Tag Archives: hollywood

Gearing up for the Oscars

By Shivam Goyal

Being a USC student, going out to the movies can be quite the struggle, mainly due to a lack of time and transportation options. However, it is awards season and the biggest ceremony of the year, the 88th Academy Awards (or “Oscars”) are coming up quick, Feb. 28th! I always make it a point to watch some of the nominated films beforehand so that I’m familiar with the contenders. This makes watching the awards more fun!  If you need a break from school and you love movies as much as I do, the next two weeks is a great time to catch up on those nominations.  The following is a list of the films with the most nominations. I recommend seeing these first to really prepare for the big show.

  1. The Revenant (12 nominations)
  2. Mad Max: Fury Road (10 nominations)
  3. The Martian (7 nominations)
  4. Carol (6 nominations)
  5. Bridge of Spies (6 nominations)

Below are my two favorite spots to watch a movie in Los Angeles.

Regal Cinema LA LIVE
Photo by Eric Richardson on Flickr

This choice is made of convenience, but it’s also a really great place for a movie escape. The Regal Cinemas at L.A. Live is only about an 8 minute drive away. If you don’t have a car, Uber is a great option and relatively cheap. Cheaper yet, there’s a bus and a train that will get you here as well.  The F Dash bus will drop you off right in front of L.A. Live, while the Expo Line light rail train station is only about two blocks away. Both modes will pick you up on the edge of campus and get you to the theater in about 15 minutes.

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LA Orientation

 By Anna Ngo

“Remember to call me when you get off the plane. Don’t talk to strangers!” my mom yelled to me as I got into the security line. I was off to college and this was the first time I was traveling by myself. My mother couldn’t be more worried. In her eyes, I was still her little girl, one she wasn’t ready to see grow up.

As I walked further and further down the security line, the sight of my family slowly disappeared. Walking towards the terminal, a rush of emotions suddenly hit me. I was excited, scared, and nervous all at the same time. I didn’t know what to expect yet I was ready for what was in store for me.

My dream of going to California was finally turning into a reality. When I applied to USC, it was on a whim and I wasn’t expecting anything. When I received my acceptance letter, I had to read it at least ten times to make sure it wasn’t a rejection letter. And now here I was, flying out to Los Angeles for my freshman orientation.

When I arrived on campus, I was completely overwhelmed. There was so much upbeat LIFE going on, from students playing frisbee in the quad to others slacklining between trees. This was college. This was LA!

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Fading Into the Background

By Kevin Jiang

Living in Los Angeles, you are bound to see a celebrity or two walking around. I mean, Hollywood is the heart of the film industry and you can’t walk a block without seeing some sort of filming activity. Consequently, this summer I came upon an interesting opportunity to be a background actor.

To quickly explain, background actors , or “extras”, are all those silent people in TV shows or movies that walk around in the background, cheer in a crowd, fill a party, or sit in a café. Whether you notice them or not, these “extras” are an important part of filmmaking. They make the action on screen believable.

I only got into the background business a couple weeks ago, but I’ve already worked on multiple sets, from the long-running television staple NCIS, to tween programming on Nick and Disney, to a small unannounced feature film. The experience, besides teaching me EXTREME patience due to sitting and waiting for hours upon hours until needed on set, has also given me an appreciation for all the work and coordination that goes on behind the scenes of a TV show or film. I mean, you’ve all seen the credits that roll after a show or movie has ended and you’ve probably wondered, “Who are these people?” Being there on set and witnessing the intricate network of communication and the complicated set-ups for lights, sound, and camera, I fully comprehended the importance of each individual and their role in the crew.

Photo by Paulo Wang on Flickr

To film a single scene, you’ve got your actors, of course, whose job it is to come prepared, but then there’s also the hair and make-up artists who must execute the vision of each character’s aesthetic, and the lighting and sound crews who are in charge of creating the perfect atmosphere and ensuring the sound quality, and the camera crew who needs to get the exact angle and camera movement. And, last but not least, you have the background actors who must get into place and know exactly what to do when the camera starts rolling.  All together, it feels like organized chaos, like when musicians in an orchestra all tune their instruments at the same time. Of course, however dissonant the sound is while they prepare, the cacophony is immediately forgotten once the conductor raises his wand and leads the ensemble in melodic harmony.

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