Saying Goodbye

The dorm building we stayed in at film camp had many groups staying in it, but the sixth floor remained unused. On the last night, my mentor David was on night patrol. He helped some of us break out and sneak to the lounge on the sixth floor.

By the time we got there, it was very late. We sat around and talked for awhile, and soon everyone started falling asleep. We headed back to our rooms knowing that tomorrow we would finally get to leave the black hole. But did we want to now?

After two weeks, we had truly become afamily. I knew some of the kids at film camp better than I knew kids at my own school. Together, we managed to complete some sweet short films and maintain our sanity.

The last day went by quickly. It all ended with a closing ceremony. Many parents and relatives showed up. We watched the movies we had made and got to see work by the screenwriting and comedy improv students.

After the certificates were handed out, I found Carol Anne, Danny, and Danielle, and we started walking toward the parking garage. Just like that, it was over. Walking back to the car, I felt strange. We all felt as if the two weeks would never end, but they did. And as I grabbed my luggage, I knew that I would most likely never see those people again.

I really miss you guys. I hope you are enjoying the end of summer, and I hope that we meet again someday.

"You met me at a very strange time in my life."
- Fight Club

The Black Hole of Film Camp

Let me start with a word about the weather. LA. Warm and sunny right? Wrong. My mom told me that I didn't need to pack any jeans. I packed one pair just in case and wore them throughout the trip. I arrived in LA during June Gloom, which carried over into July. It felt like fall in Pennsylvania. While the people of Johnstown were sweating, I was bundling up.

The days at film camp were long. After only a few days, I felt like I had been there an eternity. We often compared the huge campus of UCLA to a black hole that had sucked us in. It felt like time had stopped, and life outside of the college no longer existed.

This being said, we were easily amused by things such as instant coffee vending machines, Panda Express, and any murmur of Lady Gaga.

In the evenings, the people of US Performing Arts planned fun activities. We often had the chance to go to the gym or the pool (so I did get some running in), and we made trips to Westwood, the neighborhood outside of UCLA. Tuesday nights were Improv nights, and on Monday we ate this thing called a pizookie. It's basically this huge cookie of deliciousness that you eat with ice cream. People in Florida call it a cookie pie.

After an exhausting day of filming on Saturday, we took Sunday (the Fourth of July) off. All of the students boarded school buses, and we headed to Hollywood.

My group decided to stick together. We headed to Amoeba Music, the most beautiful place on earth.

The store has a top floor filled with used DVDs. The bottom floor is littered with posters, used and new CDs, and records. Posters cover the wall, loud Cuban music plays in the background, and the whole building has a welcoming smell of dust. I even walked into the back room where old school music is kept. I could have spent an entire day in that part alone.

I ended up buying E.T., Three Kings, and Phoenix's It's Never Been Like That.

After Amoeba, we grabbed some Philly Steak n' Cheese sandwiches, explored a Goodwill type store, and took pictures outside of the Chinese theater.

The day concluded with a trip to the Hollywood Bowl where we watched the cool firework show. On the late night return trip, I feel asleep on the bus. Reaching the dorms, everyone passed out immediately.

That adventure was a highlight on my trip. Getting the chance to just have fun and hang out with new friends for a day was great. The next day, we returned to filmmaking.