Santa Monica Pier-coutesy of Molly

Another semester is coming to a close.  The L.A. interns, by all accounts, had a varied, exciting 14 weeks on the west coast.  Soon they’ll be back at Stonehill, where a 70-degree day will feel like either a distant memory or something to look forward to around the time they graduate.  I’m sure that returning to the classroom full time will be an adjustment, but I’m also confident that they’ll continue to excel, and, if it’s their goal, return to L.A. soon.  I wish all readers of the blog happy holidays. -RL

Kaitlyn

Fourteen weeks down and only one more to go in our Los Angeles experience. As the weeks dwindle down, it is really hard to imagine not being here. We have become so used to our surroundings that whenever we talk about leaving it feels more like we’re going home on vacation than home for good. I am really going to miss my internship and even more specifically the people at my internship. It is rare that you find a group of people who are able to work together and all get along. There are a lot of people in the CBS publicity department and that means a lot of different personalities as well; however, they all get along so well that it really is a very enjoyable place to work.

These past few months have been a whirlwind. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would get to experience what I have, especially in such a short amount of time. I always knew that I wanted to live in California and I have to say that this experience has only made that dream even bigger. As the days pass, I am getting really sad at the thought of having to leave this all behind. There is no doubt in my mind that I will miss this next semester, but I plan to take as much as I can from this last week and experience as much as I can while I still can.

Michael

Well here it is folks, my last journal entry. I’m not leaving L.A. until the 23^rd, so I’ll save all of my depressing thoughts about leaving Los Angeles for my friends and family over the holidays. I’m incredibly happy and proud of myself for making the decision to come here for the semester. I spent most of this summer worrying about what it’d be like to miss half of my senior year of college by moving across the country. Well, half my senior year is officially over, and I couldn’t care less about it. Especially because this experience, combined with my time spent in New York, has taught me that no matter where you go, you’ll find people who are in the same situation as you. You’ll find people who are just as lost and confused as you are, and then you’ll form great friendships with one another. Then four months later, you’ll have to rip yourself away and go back to Massachusetts, where it looks like tonight’s low temperature will be 21 degrees. I’m sad to leave, but I’m happy to know that, I think, I’m more than welcome to return to Los Angeles whenever I want.

Molly

Here we are in our final week in Los Angeles…wait, what? Where did the past 4 months go? I can clearly remember landing at LAX in 80 degree weather, meeting everyone for the first time, and then navigating the city streets to try to find our apartment. I cannot believe that almost 4 months have gone by. It is unbelievable. My last full week here was pretty busy; finishing up projects at work, heading to dinner with friends, and saying goodbye to my aunt and uncle. I am sad to say goodbye to LA, but I am long overdue to go home.

I am heading in on Monday to say goodbye to everyone I work with. I feel as though I am an actual employee there because I spend so much time with everyone, it is going to be difficult to transition back into sitting in a classroom. I have to prepare myself for the culture shock I am going to experience heading back home and to school. Even though California is part of the United States, Los Angeles is a completely different world. It is unlike any place I’ve ever been before. I am counting down the hours until I get on the plane to go home, but I know this isn’t goodbye forever LA, it’s see you later.

This week, Molly and Kaitlyn discuss their visits “behind the scenes” at two productions: CBS Films’ Flight 7500 and The Grammy Nominations Concert, which aired on CBS.  The fall interns are seeing their semesters in L.A. come to an end.  If you are a frequent, or occasional, reader, I hope you recognize the contributors’ hard work this semester, not only at their respective job sites, but on their contributions to this blog.  I appreciate their candor, and the seriousness with which they approached the task of reflecting on how they spent their time each week.

Kaitlyn

Last week, I flew home to Massachusetts to surprise my parents for Thanksgiving. It was amazing to see my family, but at the same time, being back home forced me contemplate a lot about where I want to be after graduation. I love my family and I missed them a lot when I was away, but I love where I am right now.

This week I spent time out of the office helping Tiffany prepare for “The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! Countdown to Music’s Biggest Night” which happened this past Wednesday on CBS. Rehearsals began Tuesday morning for the event, and Tiffany and I spent much of the next two days at the Nokia Theatre across from the Staples Center watching the performers rehearse and introducing them to the press for interviews. Hosted by LL Cool J, performers for the event included Lady Gaga, Sugarland, The Band Perry, Jason Aldean, LL Cool J himself and more.  Presenters included Katy Perry, and Bruno Mars.  There is so much that goes in to putting on shows such as these that most people do not realize. The talent rehearses over and over making changes and adjustments up until the last possible second. The lighting and sound crews perfect their craft through constant checks and run-throughs. However, even with all of this preparation, the amount of excitement, anticipation, and energy backstage was still insane (in a good way). In a taped production, you have as many takes as you need to get the shot that you want. However, in a live event, you have one take to get it right.

The first week that we arrived in Los Angeles, the VMA’s were happening at the Nokia Theatre. Molly and I went down to see all of the commotion and I remember thinking how cool it would have been to be able to attend one of these events and see inside the Theatre when it is all done up. Standing inside the theatre talking with the press and the talent was an unreal experience. It was hard to imagine that just about three months ago I was in the group of screaming fans outside and now I was inside experiencing the backstage craziness first hand. Even though I am incredibly saddened by the thought that I only have two more weeks here, I am also excited to make the most of it and see what else I can experience and learn. After all, it is Los Angeles and you never know what might happen from one minute to the next.

Molly

This past week I asked my boss if I’d be able to go on set of one of the movies CBS Films is currently shooting. I have really wanted to go on set while working here, but the opportunity never presented itself.  This week, however, Winnie and I went on set of Flight 7500, one of the movies CBS is producing. It was a great experience to see how a movie is filmed behind the scenes. The call time for the actors was 5am! The crew and staff had to be there even earlier. I luckily got to sleep in and didn’t get there until 9am. When I got there, Ryan, one of the Creative Executives gave us a tour of the set. It is located in the basement of three studios and is huge. It is so spread out. They built a full plane inside the main studio area. The outside looks nothing like a plane, it’s all boards, but inside it looks like a real plane. It’s very cool. In another studio there is the cockpit, a bathroom, and another set of seats they can shake when the plane hits turbulence. The movie is about passengers on a transpacific flight who encounter what appear to be supernatural forces. The movie only took about six weeks to film, which seems fast to me.  Their production schedule is Saturday through Wednesday and they have very long hours. It’s a low budget movie, only $7 million dollars (pretty incredible that’s low budget). I was there for three hours (until they stopped for lunch) and they filmed the same scene the entire time.  It was crazy! I got to sit with the director and producers and was given a head set to listen in on the action.

I am excited to finish up my last week at CBS. I fly out a week from this coming Wednesday. After three months, I finally get to go home and see all of my family. It’s sad that this amazing experience is over, but I know I will back here someday.

This week, Mike writes about one of the requirements of the L.A. internship program, writing a research paper.  He discusses some of his thoughts about the relationship between a stand-up comic and his audience, based on his research and internship experiences.

Mike

I’m going to use this journal entry to talk a little bit about my research paper for this semester. The paper will revolve around interpersonal communication and how comedians earn their laughs. The relationship a comedian has with his audience is nearly identical to a one-on-one conversation. Except, instead of responding with words, the audience uses laughter, groans, or silence to comment on what the performer said. In order to get laughs, the jokes have to be funny and the performer needs to make themselves, and their jokes, relatable. Keeping this in mind, it’s interesting to see how Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien make themselves relatable to strengthen their nightly monologue.

Every day, Jimmy Fallon rehearses his monologue in front of a live studio audience. The whole experience is casual and personal. Jimmy comes out on stage and explains to the audience that they’re going to help decide which jokes should be in that night’s monologue. By acknowledging this, Jimmy creates an intimate and personal relationship with the audience. He knows they want to laugh, while the audience knows they’re helping to make that night’s show great.  By telling each joke in rehearsal, Jimmy has a pretty good idea which jokes are relatable and funny enough to make it to air.

Conan O’Brien does not rehearse his monologue. He hand picks every joke he wants to use. While his writing staff is incredible, but not rehearsing his jokes in front of an audience forces Conan to depend on his ability to instantly react to his surroundings. If a joke doesn’t go well, Conan will immediately address it, which will earn a much bigger laugh than the original punch line. By breaking from his routine, and acknowledging that he heard the reaction, Conan creates an intimate and personal relationship with the studio audience, as well as, everyone watching at home! He relates to what everyone is experiencing as it happens! Conan’s reactions get huge laughs, because the audience can tell they’re experiencing an original moment that was not intended to be part of the show. Conan shows he is on the same page as the audience; they’re relating to one another.

Comedy revolves around humor and relationships. Jimmy knows his monologue should be funny and relatable because he tested it out on a different audience. Conan will make his monologue funny and relatable by creating an intimate setting with his audience and by instantly reacting to their thoughts on his material.

Molly & Family in L.A.

Well, at the risk of being a complete cliche, this week’s blog offers two reflections on being thankful, from appreciating opportunities and the support of family to appreciating the ability to help and support those in need.

Molly

Yet another week has come and gone. After nearly 3 months in LA, I am starting to feel at home. I can navigate my way to LAX without a GPS, I can patiently sit in traffic for multiple hours a day (okay, not patiently), and I am starting to find the unique little spots in this city that make it so special. I have learned so much about myself and working with other people this semester, I am so thankful to have this opportunity.

What’s made these past couple of weeks so special to me is having my family visit and now having my boyfriend visit for the Thanksgiving holiday. It really makes me realize how important people are when they are 3,000 miles away. I loved having my family here and getting to show them around the city, it was very hard to see them go. It has also been amazing having my boyfriend here and being able to explore the city all over again. He has been so amazed at the incredible views, and how close I am to all these famous sites. It really makes me step back and appreciate again how lucky I am to be out here.

These next few weeks are going to fly by. I am anxiously awaiting my flight home for the Christmas holiday, but I know after the initial excitement wears off after seeing friends and family, I will want to be right back in Los Angeles.

Kaitlyn

I wanted to spend time talking about one specific event that I had the privilege to be a part of, “A Home for the Holidays.”  This year will mark the 13^th time that this event will be talking place. Hosted by Martina McBride, “A Home for the Holidays” is meant to raise awareness and promote adoption within the foster care system. The show combines performances by various artists and inspirational videos from families and children personally affected by adoption or currently in the foster care system. It is a heartwarming special and one that I knew I wanted to be a part of.

This year the lineup included performances by Justin Bieber, Martina McBride, One Republic and more. There were also some celebrity presenters, but I will save that surprise for when the show airs. By being given the chance to assist at this event, it afforded me the opportunity to see another side to this industry. Seeing the celebrities use their fame as a way to raise awareness for a cause that affects millions of children and families in our country alone was a very rewarding experience.  While some had personal stories of adoption to share, and others simply wished to express their support for the cause, they selflessly took the time out of their schedules to raise awareness for an incredible cause, and in an industry that is often referred to as dog-eat-dog, it was really refreshing to see.

I have had a lot of different experiences here, many that have been both educational as well as extremely exciting. That being said, I can say with all honesty that nothing I have seen here has touched me as much as this event.  In many cases, all a celebrity needs to do is show their support for a cause and the support of their fans usually follows. Seeing each of the actors and musicians do just that was a really touching moment and one that I will remember for a long time. This event only served as more clarification that this is absolutely a career I want to pursue after I graduate from Stonehill this May.

With only one month left in L.A., Molly, Mike, and Kaitlyn reflect on their experiences and career goals.

Molly

As the weeks go on I am still amazed at how lucky I am to have an internship at such an esteemed company. It’s been such an incredible experience out in Los Angeles and I am going to be so sad to leave! I have realized though that this may not be the field for me. This industry seems very fake and superficial, which is something that I don’t think I could justify doing for the rest of my life. There are people who are starving around the country and living on the streets and the company is spending so much money on things that seem so…trivial in the large scheme of things. It’s been a real eye-opener seeing how everything happens behind the scenes, but at times it just seems silly.

Mike

Like any other college senior, I’m starting to think about the next step. What will I be doing a year from now? While the current economy has made it tough for any recent college graduate to secure a job, I force myself to have bigger disadvantages than most. I will consider myself an absolute failure if my first post-college job isn’t in the entertainment industry, specifically an entry-level position on a late-night talk show. I refuse to get a regular 9-5 job at any office building in America. I want to be a comedy writer, which has next to nothing to do with the degree I’m getting. From the day I graduate on, I plan to continue to depend on my will to see my dreams succeed for employment instead of the piece of paper I’ll receive at graduation.

In the coming months, I’ll be starting the rigorous application process to becoming an NBC page. The NBC Page program is more difficult to get accepted into than Harvard. More than 7,000 applicants apply for 60-80 spots. The thing that puts me ahead of those other 7,000 applicants is the fact that I want it more.

Kaitlyn

So here we are, week eleven in Los Angeles. It is still not real to me that in just about a month’s time I will be flying home to celebrate the holidays with my family.  I spent a good portion of the week out of the office assisting some of the publicists on set. Whenever I am given the opportunity to  join any of the publicists out of the office, I like to take advantage of it because you never know if or when the opportunity will present itself again, and I want to make sure to experience as much as I can in what little time I have left.

On Monday I went with Vernon, a publicist with CBS, to the set of Criminal Minds. On set, I was given the chance to help out with a variety of different things. In total, I was on set for about seven hours that day. It is an extremely long process filming a show such as this, but it was a really exciting day and I was very appreciative of Vernon for taking me with him.  On Tuesday, my day began bright and early. I met Lori and Katie (both CBS publicists in my office) at the People’s Choice Awards Nominations ceremony. This event was used to announce the nominees in each category, as well as formally announce the opening of voting to the public. After this was over, I went with Katie to the set of NCIS: Los Angeles where I assisted her and the cast with their social media take over day. The actors were answering questions, tweeting, and posting videos and pictures of behind the scenes moments for the fans. I also helped to manage the press that we had on set to interview some of the cast members, and it was a great hands-on learning experience for me.

I found out that there was a photo shoot happening this past Sunday for the NCIS: Los Angeles cast; I was more than happy to offer my assistance. It was amazing to see how photography and publicity work together, as well as getting a chance to see every aspect of a photo shoot from the concept, to the set and wardrobe, to actually taking the photos. I am more grateful then I can say for all that I have learned and experienced since I have been here, and although I am sad that I only have a month left with CBS, I plan to make the most out of it as I can.