By Wren Culp
Staff Writer
Last night I went to downtown Dallas, and went clubbing. That’s right, I went to the top floor of a hotel, which was an old attic that they transformed into a “party pad” in 48 hours, and partied it up with a bunch of older people. And don’t worry I only drank 7-Up.
If you are a little confused by the statement above, don’t worry. I will explain everything. I am attending the International Dallas Film Festival which is being held April 8th-18. As a member of the press, I was invited to a “pre-party”.
And let me tell you something, my expectations were totally different than what I got. I expected to learn some information on where to go and what to do at the festival. But instead, I got to party all night long (Till 11).
I arrived and stepped out of the elevator to an entire “nightlife”, just like you see in the movies. People in a crowded space mingling are what anybody pictures. I felt weird though because frankly because I had only pictured myself in this kind of environment when I was older and able to drink.
Then the words “nightlife” came true even more with the sudden cut of power to the entire room we were in. (The high winds were to blame)
At that time, every iPhone, Blackberry, and other personal items of communication (does anyone use a pager anymore?) sparkled to life, and the party continued onward into the night.
That night I met some really cool people such as directors, actors and even the program coordinator Matt Bolish. But I met a couple of people that really got me excited to be there.
James Wallace and Lauren Lester both work at a website called “gordonandthewhale.com” that reviews movies, soundtracks, and even has free giveaways. The site is fantastic and I encourage you to look at it.
We started talking basically because someone I had spoken too earlier referred me to them as “the people to know”. I bucked up some courage and went over to them and introduced myself.
You have to understand something. When you are at your first press party with a bunch of filmmakers, the challenge to talk to them is overwhelming. I am sixteen years old, top in my speech/communication class, and I was nervous. Weird right?
Something else you need to know is that Hollywood in general, whether your going to be a filmmaker, musician or something else, is one giant union. It’s all about whom you know. I learned that very quickly (thank goodness).
But once I met them everything changed. I really had a great conversation with them about films, and the way films and writing work. He specifically told me that I was at the perfect age to get into films. He said he wished he had started earlier.
We talked for what seemed to be a short amount of time but was actually somewhere close to the thirty-minute mark. But I didn’t care; I could talk to those two people for hours.
We finally concluded our fantastic discussion with a proper handshake, and then James said to e-mail him and he would “hook me up” (as we crazy teenagers say) with some cool stuff.
I had finally done it. I had finally met the first people in (hopefully) a long line of people that would help me in my filmmaking career. I am gaining ground as a filmmaker, and it feels fantastic.
