Week in Review - End of April

This week was a busy week!

On Monday, I woke up at 4:30 AM to drive to D.C. I didn't have to be in the city until 9 AM but traffic on the beltway can be horrendous. It's a good thing I left when I did because it started slowing up after Fredricksburg and I didn't arrive until 8:30!
Long drives give me time to catch up on my podcasts. Filmspotting reigns supreme on my ipod but The Skeptics Guide to the Universe and The Creative Screenwriting podcasts are also staples. On the drive up, I listened to two Creative Screenwriting podcasts. The first was an interview with the writer of Eastern Promises, Stephen Knight and the second was with the writer of Rachel Getting Married, Jenny Lumet. Both are great writers and they gave great insights into the screenwriting process. They talked about their research and writing styles, whether they outline or let it flow, and what they do when they get writers block. When I got home, I immediately downloaded 20 or so podcasts with other writers.
I arrived around 8:30 and found a close parking spot. It was two hours max parking but with the office so close, I could easily add more when needed. Some parking meters now accept credit cards! What a country!
I got a job doing production work for The National Review. No pay but I'm making some great contacts and it keeps me busy doing what I love. Me and another PA are working for a guy named Will Cain who is doing a series of post-article interviews with National Review writers which are posted on their website.
After we wrapped, I drove out to Alexandria to meet with my documentary subject. It wasn't too formal and didn't last long but it was important to finally meet and voice some ideas. Hopefully we can start filming soon so I can start putting this film together.
After that I met up with Ben Giles and saw State of Play. It was great a second time.

This week was a busy week with Studio Center. I had paid gigs Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. At 150 bucks a day, I'm starting to rake it in. I found out that they don't pay out for 60 days! It sucks when you have uses for the money but it also keeps you from spending it right away.
I had a talk with Heather, the producer who brought me on as an intern in January, about keeping me on but paid. She said we would take it week by week which is fine with me. Even if its only one day a week it keeps some money in my pocket and plenty of free time to learn the software I am getting.
On Thursday, they had me on as a grip on a shoot for ABNB Credit Union. I spent much of the afternoon with the talent for the commercial, Myra Obendorf. Myra is the former Mayor of Virginia Beach. She was voted out this election cycle but she held the office for over 20 years.
I did a short news feature for a class on the abuse she took from Bill O'reilly when two girls were killed by a drunk driver. The driver who killed them happened to be an illegal immigrant. Mr. O'reilly called for her resignation because Mrs. Obendorf didn't have him deported on a previous arrest.
Back to Myra. She was wonderful! It was so refreshing to meet an older person with such a great outlook on life. I have met other adults with whom I have seen eye-to-eye but never one in public office. Then again, my personal interactions with elected officials are few and far between. Evidently, there are good people who seek office though.
This week has been a good one. Busy but good. I hope my work with Studio Center continues with this amount of frequency. It's great experience and I get to meet alot of people in the industry.