TU Film Studies alum, Brian Kane, checks in from Los Angeles.

Hey, doing really well. I hit another slowdown for a few weeks when the word came down from network unexpectedly to freeze casting on the show I was working on, but luckily I hadn’t been too wild in my spending leading up to that so I was able to cover the gap. But as soon as Magical Elves had another show casting they brought me back, so I feel really good about my stability there. I’m just wrapping up work on season 3 of The Real L Word for Showtime and moving straight into this web project. [Details withheld.] And it looks like I’ll more or less roll straight from that into casting on Top Chef 10 and there’s rumors that they might be unfreezing that other show so I think I should be pretty well booked for at least the next two or three months? Always hard to tell, but with the exception of that sudden shutdown there has always been more work than expected.

In the meantime I’ve taken both of the sketch writing classes at UCB [ http://www.uprightcitizens.org/] and most of the people from my 201 class are sticking together and going to give it a go on putting together a couple of sketch shows at UCB. And then I have to try to stay on myself about the longer-form writing, too. Deadlines for Nicholl and the network fellowships are going to be here before I know it.

Funnily enough I was going to see The Artist at the Arclight last weekend and as I was walking in I ran into John Lusby. We only talked for a minute or two but I’m actually about to run out to meet him for lunch and it sounds like there is an office position opening up at Magical Elves that I’m trying to flag his resume for.

On the “what I’ve seen lately” front I’ve been able to catch a few more movies than usual because a friend has access to some screeners. I felt pretty let down by Moneyball but I think being a big baseball fan may have actually been a liability for enjoying that one. I just saw My Week With Marilyn last night and liked it a lot more than I expected, Michelle Williams was great. And I did make it to the theaters to see Mission Impossible, which was excellent. It was great to see such a well-executed “summer” movie in the middle of awards season. On the TV side I’m finally all caught up on Mad Men and through three seasons of Breaking Bad. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are both incredible. I need to catch the fourth before the last one airs because I’m sure that will be the topic of at least half of all conversation around here when it happens. As far as the shows currently on the air it feels a little thin out there but I’d say Parks and Rec is consistently the best comedy week after week.

Brian