Stay out of the Hot Zone

Yesterday/This morning was my first day of on location shooting. While it is super exicting and different, I learned quickly that being on the stage is way easier. Everything is in one place, and you more or less know where everything is. Yesterday we had to get used to where everyone was, where base camp was, and the set. It was even more complicated because we had 2 units shooting so there were twice as many people and early on it was almost an organized mass confusion. I have been learning quickly what it means to be prepared, and I have been doing my best to keep up with everyone. My responsibilities yesterday were mostly lockups- or making sure that no crew or extra people walk into the shot. Since we were outside on location there was plenty of that to go around- so I stayed pretty busy. For anyone who has seen, or even heard of the show you know that we do so pretty intense action sequences, and that is what we are doing know. I got to see how the rehearse and coordinate the stunts, and then finally pull them off. Yesterday was a "light" day in that department, but tonight we will be doing some pretty cool things, and I'm super excited! We will be on location for the rest of the week doing some cool stuff and I'm having a great time! The only downside is we are now on nights- so I go in around 2 in the afternoon and don't get home until 3 or 4 in the morning. So thank you Elle Factor for teaching me that lesson early! In other news- I lost my favorite red pen. Otherwise- until next time. Sam.

On A Bell...

That’s what the 1st AD yells and lets me know to ring the bell and put up the light to close the set. By the end of yesterday I got to keep the controls and run the bells. Getting more responsibility on set is something that I was excited about- and is helping me out a lot. The DGA trainee has been letting me shadow her and learn about the day long process of keeping track of basically everything. One of the set PA’s is also letting me tag along and is teaching me what not to do. Over the past few days different situations have come up and I am learning how to deal with those. When an actor gets sick, or playback won’t work, or sound won’t sync, when things are going wrong you have to keep your cool and figure it out, and being on set for all of that is a huge advantage. Everyone here is being extremely helpful and they are so willing to help me out. For the past two days I got to hang out in the AD trailer and learn about all the different paperwork that has to be done for each actor, and each department daily. I also got to see the whole process for a production report and learn how that works. In the office I’ve been doing a lot of paperwork as well. People thought I was crazy about my one, single production binder, the paperwork that goes into each episode is overwhelming. There are files and files and files of more files of different forms, schedules, budgets, scripts, and everything you can imagine. It is amazing. In the evenings I hang around and help get sides and call sheets distributed to both of our stages. Today the crew if filming on location, and will be for the next few shooting days. We are getting ready to move into splits and nights, so that will be a different experience as well. Just as I was getting used to the AM California traffic, it is time to change it up! Keep it real. Sam.

24, this is Sam

So this goes out to all the haters who made fun of me in High School when I would answer my cell phone "CTU- Maples", apparently it paid off. Kidding, but really. Today was my first day on set and it was more than I could have hoped for. As soon as I got there my host, Kim, who is the production coordinator, took me around to everyone. And I mean everyone. From the Executive Producers, to the directors, writers, producers, grips, the DP, camera crew, everyone. Then I got to go on the empty set and walk around all the different setups. I got to walk around CTU and sit at desks and it was amazing. Surreal, but amazing. I worked out of the production office for most of the day so I could get to know everyone and what they do. The Office PAs were amazing and would tell me people's names as they walked through the office and what department they belonged to. I also got to read the first 4 scripts to get myself caught up, and as much as I hated to read spoilers, it was really cool. Once the PAs decided I was deranged they let me start answering the phones, which I answered "24, This is Sam". Out of all the phones I've ever answered, it was strange to include myself as part of the show. Everybody I met today was amazingly nice and they all seem like they want to help me however they can. Once I get to know everyone a little bit better I will be spending my time rotating from department to department shadowing different people everyday. Tomorrow I will get to log some hours on set during shooting, and I am really excited about that! I'll get to make a few trips on locations and go on a location scout, sit in on writing and production meetings, and watch the camera crew work. It is all still a little overwhelming but I think that after tomorrow I'll be ready to get over my nerves and really start getting my hands on stuff. Getting the set tour alone was something in and of itself. Getting to go through wardrobe and property was almost funny. To see racks and racks and racks of the same outfits was amusing, and millions of bulletproof vests and guns, out of context we look like an armory. Regardless, this is going to be an interesting, and exciting 8 weeks, and I already can't wait for tomorrow!

From the Backyard

Just wanted to put up this pic of the view from my backyard! Check out the view! You can see Magic Mountain in the background!

Welcome To Chatsworth

One day in! Last night was my first night in LA and at the end of my second day I have realized that I'm more excited that I thought I was. My Mom and I drove around the area where I'm living and found some things, like a grocery store, and then we went down to Chatsworth where I will be working and found the set. I then realized that this is very real and I'm going to be working on my favorite TV show. All the parking spaces had '24' parking tags and there were talent trailers and prop cars. Super insane! Tomorrow we are going to Hollywood to have a look around and find the offices that my internship is through and just kind of hang out. Today I also got my season pass to Magic Mountain (because obviously that is important) and accomplished a life-long dream of mine of having a season pass to an amusement park. I can see the Park from our backyard and it is wayyy too tempting! Otherwise the next few days are going to be getting acquainted with the area and getting ready to start work on Wednesday! Also- the Reds beat the Cubs today- party on! Later.

Gallup, New Mexico

We just finished dinner after our second (full) day of driving. I'm pretty tired. It was fun to see all the different states and things- however after an hour of something new, it quickly becomes 'old' again. New Mexico has been the coolest so far. Lots of cool scenes to see and crazy mountain roads. We survived. I've been taking pictures of all the random billboards and landmarks- and being in the SouthWest I have seen quite a few unique things. We also found this crazy radio station for a while and its playlist was (in this order) 1. 'It Wasn't Me'- Shaggy, 2. 'Wannabe'- The Spice Girls, 3. 'Blame It'- Jamie Foxx, 4. 'All The Things She Said'- T.A.T.U. 5. 'Shimmy Shimmy Ya' - Wu-Tang Clan, 6. 'I Miss You'- Blink 182. Possibly the single greatest 6 songs I have ever heard in a row on the radio- thank you Missouri. We also got to see 'the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere' - so thank you Texas for that. Overall the trip has been great so far and tomorrow we will be arriving in California! Rock On!

Also- Driving west between the hours of 4 and 10 pm is like one infinite Magic Hour - we need to find a way to harness this power and use it for good!

The Eve of Departure

Yay! It is finally here! Tomorrow in the AM my Mom and I will be taking off for LA! We will be stopping in Tulsa, Albuquerque, and then getting into California on our 3rd day. Over the summer I will be posting here as often as interesting things happen to be keeping everyone up to date on what I'm doing. Read as often or not as you'd like- but this is the easiest way for me to keep in contact with everyone. I've talked with a few of the other interns and we have plans to get together and do some other non-TCOMish things around the city, so that should be interesting as well. I've already been looking at tickets to a few Angels games! Go Halos Go! Anyway- the next few days are going to be long and I hear once we get to the other side of Texas extremely boring driving through nothing-ness. Doesn't matter! I will eventually be arriving in sunny CA and it won't matter! Keep it real- catch you on the flip side-

Sam