Los Angeles Screenwriters’ Expo
It’s been a whirlwind week! I just got back from the Screenwriters’ Expo in L.A. It was a fantastic experience and I highly recommend it to anyone aspiring to become a professional screenwriter. I’ll write more about the actual Expo on my Write For Hollywood blog later. The connections you make, the things you learn and the friends you meet will be well worth the trip.
That aside, I had several great meetings with production companies, managers and agencies, some of whom have already requested my scripts. Fingers crossed, friends! It was a busy four days and I hardly got any sleep because I tried to fit in a few touristy adventures.
The first day was spent lounging by the pool preparing my work for the Expo, thinking, “I could get used to this.” Thursday night, we ditched the lame first-night party at the Expo to grab a $3 drink at Hermosa Pier. Cab ride was expensive, but after a day with the over-60 set, me and my friends needed an injection of youthful exuberance.
Friday night I met up with an old friend whom I haven’t seen in five years and ran into on my flight in. She introduced me to a few new friends over dinner at this family restaurant featuring aspiring musical theatre singers near Universal Studios.
Saturday night we stole away for a late-night trip to the Sunset Strip to see the LA Guns perform at Whiskey A-Go-Go, which was well worth it. We then snapped some pics outside the neighbouring Viper Room where we encountered three young men from Norway trekking across the States.
After a fabulous photoshoot in Burbank, my friend and I made it over to NBC Studios to stand in a massive line hoping to get in to see Jay Leno. Apparently, having tickets doesn’t guarantee you a seat and we made it inside by TWO people. The taping was a lot of fun and we met some awesome people, but I think the highlight of the experience was seeing Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber make a fast escape in their armored vehicle out the front gates after the show was over. Sadly, I didn’t see their faces through their blackened windows, but someone else did and told me that was them. Yeah, I love the Beebs. After watching Never Say Never on the plane, I’m a fan of that boy for life provided he stays true to who he is.
I was also fortunate enough to get in to see an early screening of Gerard Butler’s new movie; Machine Gun Preacher, which started an hour late due to technical difficulties. We had to wait for them to drive over a film copy. The writer was there for a Q&A, but by then I was so tired, there was no way I could make it through.
On my last day in L.A., I met with a producer at the Beverly Hills Urth Cafe. Total L.A. moment. All these self-important types fluttering about on their cell phones, in their designer wear and fancy hair, avoiding eye-contact and making lunch dates was all very amusing. I even heard one person shout ‘Let’s do lunch’ across the street. Sadly, the ‘producer’ turned out to be – well, shall we just say not a producer. Something that happened to me a couple of times at the Expo. And we ended the journey with a stroll through the luxurious Rodeo Drive with a lovely comedic rising star.
So now that I’m home, everything is piling up on me: lack of sleep, lack of food, dehydration, the desperate need for exercise and all the scripts and emails I have to send out. These are good problems so don’t mistake this for complaining. I’m on top of the world right now and things will only get better!
Talk soon, friends!
Yolanda