LA Made Me

LA Made Me by Alexz Johnson

Every day I keep thinking that LA can't possibly get more exciting and then it proves me wrong. Every day tops the day before - starting today with the Jim Henson studio. There is so much history on that lot and it was incredible to see where the magic happens. It used to be Charlie Chaplin's studio and still, so many magical things are happening there. We didn't get to go to the creature studio but there were still chances with us to see and play with famous puppets as well as new technology. My dad has always loved Jim Henson and the muppets so this was really an amazing experience I wish I could have brought my dad along for. My sister was a fan of the show Dinosaurs and it was fun being able to see some of the original puppets from that!

One of the most exciting parts was meeting with Don Murphy. He's a guy who got his break early in his career and never stopped moving forward. I really appreciated his passion for what he does even though he has done it for so long as well as his drive to keep doing more and do it better than before.

The most exciting part of the day was going to the Academy of Television Art and Science. We have known about internships through the Academy but I kept holding back on applying for one or seriously looking into one because this summer my friend is getting married and I didn't want to have to fly back right after moving out here. However, after talking with Nancy today (the internship coordinator), I'm really motivated to apply now because of how understanding she seems. Plus, she is looking for people with the passion I think I can give. It's exciting because everything else has seemed like a dream but this internship seems so real and has given me real motivation to keep going and move here.

And last, but not least, we got to go to a live taping of Mike & Molly. One of the more exciting parts for the pure fact of meeting Melissa McCarthy, one of my heroes since she was on Gilmore Girls. It's great to see such a talented and funny actor really grow and have her own show. Being part of a live audience as a media student, however, was one of the most difficult things I've ever done! There were so many things to focus on the set technical wise that I missed a few jokes the first few times because I was so caught up in what everyone was doing backstage instead of paying attention to the actors. I think that's how I know that this is something that I want to do and want to keep learning about because I know I don't know everything but I want too.