Big screens, big names and even bigger archives, day three of the block was a big day to say the least. After more than an hour of some of the finest traffic the world has to offer we arrived in ‘Silicon Beach’ at 9:30 am where we were greeted by IMAX Entertainment’s CEO Greg Foster. After experiencing the big screen for ourselves and gawking over the big filmstrips we headed to Hollywood Blvd for lunch. Next we were off to the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study. Named after a founding member of the Academy, Mary Pickford, the archive is responsible for storing and preserving over 80,000 titles of film. After a very full day we headed back to the apartments for a little R&R.

I wanted to describe how big our day was because even though it is only day 3, and we’ve already done so much, the thing I am most excited about may just be the smallest; my roommates. I am extremely excited to experience Los Angeles in a new way while meeting new people, but I’m especially excited to do it whilst surrounded by incredible people. The four wonderful ladies that I am rooming with, in addition to the other apartment of five, are making this trip even better than it already is. For the first time I am able to completely commit myself to my field of study while living and eating with students who share the same passion.

When deciding where I wanted to go to school I knew I wanted to take a break from Los Angeles, but I also wanted to study an art that is dominated by Hollywood. The block plan lets me experience the best of both worlds by allowing me to attend school in Colorado while also being able to take advantage of opportunities like this class to experience my major hands on.