The Wild Ones

"Believe in the Wild Ones" - A sticker on a sign right off the exit ramp for Tarzana.

My job (America's Funniest Videos) pretty much consists of getting coffee, getting lunches or dinner, random office work, taking contestants to and from the office and making runs. A solid 40 hour a week job that has paid the rent and not been entirely bad. I have learned a lot from working at this show since July. Mostly that being a PA sucks but much more profound knowledge than that. 

I could easily bitch, moan, complain, spout off, or any other cliched word for being a pussy but that would make me a pussy. As a highly respected and qualified Road Man for The Lords of Karma I could of never reached my position being a pussy. 

So I will try to share my views and beliefs after a year in LA trying to "make it" (God I hate using quotations in that context). 

A.) There are two methods so far that I have seen that one can take to go from roaches in the living room to MTV Cribs. 

1.) Working your ranks through the production route as a PA, then on to a stage manager, a line producer, 2nd AD, 1st AD and so on and so forth. This requires one to find a position where they either have the opportunity to get with a production company that has growth potential where you can rise up. Or, be taken under by a producer, writer, director anybody with pull that is willing to not just teach but also create a competitor. 

2)Be discovered by an outside source via: agent,manager, youtube, the boardwalk in Venice etc., etc. 

B.) Hollywood is a closed door town. 

1.) Anytime I have been on set and started talking to somebody from Vin Di Bona Productions or a crew member and was asked how I got the job, the reaction is always surprise when I tell them off of entertainmentcareers.com 

2.) You do not have to be intelligent. You do not have to be talented. You do not have to know somebody on the other side of that closed door. You just got to figure out how to get somebody on the other side to open it for you. 

C.) I can not be in an office 40 hours a week, in a cubicle, not using my brain and most importantly bored. 

1.) I am a wild one. Always have been and probably won't ever change. You aren't supposed to tell stories of lesbian strip clubs and getting kicked out of countries in the office. You are supposed to wear a collared shirt and speak quitely. When you show up in cut-off Dickies and go off yelling about creative ways to end the life of the parking officer that just wrote you a ticket, it's frowned upon. 

These are hard times but everyone has something to offer. Something to bring to the marketplace to be traded and sold. Mine is ridiculousness. That is what I bring to the table. 

With Love & Respect, 

your friend till the end, 

Mike James