Nik: Sit, settle in, soak in the creative bath, let the words find you, ride the ride, let it unfold, let it be great, let it be average, breathe life in and let it live.
Alex: Are you starting a new pilot?
Nik: Yep.
Alex: Yesssss. I can’t wait to read this bad boy. Is this on your new pilot playlist?
Nik: #1 and currently on repeat.
Alex: Do you always make a playlist for every project you write?
Nik: Normally I find one song that inspires me and I listen to it over and over. It usually matches the tone of what I’m writing and puts me in an aligned emotional state. Or sometimes I just need a song that inspires me but can be white noise at the same time. On my last project I created a playlist and listened to it everywhere (driving, working out, etc.) to keep me motivated. But it all starts with one song…
Alex: Sweet! Do you remember all of your “starter songs”?
Nik: A few of them… For my very first pilot, I listened to Nowhere Again by The Secret Machines over and over and over. Another one was Berzerk by Eminem. Oh! And Lenka’s Everything At Once. I can’t remember the other starter songs…
Alex: I really like this idea. I constantly make playlists, but I never have it catered to one specific thing I’m writing. It’s like creating your own soundtrack. I’m going to try it.

The post Let It Develop appeared first on amentoramuse.

Alex: My favorite thing about LA is that I am constantly surrounded by other artists who inspire me. I love learning about the different process each of them has when working on a project. A friend of mine is the lead singer in this LA-based Duo called Midnight Faces and I am obsessed with their song Animal right now. It’s on repeat when I have a long drive. Their video is cool too. It’s just creepy enough to keep you watching. The song spotlights the disturbing side of love and how no one is immune to going crazy.  In a recent interview on Noisey, vocalist Philip Stancil broke down the track: “It’s about holding onto something that’s gone. Most people, myself included, seem to convince themselves that somehow things will go back to the way they once were, even after it’s turned to shit. It’s really terrible, because everyone around you sees how crazy you’re acting over losing something, but you’re the last one to come to your senses about it.”
Nik: I love it.
Alex: Like-love or love-love?
Nik: Holding-on-to-something-that’s-gone-love.
(long pause)
Alex: Deep.

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Nik: Ball til I fall.

The post Go Get It appeared first on amentoramuse.

Alex: You’ll want to turn your speakers up for this one…

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Alex: Do you have a favorite movie? I feel like I should know this. And while we’re at it, what’s your favorite song? And color? And dessert?
Nik: I actually don’t have a favorite movie.  I love everything Wes Anderson makes. Everything David O. Russell does.  The Coen Brothers. John Hughes gave me a whole lot of happy.  Christmas Vacation is a holiday tradition. I usually can’t rewatch the movies that impacted me the most because I don’t want to ruin the initial experience.  So no. No favorite movie. Or at least not one. Song… hmm… it changes every day. I always feel pretty good about Led Zeppelin. Black is my favorite color. Or white. Maybe a brilliant blue.  Usually my favorite color is whatever beautiful thing is catching my eye at the moment…the color of a flower, a person’s pretty eyes, the color of the ocean in Hawaii or the trees in Wisconsin or the flood of green and gold at a Packer game. Dessert…might be ice cream, might be cherry pie, might be Cadbury Creme Eggs… Basically, this is why I’m not married.  I’m impossilby noncommittal.
Alex: You’re flawless.
Nik:  Am I?
Alex:  You know the Beyonce song?  I woke up like this we flawless…
Nik:  Do I?
Alex: You should.
Nik:  You should.

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Holy shitballs a year has passed? Wtf?! Happy Anniversary amentoramuse!

Nik: Congrats Alex! The first year in LA is the hardest – they say if you make it a year, you’ll make it.
Alex: It’s a little freaky how fast it went. Remember when we first hung out on the rooftop at Hotel Erwin and you wore SPF 50 and a hat?
Nik: 55. Yep. Feels kind of like yesterday, but kind of not. So much has happened since then.
Alex: I know! I took my first writing class.
Nik: I finished a pilot. Got new agents.
Alex: I had an internship at Warner Bros. Records and got a job offer from Epic.
Nik: BUT you nabbed your first TV gig on The 100!
Alex: And YOU got staffed on Mozart in the Jungle. Which by the way, looks freaking awesome!
Nik: Dreams coming true. You’re in Hollywood baby.
Alex: Oh, I got my car towed. Over $600 in fines, that was fun.
Nik: I had a skin cancer scare and got that little f$ck$r cut off my nose. Still have a mole hole.
Alex: You can hardly see it. I went skydiving and had sex in Yosemite National Park.
Nik: I had sex upside down and sideways.
Alex: I want to have sex upside down and sideways!
Nik: It’s fun. I watched friends get married, have babies, get divorced.
Alex: My first friend got married! I was a bridesmaid, she’s preggers now. Life’s weird.
Nik: You are.
Alex: You are.
Nik: I did my first sweat lodge.
Alex: I met Red Eagle and learned about my spirit guides.
Nik: Oh, yeah – I still want to do that with you.
Alex: We have a lot of things we need to do together.
Nik: We will. Since you made it your first year…
Alex: I’ll make it a bunch more… I have learned so much from you and I continue to everytime we are together. I can’t thank the universe, or my stepmom enough for bringing us together. I think my abs are even a bit stronger from meeting you, since we laugh so gol’ darn much. I still can’t get over the fact that a year has gone by!
Nik: Cheers lil betch.
Alex: Let’s go drink.

The post ONE YEAR BABY! appeared first on amentoramuse.

Nik:  I can’t stop listening.
Alex: This reminds me that we need a night out dancing ASAP!
Nik: I’m too old for that.
Alex: No remember when you and your friends asked me to get you into a club?
Nik: Shut up, I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Alex: That’s what I thought. We’re going dancing.
Nik: Fine.
Alex: You’re fine.
Nik: I will be on the dance floor.
Alex: Yeah you will!

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Alex: I’m sad. Actually, I’m just homesick, but being homesick makes me sad.  So I guess that does make me sad.  I just feel like I’ve missed out on so much back at home.  My brother won State for football, broke his hand and got surgery, graduated High School, turned eighteen and is leaving for college at the end of summer.  The list could go on and on.  And I’ve missed it all. Even some of my friends are getting married, having kids, or getting their own places.  It’s weird and it’s hard not being home for these events.  Holy cow I miss Wisconsin so much.  I miss Brewer tailgates, burgers on the grill, a friendly-turned-competitive game of Bags… usually guys versus girls. The hot humid air married with a cool crisp lake and a fully stocked cooler of Spotted Cow. The 4th of July arrives and the only thing you know for the next 48 hours is festivals, kickball, the beer tent, pool parties, and of course the fireworks.  For the past two years I’ve spent the 4th at Venice beach with awesome friends and food. It was still a lot of fun this year, I mean it’s hard to complain when you’re partying at the beach, but it just wasn’t the same. I think I just really need to go home. Not move home, just go home. I miss being able to ‘just go home’. Grr, the Monday after the 4th really sucks balls.
Nik:  I get homesick too.  And I don’t think those feelings ever go away.  I wish my family lived closer so I could just pop in whenever I wanted.  I think the thing that helps is planning ahead (although if you ask my family they’d laugh because I usually plan trips less than three weeks in advance.) But I try to go home every 4th of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas and they usually come out here once or twice a year. It’s not as good as living in the same city, but it lessens the homesickness because I know exactly when I’ll see them next.  You do realize that you get a ton of time off for the holidays when you work on a show, right? Have you checked your production calendar?  You should look and plan ahead so you can get a cheap ticket home!
Alex: Yep! We have roughly two weeks off around Christmas and I plan on being home the entire time. This feeling also motivates me to write more, finish my script, and start making money so I can have the liberty to travel whenever I want. Well, whenever we’re on hiatus.  As much as I would rather hear that the homesickness goes away, it’s comforting knowing I have you out here to always tell me how it is. We have to make it a point to go to Wisconsin together! Think about how much fun we would have!
Nik:  My dream is to do a Badger/Packer weekend.  Let’s do that.
Alex: That sounds like heaven. So does making out with Aaron Rodgers in a hammock by a campfire post-game.

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MAY 8
Text from Nik to Alex:  The 100 got picked up.  Waiting to hear if they need a PA.  Send me your resume right now.
Alex:  I interview with HR at Epic tomorrow to finalize my start date!  What do I do?!
Nik:  Buy time.

MAY 9
Text from Alex to Nik:  I told them I couldn’t start until the 15th.  Have you heard anything?
Nik:  Not yet.  I should know something by Monday.

MAY 12
Text from Nik to Alex:  You interview tomorrow.  Expect a call today about setting a time.
Alex:  YES!!!  Shit!  Okay, should I tell Epic that I’m interviewing?  She knows I’m into writing…she just asked me to keep her up to date with everything going on. Or should I just call her once I find out about the job? Oh my gosh my heart is beating so fast. She is going to hate me for quitting right away.  What do I do?
Nik: Normally, I’d go the route of most respect, but for this I’m going to suggest you meet on The 100 first.  Nail the interview.  Get the job.  Then make the call to Epic.  In the most graceful and apologetic way, tell them you had a change of heart.  Then drink wine.   A lot of wine.
Alex:  Okay.
Nik: You should watch all the episodes of The 100 and read the pilot to prepare.
Alex:  I’m already 4 episodes in!

MAY 13
Text from Alex to Nik:  On my way to the interview now. So nervous!
Nik:  Just be yourself.  You got this.
(later)
Alex: I GOT THE JOB!!!!!  
Nik:  YES!!!!!
Alex:  I was hired right then and there at the end of the interview. This industry wastes no time, I start Monday. It’s night and day how different I feel after finding out I got this job versus finding out I got the job at Epic. It just feels right. I’m so excited to start! I’m going to call and quit Epic now before this happy feeling wears off.
Nik: I’ll have wine waiting.
(five minutes later)
Alex: Yep, she hates me.  That phone call sucked so hard.  She wasn’t happy. I really do feel bad for quitting before I even started, but you’re right, I have to do what’s best for me. I recommended a friend who is looking to work in the music industry and he has an interview there tomorrow so hopefully that softens the blow a little bit.
Nik: I know that was hard and definitely not the way you wanted to handle things, but the timing made it too risky not to have a back up plan.  She’ll be fine.  And you my friend just said yes to the beginning of your career in TV writing. Proud of you. Time to kick ass.

The post The Choice. Part Two. appeared first on amentoramuse.

Alex:  This is one of the songs on my pilot playlist that I just can not get enough of!

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