Field Notes: The Media School Travel Blog

Greetings from Los Angeles! This has already been the adventure of a lifetime. If you’re on the fence about whether or not to do the Semester in L.A. program, allow me to try to give you a little taste of my experience so far.

When I first drove into Hollywood, after 30 cumulative hours of driving over the course of three days, my car’s A/C crapping out on me, completely running out of water and my car’s starter failing to turn over after the first couple of tries and nearly giving me a heart attack in the middle of the California desert, I finally puttered into the city. I hadn’t eaten in eight hours and I was nearly hallucinating from dehydration, but I had already made it this far and wasn’t going to go out without a fight.

So I dragged myself to my feet and punched in the nearest fast food restaurant into my phone’s GPS. McDonald’s, 0.2 miles away. Jackpot. I turned a corner, looked down, and I was on the Walk of the Stars. Is this really Hollywood? I looked up and down the street to find everything you could dream of — taco trucks, 40-year-old men in Spiderman costumes, Scientologists. This place really has it all. I got my small cup of water and 99 cent McChicken (which was actually $3) and basked in the glory of the city. This is it. This is where the magic happens.

This place is unbelievable. The “Joker” and “Gemini Man” premieres were literally a five-minute walk from our apartment. Jimmy Kimmel’s studio is in our backyard. Yes, I’ve been to a taping, and yes, Jesse Eisenberg was a guest. My friends and I have already visited the famed Griffith Observatory, which is prominently featured in the movie “La La Land”; hiked to the Hollywood sign; gone shopping on Rodeo Drive; had a bonfire at the Santa Monica beach; gone to a Chance the Rapper concert; and, of course, explored the eclectic Hollywood nightlife. There’s no shortage of things to do out here, and IU makes a point to get you connected so you can truly experience L.A. to the fullest.

From a professional standpoint, the experience I’ve gotten here is unparalleled. Being in L.A. is hands down the most effective, immersive way to learn the ins and outs of TV and film production and truly decide what you want to do. Let’s be honest. No one knows what they actually want to do when they graduate. Most of us just want to make things. Movies, TV shows, graphics, video games … but how do those things actually get done? There are so many moving pieces that sitting in a class simply isn’t enough to truly understand what all goes into the process. Having the opportunity to work for actual production companies, be involved with meetings, communicate with real industry executives and read real projects that are in production are the experiences that show you not only what it takes to create media, but where you want to fit into the process.

Through my internships, I’ve learned that I want to be more involved with the physical production component over the management side. But I’m so happy for these experiences. Because honestly, I would be completely lost transitioning into the industry without them under my belt.

We only have a couple of months left in the program before the semester ends and I graduate, and my time here has been an absolute whirlwind. But at the end of the day, even if I leave here and never return to Los Angeles (which, considering the absolutely insane amount of traffic, doesn’t sound that bad), I couldn’t be happier that I decided to take the leap of faith and go on this trip. Coming here gave me a safety net and allowed me to dip my toes in the water and decide whether or not it’s for me, and this is the only time you’ll get that opportunity.

So, my advice? Dive in headfirst. IU will give you the water wings.