Ever since I landed back in the states, my life has been moving non-stop. Whether it’s me having to visit people before I leave or seeing others before they leave, I have not had a full night’s rest since the last week of April. Not to mention, I was moving in basically all of last week and some of this week. Another event that took place this week was my first week at work. For those who don’t know, I’m interning for Turner Broadcasting System in the PR department for tbs and TNT. I was pretty terrified at first, not knowing what to expect, and I also have a two hour commute on my hands, but it looks like it’s going to be a great internship. It’s only been three days, but it has been an absolute whirlwind.
The first day was as you could imagine with a lot of learning the ropes, but we went into full force preparing for the American Film Institute (AFI) Awards. Seeing as there are several premieres of returning and new series between the two networks, I also had to jump on an already-moving train to speed up progress doing research and listening in on conference calls about future moves for the networks. This past Wednesday, I was brought on set at Warner Bros. studio with press representatives for tbs’ new show, Clipped, starring Cheers‘ George Wendt and, for my generation, High School Musical’s Ashley Tisdale. The set visit was for press reps, but as an ‘overseer,’ I felt as though I were part of the crowd. After pre-screening one of the episodes, we followed up with a set tour by none other than the creators of the show, David Kohan and Max Mutchnik (You may know their names from their most famous show, Will & Grace). We ended the day with cast interviews which really solidified the “behind-the-scenes” experience for me. Diona Reasonover, who plays Charmaine in the show, even came up and spoke to me as if we were at a mixer. It was an interesting experience to take in all at once on my third day.
To wrap up the week, I was invited as my boss’ plus one to the AFI Awards, honoring comedian and actor Steve Martin with the Life Achievement Award. I was just a guest, but I was able to join the rest of the team once I arrived. They snuck me a press pass and I got to play in the photobooth and meet Atlanta team members, one of which is my cousin. I even got to walk the red carpet after Tina Fey and Alfre Woodard! If you know me, you know this was a big deal. The night flew by afterwards with free food and drinks all around. The taping of the award show itself took maybe about around two hours and it was a very nice and entertaining show. Although I remember watching Pink Panther and Bringing Down The House, Steve Martin wasn’t a present comedian while I was growing up. I mean, his first major movie was The Jerk in 1979 if we really want to put it into context. Still, I found myself able to understand the jokes that his friends and colleagues made and enjoyed watching the clips from the reel of his films; it was easy to see why he’s considered a comedic genius of his time. It was also a very sweet show seeing how much his friends admire and love him, and Steve Martin accepted every compliment and regard with such grace. Even if I hadn’t had the ‘press moments,’ I overall had an amazing night and felt so fortunate to participate (even with my feet in blistering pain which is a rare occurrence for me).
Now, I’ve dedicated this entire weekend to being a hermit and recuperating, catching up on Mad Men and wishing there were more episodes of Scrotal Recall while also waiting for Orange is the New Black to return. I got some much-needed organizing and cleaning done as well as exercising and rest. It’s honestly so crazy how this year has gone so far. From someone who has tried to scramble their life together the past two summers having to fly home last minute when plans in L.A. fell through, to wrangling an internship and housing in L.A. all in one week, I can’t believe how many blessings have flown my way in the last six months. I’m extremely grateful. I’m looking forward to what the rest of this summer brings 🙂
On the set of Clipped
American Film Institute Awards at the Dolby Theatre
Lex in the City 