My first night in town I had dinner with Lisa and Margaret. We discussed things of my generation: politicks, music, emo and, of course, myspace. Lisa then asked me to help her run the podcast project, a joint venture between Stella Artois and Park City Television. I was excited because doing Internet fun things like this is right up my alley. Let me be clear, at no point was me being on camera discussed as an option. I woke up the day after the screech incident at 7:30 and came downstairs to get some coffee. It is worth mentioning that Margaret (remember, she is the awesome lady I'm staying with) only makes coffee that is extra strong. So strong in fact that Lisa has been known to water her down. One cup of Margaret's coffee has me bouncing off the walls off 4 hours of sleep. Clayton and I drop the ladies off at various places and head to the tent. Clayton drops me, and heads off on a swag hunt…he cracked me up with this endless pursuit of freebies. At the tent I do a couple things, there was always lots to do, and wait for the sprint camera crew to arrive as they were doing interviews at the tent during the late morning and early afternoon. While standing outside smoking a cigarette and talking to Dingo the door guy (no Jaime, he didn't eat my baby) I see a very familiar face on the sidewalk. I can't place him so I walk back inside. Clayton returns from an unsuccessful attempt to break into the Fred Segal lounge. Classic.
Shortly after, the PCTV marketing boss Stacey and her assistant Emily show up at the tent. We discuss plans for each of the podcast and set up a time for the camera crew to be there, 4pm. The ladies leave and we go back to setting up. I eat by grazing…basically. I continually steal bites from the backroom where the hors d'oeuvres are being made.
Blah, blah, blah until the crew shows up. We head to the streets to celebri-stalk for people to be in our podcasts, but we're also looking for cool people. We get two cute snowboarders from Hawaii, the "U-pick" superhero from Nickelodeon, and Schuyler Fisk (of Snow Day, Orange County and The Baby Sitters Club), plus some other people on the street. Then I see the guy from the tent again. Clayton erupts in hysterics. "Get him! It's Donkey Lips!" I run across the busy Main Street and up to Donkey Lips and his friends. "Excuse me, do you want to be in our podcast?" After I explain to him who I am and what we're doing, he agrees. We go back across the street and he shoots the podcast. It's basically an elaboration on the Sundance mantra for this year "Focus on Film." Do I feel like a hypocrite preaching no swag, while at the same time accepting it? NO. But that's because I don't make millions of dollars a year and whore myself out for free IPOD's. Besides, I gave away all the free stuff. After we're done shooting Clayton and I start talking to Mike, his real name, and his buddies. We invite them to the Stella Artois patio to drink and offer to put them on the list for the next day, they accept. We head back to the tent. Unfortunately, being 19, Clayton can't come in the tent with me. I drink two beers and eat hors d'oeuvres. The regular portion of the tent closes at 7. Clayton, Lisa, Margaret and I stick around while Simon Townshend performs to a packed tent. He's Pete Townshend's brother and now tours with The Who. His son, Ben (who is a super hottie) performs with him. They do an amazing job and the music is really good. After the show, Julie (Simon's publicist, whom Clayton had struck a conversation with earlier) gets us in to see Simon and we thank him and take pictures with him. People stay and drink another hour or so. I meet Chris Mulkey (look him up on http://www.imdb.com/, he's been in everything) who is there promoting the documentary Nanking. He gives me his card, which is pretty cool looking, and we take a picture. The conversation goes like this:
Chris: So now I live in Louisiana and play my music.
Me: You should make a myspace page.
Chris: Oh yeah? I've heard about that. I have a friend whose page has all kinds of stuff on it.
Me: Yeah, mine is like that too. I have a slideshow and a background.
Chris: When you email me the picture, you should email me the name of your Webmaster.
Me: Um, I'M my Webmaster.
Chris: Well then you should set it up for me.
Me: Yeah ok
Man myspace is funny. Emily calls and says that the footage from the entire podcast is blurry and unusable. She promises to get man on the street shots of people saying focus on film and get it to us for the podcast. As I'm walking out Julie stops me. She thanks me for my enthusiasm and tells me to keep an eye out for Simon stuff. I tell her to make him a myspace page. We talk about it for a while. Ok, so yeah, I'm pretty much always pushing myspace on people that don't have it. So what? It's a great way to get things done. Besides, the more non-perverts or skanky 14 year olds there are, the more legitimate myspace becomes. She gives me her card and tells me to call her when I come to LA. I thank her and say good-bye. At this point, I'm thinking "Yeah right I'll ever come to LA."
Clayton and I go back to the house, drink and eat.
I know this one is a little short, but this was a relatively short day.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Sundance Stories Part 1
Sundance my first FULL day:Ok, as most of you know I was at Sundance Film Festival this past week working for Stella Artois. I got this amazing gig b/c Mindy (aka the coolest mom ever) is good friends with Margaret Nathan, who runs PR for Stella and is based out of Park City, UT (where the festival is held). I had a lot of responsibilities, most of them fun, some of them tedious. It wasn't all fun and games; I did a lot of running around and got little to no sleep. But I also had the most ridiculous time ever. So outrageous in fact, that the days and nights blur together, so retelling the story is going to be slightly difficult. But I'll try.
My first day there I arrived from the airport and then I basically ran around and met everyone I would be working with over the next week. There were tent guys, audio guys, bouncers, assistants, executives, everyone. Late this night my little buddy Clayton arrived from Canada. He is the son of Lisa, who works with Margaret, so he and I were in this thing together. I went to bed around 1 and woke up the next day at 7:30. I spent all day running around and doing things for the first podcast that we shot.
This is the time of the infamous "Screech Incident". Basically, it went like this: I'm standing out front of the patio smoking a cig. Dustin Diamond is walking by and Clayton goes "Oh my god, say something to him." So I shout "Hey Dustin! I'll buy a shirt to save your house." Burn. He stops and comes over to us...with his camera crew. Turns out he is filming his attempt to "out-swag" Gary Coleman. He hit us up for some Stella stuff, so we gave him just about everything we could find. We gave him glassware, bottle openers, a fleece, and... a Stella Artois red carpet. We then laid the red carpet out, linked arms and walked the red carpet while people in the tent clapped. I made an ass out of myself on his "documentary". Then the cameras shut off and he lingered around the patio talking to me for WAAAAY to long. Finally I said I had to go. I needed a drink.
The drinking started at 4 when the Stella Artois Patio opened. Now, the patio was a thing of wonder. It was a larger L-shaped structure that was erected on the patio of the "Sundance House" in the Kimball Arts Center. It was heated, decorated, had 2 bars and 3 flat screen TVs. There was a back area that had curtains and one of the TVs (plus couches, tables, etc) that we often used for interviews, etc. I drank about 3 beers there and then Clayton and I went back to the house to change our clothes. This was our first night out on the town, so we didn't really have the lay of the land yet. We went to the "New Frontier Lounge". New Frontier is the new pet project of Robert Redford. Its purpose is to restore the "indie vibe" back to Sundance. It features new, experimental art that is often technology based. This is where I met Xxaviar, the Frenchman. If you've heard this story, don't ruin it for the other kids. This guy Xxaviar was crazy. I'm standing in front of the hors d'oeuvre table and stuffing my face (you'll come to realize I do relatively little eating so I take all the food I can get). The exchange goes something like this: (the weird spelling is his weird accent)
Xxaviar: I see you like the skrimp.
Me: I'm sorry, what?
Xxaviar: Skrimp, the skrimp. I cannot eat 'zis. I am, how you say, allergzick to meat, it happen two days ago, tragjic. I prefer 'ze carrot.
Me: Word.
Xxaviar: I am Xxaviar. And you? (He does not wait for me to answer; he simply lifts my Sundance pass as close to his face as possible.) Ah Maggie. (He has that French “g” if you know what I mean, it makes my name sound like phlegm clearing)
Me: Xaviar? X-A-V-I-A-R?
Xxaviar: No. Two X’s. (I think he is joking but his face is dead serious).
Me: Why two x’s?
Xxaviar: An old girlfriend gave to me, I like.
Me: Yeah ok.
Xxaviar: You drink? You have bracelet?
Me: Yep, got my three-drink bracelet.
Xxaviar: No, no, you have my bracelet, I have two.
Me: Thanks man.
Xxaviar: You smoke? We smoke. (He then takes both of our drinks, puts them in his pockets and we walk out front to smoke a cigarette.) I am Mobi Opera.
Me: Say that one more time.
Xxaviar: Mobi Opera. I come with Mobi Opera.
Me: Oh, you're a New Frontier artist?
Xxaviar: I say I am Mobi Opera. (At this point he's shouting as if voice volume is the reason I can't understand him. I decide to let this go.)
Me: And what is Mobi Opera? (He then rambles for 20 minutes explaining it, later I found out from someone else that Mobi Opera is a technology and reality based love story where ordinary people tell their love stories through technology.... yeah ok, so we'll move on...at this point a tall, also French, bald man in - I swear to god- a floor length fur coat, and it looked like a women's coat. The bald man hugs Xxaviar and almost kisses him on the mouth, he then gives me the Euro-double kiss)
Xxaviar: (incoherent Franglish)
Baldy: (incoherent Franglish)
Xxaviar: This is Roxy Lady. (I then realize he is talking about me...yeah ok)
Baldy: Oooo Roxy Lady. (I get the Euro double kiss again and fur coat baldy waltzes inside).
Xxaviar: We cheers! (He removes our drinks from his pocket as Park City Police drive by...close call) Look into my eyes as we cheers roxy lady, I want to see your green eyes.
Me: My eyes are blue.
Xxaviar: No? Those are green.
Me: Um, yeah ok.
Xxaviar: Is cold, inside? (We walk back inside) Let us to the carrots. (Yeah, seriously, he means, lets go back to the carrots...nut job)
I finally shake the weird French guy like an hour later. Clayton and I talk to some of the artists including one guy who had this "memory camera" hooked up to a flat screen. Then there are cameras all over the lounge and the images are put together onto the flat screen...awesome. Whatever it is stores the images for 8 years...nuts. And I look like an asshole in mine. Then Clayton and I talk to a wire image photog named Randall, he's awesome. He gives us some names we can drop to get in places.
Clayton and I then leave and decide we're going to the Airborne party at Sideways bar. We get to the bouncer and people are being turned away left and right, then I drop this little jewel...
Bouncer: Name.
Me: We're with Randall Michelson.
Bouncer: Who's that?
Me: The wire image photographer.
Bouncer: He already left.
Me: No he didn't.
Bouncer: We already have a wire image guy inside.
Me: yeah, but you don't have Randall. He asked us to come and check out the lighting in the venue so he knows which lens to bring.
Bouncer: Wow, I haven't heard that before so it must be true.
Score. We go inside and immediately chat it up with the bar stuff, they're out of alcohol, but the bartender is going to serve us from his personal bottle of whiskey. Gross, but at this point I got a good buzz going, and I ain't picky. I sit down at the bar and start smoking. I almost burn the guy next to me, I apologize, he turns around...its Jake Busey. We take shots of shitty whiskey and pictures and he's awesome. I make Clayton try on the "Airborne Germ Costume" and laugh hysterically. We walk out front to leave. I light a cig. I make it 2 blocks before I need to sit down (cig + altitude + big hill = fuck no). We sit on a park bench and start to laugh at... whatever. Guess who walks up to us, jumps on us and bear hugs us...SCREECH. It takes me 20 more min to shake screech. Then Clayton and I go home, eat food and pass out.
My first day there I arrived from the airport and then I basically ran around and met everyone I would be working with over the next week. There were tent guys, audio guys, bouncers, assistants, executives, everyone. Late this night my little buddy Clayton arrived from Canada. He is the son of Lisa, who works with Margaret, so he and I were in this thing together. I went to bed around 1 and woke up the next day at 7:30. I spent all day running around and doing things for the first podcast that we shot.
This is the time of the infamous "Screech Incident". Basically, it went like this: I'm standing out front of the patio smoking a cig. Dustin Diamond is walking by and Clayton goes "Oh my god, say something to him." So I shout "Hey Dustin! I'll buy a shirt to save your house." Burn. He stops and comes over to us...with his camera crew. Turns out he is filming his attempt to "out-swag" Gary Coleman. He hit us up for some Stella stuff, so we gave him just about everything we could find. We gave him glassware, bottle openers, a fleece, and... a Stella Artois red carpet. We then laid the red carpet out, linked arms and walked the red carpet while people in the tent clapped. I made an ass out of myself on his "documentary". Then the cameras shut off and he lingered around the patio talking to me for WAAAAY to long. Finally I said I had to go. I needed a drink.
The drinking started at 4 when the Stella Artois Patio opened. Now, the patio was a thing of wonder. It was a larger L-shaped structure that was erected on the patio of the "Sundance House" in the Kimball Arts Center. It was heated, decorated, had 2 bars and 3 flat screen TVs. There was a back area that had curtains and one of the TVs (plus couches, tables, etc) that we often used for interviews, etc. I drank about 3 beers there and then Clayton and I went back to the house to change our clothes. This was our first night out on the town, so we didn't really have the lay of the land yet. We went to the "New Frontier Lounge". New Frontier is the new pet project of Robert Redford. Its purpose is to restore the "indie vibe" back to Sundance. It features new, experimental art that is often technology based. This is where I met Xxaviar, the Frenchman. If you've heard this story, don't ruin it for the other kids. This guy Xxaviar was crazy. I'm standing in front of the hors d'oeuvre table and stuffing my face (you'll come to realize I do relatively little eating so I take all the food I can get). The exchange goes something like this: (the weird spelling is his weird accent)
Xxaviar: I see you like the skrimp.
Me: I'm sorry, what?
Xxaviar: Skrimp, the skrimp. I cannot eat 'zis. I am, how you say, allergzick to meat, it happen two days ago, tragjic. I prefer 'ze carrot.
Me: Word.
Xxaviar: I am Xxaviar. And you? (He does not wait for me to answer; he simply lifts my Sundance pass as close to his face as possible.) Ah Maggie. (He has that French “g” if you know what I mean, it makes my name sound like phlegm clearing)
Me: Xaviar? X-A-V-I-A-R?
Xxaviar: No. Two X’s. (I think he is joking but his face is dead serious).
Me: Why two x’s?
Xxaviar: An old girlfriend gave to me, I like.
Me: Yeah ok.
Xxaviar: You drink? You have bracelet?
Me: Yep, got my three-drink bracelet.
Xxaviar: No, no, you have my bracelet, I have two.
Me: Thanks man.
Xxaviar: You smoke? We smoke. (He then takes both of our drinks, puts them in his pockets and we walk out front to smoke a cigarette.) I am Mobi Opera.
Me: Say that one more time.
Xxaviar: Mobi Opera. I come with Mobi Opera.
Me: Oh, you're a New Frontier artist?
Xxaviar: I say I am Mobi Opera. (At this point he's shouting as if voice volume is the reason I can't understand him. I decide to let this go.)
Me: And what is Mobi Opera? (He then rambles for 20 minutes explaining it, later I found out from someone else that Mobi Opera is a technology and reality based love story where ordinary people tell their love stories through technology.... yeah ok, so we'll move on...at this point a tall, also French, bald man in - I swear to god- a floor length fur coat, and it looked like a women's coat. The bald man hugs Xxaviar and almost kisses him on the mouth, he then gives me the Euro-double kiss)
Xxaviar: (incoherent Franglish)
Baldy: (incoherent Franglish)
Xxaviar: This is Roxy Lady. (I then realize he is talking about me...yeah ok)
Baldy: Oooo Roxy Lady. (I get the Euro double kiss again and fur coat baldy waltzes inside).
Xxaviar: We cheers! (He removes our drinks from his pocket as Park City Police drive by...close call) Look into my eyes as we cheers roxy lady, I want to see your green eyes.
Me: My eyes are blue.
Xxaviar: No? Those are green.
Me: Um, yeah ok.
Xxaviar: Is cold, inside? (We walk back inside) Let us to the carrots. (Yeah, seriously, he means, lets go back to the carrots...nut job)
I finally shake the weird French guy like an hour later. Clayton and I talk to some of the artists including one guy who had this "memory camera" hooked up to a flat screen. Then there are cameras all over the lounge and the images are put together onto the flat screen...awesome. Whatever it is stores the images for 8 years...nuts. And I look like an asshole in mine. Then Clayton and I talk to a wire image photog named Randall, he's awesome. He gives us some names we can drop to get in places.
Clayton and I then leave and decide we're going to the Airborne party at Sideways bar. We get to the bouncer and people are being turned away left and right, then I drop this little jewel...
Bouncer: Name.
Me: We're with Randall Michelson.
Bouncer: Who's that?
Me: The wire image photographer.
Bouncer: He already left.
Me: No he didn't.
Bouncer: We already have a wire image guy inside.
Me: yeah, but you don't have Randall. He asked us to come and check out the lighting in the venue so he knows which lens to bring.
Bouncer: Wow, I haven't heard that before so it must be true.
Score. We go inside and immediately chat it up with the bar stuff, they're out of alcohol, but the bartender is going to serve us from his personal bottle of whiskey. Gross, but at this point I got a good buzz going, and I ain't picky. I sit down at the bar and start smoking. I almost burn the guy next to me, I apologize, he turns around...its Jake Busey. We take shots of shitty whiskey and pictures and he's awesome. I make Clayton try on the "Airborne Germ Costume" and laugh hysterically. We walk out front to leave. I light a cig. I make it 2 blocks before I need to sit down (cig + altitude + big hill = fuck no). We sit on a park bench and start to laugh at... whatever. Guess who walks up to us, jumps on us and bear hugs us...SCREECH. It takes me 20 more min to shake screech. Then Clayton and I go home, eat food and pass out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
