Contribution to My Film Career: The Girl Who Can Turn the World On With Her Smile

I have opened a new tumblr account that is dedicated to Mary Tyler Moore.

I'm sure you are aware of my obsession with MTM, because, as you should know, she is FREAKTASTICALLY AMAZING.

I want to share something with everyone because it relates to my life, my choice of career, my childhood and Mary Tyler Moore (among other marvelous influences in my life...)

I mentioned Tumblr because I was searching for content about the MTM Show (so that other fans can not only visit my page but also have MTM influence in their blogs/lives) and I came across this video:

Now this video doesn't do much. It's simply a line up of classic television shows, but to me, it is a menu of greatness.

When I was about 2 or 3 years old, I saw what opened my blue eyes to Classic television... the opening credits of Bewitched. I distinctly remember walking up to the television, which was kept in this HUGE brown entertainment center (I loved the glass door that had a "popping-magnet") and looked into the television. I tried to figure out where this was coming from, but couldn't be torn away from the beautiful glory that was Bewitched.

Fast forward to Alexis at age 7. Now, officially a product of the United State Air Force family, a bit strange, but loving television like a loyal friend.

I loved Bewitched. I lived for it. At that young age, I arranged for my bedtime to be pushed back by a half hour in order to stay up and watch. I remember that it was I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, I Love Lucy and then Mary Tyler Moore.-- this changed through out the years, but this year, it was crucial to my lifestyle.

I had to do well in school, stay out of trouble, be nice and share with my sister, get my homework done (which if you ask my mother, in 3rd grade, for some reason, we had a SHIT TON of spelling word homework--yet I still can't spell.) and be quiet during the shows. The quieter I was during my favorite programs, the likelier it was for me to be able to stay up past bedtime and watch the other shows!

The shows altered-- Gilligan's Island was on at one point, Get Smart, The Dick Van Dyke Show... all of which I gazed into, admired and memorized... but there's a key factor here that we forget as we get older... perspective.

Now I see Bewitched as an example of a woman breaking boundaries; mixed marriage, differences, family issues, breaking conventions, etc.
Back then: Bewitched was a pretty lady who was funny, could travel by snapping her fingers, had the world at her finger tips and glamorous clothing.

I thought ...Jeannie was great too-- but not as good (I still hold this opinion high).

I Love Lucy, well, it speaks for itself. It's fantastic- though I never was into it as much-- I've never been very good at going with the majorities' flow...

The point, I guess, to all of this is The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

When I was little, I remember thinking the song was great. I thought she was a pretty lady, with great clothes, a funny friend, a job and an apartment. Nothing really to write home about.

The show was boring to a 7 year old trying to stay up for the next round of classics to be re-run re-runs at 12:30am. Why would we watch a girl who goes to work, then goes home?

Fast forward again-- after all of the papers I managed to crank out in college about women in television... siting Bewitched in immeasurable amounts as well as 30 Rock and SNL, I never, until last year, revisited Mary Tyler Moore.

To a bourgeoning feminist-- this is the Bible. She is Moses... well she's Moses' friend Mary, because we all know that Rhoda would claim herself Moses. This show is the best television writing, the best writers, women and men working in a time of great importance to my generation and making it look so fun and beautiful.

I love these shows. They have been good friends to me. I guess I just wanted to write about it a little.

I'd also like to thank my parents-- because I know that you know that I know you let me stay up and watch these shows-- and yes, it was for my own good. Thank you immensely! I love you for it and other reasons.

Well, I'm going to go absorb some more classic television... thank you Netflix! :)

"The world was waiting just for you..."

My dog, Sadie May, was put down on Sunday.

This has really effected me deeply. She was my best friend. She was there for me and was a loyal pal. We rescued her from the pound on October 7, 1997. She, like me, wasn't warm at first. We both took our time to get to know one another and both agreed that we were the bosses of Erin.

Sadie was a goof. She would do the best tricks. I would say "What do we do in Vietnam?" and she would get down and do a low crawl for a treat. It was the funniest trick and a great time. She was always there to hang out with me. I'm a homebody and just like staying in and watching television, writing on the computer, watching movies and reading. Sadie was either laying on my feet or right there beside me. She was a big fan of whatever I was obsessed with at the time. She never judged me for being a little weird or trying to do something outside the box. If I cried, she was there to lend a soft ear and a wag of her tail. She didn't lick, unless you had soap or peanut butter on your hand. She loved pillows, blankets and couches. "Sunny spots" were areas of the house that she would frequent and boy was she obnoxious when it came within 15 minutes of her food time.

I guess we get used to having our little furry friends under foot. I don't think we take them for granted, but we sure don't devote as much time to them as they do to us. I can't think of any times, even if she had been at the kennel, when I felt Sadie was mad at me. Though I definitely pitched fits towards her.

I'm going to miss giving her nicknames... I think she racked up at least 100. My "Derz" as I would affectionately refer to her, was a shy soul. She was a great story. She was thrown from a moving truck. Rescued by a guy. Rescued by us and enjoyed a life filled with treats and adventures. Though she shook like a leaf in the car, she would give anything to go to a lacrosse game or a road trip with the family.

All of my friends knew Sadie. They would show her love and she loved them. Carol scared the shit out of her one time and we laughed for hours. She would only bark twice at the sight of John then realizing it was one of her favorite people. She hated tall bald men, Pop pop never quite won her over... Pa did... with one swift swat with a newspaper to set her straight. She loved him. She was there for me when they passed.

I sit here with tears rolling down my cheek because I don't like the finite nature of death. I don't know what happens to us or our animal friends when we stop ticking. I don't know what happens at all. I feel like I'm being melodramatic, but how else to you act when you lose something that has stolen such a large chunk of your heart?

I know I wish Sadie were here watching MTM with me. I know she wouldn't care how hard I laughed or how many times we'd watch the same episodes just so I could memorize the details I would like to know inside and out.

I was able to say goodbye to her. She even skyped and reacted to my voice.

I am going to miss her a lot and this week is going to be hard, especially since she's who I'd call upon for a snuggle.

I guess I can't say anything else. I'd just go on for hours. I've posted this song here that always makes me think of Sadie. It has her name in it and it's hilarious... the reason why it reminds me of her.
The song is "Sexy Sadie" by the Beatles. I think it's great because Sadie was anything but sexy. She was funny, quirky and cute. She hated to be snuggled but loved to snuggle on her terms. I respect that.

This is for you Sadie. I miss you already and I love you so much.

Video-- I'm A Lazy Blogger

Update: Lex in L.A.

Torn between the real and unreal, reality and fiction, life and dreams, Alexis marches on. Always to the beat of her own drum, always to the tune of her own horn and always dancing. L.A.'s dirty streets don't provide the comforts of home. Adjustments have to be made. Phone calls are her only touch with family and the East Coast and the warm home she has known for so long. Life is new and exciting, but can be sent into overflow at anytime.

You see that? A little freestylin' there. That's for you Grandma... creative writing. I know there's probably grammatical errors or something for you to proof... that's what I like about you. That and you've got spunk. ("I hate spunk.")

I don't remember the last time I wrote in the blog, but I think it was about zebras on your face, so I'll just write about whatever comes to mind... these days there's not room for much other than film information, techniques and text.

I have been gathering years worth of information in these past couple weeks. The amount leads to mental exhaustion, but boy is it fun. We have learned incredible amounts about combining technical skills, storytelling, history, art form and etiquette to make a successful film(s). I love it here. I have basically been waking up, walking to classes, learning, working on editing, shoots, writing, reading or plotting out the next assignment; then going to grab something quick to eat (generally after 3 granola bars during the day... this might be an exaggeration but I don't want you to worry about my habits. Lol), then I come home, do more work, check facebook and my email 30 times to keep in touch with my classmates and family, watch several episodes of the Mary Tyler Moore Show and then pass out. Repeat Monday-Thursday (sometimes Friday).

The weekends have been for working on "508 Productions" which are the film short shoots for the class a semester ahead of us (I'm in 507). These are great fun! It's where I've put what I've learned in class, mixed with a bit of common sense, to work. I learn tons on set and have a great time.

This is Farruk and Me sitting in so Talia can set up a shot.

This is me pushing the dolly. That's Evan, the director and Talia, the DP.

This is me waiting for the next shot, crossing my eyes like a champ.

This is me watching the action...

This past Saturday I went to see Justine Ciarrocchi play her sweet tunes. She is very talented and I hope to sway her into letting me shoot a music video or I need to get her to put some music in some of my films. I'll just keep pressuring this little bitch until she gives in... you know you want to Justine...

We also had our first house party here on Magnolia Ave.

Jenna, my roommate and I bought lights to put on our roof and our patio.

(Jenna @jennalynnhicks and our friend Stephen @StephenJGibler ... follow them on twitter...)

Tyler had bought a grill and he helped us string the lights. The party was a success! It lasted into the wee hours of the morning and I think everyone had a blast! :)

Here are some pics of the party and the lights. I've been really into playing with lights lately, so keep this in mind for the latter half of this post...

Me at the party... who's that cutie in the back? JESS ZUTZ!

That's Tyler, who has such an inner and outer glow... and his girlfriend Michelle. (It was Tyler's birthday so the party was really in honor of his birth)

Our new patio furniture and lights

"Flashing...Lights!"

Fake bamboo plant with pretty lights... these are now in my room. Lol.

I love lights.

On Sunday, I decided that despite my fatigue, I was going to be pro-active and cook up some "yummy pasta."

Now, for all of you who didn't live with me at Sarah and Jay's house... which is everyone... "yummy pasta" is a mixture of the best things in life. It's like if Mac and Cheese, Pizza and Spaghetti had a really beautiful baby... in some crazy mixed up way... it would be "yummy pasta."
Sarah makes it the best, but she gave me the recipe and told me how to do it during our kitchen talks in Salisbury... so I actually accomplished it quite nicely. The 7 or 8 servings proved to be the perfect meal for not only myself, but my roommates, my sister (she's visiting) and left overs! It's all gone now, but I'm quite proud of my culinary endeavors.

THE CHEF!

The ingredients!

COOKIN'

Chicken for everyone else... Tofu for me...PROTIEN!

"Yummy Pasta!"( Thanks Sarah for the recipe.)

I was describing how I've been really into lights, well, while I was reading a script for my 507 Directing lab... "Silkwood" recreation scene... I decided to play around with the lighting in my room. If you'd like to see more of these pictures, I'm posting them on my flickr.com page.

This is just a sample of what some of them look like. They're kind of weird because I'm taking photos of myself, but they're basically morphing light to get different effects in the same areas with just using a curtain to block.

Though there are tons of tales to tell (alliteration aside) to hear them you'll have to talk to me in person or leave me comments! The comments make me write more blogs... otherwise, I gots things to do.

I do have a little video I need to edit from when Jenna and I went to watch the actors arrive at the Screen Actor's Guild Awards... but I have to learn Avid first because Final Cut Pro is messing me up right now... it's like learning Italian when you know Spanish... some things are the same, but there are tiny little nuances that have to be dealt with... and that means leaving one alone for a while and learning the other... so Avid... you're gonna be my bitch.

Please comment and thank you for reading! I love you all!

Alexis :)

"Control Your Zebras"

A metaphor for this past week.

I am a piece of cardboard. I absorb water, but little by little. If you pour too much water on me, it puddles on the top of me and will soon fill my pores. Until it does, it sits there. If there is too much water, it drips through.

This week has been like a bucket of water thrown on me.

It's refreshing, but a lot.

Today was my day of realization. It rained thanks to El Niño and this caused me to be slightly emo about the whole week and things that have happened in the past month.

It just hit me today that I moved across the country, started film school, had a family member pass away, have no loan money (as of yet. F the BofA), and I'm not used to this lifestyle yet.

I haven't cried. I haven't really felt like that... it's just the sense of being overwhelmed and a complete change. I love it here and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm trying to let my control freak mind know that I can't control jack right now--ride the wave.

Well, on a more cheerful note I want to tell you that in film you never want zebras on your actor's face.

It causes problems...

Awkward shots...

Makes their faces disappear and they won't be happy...

This is something I learned this week. It actually not REAL zebras. That's silly. It's when your actor's face disappears because there is too much light, or the light is too hot, on their face.

The "zebras" are the stripes that appear on the LCD screen on the camera. On set, "Zebras" should always be turned on.

Aren't all of these double entendres great?! I just keep thinking of cartoon zebras and zebra stickers. God I love my craft.

This past weekend we went out in downtown L.A. I got to party right next to Angel's Flight (aka the park where Tom and Summer go in (500) Days of Summer go to sit on benches and play the "penis" game). We also went to the bar where they sing karaoke in that flick. Let's just say I was PUMPED! The only disappointment was that it's not actually a karaoke bar-- much to about 90% of our crowd's dismay. There was a band though and it was fun.

Well I have to get going now... work to be done... classes again tomorrow-- OH and I'm directing our first in-class project-- AWESOME!!!

Hope everyone is doing well-- please feel free to leave me how you're doing in the comments... I'd like to hear from everyone...

"PENIS!" (Sorry Grandma---it's in the movie.)

My First Day of Film School

This is a picture of me on my first day of film school. It resembles the type of picture we used to take every day on the first day of school.

For example, here's one of Julia on her first day of Pre-school (since I don't have any adorable pictures of yours truly. LOL)

It's fun to do these, I recommend it.

On to my day...

I woke up ready to roll. My roommates and I all walked together to our first class, Concepts of Cinematic Production (to which I might refer to as 510). This class is taught by Pablo Frasconi and Tomlison Holman. This class seems like it will teach us all the language of film, production, direction and sound. It involved the entire Spring 2010 class, and we each had to give a 1 minute autobiographical introduction. I almost barfed all over the microphone.

Though I wasn't first or even last, I was incredibly nervous. I am fine with getting in front of people when I'm singing, acting, improvising, giving a speech, answering questions-- sure it makes me nervous, but I get over THAT. This, this was talking about myself!! I can't do that. My statement of purpose took me like 2 months to finally write on paper! I can give you stories about life all day, but if you want me to tell you my accomplishments, I can't just list them... who does that?!

So after my "speech" which involved me plugging my Ingrid Bergman blog and looking like a total idiot in front of everyone (does anyone doubt that I'm the Mary? If you do, feel free to email me because I'd love to hear otherwise. LOL), we watched some film clips and learned some concepts. That was exhausting!

I walked home after class and sat down to eat some lunch, pizza, in front of the television. Now, though this pizza wasn't very good, it was still pizza, which is one of my favorite things on this earth. When I turned the channel, Bewitched was on! Well, what a great way to continue my first day of film school. I'd like to credit Bewitched with my first cognizance of what I wanted to be when I grew up: A witch. Well, once I found out that magic isn't necessarily probable or even possible (and generally creepy) I figured the next best step was learning how to make magic-- aka Film/Television. Signed, sealed, delivered...I'm yours, film.

Watching Bewitched, eating pizza, all after my first film class, could this day get better? Yes.

My other class of the day was a meeting for 507, my Production-1 class. My SA, Dennis, was awesome. He gave us instructions with great detail and was completely on our side. A fantastic reminder of why we pay so much to go here.

The class is filled with people I have come to be friends with and more friends to come. It is also taught by Jim McBride, who is a director and has done many films (if you want to know what, follow the link on his name).

This class was interesting. A little hard to follow at first because Jim is new and we are as well. Once we got going, though, it was fine. It became even better after our 15 minute break. The first film we were analyzing shots of was: Notorious! I was totally geeking out.

This seemed like a sure sign that I am in the right place right now. I mean, for real?!

The day was a great one.

Though I have to end on a sad note. My Aunt Mary passed away last night after a long battle with cancer. Ingrid Bergman once said "Cancer victims who don't accept their own fate, who don't learn to live with it, will only destroy what little time they have left." Aunt Mary wouldn't speak to us about her cancer, she just lived everyday for the best. She was a great supporter of mine and was a huge maternal influence on my Mom and her sisters. We will all miss her very much but it is good to know her suffering is over.

Thank you for reading.

"This is no Longer a Vacation, This is a Quest..."

Today is the day it all changes. We have orientation this afternoon and I'm jumping out of my pants excited. This week has been spectacular and I can't wait to be the busiest person you know.

There's a rooster in my neighborhood, and I think he's not a pet, I think he's potential lunch for someone. But I love that, for now, there's a rooster in my neighborhood.

I'd like to thank some of my influences... no not you family and friends... these are the people who've shown us why film and television are so important.

"Love Me Tender"

Thanks Emily Davison.

Now switching gears... I have a funny "hollywood" anecdote from a friend of mine... a shoutout to her because she also follows my blogs... which any blogger appreciates the littlest bit of attention (OR ALL OF IT).

Last night I was hanging out with a bunch of people from my program and one of them, who for her privacy and because of an inside joke, I'll call her "Sarah" (original like Mary right?). "Sarah" was telling me about her time at Fox Searchlight as an intern. She told me about how she got to see all of this year's best films, in my opinion that is, before they were released... too cool! One of her stories involved the following: bathroom, gum and Emily Deschanel.

Now, knowing me, you'd probably say, "Wow, already I know this story is going to strike Alexis because she loves all of those things." I'd say, "You don't know me trick. Stay out of my business. So what I post that on the internet, you don't know me." Then I would reluctantly say, "You're right."

"Sarah" was a bit on the woozy-hungover-pants side of things and feeling like the only route to go that day was to, as the kids say "pull the trigger." This of course, for all of you adults out there, means she forced herself to throw up the poisons from the night before. Never pleasant, but sometimes has the best results.

Now, where "Sarah" worked was right next to the Fox lots and they share the building with some of the people working on shows. "Sarah" was coming out of the stall when a woman popped out of the stall next to her. It was Emily Deschanel.

Emily proceeded to tell "Sarah" that she's "a beautiful person," to which "Sarah" was shocked. The star of Bones thought she had an eating disorder. Emily then offered "Sarah" a piece of gum as she was leaving the bathroom.

So although Emily Deschanel, aka, Dr. Temperence Brennan, aka, "Bones" thought "Sarah" had an eating disorder, she was nice and didn't know "Sarah" was actually hung over as hell.

Thank you for reading "Sarah" LMAO.

That's all I'm going to write for now. I have a big day and I need to nap a little. My parents know, they always told me to do this. I could never nap as a child. Still can't really do it, but I'll at least watch some TV or something.