My first Hollywood 'Lunch' with Barnet Bain!!
One of my professors recommended that I come to LA with a 'hit list', a list of people that I would love to meet while here. Well there was only one person on my list and that was Barnet Bain, producer of such great films as 'What Dreams May Come,' 'Celestine Prophecy' and many others. He's a writer as well as a producer and I knew I could learn a ton from him.
Luckily, one of my friends back in Washington, DC had Barnet's email and gave it to me. So one day I sat down at my computer and composed a nice email telling him a little about myself and how I admired his work. I also asked him if he could use an 'intelligent and motivated' intern for the summer. I wasn't sure if I'd ever hear back from him, but he replied to my email almost immediately and said 'Pleasure to hear from you. Why don't we meet for a bit on thursday if that works for you. Lunch.'!! I couldn't believe my luck- we were actually going to meet for lunch!
Barnet Bain when I first met him at a Sushi place in Studio City.
At lunch we talked for nearly an hour and a half and he peppered me with questions about my education, family, background, favorite films, and interests. He told me about several great films he was working on and how he could use my help.
To make a long story short, I started interning for Barnet Bain and am working on a film in the very early stages of development about a famous anthropologist. I've read a biography of her and many of her personal letters and send my thoughts to Barnet. We are both busy trying to figure out what the story is going to be for the movie. He wants me to figure out 'the lens through which we can view her entire life.' It's a challenging and great assignment for me and I enjoy meeting with him.
Later that week, Barnet invited me to his house in the Hollywood Hills and gave me my first reading assignments.
Before coming to LA, I heard a lot of horror stories about how hard it is to 'break in' to the industry and how mean-spirited and cut-throat it could be here. But so far my experience has been the total opposite. The people here have been nothing but helpful to me and even seem happy to help out. One day, I was sitting out in my garden and my neighbor comes out with his dog. We started talking and it he told me he was born and raised in Maryland and noticed the Maryland tags on my car. We bonded instantly and it turns out he's a director with his own production company. Within a few minutes he asked me if I wanted a job at his agency. He said an agency is a great place to start out and he could get me a job there with one phone call. I thanked him but said I already had an internship and wasn't really looking for a full-time job. Maybe it's just beginner's luck, but the people here seem really nice.
Luckily, one of my friends back in Washington, DC had Barnet's email and gave it to me. So one day I sat down at my computer and composed a nice email telling him a little about myself and how I admired his work. I also asked him if he could use an 'intelligent and motivated' intern for the summer. I wasn't sure if I'd ever hear back from him, but he replied to my email almost immediately and said 'Pleasure to hear from you. Why don't we meet for a bit on thursday if that works for you. Lunch.'!! I couldn't believe my luck- we were actually going to meet for lunch!
Barnet Bain when I first met him at a Sushi place in Studio City.
At lunch we talked for nearly an hour and a half and he peppered me with questions about my education, family, background, favorite films, and interests. He told me about several great films he was working on and how he could use my help.
To make a long story short, I started interning for Barnet Bain and am working on a film in the very early stages of development about a famous anthropologist. I've read a biography of her and many of her personal letters and send my thoughts to Barnet. We are both busy trying to figure out what the story is going to be for the movie. He wants me to figure out 'the lens through which we can view her entire life.' It's a challenging and great assignment for me and I enjoy meeting with him.
Later that week, Barnet invited me to his house in the Hollywood Hills and gave me my first reading assignments.
Before coming to LA, I heard a lot of horror stories about how hard it is to 'break in' to the industry and how mean-spirited and cut-throat it could be here. But so far my experience has been the total opposite. The people here have been nothing but helpful to me and even seem happy to help out. One day, I was sitting out in my garden and my neighbor comes out with his dog. We started talking and it he told me he was born and raised in Maryland and noticed the Maryland tags on my car. We bonded instantly and it turns out he's a director with his own production company. Within a few minutes he asked me if I wanted a job at his agency. He said an agency is a great place to start out and he could get me a job there with one phone call. I thanked him but said I already had an internship and wasn't really looking for a full-time job. Maybe it's just beginner's luck, but the people here seem really nice.
posted by Navin at 2:48 PM
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