Letters From Hollywood

When I was just wee lad I had a vivid imagination. I used to pretend I was saving the world from monsters and aliens. Fast forward to now and I’m bringing those dreams to life - on the silver screen.

Some of you may remember me. I grew up in Hummelstown on Railroad Street. It wasn’t long ago that I left the suburbs for school in New York City. Three short years later I’ve spiraled into a career doing Visual FX and 3D Animation work in feature films. Now I live in Los Angeles, the entertainment industry epicenter. It’s home to movie magic, beautiful beaches and pretty people a mass.

Los Angeles is the second largest city in the country with an estimated population of 3.8 million people. For those counting that’s about 871 times the size of Hummelstown or 297 times the size of Hershey. That’s one big pond for a guy used to being a big fish.

Let me bring you up to speed. My life is nothing short of crazy. By day I work for the largest animation studio in the world, DreamWorks. By night I fight crime and injustice from the shadows. Ok, not really… but I do rock the Hollywood social scene, which can be just as scary. When I’m not working or partying hard, I’m very active. I’ve completed several triathlons and it’s rare you’ll find me indoors. Remind me why I’m paying for my apartment again? One day I’m surfing, the next bungee jumping. Boredom isn’t a word in my vocabulary. I’m always picking up new hobbies and trying new things. Jack of all trades, master of … well, a few anyway. Averaging 4-6 hours of sleep, I’ve been accused of trying to keep eight pots warm on a four-burner stove. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Quickly moving from one thing to the next, my friends call me the hummingbird on speed.

My uncle has always called California the land of fruits and nuts. Before I moved out here I assumed he was referring to the left coast health craze. Now I realize that’s not what he was talking about at all. At best, everyone out here is oblivious. Whether it be driving, walking, talking or any other form of interaction, they just don’t get it right.

LA really is it’s own unique beast. Don’t get me wrong; it has a lot going for it. The opportunities for creative types are abound. The beach is a stone throw away. The weather is always sunny. Just about every landscape you could imagine is within a short driving distance: the ocean, mountains, desert, lakes, etc. And let’s not forget that the women are gorgeous, and they fill the beaches in the summer in very little clothing.

Of course all these things come at a price: traffic, high rent and crime to name a few. As a city, well it’s really not much of one to be honest. It’s more like a bunch smaller towns strewn together to form one big town. Not too many people know their neighbors. I can’t think of any other city with more diverse culture, variety of food, range of personalities and worse public transportation. It’s a pain to get anywhere. You need to seek out the gnarly stuff because it’s not right in front of you. If someone says, “It’s just down the street,” they probably mean a few miles, and it’ll probably take you an hour to get there. No lie. And since you spend a good portion of your life in them, cars hold more weight than they should.

In general you run into a lot of stereotypes. Hollywood is full of crazy people that want to be actors. Most manage, at best, a few small time TV extra roles and wait tables by night. Everyone wants to be in the union. Closer to the beach you’ll find lots of people who want handouts and don’t want to do any real work. And then there are those who are too busy to have real relationships because they have to pay off their $1.5 million homes that would be worth about 125,000 bones if they lived in Hershey.

It’s not all bad though. I’ve come to love living out west. There’s something about the air out here – and I’m not referring to the smog – that gives it a certain charm. Either that or I’ve been out in the sun too long. I don’t get caught up in the image centric lifestyle. Rather, I just do my own thing and keep a smile about my face. Believe it or not, I do manage to stay well grounded. Living in a city like this it’s important to stick to your beliefs and to make sure you really know who you are. Otherwise the city will tear you apart from the inside out. It’s a different lifestyle all right. Crazy, sure. Fast paced, sure. Easy going, absolutely.

More importantly, I love what I do. It’s such a great feeling to watch a movie and be able to say, “I made that!” I’m happy to have graduated from the smaller pond. Los Angeles is where I live, but Hummelstown will always be my home.

Until next time, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.

Kemer