Category: Musings on Life

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Film Musings on Life

Life in California: 3 Months in

The last three months have been really exciting for Charlotte and I! What a great feeling it is to be in a place where we can pursue our dreams with the best of the best! We’ve made some new friends here, and I don’t use the GPS as often as I did. We sort of have a routine going, but that’s just how it is out here.

After getting settled here in East Hollywood, I started taking acting classes with Barry Papick. What an eye opening experience this was, what I was able to take away from acting class is character depth. This has caused me to start a re-write of my script for “This is not a game”. It has changed my writing. I’m really excited to see this script through.

I started acting as well, in my 1st month I was able to land a commercial for a dating website, I will share the link when it becomes available to me. The shoot was exciting, we filmed in downtown LA on a beautiful balcony about 13 stories up, what a great view!

I have been auditioning whenever I can, recently I got a part in a play called Voices, we are currently rehearsing at the Underground Theater. This would be my first play so I’m excited about that.

Whenever I can I try to get background acting work, recently I worked on New Girl and Revenge. I’m learning so much about the “behind the scenes” aspect of television film. The hours are long and everyone works really hard, but it’s such a breath of fresh air and it’s exciting to work alongside Jessica Biel, Zoe Deschanel, Madeleine Stowe and Emily Vancamp.

Charlotte is doing really well training at the world famous groundlings theater. She just finished level 1 and is currently in level 2. She’s also doing a work/study program at 2nd city and also doing background work whenever she can. I’m proud of you Charlotte!

August is a busy month in the acting world, I’m excited to see what happens.

-Serge

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Hollywood Musings on Life

Living in LA – What it’s really like

What is LA really like? Charlotte and I have been in Los Angeles for a little over a month now. As far as I can tell, LA is nothing like what you see in the movies. Could it be that growing up in the Tampa Bay area has just spoiled me? Perhaps it’s just my neighborhood? Why do I feel cheated?

Before I go any further, I just want to say that I am not writing this post to put down the city of LA. This post is merely a comparison of my previous life in the Tampa Bay area and my new life here in LA. Consider it therapy for me.

Los Angeles is crowded.

I live in East Hollywood where the streets are small and crowded. In Florida, you almost never have to parallel park or every worry about not being able to find parking. I highly advise you to get an apartment with a parking spot. Street parking is like a lottery, you will be lucky if you find a spot on your block. If we come home late at night, there will be no parking anywhere. You will be forced to park illegally or at a metered spot. Just be sure to pick up your car before 8 am when they start ticketing.  That’s the other thing about parking, parking tickets!!  I have been in LA for one month and I already got $200 in parking tickets. Yeah lessons learned here and there. Make sure you read every single posted sign on your block to make sure that it is absolutely ok to park.

Los Angeles is dirty.

The street sweepers come twice a week to my neighborhood but for some reason, there is still garbage everywhere. East Hollywood reminds me of a 3rd world country. (yes, i’ve been to one.) Why is that lady selling food from a shopping cart? Why is this other lady knocking on my door trying to sell me blankets? Why does the sidewalk smell like piss around the corner?

Los Angeles is expensive.

Everytime you leave the house, you can expect to drop at least $20 for your trip. You have to pay for parking everywhere. You have to wash your car constantly.  Your bumpers will get scratched. Gas is around $4.50 to $5.00 a gallon. The gym is super expensive. In Florida, $3o a month for a gym is expensive, in LA it’s a bargain. Our Florida apartment would be considered a luxury apartment in LA for what we are paying for.

So why am I here? The same reason everyone else is here, to somehow make it in the film industry. Competition is so high in this city. One hiring manager told me that i was one out of 80 applicants to a graphic design job.  This is where the money is.

I do not see living in LA for any other reason than that. Wish me luck in my job hunt!

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Musings on Life

Goodbye Florida, California, here we come!

It was a Friday afternoon. Charlotte and I were in Sarasota, spending time with her family. This was our last day in Florida. I remember feeling a sense of dread as the clock ticked, this was goodbye. We all knew this day was coming. We spent the afternoon sitting in Vanessa’s back yard. enjoying the calmness of the lake, listening to the birds in the sky and just being still. Being together for a moment.

My phone rang. The transport company we hired was minutes away and they wanted to make sure we were home. I got up, walked through the house and out the front door. I made my final check. Everything was in place. My contact at the transport company had informed me that we were allowed to fill our trunk and the backseat, till just under the window line.  When the drivers arrived, they said we were not allowed to carry anything in the car! I had to run to the bank and pay an $80 weight charge on top of the $1250 I was already paying.

The Volvo was gone now and on it’s way to California. “This is really happening” I told Charlotte. “We are really making the move cross-country. I was hit with a pang of sadness, mixed with excitement. For the next few weeks there will be no 9-5 office work. There will be living life on the open road.

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Musings on Life

I’m moving to California!

It’s time to pack up. It’s time to go. Charlotte and I have been dreaming for a long time, and it’s time to make those dreams a reality. We are moving to California for a new life, new opportunities and a new adventure!

The hardest part of this move is being away from my family. I’m a family-centric kind of guy and it has not hit me yet, but I know it will. Everyone leaves the nest at some point, don’t get me wrong. I have not lived with my parents for years, but its nice having them close by.  I have never lived over 1,000 miles away from them.

We are driving from Tampa to San Diego in my Nissan. We are shipping Charlotte’s Volvo. It’s going to cost around $1,200 USD, but Los Angeles is a driving city.

I’ll keep you posted.

Categories
Musings on Life

Marly’s Mellow Mood and Vine.

This is what happens when a friend comes over with some Marley’s Mellow Mood. Good Stuff.
-Serge