Blog Review:
The full title is: Blood, Sweat, and Tedium: Confessions of a Hollywood Juicer. So this is to be a blog about a hard working, crying, boring, juicer.
Got it?
Michael Taylor’s blog doesn’t have much in the way of juice, figurative nor literal, in fact he makes it abundantly clear (and by abundantly I mean 2 sentences at the end of a 1,800 word “Hello World!” post ) that he is not here to dish any juicy Hollywood details that readers have come to love (or loathe). Rather he chooses to focus on the dirty side of an ugly industry in a nasty city: scenic lighting. He’s a Hollywood insider in the purest form. He’s been working professionally in the biz for 30 plus years now and has hung lights in nearly every situation imaginable (as noted in his LA fire/Lesbian soap opera post)
The blog’s niche audience appears built in as many of the comments are from friends who are fellow technicians, strangers who are technicians, or film students studying to be technicians. It’s a pretty informal blog consisting mostly of personal on-set anecdotes, all of which are polished and well written, but none of which are distinguishable from the prior or previous posts save the name of the gig or the craft services available.
I view this as the anthesis of the blog I wish to create. Much of Taylor’s not-as-geeky prose recounts his personal journey to LA along with descriptions of the multitudes of reasons people flock to this horrendous city. He speaks at length of “surviving” in the industry and, while never openly admitting to liking LA, he is seemingly content that it has “seeped into his system”.
::cough::smog::cough::
I can’t help but be a little put off by many of Taylor’s talks about idealism and compromise, the latter which played a big role in his career. At this point I am unable to stomach making any concessions for a town draped in 5 million dollar tinsel without a penny in its moral piggy bank.
“So get out.”
I will, but I’m taking you with me.
4 comments ↓
Hollywoodent:
I can’t say I was thrilled to read your review of my blog, “Blood, Sweat, and Tedium,” but that’s okay — one man’s meat is another man’s poison, as the old men like to say. We like what we like, and there truly is no accounting for individual taste.
Everybody who ever picked up a pencil or sat down to a keyboard has heared the advice “write what you know.” Thus the subject matter of my blog: life below-the-line from the perspective of a lighting technician. That’s what I do, and that’s what I know. I’ve tried to make the stories interesting and relevant to industry veterans, while taking pains to explain things to any civilians readers as well — but this is a very fine line to walk, and may well require greater writing skills than mine to pull off. If I explain every little detail so that civilians can fully follow the story, my posts would be twice as long as they already are – and more is seldom better.
That you found the posts “(in)distinguishable from … prior or previous posts save the name of the gig or the craft services available” is disappointing, but I have to chalk that up two things – my lack of skill as a writer, and your being a “civilian” (or ex-film student) with little or no real-world experience in professional film making. I don’t say this out of malice – we can’t know what we don’t know, and shouldn’t be expected to. Lack of knowledge is not a crime. Readers who know what working in the Industry is all about have made no such complaints.
I’m sorry to hear you find my blog so tedious. Such is life, though – you really can’t please everybody, and will only drive yourself crazy if you try. The beauty of the Internet is the infinite variety of choice it offers us all.
Your review stated that my blog is “the antithesis of the blog I wish to create.” Fine, but so what? Where is it written that all blogs must hew to some invisible code that you personally would like to emulate? The whole point of blogs is to offer a variety of approaches and viewpoints. We do what we do – you write your blog the way you want, and I do the same. I think we all do – so I don’t really understand what you’re objecting to.
Mine is indeed a niche blog largely meant for a relatively small audience. I doubt the general public has much interest in the details of working on set, unless those details include famous names and salacious details – and as you pointed out, I have no interest in that garbage.
I would like to clear up a couple of misconceptions in your review. Thus far, only three of the comment responses have come from friends or co-workers – the rest, including those who now comment regularly — I’ve never met, and do not know other than through their responses and blogs. Most are in the biz, or married to someone who is, along with a few film students seeking advice on how to get into the Industry. No surprise there. What continues to surprise me is how far-flung some of the readers are: two in England who tune in regularly, two more in Australia, one in New Zealand, somebody in Paris, another reader in Portugal, two more in Germany, and from all over the US. Such is the wonder and mystery of the Internet. After six months on-line, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the response – mostly positive, with a few sour notes. I figure there are twenty to thirty readers checking in on a semi-regular basis, which is roughly twenty to thirty more than I figured to have back in September, when I launched the thing.
FYI: there’s no such thing as “scenic lighting” – it’s called “set lighting” whether on a sound stage or location set. Set painters are sometimes called “scenics,” but I haven’t come across that word used in any other way.
From a brief perusal of “Hollywoodent” I gather you’re an artist, or aspiring film/video artist. Good for you – and I mean that sincerely, not as some snotty, blue-collar back hand. Sometimes art is the only thing that makes life worth living – and there will never be enough good art in this world. If you can navigate the Scylla and Charybdis of Hollywood while staying true to your artistic vision, I applaud you. That’s no easy task. As I tried to point out in my first couple of posts, I didn’t come to Hollywood following any artistic muse – I liked movies, that’s all. I liked making them in school, and figured making them in Hollywood might be more fun than the other job options at the time. So I headed south to check it out…. and now thirty years have come and gone – some good, some bad, some ugly. If my talk of “idealism and compromise” bothers you, all I can say is that’s the way it is. Unless you’re a staggeringly talented genius able to make Hollywood kneel at your feet and do your bidding, making a living in the Industry will force compromise down your throat, like it or not.
But a film artist doesn’t have to work in the Industry these days. As you point out in “Hella World,” today’s technology enables people to make films/videos anywhere, with very little equipment – a digital camera and computer can do what once took an entire film studio. The craft won’t be there, nor the production values, but the world of film now encompasses a wide spectrum of aesthetics, with new modes of expression coming every day – and coming fast. You’re right, the ground is shifting under our feet, and things truly will never be the same. That’s probably a good thing, because corporate Hollywood really is “ignorizing” the viewing public — and maybe the only thing that can save us in the end will be the newly emerging democratization of film via relatively cheap digital technology.
I admit to being conflicted about LA. It can be an absolutely hideous place, Hell on earth — and I’ll be more than ready to go when the time comes – but it’s not all bad, all the time. There are good things, and good people here. One of the unexpected blessings of working in the Industry has been the many terrific people from all over the country (all over the world, really) I’ve had the pleasure to meet and work with. Hollywood is a mecca of sorts – and to ignore that is to miss out on a good thing. Besides, the martinis at Musso and Franks alone really are worth the effort of slogging down Hollywood Boulevard.
Still, I really like your description of Hollywood as “a town draped in 5 million dollar tinsel without a penny in its moral piggy bank.” Nicely put.
There is no perfect place, no Shangri-La – but we all have our own comfort levels, and if LA consistently drives you into the red zone, maybe it’s time to try someplace else.
I have no an axe to grind in my blog. One line from my opening post you didn’t quote sums up what I’m trying to do: “…if you want to hear the truth as I’ve lived it, about the real Hollywood — the blood, sweat, and tedium in the shadows behind all those bright lights – stay tuned.”
That’s all – life in Hollywood as I’ve lived it. I don’t pretend to speak for anyone else, and have no particular agenda. If the blog doesn’t work for you — if you find it boring and repetitious — so be it. Life goes on.
Good luck with your blog, and whatever projects you contemplate. I’ll stay tuned to Hollywoodent.
Michael Taylor
Michael-
You are correct in that I am an aspiring film/video artist, though I must admit that is the first time I think I’ve ever used those words. Also correct is that I am film student. Also correct in that I have no “real-world experience in professional filmmaking.” Regardless, I find that I am simply exercising my influences. One of the purposes of this blog is to peek beyond the blinding lights of this industry (which is exactly what your blog accomplishes), but also I’m looking into lesser known avenues for filmic expression. Clearly, the best way to do this would be just to jump in and swim around a bit, but for now I am stuck in the academic jungle, which seems only makes my vision murkier. In fact, this blog was created in the context of a writing class and some of the commentary was direct responses to questions within the assignment (specifically the “antithesis of my blog” comment. I do not hope to become such a biting critic.).
“Success doesn’t come easy, but most people find a way: it’s all a matter of adjusting one’s outlook and the ability to selectively define ’success’.”
Currently, in some ways, I am operating on a superficial interpretation of L.A. (which, let’s face it, she deserves). The roots of media run deep in our society and I struggle with the question of where the responsibility lies, and I suppose I find it travels below the line. I realize this isn’t fair as everyone needs to eat. But I find myself surrounded with a large group of filmmakers who find much of the media produced to be deplorable. As driven dreamers, we hold on to the hope that we can change things. A question my friend likes to pose is, “Are we training to join the industry, or to change it?”
I must say that I did not mean to imply that you do not write well, because I find your opening post to be a beautifully composed portrait of the city (something I, admittedly, should have taken more care to express). Perhaps my sass was inspired by the terror-inducing first paragraph. As I stand on the cusp of 21 (in some circles: adulthood), my greatest fear is the monotony of everyday life. So to combat this, I parade through my mind all sorts of schemes; some possible, most probable. This city certainly attracts the dreamers and drifters, and as such a character I’d like to explore a bit before I return here. Yes, I could see myself here, after all, this is the epicenter of the circus, and I’m a bit of a monkey.
You sum up the feeling in this city quite well. The love-hate of L.A. is thick and prevalent. As I write to you, I am sitting by a pool, on the 8th story of a building downtown, watching the sun set in hazy afternoon, but I hear only the constant hum of traffic, as miles of commuters bustle to their wherever’s.
I am astonished at the level of complexity of “the conversation” held in this blog universe. While it may feel like mouthing out in private, the internet is a place where everyone and no one exists and I appreciate the discipline and focus it warrants. Who knew that some guy I’ve never met, though perhaps have passed casually and anonymously at The Grove, would teach me some life lessons?
Best of luck in all of your endeavors and thank you for taking such time to respond to this punk kid. As soon as I turn 21, I will try one of those martinis.
Brock
[...] (2) Blood Sweat and Tedium, Tedium, Tedium “Blog Review: The full title is: Blood, Sweat, and Tedium: Confessions of a Hollywood Juicer. So this is to be a blog about a hard working, crying, boring, juicer. Got it?” Hollywoodent Post 2 [...]
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