EMA

Tonight was one of those nights that allowed me to see some of how far I've come in ten years.

Trippin' won an "EMA" Award tonight. Lest you confuse an "EMA" with the phonetically similar "EMMY," let me clarify: Trippin' won an Environmental Media Award tonight. This, from the EMA website:

"First presented by the Environmental Media Association (EMA) in 1991, the Environmental Media Awards honor film and television productions that increase public awareness of environmental issues and inspire personal action on these issues. The Awards recognize writers, producers, directors, actors, and others in the entertainment industry who actively expressed their concern for the environment through their work."

As lots of you may already know, I was the Supervising Producer on Trippin' (which is how I ended up at an awards show in a capacity other than "caterer." Seriously. I used to work at catered Hollywood events like this during my first few years in LA.)

Elisa and I showed up at around 5:00 pm. We were a bit early, but the cones were already set up to direct cars to the "green carpet" drop off area. Because it was the Environmental Media Awards, there was a special lane for Hybrids. Alas, I do not own a Prius, so Elisa and I pulled up into the normal car lane (in separate SUV's, ironically), and nervously headed for the registration desk. What might be common to any celebrity or frequent invitee to this sort of function--that is, the protocol and general flow of the evening--was somewhat foreign to me. The last time I attended an event of this profile, I was wearing a battered tuxedo shirt, tray-passing seared ahi. As I stood there with my wife in a freshly purchased outfit, which did nothing to convince me that I belonged there, I felt a bit out of place. I noticed a stack of empty stainless steel half-pans on the way in, and instantly flashed back to the days when it might have been me that got yelled at for leaving them where the "guests" could see them. As I collected our tickets and gift bag vouchers, "party captains" walked around importantly with headphones and event itineraries, and did their best to keep the many caterers busy. Most of the caterers (or penguins, as they are sometimes called) are actors or writers. Many will move back to wherever they came from within a few years. Some will switch careers at some point, as soon as they realize that acting has nothing to do with pouring wine. A lucky few will transcend the tuxedo shirts and feelings of longing that come from working at an event that makes you wish desperately you were a guest at, and achieve a few of their goals, which are probably masquerading as dreams.

At least, that's how I used to feel. When I worked at the premiere parties for "Jumanji" or "The Birdcage" or "Heat" a million years ago, I imagined myself as a guest, reveling in the opening of a movie that I had something to do with. Back then, it was both a thrill to be at an event surrounded by people I grew up watching on TV and in the movies, and a punch in the gut to be "the help."

The current generation of tray-passers (actors) offered us salmon and spinach puffs. They dutifully handed us napkins with each food item and in each of their faces, I saw a bit of myself from less than a decade ago. It felt good to belong there as a guest. Back then, I longed desperately to be on the other side. Tonight, I was.

The awards ceremony was nice. It was a room full of Hollywood types really working to effect change and help to rethink the way we work to preserve and protect our environment. I felt proud as I sat in the audience; proud of the fact that I contributed to something that had a positive environmental message; proud of the fact that the people onstage accepting our award thanked me for all of my work in the series; proud of the fact that I made it past the horrible days of passing champagne and potstickers to people I considered more accomplished than me, and into the place I used to long so desperately to be.

As I gazed around the room at the famously familiar faces and listened to Al Gore give his Keynote speech, I took a moment to appreciate how far I've come in this town. I may not be doing Cuba Gooding Jr. backflips onstage as I accept my third Academy Award, but as an old friend used to say,

"How do you eat a whale?"

It's the answer to that question that keeps me going.

Comments

[Carly]

I'm guessing veeeeery slowly. ;)

Congrats, Shane. That's awesome.

[shane]

Thanks Carly.

Yes, or "One bite at a time."

[Unsomnambulist]

I thought the answer was "puree'd".

Congratulations.

Who knows? Maybe with your producing clout you'll be able to pitch a series or movie with yourself in one of the roles. I rarely hear the story of how someone has achieved their dreams by taking a predictable and/or conventional route.

[eyduck]

CONGRATS!!!! Freakin' AWESOME!!!! Look at you, Mr. Award Winning Non-Spinach Puff Passin' Man! Sounds like you may have just worked your way through the dorsal fin! CONGRATS!!!

[AJ]

Congratulations on the EMA. The Emmy is just a few bites away.

This post made me hopeful that people *can* make it in this town. And it made me hungry for delicious finger foods. I'm off to Trader Joes... Tally ho!

[Rarity]

Well, good for you! Keep chewing, and don't forget to swallow!

[Helena]

It all pays off! Didja ever think "award-winning" was a phrase that would be used to describe that show?

Congrats.

[JM]

Better than an Emmy, I think.

Well done and deserved, congrats!

[Merujo]

Hey, that's pretty cool, Shane. Keep moving forward! Eventually, you will be the one up on stage doing the thanking, kemosabe. As an actor? As a writer? You've got some dang good skills, so your future is wide open. :-)

Was Gore's keynote good or dull? Did he claim to have invented Hollywood or the environment? ;-) He's a damn good egg in my book. Back when I was a contract flunky at our embassy in Moscow, and he was a senator, he came to Russia on a CoDel. He sought out the lower paid, non-State Department people because he'd heard we were treated poorly by the Foreign Service Officers (very true) and made a point of having lunch with me and a bunch of other flunkies, taking copious notes about the lives and problems of us groundlings. He wanted to know how things could be improved for our quality of life.

The rest of the members of Congress in that delegation, meanwhile, were out on shop-til-you-drop souvenir trips, not giving a damn about anything else. He was behaving like a Public Servant should. It was cool. (And Tipper accepted our invitation for "Heavy Metal Night" at the bar - she has a solid sense of humor.) Good man. Smart guy.

[sandra]

Actually a great reminder to me - not re: acting - but in relation to some stuff that seems kind of overwhelming right now. One bite at a time...

[Todd]

Fried.

[ambeart]

Congrats! What kind of stuff do you score in an EMA goody bag? Just curious.

(oh, and without tartar sauce please...)

[dana]

Congrats on the award and getting to NOT be the penguin.

With a whaley big fork and knife.

[Colleen]

Fantastic!

Applause, applause. Well done, Shane!

[Debbie]

Hey, I was that girl who lost hope in my dreams and moved away. It's OK. I found my dreams again I'm coming back for the third act.

Glad you are making some progress on the whale.

[communicatrix]

That's such a wonderful story!

As it happens, my friend's fiancée was an event planner for the show, so I got the glam rundown before I found your entry. But I love knowing that YOU'RE one of the lauded ones.

Congratulations!

[shane]

Unsom, eyduck, Rarity, AJ, JM, Dana, Colleen: Thanks! I appreciate the kind words of support!

Helena: NO. It was hard to imagine that when I was in the trenches.

Merujo: His speech was actually very good. It made me sad of course, to hear a well-spoken man speak out in defense of our environment, knowing that he should be our president. But it gave me hope that there are enough of us willing to say, "enough is enough." His children introduced him and they were equally genuine and well-spoken.

Sandra: It really does apply to life in general.

Todd: Fried Whale. Mmmmm.

Ambeart: Solar-Powered headphones, a sleeve of Fuji Apples, Fair Trade Coffee, Organic Cheese Sticks and Milk, A Toyota Prius messenger bag, a Whole Foods canvas grocery bag, activist tee-shirts, earthy skin cream, and a bunch of other environmentally conscious stuff. As my wife so eloquently put it, "Where's the f*cking Video iPod?" :-) That's why I married her.

Debbie: I'm glad you're back on track. Here's hoping it works out this time!

Communicatrix: What a coincidence! Thanks for the comment AND the link.

Tiffany Stone: Thanks for the link to you too!

[Tamara]

Congratulations! I have worked in communications for enviros for many years, at the same time as working as a television reporter. I always tried to steer my stories towards these issues and hope that others continue to do so. On that note, I have a series idea I wanted to throw your way...could be another winner...if you could stand another award show!

[Lisa A.]

Congratulations! The only way is up from here. Remember to ask for more money.

[sharfa]

A huge WOO HOO! to you Shane. There's nothing so satisfying as validation & recognition for your talent and hard work. You've certainly earned it.

They need to come out with better designs to make hybrids more appealing to the masses. The Prius is uhugly! It looks like a compact that got kicked in the hind end! Make a 'cool' looking hybrid and it will take off.

[BBOCK]

The only thing I've ever won in my life is a laminated copy of the Magna Carta given to me because I answered a trivia question correctly during jury duty. (Unlike much of the Bush Administration, I've actually read the US Constitution.)

Congratulations, Shane! No hugging the talent.

[BBOCK]

ABC is looking for ideas for Saturday nights. Any idea as long as it costs less that $500K per episode. So, Mr. Producer, what would you put on the air?

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/18/apontv.saturdays.dead.ap/index.html