Horror Comes in Twos
Hey Guys, I was looking through drafts of things I'd written for the chop and I came across this. I wrote it on my second weekend in LA, just after coming back from Aaron's Campbell apartment. It's unposted writing, so I thought I'd add it in for you all. I'll try to come up with something more current soon. I was thinking about recounting our old neighborhood on Highmoor road. We'll see if I come through, but for now, here's innocent, pre-LA Zach:
Beloved Lee Family,
Once again it is time to address you, if only now because I don't know when I'll have the chance again.
So in no particular order:
This city they call Los Angeles. It is so unique in so many ways, which no one ever gives it credit for. Most probably because all those unique things chop extreme log, but I digress. I describe this place to friends in Austin, Kansas, and even Chicago, as a regular city that some giant hand squished down and smashed flat. It covers so much land, that I actually hit L.A. freeway and signage 60 miles out of the "city" on my way back from San Jose. It's really a network of small cities. Nowadays, when somebody mentions L.A. to me, they're referring to the county, not the city.
As for the list of chops, well, let's just say it's a work in progress. How can I not begin with traffic? RIDICULOUS! Seriously, this is the first place I've seen where they've actually reached the limits of our current method of personal transport. They're actually going to have to develop minority report vehicles or e-slingshots or something just to make transit work again. So wow. But it's the little things that make this place interesting, and distinctly different. A short list of things that Zagat's won't tell you about: First, having the letter A, B, C, or god forbid, D or F on the front window of every food serving establishment in the State. I can't tell you the peace of mind I get knowing that the food I'm about to eat is not going to make me beef later. And only for the added cost of about a billion percent. "And as Californians, we must work togetha to fix da mess made by our congressional girly men" I will not, repeat, will not vote the same man into office as the one that starred with Alyssa Milano in Commando. Won't do it. Can't make me.
Speaking of can't make me...
You can't make me live in Aaron's San Jose apartment. And that's not to say I didn't appreciate you letting me stay there last week, because I did, but come on bro. Seriously, just to air out Aaron's laundry without his permission, you guys gotta hear this. First of all here's the Aaron-Damon living unit shopping method: Step 1. Visit one location. Step 2. Sign contract.
So needless to say, they live in a corner apartment on the first floor of a complex that not only has no fencing to block out the viewing pleasure of the public, but exists on the one main street of Campbell, CA. So people walk their dogs past one window, then turn the corner and walk past another for the SAME apartment. So on shopping, F+. And then, did you guys just let the movers dump shit wherever they decided, and then keep it there as though it was supposed to be there? Because that's the only way I can explain a coffee table turned on it's end, with two of the legs as the base and the other two as COAT HANGERS! And certainly it would help me deduce the reason as to why there is a twenty seven inch televison within a foot of an easy chair and ottoman, and 90 degrees to its left no less. I tell you this not to anger you, but to urge you to take pride in your place man. It reflects so directly on you and I think you may not realize that. Or you don't care, but you owe yourself and your friends better than that. Read an interior design book. Seriously. Put down the chaos theory of economics book that Cakes sent you, and pick up an interior design for dummies. Even if you pull five nuggets of info out of there that work for you, it was worth the price of admission. On that note, I'm glad nopaypal is going well, and I have no doubt you're taking care of things. MAKE TIME to focus on the quality of your environment, and it will please you again and again to come home to it. A couple of weekends of hard work and a few bucks will facilitate relaxation for months or even years to come. Okay, enough of that.
The drive from LA to San Jose and back.
So I have bought a 2003 Honda Civic, and I wanted to take it for a spin and to visit Aaron for a weekend. I was completely unprepared for the breathtaking views of the California county. Think mountains, but entirely covered in grass. Just short, brilliantly green grass that covers the whole mountain with no bald spots. And in certain places, low flying clouds zip over these mountains of the Shire and dust them with snow. It was awesome, until I stopped to gas up. I was fifty miles north of LA, where it was seventy degrees, and I got out of the car in a t shirt. So after poking out the cashier's eyes with my bullet point nips, I was on my way. It was only thirty degrees there! But it was gorgeous, as were the views coming downhill on about six different mountains. And I saw a sunset over the pacific ocean in San Luis Obispo that could outdo any artist. I'll stop with this only because I took some pictures, which I'll send. They speak louder than I can.
Finallly, I'll cut to it, if only because I'm exhausted and I need some sleep. Work is great guys. I'm cutting every day, I'm around tons of creatives, and they like me. I'm in like Flynn, yknow? Today was an easier day just because we (the spot's producer and I) delivered our first version to the head of DVD content, and subsequently to Disney. Our DVD head had one revision, and it was to something I had already done, but my producer made me change. Then Disney had only one revision, once again reinstalling a shot that I had in my original cut before the first producer saw it. Anyways, it was done very early on, so I had a creative meeting with the DVD head and the AV production director about my next project, which is an audio commentary for yet another Disney kids' flick. Hilarious stuff though. The actor sits down in front of a mike and watches the movie, recording his comments. I got the raw reel of one of these commentaries to edit down and lay over the flick, using his best comments. All the kid talks about is how they were drinking the whole time and joking about how one of his costars was sleeping around on set etc. etc. Hilarious, like I said. Disney's lawyers gave me a 3 page edit list of material that is not to be used. So I have my own edit bay right now, but it blows. It was just set up for PA's to digitize, but it has been outfitted to be a functional bay until all the construction is done in two weeks.
I'm gonna dive back in now, but rest assured, the water's warm and my eyes are open for sharks.
Love,
Z
Beloved Lee Family,
Once again it is time to address you, if only now because I don't know when I'll have the chance again.
So in no particular order:
This city they call Los Angeles. It is so unique in so many ways, which no one ever gives it credit for. Most probably because all those unique things chop extreme log, but I digress. I describe this place to friends in Austin, Kansas, and even Chicago, as a regular city that some giant hand squished down and smashed flat. It covers so much land, that I actually hit L.A. freeway and signage 60 miles out of the "city" on my way back from San Jose. It's really a network of small cities. Nowadays, when somebody mentions L.A. to me, they're referring to the county, not the city.
As for the list of chops, well, let's just say it's a work in progress. How can I not begin with traffic? RIDICULOUS! Seriously, this is the first place I've seen where they've actually reached the limits of our current method of personal transport. They're actually going to have to develop minority report vehicles or e-slingshots or something just to make transit work again. So wow. But it's the little things that make this place interesting, and distinctly different. A short list of things that Zagat's won't tell you about: First, having the letter A, B, C, or god forbid, D or F on the front window of every food serving establishment in the State. I can't tell you the peace of mind I get knowing that the food I'm about to eat is not going to make me beef later. And only for the added cost of about a billion percent. "And as Californians, we must work togetha to fix da mess made by our congressional girly men" I will not, repeat, will not vote the same man into office as the one that starred with Alyssa Milano in Commando. Won't do it. Can't make me.
Speaking of can't make me...
You can't make me live in Aaron's San Jose apartment. And that's not to say I didn't appreciate you letting me stay there last week, because I did, but come on bro. Seriously, just to air out Aaron's laundry without his permission, you guys gotta hear this. First of all here's the Aaron-Damon living unit shopping method: Step 1. Visit one location. Step 2. Sign contract.
So needless to say, they live in a corner apartment on the first floor of a complex that not only has no fencing to block out the viewing pleasure of the public, but exists on the one main street of Campbell, CA. So people walk their dogs past one window, then turn the corner and walk past another for the SAME apartment. So on shopping, F+. And then, did you guys just let the movers dump shit wherever they decided, and then keep it there as though it was supposed to be there? Because that's the only way I can explain a coffee table turned on it's end, with two of the legs as the base and the other two as COAT HANGERS! And certainly it would help me deduce the reason as to why there is a twenty seven inch televison within a foot of an easy chair and ottoman, and 90 degrees to its left no less. I tell you this not to anger you, but to urge you to take pride in your place man. It reflects so directly on you and I think you may not realize that. Or you don't care, but you owe yourself and your friends better than that. Read an interior design book. Seriously. Put down the chaos theory of economics book that Cakes sent you, and pick up an interior design for dummies. Even if you pull five nuggets of info out of there that work for you, it was worth the price of admission. On that note, I'm glad nopaypal is going well, and I have no doubt you're taking care of things. MAKE TIME to focus on the quality of your environment, and it will please you again and again to come home to it. A couple of weekends of hard work and a few bucks will facilitate relaxation for months or even years to come. Okay, enough of that.
The drive from LA to San Jose and back.
So I have bought a 2003 Honda Civic, and I wanted to take it for a spin and to visit Aaron for a weekend. I was completely unprepared for the breathtaking views of the California county. Think mountains, but entirely covered in grass. Just short, brilliantly green grass that covers the whole mountain with no bald spots. And in certain places, low flying clouds zip over these mountains of the Shire and dust them with snow. It was awesome, until I stopped to gas up. I was fifty miles north of LA, where it was seventy degrees, and I got out of the car in a t shirt. So after poking out the cashier's eyes with my bullet point nips, I was on my way. It was only thirty degrees there! But it was gorgeous, as were the views coming downhill on about six different mountains. And I saw a sunset over the pacific ocean in San Luis Obispo that could outdo any artist. I'll stop with this only because I took some pictures, which I'll send. They speak louder than I can.
Finallly, I'll cut to it, if only because I'm exhausted and I need some sleep. Work is great guys. I'm cutting every day, I'm around tons of creatives, and they like me. I'm in like Flynn, yknow? Today was an easier day just because we (the spot's producer and I) delivered our first version to the head of DVD content, and subsequently to Disney. Our DVD head had one revision, and it was to something I had already done, but my producer made me change. Then Disney had only one revision, once again reinstalling a shot that I had in my original cut before the first producer saw it. Anyways, it was done very early on, so I had a creative meeting with the DVD head and the AV production director about my next project, which is an audio commentary for yet another Disney kids' flick. Hilarious stuff though. The actor sits down in front of a mike and watches the movie, recording his comments. I got the raw reel of one of these commentaries to edit down and lay over the flick, using his best comments. All the kid talks about is how they were drinking the whole time and joking about how one of his costars was sleeping around on set etc. etc. Hilarious, like I said. Disney's lawyers gave me a 3 page edit list of material that is not to be used. So I have my own edit bay right now, but it blows. It was just set up for PA's to digitize, but it has been outfitted to be a functional bay until all the construction is done in two weeks.
I'm gonna dive back in now, but rest assured, the water's warm and my eyes are open for sharks.
Love,
Z
posted by Z at 11:58 AM
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