Sunday, September 23, 2007

Living in Manhattan...working in Brooklyn...

Yes, it seems I am doing things a little backwards at the moment. Today is the first day in the last week that I haven't traveled the 40 minute journey out to Bushwick to work on set. I have been loving this week though. It's been so busy and so tiring, but it's great. I've been making friends with a production designer who does a lot of work here and actually gets paid to be a creative (bonus points there!) as well as learning a lot about the production of set building. It's a lot of fun to see something come out of nothing. We start shooting on Tuesday, so finally it's all coming together.

Apart from working, I've just been living the Manhattan life, but putting a little aussie into it. Last night as I was dead tired from a long day (it was a Saturday night mind you) I popped over the road to the convenience store for a snack. I had my thongs, yoga comfy pants and daggy tshirt on, surrounded by people dressed to the nines for a big night out buying their grog. I was amused as I waited in line with my sprite and black and white cookie. It's a little different when you live in an 'entertainment district' where it's go go go all the time...to me this is just my home now. But the positive side to this area is the fact that there is everything you need within grasp. Laundromat two doors down, hairdresser next to that, two convenience stores within a block, two drug stores and two art supplies stores within two blocks. Not to mention the amount of restaurants just down the next street.

I thought the foodworks across the road in my East Brisbane home was spectacular...this is just too much!

I endeavour to take photos of home and the area after filming this week...so I'll post them up and show you just how lucky I got. Until then, some photos of the set, my work and my new haircut.


This is what started it all...





Filmmaking in brooklyn...



My contribution to some of the set...mmmm cupcakes...and uhh...pugs


Daisy got bangs!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Enormous Buddha's, tiny apartments...it's all about size in New York

Well I admit to being absent for a lot long than usual from my blog. Apologies all round. I've been a bit sick (for some reason it keeps coming back) and thus have been down and homesick, so I have learnt not to write in this state as it is more negative than anything else. I am on my way to feeling better and joined a gym yesterday so I'm getting more positive about my new life here in NY.

Not much has happened in terms of excitement over the last couple weeks. I went to a fantastic restaurant called Tao with my friends for a going away affair. It had this enormous buddha situated in the back of the restaurant. We managed to get the best table right in front of the buddha which was cool. The food was great as was the company. Throughout the week following I worked on more concept art and storyboards for Sean's short film and started writing a storyline for the music video. I also finally managed to finish my hand-out folio and make it look the way I want it to without costing me a lot. So tomorrow after a production meeting I'm going to start handing them out (and no, it wont be to random people on the street). Last Saturday was Sean's birthday so a few of us went out to dinner and then onto karaoke. We all got sloshed (my grandparents read this, so I'm keeping my language in order) and sang the night away.

This week I have helped prime walls at the set in Brooklyn. As well as meet my superintendent who naturally has some foreign accent and makes weird sarcastic jokes. Tracey and I moved the couches out onto the street so now we have a wonderful futon in the living room. I'll post photos of the apartment up once everything is in order...it's still a huge mess.

Anyway I thought since my daily activity has been fairly mundane, I'd talk about something not many people would think about. Moving to another country. The little things. Australia and United States are first world countries...very similar in terms of way of life, ideals and politics. Most people I know would never consider visiting the US simply because they believe it is the same as home. Yet moving to this country makes me realise there are so many differences. Nothing huge. There's no culture shock like one would get when moving to India or Norway, people here speak the same language (mostly...so many people don't understand me at all) and the people are pretty similar. It is those little things though that make you realise you are no where near your comfort zone. It is the grocery shopping. It takes so long because I don't know the brands or where everything is. Getting new furniture (actually new is easy, most places deliver it is second hand that's difficult) without the use of a car is next to impossible unless you have friends who have a car and aren't in the midst of producing short films. For the record I'm going to be walking down 6th avenue with pieces of my new desk on Saturday.

Just a couple things, but they are things that really make a difference. But it is all getting easier and the weather is suddenly cooler. I've never lived anywhere that you can actually tell the difference in seasons. It's perfect just now...and it's only going to get colder!

Oh for loads more photos, I have been adding them to my facebook page. Just search my name. Very few photos for the blog this week since I haven't been out to take many... promise I'll try harder.


A view from my roof...oh what's that? Just the Empire State Building



A big Buddha and the best table in the house...with a lot of floating rose petals


Sullivan and Bleeker...my street corner (a request from my dad :P)

Sunday, September 2, 2007

It's all about history, sex and shakespeare in the city

It has been a VERY busy week for me this week. I have finished summer by saying a teary goodbye to my good friends after an awesome few days of site seeing, getting tickets to the famed Shakespeare in the park and moving house. I'll write a separate blog on the moving after I've settled i in. But I am writing from my new bed in me very own bedroom in Greenwich Village. Yes, super cool I know.

Well after I left off last time the girls and I had planned a day relaxing and walking around Central Park. So Tracey, Lily and I made our ways up to 103rd to meet the girls. We wandered around and found a nice spot behind the Met to have a picnic lunch (I have recently discovered the joys of "fake steak" strips. Mmm mmmm they are delish! Lily kept guard and despite her constant barking at passing squirrels she made lots of friends with the kids in the park. So we took it easy that day. It was fun to sit in the sun and chat with your girlfriends...I really appreciated the day since there were only two left for me to have them there. That evening I met a new friend of mine who is also new to the city and we explored the west village and west side of Manhattan. There were gorgeous views of Hoboken or Jersey City (not sure which one) across the river. I never expected to come to NYC and find myself walking down a boardwalk along a river and find it to be beautiful. But it was lovely. We then ended up in my new 'hood and went to a cool bar called The Bitter End and saw a number of performances. It was a fun chilled out day altogether.

The next day was a lot more jam-packed than our day in Central Park. Alicia, Tracey and I planned a morning trip to the Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side. We had a free guided tour (so worth it, anyone who goes should do one) and spent a few hours wandering around checking out the amazing exhibits. I managed to find The Squid and the Whale...an exhibit I had always heard about (and there's a movie named after it) but had never found. Alicia and I had fun making faces for the camera. Her camera had filled up so I became her personal photographer. It was fun to actually have people in my photos! So after a long morning of walking w found lunch at a Starbucks and then made our way to midtown east to meet Courtney and Alaina for the Sex and the City Tour. I was so excited. Plus I had to BS my way to getting extra tickets as they had sold out quickly...but we did it and all five of us managed to hit the bus. The tour takes you to all the different shooting locations of the show and lets you off at some of them to walk around and get a feel for the place. We got given cupcakes, the option to buy the infamous "rabbit" at a reduced price and mini cosmos at the end of the trip. Then it ended and we had to say goodbye. I did very well not to end up in tears...though I was almost there. It was quite sad to realise I wont see Courtney til December, and Alicia til sometime next year. But thats the way it goes. That evening I went to a party with my new friends in midtown. It was a going away party for one of the girls and she made a beautiful video of everyone. Though it made me even sadder as it reminded me of my going away. I was quite emotional that evening and went home a soon as I could.

The next morning I was woken up early by Irene getting ready to line up for tickets for Shakespeare in the Park. Then I remembered I'd told her the night before I would join her. So I dragged myself out of bed. Donned my comfy I HEART NY tshirt and sneakers and picked up Lily and left. We were there to wait until 1 pm when the tickets got handed out. So it was 4 and a half hours of waiting. But it was worth it...the show was amazing. Unfortunately I was so tired I was trying to stay awake. But the production was really awesome (for something you see for free!) the costumes, lighting and the fact that we were in the middle of Central Park just made the evening so special.

The next day I moved...but more on that later! I have a lot of photos to show...



Central Park views


A cool old pier














I loved the Museum of Natural History


Courtney and I with the infamous Rabbit


Mmmmm mmmmmmmm...cupakes


On Carrie's Stoop


A part of the line behind us waiting for Shakespeare tickets