This past weekend was so surreal.
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our lives and what we want, that we forget we are currently living the life we used to wish for. This past weekend reminded me I’m living a life I always wished for. I had a lot of, “ahhhh,” moments that made me not only appreciate the current moment I was in, but the life I’m living so far in LA.
I spent this past weekend attending events I never would have imagined attending. With people I love. People I look up to. People that inspire me. This past weekend reminded me why hard work, dedication and hope are worth it.
The work that I do, the people I spend a lot of my time with, and the events I attend continuously keep me inspired and motivate me to be the best I can be. I realize I don’t share enough details of what exactly I do, and I want to make more of an effort to take the time out to share what is going on in my life because it’s extremely important to me, who I am and what keeps me going.
This past Friday, I spent the evening at Technicolor’s after party for the ACE Eddie Awards at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel. This is an award show to celebrate the best editing in films and television.
We’ve been extremely busy at work lately. We have 16 projects in house (which is an insane amount) and our producers and artists have been working 12-13 hour days and coming in on weekends consistently for the past 2-3 weeks. So this weekend was well deserved.
Friday was special. It was a gathering for each company there to celebrate themselves, however, we all came together to celebrate the industry as one. That was one of my favorite parts about the evening. Technicolor was there as a whole. Marvel was there as a whole. Picture Shop was there as a whole. We all mingled together and shared the celebration together. (The best part was the Picture Shop had food… and guess who made friends with people at Picture Shop… hehe).
Another highlight of my night was being able to share this exclusive event with my friend Keyshawn, who I met while we were interning for The Academy the summer of 2017.
Keyshawn was one of the first people I got close to that summer. We have a lot in common with both being from the Midwest, both loving to write/create content and then of course… both being lightskins. So to see each other working for companies that we always hoped to work for, and… NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WORKING ON THE SAME PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE WATCHED IN THE THEATRES ALL OF OUR LIVES… that’s surreal.
STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM NOW WE HERE.
I had so many unique, inspiring conversations. I met sooooooo many people that brought so many laughs that evening. One guy and I started getting off on a tangent about SoundCloud and how underground artists and DJ’s are important to support and listen to because they produce great content. He’s already sent me about three 4 hour music mixes and I will not let him down. That’s music buddy dedication.
Another woman I met stole a hair piece from the photo booth and I told her she was a complete genius because it went with her outfit perfectly. She then informed me that I am a Goddess and continuously yelled, “HI GODDESS” every time she saw me throughout the night. You guys know I. ATE. THAT. UP.
I met another older woman that touched my face and told me she never wanted to stop talking to me. I wanted to call my mother and all of my friends that usually yell at me to shut-up, because this was monumental. HA.
My friend saw Spike Lee. I didn’t see Spike Lee. I guess I was too distracted by the fry bar.
Then. There was this woman. She completely set a new standard for all future parties.
The very next night I had the amazing opportunity to attend the Annie Awards. This is a ceremony that celebrates animation from all over the world. From student films to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
There are multiple highlights, but some of my favorite are:
Hearing Winnie the Pooh in the flesh. I’m a HUGE Winnie the Pooh fan, especially since I’ve always called my Dad ‘Pooh’. He was presenting an award and I wasn’t aware who exactly he was and THEN HE STARTED SPEAKING IN HIS POOH VOICE. I was immediately in awe. AND, best part is, he looks exactly how a human version of Winnie the Pooh would look like. You just want to hug him. He reminded me of my Pa. And he’s the most cuddly man in the universe. Pa should definitely voice-over for a teddy bear one day.
I also saw (and heard) Holly Hunter while there. For those of you that don’t know, she is Elastigirl in The Incredibles. Her voice is so distinctive and I was really hoping she would just start yelling at Jack Jack. Hearing her talk was so intriguing.
Another cool memory from this night was after the event. Our fabulous group (all former interns from The Academy), were just mingling outside of the venue and catching up. We got into a conversation with a few other people and while we were standing there we were informed that we were talking to ANGELICA FROM THE RUGRATS!!!! WHAT?!! I immediately said, “no way,” because I grew up watching that show. She was such a nice woman and all I want to do is watch the Rugrats movie with her.
Lastly, just like the ACE Eddie Awards after party, I was privileged to spend my time at the Annie Awards with people who I started this journey with, plus more. It’s humbling to look back and see where we all were even just a year ago, and where we are now and what we have accomplished since the internship. The best part about it is we are all sticking together. That is just beautiful.
Surrounding yourself with people who have the drive to continue chasing their dreams even when things seem overwhelmingly challenging is so motivating.
Being able to share these experiences with such a great group of friends, colleagues, support systems, cheerleaders, inspirations, and motivators is a blessing.
I couldn’t be more thankful for Technicolor, for The Academy, for all of my friends here in LA and most important EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY PEOPLE BACK AT HOME who never fail to remind me that they are cheering from afar. I’m so thankful for every opportunity that comes my way and I’m so grateful that I can share these experiences with all of you.
Here are some pics that show off not all, but a small handful of the amazing people I work with.
Inside Mallory's Brain 