Well, Jenny and I are still here. We're surviving. It's been a difficult summer for me at work. Jenny is doing all right at BIOLA. We miss rain. We miss fall colors. We miss our Arkansas friends.
We set a time on a Saturday morning a few weeks ago to have a video chat with Casey and Traci Letellier, who now live and work in Oxford. It was much fun to show each other our apartments, have coffee and chat face-to-face for a good while (thank you Apple and iChat!). Discussing the pros and cons of living in a new place, I was reminded that there are some predictable stages when relocating. This past summer represented the "longing for home/we don't like this place" stage (at least for me), but I think I'm over it now.
Combined with this nostalgia, I was struggling to get along with my boss at work. I have a "good boss" and a "bad boss". The good one is fun and helpful and easy to get along with - the bad one is anal, passive-aggressive, and difficult to please. Though I think I have now adjusted and learned how to pacify his demands, it is still a bit stressful working there and I dread Mondays (never lived for weekends before with past jobs). Plus the 10-hour workdays added to a 3-hour (combined) commute each day was taking a toll. All that said, I keep reminding myself that I am very fortunate to have this job and when my commitment is up in April, I will be in a good position to get a job that is closer to where I want to be: in a tv writers room.
On the upside, we're grateful for our friends out here (though most of them are from Arkansas!) and we're both getting more involved in our church, RockHarbor. I've started working with the middle school ministry (about to start a small group with 7th graders) and Jenny is in a program to learn about counselling (and she's loving it). We're also preparing to come visit Siloam Springs in mid-October, so the anticipation of seeing everyone makes life eaiser as well. The cool weather of the past few weeks has also been encouraging and lightened our spirits.
Another highlight of the summer happened a few weeks ago when I had lunch with a TV writer (and a Christian) who is (pretty much) where I would like to be professionally in several years. He wrote for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "That 70's Show". He understands that neither of these shows were redemptive in any way, but feels that he made a contribution in making them cleaner than they could have been. He sees part of his role as being the "salt" that slows the decay in our media culture. But it was very encouraging to speak with him and hear his heart for creating media that points people toward Christ without bashing them over the head with it. I'm currently working on several scripts and hope to have them ready by next spring when I'll be looking for a new job.
So that's a small snapshot of the past few months. Looking forward to seeing some of you in October. Thanks for your interest in our lives...
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Rob Got A Job!
For the last few weeks I've been working hard to prove myself with the internship at Sci Fi Channel. The assistant whom I was working primarily with had been offered another job within our office, so when I came they were already looking for her replacement. Over time as I became more familiar with the operations of the office, I put my name in the running for her position. Last Friday, the bosses sat me down and finally offered me the job! They had been interviewing for weeks and they had very good candidates (with more office experience than me), but I think that my hard work and late hours had been noticed. So, though I'm sure they also saw me as competent, they decided to reward my drive and passion.
My new title at the Sci Fi Channel (owned by NBC/Universal, which is owned by GE) is Assistant to the Vice President of Alternative Programming. In a nutshell, I'm a secretary. In the business, they call me an "assistant". Almost every executive and producer in Hollywood has "paid their dues" at some point by working as an assistant for an agent, producer, network exec, or various bigwig. So now my time has come to pay my dues by answering phones and managing calendars. I committed to work with them for a year, but I'm looking forward to it. I will learn a great deal about the TV business in general and make many valuable contacts by being a part of the mainstream media "machine". Though Sci Fi is a cable network, we work closely with our parent company of NBC.
Yes, I still have to commute for 3 hours every day, but I can be productive with most of that time on my laptop (riding the bus, train, and subway). The people in my office are great, it isn't very cutthroat like many networks, and the work is steadily getting easier as I become more familiar with how things work. The shows that I work on will be a little less interesting as I am on the "alternative programming" side. That means reality shows, docu-dramas, and late night. But I know all of the people who make the interesting scripted shows like Eureka, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, and the upcoming Flash Gordon. The important thing is that when my year of servitude is up, the influential friends that I have made there will open up many doors that would be otherwise completely unavailable to me...
I'll send pictures of my commute and office sometime soon. It's been fun working at a large corporation (never done that before). I have to swipe a security card to get in to the 30-story bldg where I work, and there are occassionally "NBC family" town hall meetings that we watch in our office via video link. This helps me to see a side of the corporate world that I only read about during grad school and heard from friends in mega-corps like Wal-Mart.
So I'm having fun and very grateful for this opportunity. It's my foot in the door to a career in Hollywood - something that many others are still struggling to find in this town. We still miss Siloam and our calm, easy life there. But we know that this is still where we are suppose to be. Jenny is enjoying her work at BIOLA more and more, but I expect that we'll probably be moving north to LA sometime in the next couple of years. Thanks for your interest. I'll try to give more updates soon, but since I only get a couple hours of awake time at home each night, time has become much more precious. Take care, all!
My new title at the Sci Fi Channel (owned by NBC/Universal, which is owned by GE) is Assistant to the Vice President of Alternative Programming. In a nutshell, I'm a secretary. In the business, they call me an "assistant". Almost every executive and producer in Hollywood has "paid their dues" at some point by working as an assistant for an agent, producer, network exec, or various bigwig. So now my time has come to pay my dues by answering phones and managing calendars. I committed to work with them for a year, but I'm looking forward to it. I will learn a great deal about the TV business in general and make many valuable contacts by being a part of the mainstream media "machine". Though Sci Fi is a cable network, we work closely with our parent company of NBC.
Yes, I still have to commute for 3 hours every day, but I can be productive with most of that time on my laptop (riding the bus, train, and subway). The people in my office are great, it isn't very cutthroat like many networks, and the work is steadily getting easier as I become more familiar with how things work. The shows that I work on will be a little less interesting as I am on the "alternative programming" side. That means reality shows, docu-dramas, and late night. But I know all of the people who make the interesting scripted shows like Eureka, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, and the upcoming Flash Gordon. The important thing is that when my year of servitude is up, the influential friends that I have made there will open up many doors that would be otherwise completely unavailable to me...
I'll send pictures of my commute and office sometime soon. It's been fun working at a large corporation (never done that before). I have to swipe a security card to get in to the 30-story bldg where I work, and there are occassionally "NBC family" town hall meetings that we watch in our office via video link. This helps me to see a side of the corporate world that I only read about during grad school and heard from friends in mega-corps like Wal-Mart.
So I'm having fun and very grateful for this opportunity. It's my foot in the door to a career in Hollywood - something that many others are still struggling to find in this town. We still miss Siloam and our calm, easy life there. But we know that this is still where we are suppose to be. Jenny is enjoying her work at BIOLA more and more, but I expect that we'll probably be moving north to LA sometime in the next couple of years. Thanks for your interest. I'll try to give more updates soon, but since I only get a couple hours of awake time at home each night, time has become much more precious. Take care, all!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Sci Fi
Well, I've worked a week now at the Sci Fi Channel and it has been very educational. Cable television is a very interesting world, similar to the national networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, etc.), but also very different. The people in my office are very friendly and casual (we wear jeans regularly). Though they are also very busy people.
The development office is divided between alternative development (animated, reality shows, and late night) and scripted development (normal 1-hour stories). There are four development executives that work with production companies to create various shows on the Sci Fi Channel, such as: Battlestar Galactica, Eureka, Stargate: Atlantis, Dresden Files, etc. Currently I work mostly with the alternative side, assisting the executives with their organization of shows like Who Wants To Be A Superhero, Ghost Hunters, Destination: Truth, etc. I'd rather be doing more in scripted, but I'm still thankful for the experience I'm getting. I may soon work more on that side, but most of the production of those shows are in British Columbia so there's not much chance of getting closer to the production.
However, last week I did get to walk around on the set of Who Wants To Be A Superhero. It was very interesting watching the dozens of people that are needed to successfully pull off a reality show... Yesterday I also sat in on a video conference meeting with our staff in L.A. and the New York Sci Fi staff (who mostly handle promotions and marketing). It was strange sitting at a long table and watching a video screen of a room full of other people at a long table who were 3 time zones away!
I've been able to watch shows that have not aired yet and read scripts for shows that won't air for another 6 months! I also get to read scripts for potential shows/movies that the network is considering; giving my own notes and thoughts on the various projects. Most importantly, I'm learning how this business works. Even my supervisor (an assistant who is probably 23 years old - yes, humbling) doesn't know how everything works. But every day I pick up a new term or a new understanding of the TV arena. I'm glad to be working in TV for now. Film projects may be a part of my future, but there are great advantages in TV as well.
One of the biggest changes I've made has been learning to do without my car... With gas prices ridiculously high out here, we're trying do drive as little as possible. Thankfully, my office building is just across the street from a subway station. So I leave each morning at 6:45AM and catch a bus outside our apartment - to a commuter train at 7:18AM - to Union Station in LA where I get on the subway that takes me to Universal City, arriving around 8:25AM. I'm usually there before most everyone else. The mornings have been fairly quite, so I usually get to read or catch up on shows I'm unfamiliar with. But the afternoons are normally crazy: making dvd duplicates, revising documents, always something different. They say I can sit in on pitches soon - that will be cool!
Though I'm usually gone 12-14 hours each day, this is a valuable experience that many people would love to have. I am hoping to write a few spec scripts for Battlestar and Atlantis. Since I have direct access to the execs who run these shows, there's a possibility this could lead to a meeting with writers or even my script getting picked up... Who knows... More soon!
The development office is divided between alternative development (animated, reality shows, and late night) and scripted development (normal 1-hour stories). There are four development executives that work with production companies to create various shows on the Sci Fi Channel, such as: Battlestar Galactica, Eureka, Stargate: Atlantis, Dresden Files, etc. Currently I work mostly with the alternative side, assisting the executives with their organization of shows like Who Wants To Be A Superhero, Ghost Hunters, Destination: Truth, etc. I'd rather be doing more in scripted, but I'm still thankful for the experience I'm getting. I may soon work more on that side, but most of the production of those shows are in British Columbia so there's not much chance of getting closer to the production.
However, last week I did get to walk around on the set of Who Wants To Be A Superhero. It was very interesting watching the dozens of people that are needed to successfully pull off a reality show... Yesterday I also sat in on a video conference meeting with our staff in L.A. and the New York Sci Fi staff (who mostly handle promotions and marketing). It was strange sitting at a long table and watching a video screen of a room full of other people at a long table who were 3 time zones away!
I've been able to watch shows that have not aired yet and read scripts for shows that won't air for another 6 months! I also get to read scripts for potential shows/movies that the network is considering; giving my own notes and thoughts on the various projects. Most importantly, I'm learning how this business works. Even my supervisor (an assistant who is probably 23 years old - yes, humbling) doesn't know how everything works. But every day I pick up a new term or a new understanding of the TV arena. I'm glad to be working in TV for now. Film projects may be a part of my future, but there are great advantages in TV as well.
One of the biggest changes I've made has been learning to do without my car... With gas prices ridiculously high out here, we're trying do drive as little as possible. Thankfully, my office building is just across the street from a subway station. So I leave each morning at 6:45AM and catch a bus outside our apartment - to a commuter train at 7:18AM - to Union Station in LA where I get on the subway that takes me to Universal City, arriving around 8:25AM. I'm usually there before most everyone else. The mornings have been fairly quite, so I usually get to read or catch up on shows I'm unfamiliar with. But the afternoons are normally crazy: making dvd duplicates, revising documents, always something different. They say I can sit in on pitches soon - that will be cool!
Though I'm usually gone 12-14 hours each day, this is a valuable experience that many people would love to have. I am hoping to write a few spec scripts for Battlestar and Atlantis. Since I have direct access to the execs who run these shows, there's a possibility this could lead to a meeting with writers or even my script getting picked up... Who knows... More soon!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Desert towns and tall buildings
Last week I took a road trip with my good friend Jacob Roebuck and another friend, Dave. We traveled east to Roswell, New Mexico. The purpose of the trip was to scout locations for an upcoming film project that I am writing called, "Coyote County Loser". It was a productive trip where we took many pictures of various locations, brainstormed story and plot formation, and made valuable contacts with the locals. The story is set in a small desert town, so since Jacob's inlaws live there (and are extremely hospitable to all) he thought it would make for a worthy and cost-effective production location.
It is always a joy to visit Roswell and Jacob's inlaws, Bill and Polly Hartman. There is something about the desert that excites and inspires me... We also stopped in Tucson at the home of Polly's sister, Ann. She lives in an adobe house on the edge of the Saguaro National Park, so we woke up the next day to a beautiful (though harsh and dangerous) landscape of brush and cactus. Writing this screenplay has been really fun and I'm excited about the project, but I'm also not sure what is going to come of my upcoming internship at the SCI FI Channel. If another opportunity does not present itself when my intership is through, then I will devote the rest of this year to helping produce the film with Jacob. He is the driving force behind producing this film, but I'm hoping that I can stay involved to the end as well.
Speaking of the internship, I drove by the NBC/Universal building where I will be working (as SCI FI Channel is owned by NBC/Uni). It is in Universal City in the middle of Hollywood. The building is near the Universal Studios and is about 30 stories tall! I was quite impressed and intimidated at the site of it. Supposedly, much of the NBC/Universal corporate activity is centralized in this building, so I will be in the thick of one of the world's largest media giants... pretty cool. I begin there at SCI FI on Wednesday and I'm not quite sure what to expect. But they always seem excited about my coming when I speak to them on the phone. Obviously, there will be a blog soon about my entrance into this entertainment machine.
Another fun thing that happened this weekend (while Jenny has been visiting Arkansas) is that an article written by my wife has been posted to a new online women's magazine called ZIA. I'm very proud of her as it is a well-written article, and already there has been great feedback about it from readers! Here is the link.
http://www.ziamag.com/index.php/zia/story/the_demise_of_prince_charming/
Well, we're still loving California as it slowly-but-surely continues to feel more like home. Hopefully I'll have energy at the end of this coming week to give an update on the intrigues of working at a national cable TV network!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Sci Fi
After sending out about a dozen letters of inquiry at the major networks and studios here, I have finally been offered an unpaid internship at the SCI FI Channel. This may not seem as significant an outlet as NBC or CBS, but it is actually quite an important opportunity and Jenny and I are very excited.
There is a lot of media - film and television and otherwise - being produced in this town. But the majority of that media does not get distributed to the mainstream markets (movie theaters, Network TV, and Cable TV). So there is high competition to get into that "mainstream circle". Though SCI FI is not one of the largest distributors, it is among the nobility and thus a great opportunity for me to make my way into other houses of the court. Besides... I like science fiction, so it will be fun.
SCI FI Channel is also a subsidiary of NBC/Universal, one of the new media conglomerates that now rule the entertainment realm. So in many ways I will be exposed to more of this media giant through SCI FI than through another seemingly more important network. The job wil also involve a diversity of responsibilities which will expose me to many different people, from writers, to agents, to talent, to executives. I will be able to write coverage on submitted scripts, sit in on development pitches, and basically learn all sides of the business. Since I will be receiving credit through UCLA ($50 for the course - yep, I'm going back to school), the companies design these positions for maximum exposure as well as usefulness to their office. I'm sure it will involve menial tasks as well.
It will begin in mid-April and last until mid-July most likely. By then I hope to have made enough contacts and impressed enough people there to be offered a paid low-level job. If not, I will still be able to add experience at a major network to my resume, which is enormously helpful. Jenny and I will be taking advantage of the next few weeks before this begins, because it will mean a Mon-Friday 60+ hours/week commitment in order to do it right.
In the meantime I am working on a script for a story that Jacob is determined to make into a film this year. It is a romantic comedy based on a stageplay written by he and Lucas back at JBU. The basic premise is good. It is a romantic comedy set in a quirky remote community of the Southwest. Still waiting to hear about other projects l've been exploring. But I wanted everyone to know that we are excited and hopeful about this new opportunity and I'm sure it will make for interesting future blogs...
There is a lot of media - film and television and otherwise - being produced in this town. But the majority of that media does not get distributed to the mainstream markets (movie theaters, Network TV, and Cable TV). So there is high competition to get into that "mainstream circle". Though SCI FI is not one of the largest distributors, it is among the nobility and thus a great opportunity for me to make my way into other houses of the court. Besides... I like science fiction, so it will be fun.
SCI FI Channel is also a subsidiary of NBC/Universal, one of the new media conglomerates that now rule the entertainment realm. So in many ways I will be exposed to more of this media giant through SCI FI than through another seemingly more important network. The job wil also involve a diversity of responsibilities which will expose me to many different people, from writers, to agents, to talent, to executives. I will be able to write coverage on submitted scripts, sit in on development pitches, and basically learn all sides of the business. Since I will be receiving credit through UCLA ($50 for the course - yep, I'm going back to school), the companies design these positions for maximum exposure as well as usefulness to their office. I'm sure it will involve menial tasks as well.
It will begin in mid-April and last until mid-July most likely. By then I hope to have made enough contacts and impressed enough people there to be offered a paid low-level job. If not, I will still be able to add experience at a major network to my resume, which is enormously helpful. Jenny and I will be taking advantage of the next few weeks before this begins, because it will mean a Mon-Friday 60+ hours/week commitment in order to do it right.
In the meantime I am working on a script for a story that Jacob is determined to make into a film this year. It is a romantic comedy based on a stageplay written by he and Lucas back at JBU. The basic premise is good. It is a romantic comedy set in a quirky remote community of the Southwest. Still waiting to hear about other projects l've been exploring. But I wanted everyone to know that we are excited and hopeful about this new opportunity and I'm sure it will make for interesting future blogs...
Friday, March 23, 2007
Update from the OC
Things are going very well for us. Jenny is still the sugarmama (though not for much longer, I hope), which means that I am Mr. Housewife. I am at home mostly right now - writing (no, not playing video games). Writing (mostly for TV) and keeping the house clean. This keeps me available for various meetings that pop up. Jenny is still enjoying her work at BIOLA, but I'll let her elaborate on that if she ever gets around to posting her own blog here :)
Still haven't made any decisions yet regarding which career path to take through the Entertainment Jungle. But some opportunities have been calling which may help me make that decision soon. The SCI FI channel has responded to my inquiries about a summer internship. I had a great conversation with the assistant of a development executive, which led to a phone interview with a suit scheduled for Friday afternoon. After much anticipation, however, the phone chat has been postponed until Monday (grrr), so another few days of waiting. However, after my talk with the assistant, I think there is a very good chance that I will obtain this internship which begins April 12th. It would mean more long drives into LA (though shorter than my last job commute), but Jenny and I are excited about it. Once I get my foot in the door and start meeting more people who are "truly inside" the industry (working for core networks, studios, or production companies), I will then be able to use my charm, character, and charisma to gain the confidence of decision-makers and writers. By that time, I will have written a few TV speculation scripts in my abuntant freetime (ha!) and be able to get an audience with important and weathly movers and shakers who will beg me to write for them (and let them pay me). Well, that's the plan, at least.
If for some reason that doesn't work out, I am also expecting to hear soon from my other producer friends regarding a project involving short films. That's hush-hush so I won't speak more about it (exciting, yes). And I have been talking with my long-time friend, Jacob Roebuck, about a flim that he is determined to shoot by the end of the year. If we can scribble out a good script to the good story concept that he has, then perhaps we will find the needed investors to actually make this happen. I would most likely write and produce it with him. But we are still at the very beginning stages of this project, so we'll see what happens.
Last weekend my brother-in-law, Brian, drove through San Diego with a group of students on their way to a spring break mission trip to Mexico. Their journey to SD was a story in and of itself, but it was great to see him for a few hours. And Jenny and I got to spend most of that day exploring San Diego (beautiful city!), which is only about an hour south of here.
Our church (RockHarbor) has been preparing for a big Easter celebration that will be held at the county fairgrounds. RockHarbor doesn't push their name in this event, but they put quite a bit of effort into making it an inviting evangelistic opportunity for all of Orange County. I was asked to create a video to help promote it, so it was nice to be able to use some of my skills to serve the Church again. I'll see if I can post it here, or you can look up "OCeaster video" on youtube.
May I also take a moment to tell you what a wonderful wife I have? She is handling this whole uprooting thing like an oak tree! I dragged her away from her best friend, the perfect job, a safe-strong-loving community, and a comfortable life. She found and got the job that is now paying our bills. And she understands that my current joblessness is allowing me to pursue opportunities that would be impossible if I was tied to an income-producing job. She is so patient, hopeful, confident, generous, flexible, adventurous, and understanding. I'm MEGA-thankful for her!
We've both been realizing more and more, that LA really isn't as scary and dangerous as the rest of the country sometimes thinks. It is funny how easy it is to form stereotypes about people from other regions. We have found, however, that people here are much like people anywhere for the most part. There are quirky subcultures that may be unique to southern california, of course. But the majority of people are just like anywhere else... good folk.
Well, thanks for being interested and I hope we will be able to see some of you again soon! Jenny may be coming out to Arkansas soon to see the new Steck baby. I'd like to come back east for a short visit in the fall (when it gets cool!).
So that's the news from Bethke West for now! Later, dudes...
Still haven't made any decisions yet regarding which career path to take through the Entertainment Jungle. But some opportunities have been calling which may help me make that decision soon. The SCI FI channel has responded to my inquiries about a summer internship. I had a great conversation with the assistant of a development executive, which led to a phone interview with a suit scheduled for Friday afternoon. After much anticipation, however, the phone chat has been postponed until Monday (grrr), so another few days of waiting. However, after my talk with the assistant, I think there is a very good chance that I will obtain this internship which begins April 12th. It would mean more long drives into LA (though shorter than my last job commute), but Jenny and I are excited about it. Once I get my foot in the door and start meeting more people who are "truly inside" the industry (working for core networks, studios, or production companies), I will then be able to use my charm, character, and charisma to gain the confidence of decision-makers and writers. By that time, I will have written a few TV speculation scripts in my abuntant freetime (ha!) and be able to get an audience with important and weathly movers and shakers who will beg me to write for them (and let them pay me). Well, that's the plan, at least.
If for some reason that doesn't work out, I am also expecting to hear soon from my other producer friends regarding a project involving short films. That's hush-hush so I won't speak more about it (exciting, yes). And I have been talking with my long-time friend, Jacob Roebuck, about a flim that he is determined to shoot by the end of the year. If we can scribble out a good script to the good story concept that he has, then perhaps we will find the needed investors to actually make this happen. I would most likely write and produce it with him. But we are still at the very beginning stages of this project, so we'll see what happens.
Last weekend my brother-in-law, Brian, drove through San Diego with a group of students on their way to a spring break mission trip to Mexico. Their journey to SD was a story in and of itself, but it was great to see him for a few hours. And Jenny and I got to spend most of that day exploring San Diego (beautiful city!), which is only about an hour south of here.
Our church (RockHarbor) has been preparing for a big Easter celebration that will be held at the county fairgrounds. RockHarbor doesn't push their name in this event, but they put quite a bit of effort into making it an inviting evangelistic opportunity for all of Orange County. I was asked to create a video to help promote it, so it was nice to be able to use some of my skills to serve the Church again. I'll see if I can post it here, or you can look up "OCeaster video" on youtube.
May I also take a moment to tell you what a wonderful wife I have? She is handling this whole uprooting thing like an oak tree! I dragged her away from her best friend, the perfect job, a safe-strong-loving community, and a comfortable life. She found and got the job that is now paying our bills. And she understands that my current joblessness is allowing me to pursue opportunities that would be impossible if I was tied to an income-producing job. She is so patient, hopeful, confident, generous, flexible, adventurous, and understanding. I'm MEGA-thankful for her!
We've both been realizing more and more, that LA really isn't as scary and dangerous as the rest of the country sometimes thinks. It is funny how easy it is to form stereotypes about people from other regions. We have found, however, that people here are much like people anywhere for the most part. There are quirky subcultures that may be unique to southern california, of course. But the majority of people are just like anywhere else... good folk.
Well, thanks for being interested and I hope we will be able to see some of you again soon! Jenny may be coming out to Arkansas soon to see the new Steck baby. I'd like to come back east for a short visit in the fall (when it gets cool!).
So that's the news from Bethke West for now! Later, dudes...
Monday, March 12, 2007
Fork in the Road
So everyone wants to know everyone in this town. That's how you make it. In the entertainment world, it doesn't matter what your degrees are or if you even went to school; doesn't matter if you've done good work before (though credits obviously give credibility); the one thing that 99% of all successful people in Hollywood must have is a friend that gets them a foot in the door.
Even once you've done good work (directed a film, landed an acting role, etc.) the only real benefit of that first job (aside from getting paid) is that you are introduced to even more people - and this improves your chances to get another job (gig). So generally, the most successful people in Hollywood either 1) know a BUNCH of people and are likeable, 2) are very skilled or talented, or 3) possess a rare combination of both. Still, it seems that option number one (1) is the road most traveled. Thus I've been meeting and getting to know as many people as I can that are close to the industry.
We were in Pasadena Friday night to meet some new friends - it was very fun and "artsy"; Pasadena is a pretty cool town. Saturday I hung out with some JBU friends that are out here working in the industry. Then Sunday night we had dinner in Culver City with a director-friend of mine. We are about to start a project together next week - just waiting on approval of our scripts (more about that to come).
Church-Life:
I'm volunteering some time to work on a video for RockHarbor, the church we are attending in Costa Mesa. The church has been around for about 10 years or so and it epitomizes (to me) Orange County. Wealthy, stylish, yuppie. But in spite of those shallow descriptors, the church leadership and staff are very solid, dedicated, visionary believers. They are genuinely trying to push these comfy Southern Californians into a deeper walk of service, sacrifice, and commitment to Christ. Much of the church traditions, sacred cows, and rituals that we see in the Bible Belt, are pretty much ignored here. I'm not talking about the important things like Baptism and Communion - those Biblical practices remain, though they are offered more than imposed. But it seems to me like the leadership really invests in ideas and directions that are purely beneficial for the kingdom of God, instead of trying to please or pacify certain groups within the congregation - I really appreciate that approach: no fear of man. It's not "anything goes", but there is artistic freedom as well. Jenny and I both love it and are refreshed by this new approach to church - that I never saw even in the most contemporary churches on the south.
Back to career stuff. I've been struggling lately with a sort of fork in the road. I can either completely devote my time into pursuing a career in television (I would like to write TV drama and even be one of those "Creators" someday) or work on smaller projects with the Christians that I am getting to know; leading probably someday to bigger projects. Basically, the decision is TV or Film. Yes, I can possibly switch over at some point, but that is still difficult unless you're wildly creative and popular like JJ Abrams or Jerry Bruckheimer. So I'll be doing more praying and soul searching about that this week and next, waiting to hear which opportunity presents itself first and best. I have possible TV internships on the way and also possible small video projects to direct/produce (with potential to become much bigger) this month.
But enough of this blog for now. I need to get back to script writing, doing laundry, and cleaning the house (gotta keep the sugar-mama happy :)
Even once you've done good work (directed a film, landed an acting role, etc.) the only real benefit of that first job (aside from getting paid) is that you are introduced to even more people - and this improves your chances to get another job (gig). So generally, the most successful people in Hollywood either 1) know a BUNCH of people and are likeable, 2) are very skilled or talented, or 3) possess a rare combination of both. Still, it seems that option number one (1) is the road most traveled. Thus I've been meeting and getting to know as many people as I can that are close to the industry.
We were in Pasadena Friday night to meet some new friends - it was very fun and "artsy"; Pasadena is a pretty cool town. Saturday I hung out with some JBU friends that are out here working in the industry. Then Sunday night we had dinner in Culver City with a director-friend of mine. We are about to start a project together next week - just waiting on approval of our scripts (more about that to come).
Church-Life:
I'm volunteering some time to work on a video for RockHarbor, the church we are attending in Costa Mesa. The church has been around for about 10 years or so and it epitomizes (to me) Orange County. Wealthy, stylish, yuppie. But in spite of those shallow descriptors, the church leadership and staff are very solid, dedicated, visionary believers. They are genuinely trying to push these comfy Southern Californians into a deeper walk of service, sacrifice, and commitment to Christ. Much of the church traditions, sacred cows, and rituals that we see in the Bible Belt, are pretty much ignored here. I'm not talking about the important things like Baptism and Communion - those Biblical practices remain, though they are offered more than imposed. But it seems to me like the leadership really invests in ideas and directions that are purely beneficial for the kingdom of God, instead of trying to please or pacify certain groups within the congregation - I really appreciate that approach: no fear of man. It's not "anything goes", but there is artistic freedom as well. Jenny and I both love it and are refreshed by this new approach to church - that I never saw even in the most contemporary churches on the south.
Back to career stuff. I've been struggling lately with a sort of fork in the road. I can either completely devote my time into pursuing a career in television (I would like to write TV drama and even be one of those "Creators" someday) or work on smaller projects with the Christians that I am getting to know; leading probably someday to bigger projects. Basically, the decision is TV or Film. Yes, I can possibly switch over at some point, but that is still difficult unless you're wildly creative and popular like JJ Abrams or Jerry Bruckheimer. So I'll be doing more praying and soul searching about that this week and next, waiting to hear which opportunity presents itself first and best. I have possible TV internships on the way and also possible small video projects to direct/produce (with potential to become much bigger) this month.
But enough of this blog for now. I need to get back to script writing, doing laundry, and cleaning the house (gotta keep the sugar-mama happy :)
Thursday, March 8, 2007
The first month...
Well, Jenny and I have been here in California for a whole month now! And it has been a busy ride...
Just to make sure everyone is up to date... Jenny works as a graphic designer for BIOLA University, a Christian College in La Mirada, which is on the very southern border of Los Angeles county. I have been working as a development intern at a small production company in West Hollywood called Chicago pictures. We live near BIOLA at an apartment complex in La Habra. It is a nice quiet suburb within walking distance of a movie theater! (didn't have that in Arkansas!)
So we are living in a little one-bedroom apartment here and still $1,200/month, which is actually pretty cheap. La Habra is a nice quiet suburb! The difficult part was finding a place where we could keep Brecka. Not many apartment complexes would allow large dogs...
We are right on the northern border of Orange County, though, so I still have to drive quite a distance to get to most of my meetings in Hollywood or Santa Monica (which are in LA county). I usually have to drive at least 1.5 hours one-way... But, this IS Los Angeles and the ugly traffic is to be expected. Mom and Dad: I understand why you fled to Texas...
My internship in Hollywood was a great experience and they really liked me, but they're not ready to hire yet - otherwise they probably would have offered me a job. So that ended yesterday, but now I'm working on a freelance project with some other Christian producers that I've been in contact with. I hope to hear within the next few days about when we can start production on a series of short videos to be distributed on the web. I'm also helping the church with some video projects (my good friend Jacob - was in my wedding - works at the church too).
Many people back in Arkansas worried about us going out to the evil big city of LA, but it has been a surprisingly tame place. Granted we live in safe Orange County, but I've been up in LA quite a bit, and it is actually no less evil than any other part of the country... The Christian community is just as strong, if not stronger, than in the Bible Belt. The weather is great! The only downside is the traffic... But we're still glad we're here. I'm also looking into other jobs now and trying to get an internship at a TV network or studio. I'd like to write drama TV shows, so that's the direction I'm mostly looking into. So in my free time I'm working on writing tv scripts to building a writing portfolio.
Tonight we are going to spend some time with some new friends up in Pasadena - a guy who went to Fuller Seminary and is working in the industry now. The church we've been going to - Rock Harbor - is fantastic and we really like their ministry and approach (though not the staff's intention, it is king of a yuppy crowd...) I've been missing Arkansas some lately and our extremely comfortable life there, but (again) I'm still glad we're here. This is the right place for us... Well, that's the rundown for now. Let's see if we can get this blog thing going!
Just to make sure everyone is up to date... Jenny works as a graphic designer for BIOLA University, a Christian College in La Mirada, which is on the very southern border of Los Angeles county. I have been working as a development intern at a small production company in West Hollywood called Chicago pictures. We live near BIOLA at an apartment complex in La Habra. It is a nice quiet suburb within walking distance of a movie theater! (didn't have that in Arkansas!)
So we are living in a little one-bedroom apartment here and still $1,200/month, which is actually pretty cheap. La Habra is a nice quiet suburb! The difficult part was finding a place where we could keep Brecka. Not many apartment complexes would allow large dogs...
We are right on the northern border of Orange County, though, so I still have to drive quite a distance to get to most of my meetings in Hollywood or Santa Monica (which are in LA county). I usually have to drive at least 1.5 hours one-way... But, this IS Los Angeles and the ugly traffic is to be expected. Mom and Dad: I understand why you fled to Texas...
My internship in Hollywood was a great experience and they really liked me, but they're not ready to hire yet - otherwise they probably would have offered me a job. So that ended yesterday, but now I'm working on a freelance project with some other Christian producers that I've been in contact with. I hope to hear within the next few days about when we can start production on a series of short videos to be distributed on the web. I'm also helping the church with some video projects (my good friend Jacob - was in my wedding - works at the church too).
Many people back in Arkansas worried about us going out to the evil big city of LA, but it has been a surprisingly tame place. Granted we live in safe Orange County, but I've been up in LA quite a bit, and it is actually no less evil than any other part of the country... The Christian community is just as strong, if not stronger, than in the Bible Belt. The weather is great! The only downside is the traffic... But we're still glad we're here. I'm also looking into other jobs now and trying to get an internship at a TV network or studio. I'd like to write drama TV shows, so that's the direction I'm mostly looking into. So in my free time I'm working on writing tv scripts to building a writing portfolio.
Tonight we are going to spend some time with some new friends up in Pasadena - a guy who went to Fuller Seminary and is working in the industry now. The church we've been going to - Rock Harbor - is fantastic and we really like their ministry and approach (though not the staff's intention, it is king of a yuppy crowd...) I've been missing Arkansas some lately and our extremely comfortable life there, but (again) I'm still glad we're here. This is the right place for us... Well, that's the rundown for now. Let's see if we can get this blog thing going!
Saturday, February 24, 2007
The Bethke West Adventure
Well, welcome to the chronicles of Rob and Jenny Bethke as they make a new life for themselves out in the wild west of Southern California!
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