by Nuzhat Naoreen, the intern (not the celebrity)
As an MTV intern you get to see a lot of things, but today, I didn't just get to see something...I got to experience it. Today, I was a celebrity.
The whole thing came about somewhat unexpectedly, when my fellow interns and I received an e-mail requesting our attendance at a roundtable discussion on new media -- digital abuse, texting, Facebooking, cyber bullying etc. -- hosted by Joel Schumacher. That's right Joel Schumacher, you know, the guy who directed "Batman & Robin" and "The Lost Boys"? It was already kind of a big deal.
We didn't have much information beforehand, except that the shoot was for a pro-social video. For all I knew, I was going to sit in an audience and watch a discussion, just another nameless face in the crowd.
As I prepared to head downstairs, I was told that we would have a car picking us up. This of course, caught me off guard. A car? I'm an intern. We don't get cars.
The car was actually a van, a big white van that seated about eight. Sure, it wasn't exactly a limo (those are so cliché anyways), but that was insignificant to me. A van was a huge step up from the underground subways and the yellow cabs -- my usual modes of transportation. Did I mention that this van also had really strong air-conditioning and great music?
I was already overly excited about getting picked up when I overheard the producer, who was driving us to the shoot, talking to someone back on set.
"I've got the talent," he said. The talent? I'm talent? I could live with that title.
Next, our location. The shoot was at a high school in Brooklyn. Sure, some celebrities would prefer exotic locales that are more than 30 minutes away from their office, but I'm all about the authenticity. I mean, the roundtable was about issues affecting teens, where else would it be but a high school? Hawaii? Please, that would just ruin my credibility. Plus, there were rumors during the car ride that the shoot was at the same high school where hip-hop artist Drake shot his music video for "Best I Ever Had." Clearly, we would be filming on legendary territory.
When we got there, my transition from intern to celebrity progressed quickly. Producers ushered my fellow interns and I to lunch, urging us to take a seat amongst the rest of the crew and indulge in some catered all-American food. Afterwards, we were taken to the high school gym where we had to go through wardrobe and makeup. Granted, "wardrobe" consisted of a stylist making sure I was dressed appropriately and "makeup" consisted of an artist quickly powdering my face, but still, it was more than I've ever received as an intern. Would I be directed to my personal trailer afterwards? I dared to dream.
The actual shoot came next. While I had envisioned an auditorium filled with packed bleachers, the set was empty except for the crew. Instead, we interns were directed to a round platform at the center of the gym, surrounded by cameras and pillows. That's when I realized that I wasn’t going to be a seat-filler at this discussion. I was going to be in the discussion. If that wasn't enough to set my mind reeling, Schumacher, dressed all in black, casually introduced himself as I settled into a position on the platform.
Sitting less than five-feet away from Schumacher, laughing at his jokes, I decided that it was official: I was a celebrity now. My thoughts were rooted in logic. The people who have conversed with Schumacher include George Clooney, who played Batman in "Batman and Robin," and Chris O'Donnell, who played Robin. I was now a part of that elite group.
The shoot went smoothly, with Schumacher discussing the horrors of texting and Facebook with us, while openly sharing anecdotes from his own life (he likes to turn his cell phone off at night to cut down on distractions… I admire him for this, since I find it impossible to be apart from my phone). Halfway through the interview we got a short break, and producers rushed up to us with cold water bottles. We didn't even have to get up. That's how it works in the big leagues.
At the end of filming, Schumacher generously spent some extra time with us, before departing for the next shoot. I was still on a high from the whole experience when we were loaded into another white van. The van took us to a location a little further from our offices than I had hoped, and we had to take the subway the rest of the way back. The dream was over.
When I finally arrived in Times Square, no one rushed over to give me water or fix my makeup. The only cameras around me were the ones hoisted by eager tourists, all of whom were more interested in taking pictures of the surrounding buildings than of me. Did I miss the flashing lights? Of course. But hey, at least I got to experience what they felt like… even if it was only for a few hours.
Tags Joel Schumacher
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One MTV News Intern Enjoys A Taste Of Celebrity With 'The Lost Boys' Director Joel Schumacher
Posted 9/23/09 12:30 pm EST by MTV Movies Team in Commentary
As an MTV intern you get to see a lot of things, but today, I didn't just get to see something...I got to experience it. Today, I was a celebrity.
The whole thing came about somewhat unexpectedly, when my fellow interns and I received an e-mail requesting our attendance at a roundtable discussion on new media -- digital abuse, texting, Facebooking, cyber bullying etc. -- hosted by Joel Schumacher. That's right Joel Schumacher, you know, the guy who directed "Batman & Robin" and "The Lost Boys"? It was already kind of a big deal.
We didn't have much information beforehand, except that the shoot was for a pro-social video. For all I knew, I was going to sit in an audience and watch a discussion, just another nameless face in the crowd.
As I prepared to head downstairs, I was told that we would have a car picking us up. This of course, caught me off guard. A car? I'm an intern. We don't get cars.
The car was actually a van, a big white van that seated about eight. Sure, it wasn't exactly a limo (those are so cliché anyways), but that was insignificant to me. A van was a huge step up from the underground subways and the yellow cabs -- my usual modes of transportation. Did I mention that this van also had really strong air-conditioning and great music?
I was already overly excited about getting picked up when I overheard the producer, who was driving us to the shoot, talking to someone back on set.
"I've got the talent," he said. The talent? I'm talent? I could live with that title.
Next, our location. The shoot was at a high school in Brooklyn. Sure, some celebrities would prefer exotic locales that are more than 30 minutes away from their office, but I'm all about the authenticity. I mean, the roundtable was about issues affecting teens, where else would it be but a high school? Hawaii? Please, that would just ruin my credibility. Plus, there were rumors during the car ride that the shoot was at the same high school where hip-hop artist Drake shot his music video for "Best I Ever Had." Clearly, we would be filming on legendary territory.
When we got there, my transition from intern to celebrity progressed quickly. Producers ushered my fellow interns and I to lunch, urging us to take a seat amongst the rest of the crew and indulge in some catered all-American food. Afterwards, we were taken to the high school gym where we had to go through wardrobe and makeup. Granted, "wardrobe" consisted of a stylist making sure I was dressed appropriately and "makeup" consisted of an artist quickly powdering my face, but still, it was more than I've ever received as an intern. Would I be directed to my personal trailer afterwards? I dared to dream.
The actual shoot came next. While I had envisioned an auditorium filled with packed bleachers, the set was empty except for the crew. Instead, we interns were directed to a round platform at the center of the gym, surrounded by cameras and pillows. That's when I realized that I wasn’t going to be a seat-filler at this discussion. I was going to be in the discussion. If that wasn't enough to set my mind reeling, Schumacher, dressed all in black, casually introduced himself as I settled into a position on the platform.
Sitting less than five-feet away from Schumacher, laughing at his jokes, I decided that it was official: I was a celebrity now. My thoughts were rooted in logic. The people who have conversed with Schumacher include George Clooney, who played Batman in "Batman and Robin," and Chris O'Donnell, who played Robin. I was now a part of that elite group.
The shoot went smoothly, with Schumacher discussing the horrors of texting and Facebook with us, while openly sharing anecdotes from his own life (he likes to turn his cell phone off at night to cut down on distractions… I admire him for this, since I find it impossible to be apart from my phone). Halfway through the interview we got a short break, and producers rushed up to us with cold water bottles. We didn't even have to get up. That's how it works in the big leagues.
At the end of filming, Schumacher generously spent some extra time with us, before departing for the next shoot. I was still on a high from the whole experience when we were loaded into another white van. The van took us to a location a little further from our offices than I had hoped, and we had to take the subway the rest of the way back. The dream was over.
When I finally arrived in Times Square, no one rushed over to give me water or fix my makeup. The only cameras around me were the ones hoisted by eager tourists, all of whom were more interested in taking pictures of the surrounding buildings than of me. Did I miss the flashing lights? Of course. But hey, at least I got to experience what they felt like… even if it was only for a few hours.
Tags Joel Schumacher
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