In this class, we’ve gotten a taste of Los Angeles in what has essentially been a three-week food tour of the city with Dylan and Clay. Since we’re constantly commuting to-and-from studios, landmarks, and evening screenings, our fearless professors have had to twist our arms into agreeing to lots of pit stops for food between activities. Rough.

If you ask me, the most beautiful thing about Los Angeles isn’t the palm trees or the beach: it’s the endless array of foods from all corners of the world represented in this city. You can find top-notch cooking in the dingiest looking strip malls, and I can assure you the cuisine here goes far beyond the hipster-fusion monstrosities that clog my Facebook feed. In a town that launched an industry built on tricks and illusion, there is an underlying food culture that needs no frills. Here in Los Angeles we’ve visited establishments ranging from dirt-cheap and ubiquitous (In-N-Out) to tastefully trendy (ramen). I’ll spare you from describing every single thing I’ve eaten on this trip, but there are a few hits that are worth ruminating on.

On one particularly busy day in which we had to commute from Fox Animation Studios all the way to San Fernando Valley, the class stopped at an unassuming taco shop to grab a meal before our lighting workshop. The tacos couldn’t have been more than two dollars a piece, yet they blew everyone out of the water. In a town with a population that’s more than 50% Latinx, there are at least as many nondescript taco and quesadilla carts as there are Starbucks, an urban trait we should all be thankful for.

Another winner – at least in my book – was at Sun Cafe in Studio City. This vegan establishment has been blessed by critics and health-nuts alike. While I can’t speak for the entire class on this one, I found the food there to be innovative and divine. The entire menu was vegan, with a number of dishes being raw as well. I had a raw zucchini lasagna dish that was more like a stack of cold vegetables doused in some inexplicably delicious cashew pesto sauce. Some of the other kids in the class left the establishment with their noses to the sky so they could sniff out the nearest In-N-Out, but to each their own.

Finally, my personal favorite spot is the Original Farmer’s Market, a food court meets market stand complex featuring dozens of restaurants and vendors. The choices are certainly overwhelming – Seafood? Crepes? doughnuts? Malaysian food? I landed on a Brazilian churrascaria that serves up skewered meats by the pound, along with an amazing array of traditional sides and the most amazing cheesy bites, pão de quejio. After filling my plate a little too high, I sat and people-watched as locals and tourists browsed for artisan hot sauces and acai bowls.

As the sun begins to set on 7th block, I find myself reminiscing on all of the delicious bites I’ve had the pleasure of eating during this class. Though my pants are a little tighter, my view of Los Angeles has been pleasantly sculpted.

Our second week started on a high note yesterday as the class had the opportunity to have lunch with composer Kathryn Bostic. Kathryn’s a prolific artist who’s scored numerous films and theater productions, including Dear White People and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. As we noshed on one of the most Los Angeles meals we’ve had thus far – raw vegan nachos at Sun Cafe – Kathryn spoke to us about collaboration and representation in Hollywood.

As in every other part of the filmmaking process, film scoring is a matter of give and take. Kathryn explained that she usually begins scoring once the director and editor have reached picture lock, because every note is dialed in to certain cues – the drum hits when the main character rolls her eyes, someone stands on the flute cue, et cetera. It’s time consuming to redo the entire soundtrack just to accommodate tiny changes to the footage, so composing tends to start after picture lock. Now, when a director and editor cut a film, they typically use temporary music as a placeholder. The temp could be anything from the music from another movie or a hit rock track that’ll cost an arm and a leg to license. Kathryn and Dylan explained to us that directors often experience “temp love,” in which they become so smitten with the temporary soundtrack that any new music composed falls short in their ears. Kathryn spoke to us about the need to pick our battles in collaboration, and to be keen to understand when to fight for a creative choice and when to agree to disagree. Her insight was extremely valuable to our class, as most of us have hopes to eventually direct our own films and work with composers.

Kathryn also spoke to us about the matter of representation in the film industry, to which she emphasized one specific point: authenticity. If you are true to yourself, use your art to convey your story and experiences, it shouldn’t matter what your gender or ethnicity is, where you grew up, or why you’re making your art. If it’s authentic, that will show through. She described her own desires to break out of the box that she is often put in as a black female composer, i.e. being asked to do soul or hip hop soundtracks, which she enjoys but wants to be considered for a wide range of musical genres that she also appreciates for scoring. She recently wrote a symphony, not because other people told her she couldn’t, not because she had something to prove to the world, but because orchestral music was part of her upbringing and she wanted to challenge herself to create something new and great. At the end of the meal, Kathryn made the final point that we as young filmmakers have a huge opportunity to create art that has the ability to effect social change. “If you don’t want to rock the boat, you’ve got to realize that it already has holes in it. That boat is sinking, and you don’t have to stay in it.  You can helm your own.”

Looking forward to taking on another day out here in Los Angeles! Mads out.