1 Week

Wow this has been a crazy week. Until a few days ago I didn't have regular access to the internet so I apologize for the delay. I don't have a ton to say even now.

I've been here a week and it has been quite a whirlwind. Class started on Monday, but we've mostly been doing orientation class stuff, not so much real class work. That's not to say we haven't had assignments, and I am even now working on my script for an 8 minute short film. If my script is chosen it will be produced by one of the teams in Hollywood Production Workshop. I'll keep you up to date on that, I really think I have a shot at being picked for that.

Other than school it's been a pretty eventful week. I got to attend an Angels game on Tuesday with a friend from Minnesota who also just moved out here. It was a bit of a drive from this side of town and the Angels lost but it was still a blast. The Angels have some of the game's best fans and the stadium is beautiful so it's always a good time regardless of the outcome. I also got a free Angels cup that lights up because some drunk guy left it behind :)

I also got to meet Michel Gondry (director of Eternal Sunshine..., and Science of Sleep) on Wednesday at a big signing thing he was at not far from La Brea. It was cool, even though I didn't get to talk to him at all. Eternal Sunshine is my favorite movie ever so it was really awesome to have him sign it for me.

On Thursday I got to meet actor Doug Jones (Hellboy I and II, Pan's Labyrinth, Fantastic 4 - Silver Surfer) when he came to speak to our LAFSC group. He stayed and talked, very casually, for about 4 hours. He does a lot of creature acting (his first role was Mac Tonight in a series of McDonalds commercials between 1986 and 1997) so he talked a lot about acting with crazy makeup and prosthetics on. He is in with driector Guillermo Del Toro and is expected to have major roles in Guillermo's "Hobbit" films. He was a lot of fun and very entertaining to talk to.

Today we went on a tour of the Kodak Theater, where they host the Oscars. Ironically, no pictures are allowed there...

Things are going reasonably well so far, though 3 girls have had things stolen already (cell phone, clothes from a washer and a wallet). It's kept things interesting. They were all avoidable things and serve as nice object lessons for the rest of us. We're all treading a little more cautiously now.

The weather has been gorgeous, though hotter the last few days. There's also some wild fires all over California right now which keep it interesting. Some are visible from where we are, though they are much too far away to be dangerous. It's pretty commonplace here, but still new enough for me to be interested.

Anyways, I should probably get back to my "homework". The professors (if that's what they're called here) have advised us to brush up on movies in general, but especially the classics off the AFI top 100 list (apparently movers and shakers like it when young'uns know about the movies they grew up with). Now I have to watch at least a movie every day or I will fall behind. Work, work, work...

More later, stay tuned.

Luke's Pick: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

As previously mentioned, this is my all time favorite movie. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. After a bad fight, Clementine decides to undergo a procedure to erase her boyfriend from her mind completely. Devastated after he finds out what she has done, her boyfriend Joel decides to erase her back. But he gets more than he bargained for when the erasing process begins to remind him of the good times they shared. Unable to wake up he must try to find a way to stop the procedure the only way he can; inside his mind. It makes for some trippy stuff but it's a beautiful story.

Here and Waiting

Andrew and I have arrived in the City of Angels. After 3 harrowing days of intense travel, we arrived safely on Thursday afternoon. Kevin, our gracious host, showed us around the city for a while and took us to In-n-Out Burger for dinner.

Today will be our fun day. We hope to see a few more sights and hopefully eat a bunch more food. I'll write more tomorrow after I've officially checked in, moved in and started orientation.

Last Day

This is officially the beginning of my last day at home for (probably) the next 4 months. I would like to start out with a reminder to all of you to pray for me and my brother as we drive to LA Tuesday-Thursday. Safe driving and blessings on our time together would be appreciated.

So this is it. It's really starting to sink in now that I've started packing. First off, that I have way too much stuff. But mostly just the reality of moving so far away from home. I have said my good byes to my friends and most of my family. I missed some but you can't win them all I guess. It's gotten me thinking about what I hope to achieve in all this and I think I have an idea.

Over the last several years I have become increasingly disillusioned with pop Christian culture, particularly the media aspect. Movies and music alike have a narrow vision, often preach to the choir and are often times of sub par quality. Movies like Fireproof may have a positive message for those that need Christ's love but how many non-Christians would go see it? What non-Christian will buy a Casting Crowns album (especially if their Christian friends are pirating the album anyways, but that's another topic)?

When I applied to LAFSC, there was an essay question that said "What is a Christian's role in Hollywood?" I replied that Christians should be leading the way. Christian films should be the best films out there. Ones that make you think and ask questions. Oscar nominated stuff. Instead we produce low quality stuff that people don't really want to see, besides the occasional church visitor that happened to be there the day the pastor told his congregation to go see it.

I was recently turned on to a former NBC show called "Kings". It was unfortunately axed after just 12 episodes this spring, but this is a truly remarkable show. For those that have not heard about it, or maybe were misinformed about it (the ads were poorly done), I will sum it up for you. The show is literally the story of David and King Saul, but set in modern times. There is a little bit of artistic license for the sake of good television but it is surprisingly accurate to the real Biblical narrative. It has an incredible cast with some top notch writing but there is also extensive talk of God and he carries a very real presence in the show (protecting David, among other things).

After watching this show I had an overwhelming desire to read the Biblical story and see how it compared, what other subtleties I had missed out on. I hope to someday have a Bible study group look at the show as I think it can promote good discussion. Now I can't say for sure that this was the creator of the show's intention, but if it was he succeeded.

This is the kind of stuff I want to make. Stuff that can be present in the mainstream media, acclaimed by critics and make people think important thoughts. Stuff that can make people do active things like go to church or pick up a Bible. The United States, contrary to popular belief, is hungry spiritually. I think the "Passion" movie proved that without a doubt. People that had never set foot in a church were suddenly thrust into the very heart of the story of Christ.

I don't know what God has in store for me in California (though as I've said before, I know he has something for me or he wouldn't be calling me there). But I pray it is having a hand in revolutionizing what I see as a flawed industry. This is what I have a heart for. This is what I want to do.

This will be my final entry from my house in Shoreview. Once I get to California you can all expect more frequent (though perhaps shorter) updates so make sure you check back often. Ciao!

Luke's Pick:
I have decided to include this section with some of my updates, starting with this one. For those that have trouble finding movies or television shows to watch, I will be using this section to make some suggestions that I think anyone who reads this will enjoy. This week, since it ties in so well with my entry, I am suggesting the tv series "Kings". Check it out on Hulu.com/kings, or on DVD September 29th.

2 Weeks

I am writing this as my two week warning. I will be leaving with my brother for LA in about two short weeks from today on August 18th. Andrew, for those that don't know, will be accompanying me on the 3 day drive before flying straight to Wheaton after I have checked in at the school.

My mind is flooded with a variety of emotions and thoughts. Nervousness is obviously one of them. Nervousness is a natural part of any move, or even the smallest change for that matter. New experiences, new people and a new town in a totally different part of the country certainly qualifies. Oh and I'm also going to be about 2,000 miles away from my family and friends here in Minnesota. For those bad at math (or geography), that's a long ways. So it would be understandable if I were freaking out right now, right?

The weird thing is, I'm not as nervous about it as you might think. There is some trepidation about meeting new people, and some nervousness of getting lost in a big new city, but that's about all. But I've done the whole new people thing before, and I got a head start on learning LA roads this spring, so even that isn't too bad.

Mostly I think I'm just excited. I think this is the 2nd natural emotion that springs out of a change in circumstance. It's almost always attached and in equal measure with nervousness. For every thing that could go wrong, there is also the feeling of what might be. This is hopefully the beginning of a totally new life for me and I can't wait to see what God has for me to do out there, and who He has for me to meet.

The thing I didn't really expect, or maybe just didn't remember, is the seesawing I have been experiencing over the last month or so. I will swing rapidly and quite unexpectedly between overwhelming excitement to finally leave for Los Angeles, and a general apprehension about leaving the state that I love so much. While this is mostly unpleasant, I did have what I consider to be a breakthrough recently.

A few nights ago I was walking out to my car when I was hit with a very calm, general sense that I should be in Los Angeles. And not future tense like I should go there, but that I should be there now. As in that minute. It wasn't nervous or excited, just a sense of belonging and safety. I just needed to be there. It's a feeling I have experienced before, and in the past I have come to diagnose it as common homesickness.

Whatever I am headed to in Los Angeles, continue to pray for me as I go through this major transition in my life. As slow as things are right now, they will be going 110 mph in just 2 short weeks.