simon Curtis; Starring Michelle Williams

See a video of Michelle as Marilyn on set here. 

Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe. Need I say more? I truly believe that Michelle Williams is one of the most talented and underrated actresses in Hollywood today. Her consistently strong performances in films like Brokeback Mountain and Blue Valentine wow me time and time again. Taking on such an iconic and illusive public persona like Marilyn Monroe is a bold task, but if anyone can do it, Michelle can. 

The Artist

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius; Starring John Goodman, Malcolm McDowell and Missi Pyle

See the trailer here. 

When I heard that the Weinsteins had picked up this nearly-silent film from Cannes this year, my interest was immediately sparked. Not only is it an old Hollywood film made in the modern era, but the story is centered around a silent film star fearful that talking pictures will throw him into oblivion—very reminiscent of classics like Sunset Blvd. This movie certainly isn’t for everyone, but I for one am thrilled to see it. 

(Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady)

It’s time for me the share another film with you all: The Help. The movie was produced by Participant Media in conjunction with DreamWorks and Disney, and it’s a release I’ve been anticipating all summer. I’m already anxious to see how the film fares come awards season — the cast is phenomenal, especially Viola Davis. She received her first Oscar nomination for her role in Doubt, and I have little doubt myself that she’ll be recognized at the Kodak theater this year for her role in this film. Go see this movie. I don’t say that just because of my ties to Participant, but also because it’s a heart-felt, touching and at times hilarious story that will leave you feeling good. 

(Image of Viola Davis at the 2009 Academy Awards)

Speaking of Participant, my summer interning there and MGM ended well and I’ve settled back in Athens as I prepare for my last semester at school. Wow, my last semester. I can’t believe it. As I’ve been telling everyone, I’m moving back to LA in January—with or without a job, mind you—to make this crazy dream of mine come to fruition. It seems insane even to me to say it out loud, but I can’t help but just be really excited. I’ve worked the past two years for this; now it’s time to make it happen. 

Fun story: fellow Participant interns Elana and Katherine and I met Larry King at the Beverly Hills block party. We went looking for the mac ‘n’ cheese truck after work and ran into the king of talk himself. 

(Elana, Katherine, Larry and me at the Beverly Hills block party)

I wish I had more exciting things to report, but the remainder of the details from my life in LA amount to sitting to traffic, reading scripts and discussing films, answering phones and listening into phone calls with my bosses discussing information about projects I’m not allowed to disclose, making coffee, meeting with executives and chatting with assistants and interns, reading Deadline, making (and drinking) more coffee, and exploring the city. I did see Salma Hayek and John Legend in the office one day — that was pretty great! I also discovered this wonderful bar in Hollywood called Next Door Lounge. All I can say is the waitresses were in flapper outfits and there was Turner Classic Movies playing in the background. My kind of joint. 

Back home, I’m getting so excited for awards season to amp up and for a lot of great movies to hit theaters as they trickle through Toronto, Venice, and Telluride. Expect more blog posts to come!

Living my dream — and anxiously anticipating the next step!

Blake

Update from LA: The Final Countdown

I must start this post by sharing the trailer to “Contagion.” This film, starring Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard, and Jude Law and directed by Steven Soderbergh, is one of the most significant films to my Hollywood career. When I arrived at my first internship at Double Feature Films last summer I was handed the script to this film and immediately began reading it — it was in pre-production at the time. I was able to keep in touch as it was filmed through the winter and hear details about its progress. Upon arriving at Participant Media this summer I realized that the film was also associated with that company and I’ve been able to keep up with it even further. It’s finally hitting theaters this fall, and I just can’t wait to see it. 

Speaking of internships, mine are going really well. I have less than three weeks left in LA before I head back to Georgia for school, but I have to say this summer is shaping up to be one of the best. 

At Participant, I have so enjoyed getting to help out on the president’s desk in addition to working in the narrative department. I was able to sit down and have a great one-on-one with Ricky, the president of the company, and chat about life, the industry, his career and my future. I had a similar meeting with the vice president of production and have had the opportunity to speak with and get to know assistants, other executives and my fellow interns.

I realized this summer more than last year that these internships are all about networking. I’m getting valuable experience and learning a great deal, of course, but it’s not often that I have direct access to so many people who are at the top of their craft and work in positions that I only aspire to reach one day. I am so thankful for the great mentors I’ve found out here and am blown away at how willing they have been to sit down with me and let me pick their brain. I will leave this summer with a much clearer picture of the industry and how I fit into it. 

On a usual day at Participant I spend my time reading scripts, covering the phones for Jack (Ricky’s assistant) when he steps away, watching clips from the company’s upcoming films, running errands or doing research for Jack, and reading and learning as much as possible about the company and the industry. I’ve also appointed myself the “social coordinator” at Participant and have planned a few outings for the 30 or so interns there. Who’s surprised? Right, no one. 

Things at MGM continue to be great as well. I have been able to cover the desks of two of the company’s vice presidents during my time there, and that has taught me a lot about what it means to truly be an assistant. In one case, I covered for an assistant for three days while he was out of town. Was it tough? Yes. Did I mess up? Yes. But the only way to really learn is by throwing yourself out there and trying something, and that’s exactly what these opportunities have allowed me to do. 

Other high points worth mentioning: 

• My 22nd birthday was a few weeks back and one of my very best friends Katie Kellogg was in town to help me celebrate. We went to Malibu, went out in West Hollywood with other friends and had a wonderful time. 
• When I was covering for the assistant at MGM, I looked up to see John Krasinski leaving the MGM president’s office after a meeting. Jim in the office? Perfection.
• I’ve slowly started to appreciate the summer blockbuster. Sure, I’ll still always opt for the Oscar-nominated gritty drama over the comic book film. But being out here and working at MGM, a company that focuses on bigger budget films with a wide appeal, has opened my eyes to the appeal of these movies. 
• The teaser trailer for The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep came out a few weeks back. This is my most anticipated film of the year by far!
• I’ve been able to grab coffee, dinner and drinks with assistants I’ve worked with in the past, old bosses, and even a friend from the Academy that I worked with during the Oscars. Such a joy to reconnect and catch up with old friends from out here!
• Being out here has motivated me to watch a lot more movies, something I tend to slack on when I’m at school.

Low points:

• Reading over my bosses’ itineraries — the president and vice-president at Participant that I think are so great — made me suddenly very jealous. They are traveling from LA to the Venice Film Festival to London to NYC for the premier of “Contagion” to the Toronto Film Festival. I want that life. 
• I continue to commute an hour or more each way to and from my internships. I love living in Pasadena, but it sure gets tiring! 
• Carmageddon. What a joke. They shut down the 405 freeway this weekend and the traffic was suppose to be horrible so we all took refuge in our apartments and homes. Well, it turns out traffic was clearer than I’ve ever seen it. All that hype for nothing! 
• I still haven’t met Meryl or solidified a definite plan for become best friends with her. Any and all suggestions are welcome. 

And now friends, I leave you with a bold proclamation that scares me to even put in writing: whether or not I have a job secured come January 1st, I’m moving to LA. Whatever it takes, I’m going to make it happen out here. I have to; this is my passion and I have no back up plan. 

Still living my dream and feeling blessed every day to be here, 

Blake

I feel pretty well settled into my summer in LA. The past couple weeks since I started have been a whirlwind of activity and excitement. I hardly know where to begin! 

The most exciting news comes by way of Participant Media: I got a promotion! My direct supervisor and the assistant to the president of the company called me in Thursday to chat. They asked me if I’d be interested in interning two days a week on the president Ricky’s desk, reporting directly to him and his first assistant Jack. Would I be interested? Of course! Jack trained me today, explaining the phones and how everything works, and even got to take a few calls myself (baby steps, right?). I’m really excited to have this opportunity because I already love this company so much and I’m eager to learn as much about it as possible. Getting the chance to interact directly with the head of the organization and see how he works will be invaluable. Not to mention, Jack and Ricky are fantastic, and I know I’m going to really enjoy working with them. I’m so excited! I’ll still be reading scripts and working with the narrative department, so this will just be an added bonus.

Other things to know about Participant: they offer free yoga and pilates classes on Mondays and Thursdays; I’m meeting with their HR director tomorrow to talk about my resume and cover letter; last week I was in the office for the “all staff” meeting where each department talked about what they’re doing and the founder spoke; and before the summer’s up, I’ll likely get to see Contagion, The Help, Page One and Circumstance before they hit theaters because they’re having screenings at work.

Things are going really well at MGM as well. Last week I read a script I really liked, and when it came up in our evening staff meeting, the president of the company says, “well, if you liked it, pitch it to us.” I know I must have been so red in the face, but I managed to produce words (high point), and I was convincing enough that several of the execs took home the script to read it that evening. The photo that headlines this post was taken in the lobby at MGM. It’s the Best Picture Oscars for Gone with the Wind, a film the company produced back in 1939. So much history in that place. 

I’m still reading scripts for Phoenix Pictures, but I’m finding it difficult to make time to read and write coverage for them. There’s just so much else going on!

I was able to go visit my dear friend Dennis Byrd in San Francisco this past weekend, and although the trip was short, I had a wonderful time. I use to love San Francisco, and while I still think it’s a great city, I have to say LA has really grown on me and is definitely ahead of San Fran now. I just love how LA is truly a combination of many smaller cities and neighborhoods that meshed together create a vibrant, diverse and interesting place. I’m feeling better about the possibility of moving out here in December. 

I also got to attend opening night at the Hollywood Bowl with the folks I’m living with this summer. In addition to great performances by Harry Connick Jr and Gloria Estefan, Hilary Swank and Helen Mirren were there to introduce the entertainers. What a treat! I also saw Donald Sutherland and Carol Burnett roaming around looking for their seats before the show started. 

This Thursday I’m going to a cast and crew screening of Bad Teacher with my friend Stacey before the film hits theaters on Friday, and that should be a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to friends visiting in the next few weeks and seeing what adventures I can get myself into in and out of the office. Most of all, though, I’m looking forward to reading as many scripts as possible, meeting as many people as possible, and learning as much as possible. I can’t believe I’m really here — I’m truly living my dream, y’all!

Blake

“The Dailies: Reentry Into Hollywood”

As I sit in my cubicle Monday, I look down at my desk and suddenly feel like I’m going to start crying. But these aren’t tears of sadness, oh no. I’ve caught a glimpse of my MGM ID badge (photo above) and I’m suddenly overwhelmed — I’m so blessed to be back in Los Angeles again!

My first two days of interning have been wonderful. Yesterday I kicked things off at MGM and today I got acquainted with Participant Media. I came into the week nice and rested after spending five lovely days with my Mother Dearest and sister Jillian. They were in the city until Sunday visiting and helping me transition out here for the summer. I toured them around LA and showed them where I’ll be living and working for the next two months. 

Upon exiting the elevator onto the 14th floor of the MGM tower in Century City Monday morning, I was greeted by the imposing marble lobby that I had admired when I visited back in March, the walls littered with nearly 50 Oscars and oversized prints of old MGM classics: The Philadelphia Story, Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, etc. As I said back in the spring, it just felt like coming home. I was whisked away by Brittany, my supervisor, and started the inevitable paperwork that the first day always presents. I soon was reading scripts, meeting the team, and getting my photo taken for my ID badge. The day seemed to fly by.

The team at MGM is fantastic. I was faced with nothing but kindness and welcoming attitudes. After reading scripts, my new bosses called me over to ask my opinion, pick my brain on what I’d read. I got to sit in on a staff meeting with all the executives, including the president of the company, and contribute to the discussion as they all hashed out the day’s business. I even left with an additional script that my direct boss Matt wants my me to read and give my opinion. I’m going to learn so much working with this group.

My experience at Participant Media was remarkable as well; I left today feeling like a part of their team. In the past, I’ve written coverage (a summary and comments) of scripts that is thrown into a pile and never discussed with me. As was the case at MGM as well, my bosses at Participant wanted to hear my opinion and discuss what I’d read. This really got the creative development wheels turning in my brain and helped me to further process the work and how it could be improved. Angel and Erik, the two creative executives in Participant’s narrative department I’ll be working with, sat me down to pick my brain. They also gave me a stack of scripts to read and we just chatted for a while about life, my background, and what I’ll be doing. Casual, comfortable… these guys rock. 

I also met and got to know many of the other interns at Participant, one of whom may or may not have got me a copy of the new, unproduced Tarantino script. Everyone I met was exceptional and really passionate and excited about what they were doing. Other perks about Participant: gorgeous offices; free and unlimited organic fruit, granola, coffee and snacks throughout the day; the option to take home a DVD of any of their films to watch; and a welcome package filled with tips for interns, maps of Beverly Hills with fun lunch spots highlighted, and a guide to improving your coverage. 

This summer is going to be incredible, I know it. I’m thrilled about my internships, so happy to be reunited with LA friends and UGA transplants who are joining me out here for the summer, and eager to network, explore the city, and learn. I’m looking forward to seeing what God has in store for my time here!

Living my dream,

Blake

It probably comes as no surprise that I’m gearing up for another summer in Los Angeles. But where have I been since the Oscars? I know, I know, I inundated you all with endless posts, Tweets, and messages about voting (once a day, every day, remember?) and then I disappeared. Well, life gets busy, and when you’ve neglected school for two months and only focused on the Academy Awards, you have to hit the books.

But I’m back and committed to blogging throughout the summer again while I’m continuing to live my dream in El Lay (LA for those that don’t read Perez). 

So what will I be doing? On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I will be interning at MGM, working on the desk of one of their Vice Presidents for Creative Development. In that role, I’ll handle calls, scheduling, and will be reading lots and lots of scripts! Also, I get to sit in staff meetings every evening that I’m there and interact with the company’s execs. It’s going to be an incredible learning experience. MGM is working on some notable big-budget projects including The Hobbit and the newest installment of the James Bond franchise. I’m not the biggest fan of blockbuster films (aka I’m a snob), but as Jenn put it, it’s important to get to know all facets of the industry. 

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I’ll be at Participant Media, a much smaller production company that works on films that cover certain important social issues. They’ve produced Food, Inc., Waiting for Superman, An Inconvenient Truth, Syriana, and The Informant!, just to name a few. If you don’t know about Participant Media, you need to check them out — watch the TED talk here! They create a social action campaign with every film, and their end goal is to inspire social change in an entertaining way. This will be a great balance to MGM and another wonderful way to learn about the industry.

Finally, I will be doing what we’re calling “remote coverage” for a company called Phoenix Pictures, the producers of Black Swan and Zodiac. I interviewed with them late, after I had my other plans set, but one of their creative execs was willing to let me write script coverage during my free time and still come in to the office periodically throughout the summer to meet their executives. It will be just another way to get my hands on more scripts, meet more people, and learn about the way movies are made. 

As jealous as I am of all my friends living the life at the Cannes Film Festival right now, I’m enjoying a slow day-to-day pace in Athens and am anticipating my departure to LA in two weeks. It’s going to be another incredible summer!

Blake

Check out these fabulous pictures that David took from our front row seats on the Oscars red carpet!

Blake at the Oscars - Days 3 & 4

I’m sorry it has taken me so long to write something about our last two days at the Oscars. Things have obviously been rather crazy! 

Before I go any further, let me say that if you’re intrigued by the photo of Michelle Williams above, there are many more like it to come. David took some incredible pictures and I will post the link once they’re all online. 

Saturday morning was the official announcement of the winners of the competition. My dear friend Dennis Byrd picked me up from the hotel at 7 o’clock that morning and took me to breakfast in Hollywood, just what I needed to take my mind off things. Around 10 am, all three finalist teams were joined by Academy president Tom Sherak on the steps of the Kodak Theater.

This was it.

They replayed our videos, and before we knew it Tom was announcing that Luz and Phil were the winners of the competition. I felt nothing — maybe it hadn’t sunken in yet. We had a break after the announcement before our next event, so I went to my room to have some lunch and process things. I suddenly felt the disappointment I had expected before and was saddened that I had come so far only to receive this unfavorable news. But then something occurred to me: this was an incredible opportunity for Luz and Phil. I should be excited for them! And I’d already had a great experience, and I was certainly only in for more fun. Furthermore, I’m not a news person; I’m a film person. While I would love interviewing on the carpet because I love the awards, Luz would be able to build her reel with this footage to get better jobs and internships in the future. It makes sense that it should be her — I just needed a second to realize that fact. 

We reconvened and rode together to the Academy headquarters for the hair and makeup symposium. We watched clips from Barney’s Version, The Way Back, and The Wolfman, the three Oscars nominated films for makeup, and heard about the techniques used on them. Afterwards, we interviewed the nominees at a reception. After this bit of action, I was starting to feel better about things. When we returned to the hotel, we got a final glimpse of the Governor’s Ball setup and got to walk around at a dinner event that was going on there.

At the end of the evening, the 6 finalists all walked to a neat restaurant in Hollywood to eat and have drinks and talk. This is such a great group and I so enjoyed getting to know the others. After spending time together there’s no way I could see them as competition. 

On Sunday morning we got up early, I put on my tux, and I went down to the carpet to take pictures and shoot some footage. The tarps had been removed, the tents were down, and the red carpet finally looked like… well… a red carpet! Tim Gunn was down there rehearsing; international media and press were swarming; fans were already in the bleachers preparing for the evening. It was insane! We took some great pictures, and I truly enjoyed getting to be down there on the big day: Oscar day!

They kicked us off the carpet at 11, so we went back to eat lunch, change, and we returned in a couple hours to take our place in the cheering section on the red carpet. 

Once we got seated, David quickly realized that we were right behind Robin Roberts and ABC’s setup on the carpet. It was looking like we were going to be on TV after all! Turns out, we were right. Our friends and family were able to see us over Robin’s shoulder throughout the night! How neat!

Now, let’s talk about the carpet. Things started out slow, a few stars trickled in one by one. Melissa Leo, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Hudson… the BAM! Everyone started coming at once. It. Was. Insane. Within under an hour, we watched the likes of Cate Blanchett, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Bridges, Steven Spielberg, Celine Dion, Gwyneth Paltrow, Penelope Cruz, Justin Timberlake, Annette Bening, Mark Wahlberg, and Natalie Portman walk the carpet, just to name a few. I feel like I saw everyone who’s anyone in Hollywood walk just feet in front of me! It was absolutely crazy. The crowd would ignite every time someone huge walked by. Things would quiet down, then all of a sudden you would hear, “SANDRA, SAN-DRA, WOOOOO!!!!!” Such an exciting, electric environment. We were right across from Luz and Phil’s MTVu station, so we watched as they snatched stars off the carpet to interview. So exciting! 

When the carpet quieted down and everyone went inside to the awards, we were ushered across the street to the El Capitan theater to watch the awards projected on the movie screen there. I snatched some peanut M&Ms and a Diet Coke and watched the awards unfold on ABC just like the rest of the nation. I just happened to be watching them in a theater right across the street from where they were actually happening. Surreal. 

This morning on the way to the airport I heard all of Luz’s phenomenal stories from last night. Besides interviewing, she and Phil got to be in the press room backstage and ask the winners questions along with the rest of the media. At the Governor’s Ball, she talked to Jeff Bridges, Anne Hathaway, Jessie Eisenberg, and Colin Firth, among others. She even called me to ask what she should talk to Annette Bening about, then took my question and used it after she hung up the phone. Such a sweat heart! I loved that she let me be a part of the night in that way. 

Overall, the experience was truly unbelievable, and I can’t imagine it being better, even if I had won. I will remember this journey to the Oscars for the rest of my life, even if I am lucky enough to go again one day.

Living my dream and chasing it every day,

Blake

The Oscars are upon us, and it’s time that I reveal my predictions. I’m taking a step in a new direction and making a call on all 24 categories. I might as well give it a shot, right?

Best Picture: The King’s Speech

Directing: David Fincher, The Social Network

Actor in a Leading Role: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Actress in a Leading Role: Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Actor in a Supporting Role: Christian Bale, The Fighter

Actress in a Supporting Role: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit

Animated Feature Film: Toy Story 3

Art Direction: The King’s Speech

Cinematography: True Grit

Costume Design: The King’s Speech

Documentary Feature: Inside Job

Documentary Short: Strangers No More

Film Editing: The Social Network

Foreign Language Film: In a Better World

Makeup: The Wolfman

Music - Original Score: The Social Network

Music - Original Song: “We Belong Together,” Toy Story 3

Short Film - Live Action: Wish 143

Short Film - Animated: Day & Night

Sound Editing: Inception

Sound Mixing: Inception

Visual Effects: Inception

Writing - Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network

Writing - Original Screenplay: The King’s Speech