Monday, February 9, 2009

8/2/09 BAFTAs

I got up at 6 am to get a wristband for public viewing areas along the red carpet. The line was already pretty long by the time I got there, only about 15 minutes before they were supposed to distribute them. I figured I didn't really have a chance to get in.

We waited in line for two hours before the wristbands were distributed numerically and we were to return at 3 in order to be let down by the red carpet. My number was 0090, and I assumed there were 89 people in front of me. Not too bad really, by the time they finished up giving out the bands I was somewhere in the middle of the line.

I took the train back (I finally got a weekly pass, I just had to go to the ticket helper instead of the machines) and ate. It was freezing outside so I took some time to just warm up. Since I was getting in, I figured I could work my way to the front, like I did at Obama and basically any concert or game I've been to. I've trained my whole life for something like this.

And I thought I might as well try to get some autographs while I was down there, so I went around the corner and bought some index cards and to Boots to print out (illegally) a picture of Brad and Angelina and one of Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio. Four for the price of two. 8x10s were going to be £5.99, so I got 6x8's for 79 pence. They turned out really nice. It was much warmer outside, the sun was out and the day was looking good, so I stopped at my Starbucks on Baker Street for a strawberry and cream. I figured I'd need the energy boost.

As I sort of expected, the line was a complete disaster, sort of like when I went to see Conan in Chicago. It was about 8 across leading all the way down the street, no real sort of order. So I decided to work my way up. A couple tricks to this. If someone is moving up in a group, latch on. People always make way for groups for some reason. The other trick is to get our your cell phone and pretend like you are talking to someone you are with that is ahead of you in line and you are trying to meet up with them. Never fails, people let you walk up there, no questions.

At about this time I realized that my wristband was in fact not 0090, but 0600. The numbers started at 350 and went to the thousands somehow. But with the lack of crowd control, I decided I'd make a go for it anyways, I had nothing to lose. I made it up into the first probably hundred people in line. Unfortunately the guards were checking numbers at this point, sending people in as groups of ten. So when the 420s went in, I waltzed in with them. But I was caught. They asked to see my number and I showed them, saying it was 90. They guy was puzzled and sent me ahead to the next check point. This guy realized it was 600. I gave a, 'oh man, you're kidding me.' And he said just to wait there with the group. Whether I was supposed to or not, when that group left, I just went with them like I was supposed to.

I snagged a spot halfway down the carpet on the rail, where it sort of jutted out so I figured that I'd get a long look at the people and they could see me easily. Plus it was next to some photographers, so I thought they might stop there to get photographed. Nearly the entire crowd had something for the actors to sign. The Brits around me were die-hard autograph getters. The kid next to me had a binder with labelled photos of all the actors to get signed. Sort of like what I do with the Tigers, but much more professional.


For two hours nothing happened. The first ‘star’ was some British lady I didn’t know. When someone was coming the crowd in front started screaming, followed by pleas for the actor to come sign. They'd yell out a name, like 'Johnny' and we'd try to figure out who it was. 'Did they say Johnny?' 'I thought it was Toby, do you know any Tobys?'

Ron Howard was the first Big Name, coming within two people of me before leaving. I was disappointed. Dev Patel, star of the night’s big winner, “Slumdog Millionaire” followed and signed a card. He's a major tabloid star here, and even though I didn't see the movie, I figured I'd get him to sign anyways. He looked no older than 14, making me feel old/creepy.

Gemma Arterson came by and was signing next to me, so I gave her a card to sign. She's a Bond Girl, so I figured, what the heck.


Soon the place went nuts. As the Brit next to me put it, the “first major Hollywood star” was on the way. It was…Shia LeBouf?!? I’ve never been able to think of him other than Louis Stevens, and we all used to watch 'Even Stevens' everyday so I was sort of excited for him to sign, mostly for the comedic aspect, I wish I got a picture with him. He was one of the nicer celebs, taking cameras to snap photos with people and signing autographs left and right (with my pen, I'll never wash it again.)

Penelope Cruz went by, staying to the opposite side of me. She didn’t seem to want to hang around since the rain was starting to fall. Kate Winslet managed to sneak-in riding (literally) David Frost’s coattails. No one noticed her until she passed.I was yelling for Frost to come over and didn't even notice her.

With about a half-hour until show time, A-Listers poured in, it was like a blur of major celebrities. Daniel Craig wasn’t so scary in person. He got near me as he signed my card, probably coming as close as he’s capable to smiling.This was sort of a big deal, James Bond, I would have been happy if that's all I got.

I couldn’t enjoy my excitement over getting James Bond’s autograph (in England, no less) because Brangelina arrived. It was pandemonium. Flashbulbs, people running, screams, and this was typical for them.

Angelina worked down my side while Brad did the other. I gave my photo to Angie. The rain was coming down so hard her pen wasn’t working and it didn’t show up on the photo, looking like faint scribble. Being the professional she is, she decided that I needed something signed, so she signed the Atlantic Ocean and a bit of Guinea on my CEA globe folder I had the photo on. It didn’t show up either. But arguably the most famous woman in the world spent time trying to sign for me. She looked exactly like you’d expect her to. It was worth it, especially since I can say she signed my folder. I'm debating whether the photo is framable or not, I think I vote yes, it's a good story at least.


Emma Watson followed and signed a card for me. I was really excited about getting Hermoine. When I asked her for a photo, she said, ‘sure’ pausing while I did the whole hold-the-camera-out-and-pray-it-works trick. It's not super clear, and there are raindrops on the lens, but it's pretty awesome.

A couple of random people went by, like Goldie Hawn and Christian Slater. No idea what they were doing there.

Last was Mickey Rourke, looking rugged, aided by smoking a cigarette on the red carpet. I'm not for smoking at all, but it was one of the coolest things I've seen. He threw the cigarette down in front of me. I considered taking it. But surprisingly he seemed the most intimate, getting right up to the fans and looking them in the eye as he signed. I was glad that he won the best actor award after that.

I would have considered the night a complete success if McLovin didn’t blow right by me, even when I called him by his real name (which I’m embarrassed to know.) I wanted a picture with him, which would be about the coolest picture to show your friends. He basically has a lifetime of being able to get paid for going to parties and getting photos taken with him. Would I pay $20 for a photo with McLovin? I'd have to consider it.

In the end, it was surprisingly successful, and sort of a rush too. At the end, the rain was coming down really hard and my folder broke in two. I had a little sleeve, so I transferred everything into that and just hoped nothing got wrecked. I would do it again, it's sort of like batting practice but less Ryan Raburn.

I was drenched and excited. I came back to the room and de-iced (I'm pretty sure I have the mom hands and feet disease.) I tried to Skype home but the internet was flaky, so I made a veggie burger.

I got an email from Brian at RedEye, about my A-Rod column.


It's funny you wrote this. I was going to do the same thing. I must be a fool. I thought A-Rod was clean. I was going to revel in his breaking of Bonds' record. Now, who do I root for? Albert Pujols?

I definitely could use this.
You seem to be pretty good at this sports-column-writing stuff. We should get you on payroll and pay you for your contributions. Interested in that?
Brian

Now I don't want to get too excited (this is sort of like the Budapest thing last year, I won't believe it happens until it does) but to me it sounds like he's offering me a job as a sports columnist. I assume it wouldn't be salaried and I'd just get a freelancer pay, but I would also guess he'd want me to write something on a weekly basis about, well sports.


I've always wanted to be a sports columnist, but I never wanted to go through the whole working the way up the ladder from a reporter to getting a column. So this is pretty insane. I think that RedEye and the Free Press have about the same circulation, making me basically Mitch Album. Then I started thinking about how the Trib pulls people up all the time, so maybe I could be a Tribune sports columnist someday. But that's getting way ahead of myself.


There are a couple problems with his of course, the first being that I'm not really in the same continent. I feel like I have a good pulse on the sports world, but it just sort of scares me not being withing thousands of miles of things I'd be writing about. That could lead to interesting things however.


The second is that it also scares me about the idea of trying to come up with something on a weekly basis, but honestly, that should be incredibly easy. The two columns I wrote I did in about a half hour. It's not hard to do. But like I said, I'm getting way ahead of myself, nothing is even final, and I really don't know how the Tribune Corporation can afford to pay another person. So we'll see. But I'm cautiously incredibly excited.


I emailed Leo from RedEye about me being at the BAFTAs, it seems like a very RedEye thing to cover. He emailed me back around 10 saying to send whatever I had. I was half-asleep at this point, but I sent him a condensed version of this post basically and a few photos. I don't think it's going in, although he seemed positive about it in his reply. I'll set the odds at 500-1.


I actually fell asleep writing the article, so that definitely can't work in my favor. I got it over to him around 1 am my time, so who knows. I just really wanted to sleep.


It looks like it's going to pour all across the UK this week, so Liverpool is probably out for tomorrow, the weather looked nasty. Some of the Americans are going to Glaslow this weekend and I might join them if I can't come up with something else. It could give me the chance to go to Loch Ness, which I was regretting not doing last time.


1 comment:

  1. That's really exciting you got autographs. I was on the side of the red carpet at the Oscars last year and only got an autograph from Sid Ganis, Academy president.

    Sounds like you had a great time and amazing spot on the carpet.

    ReplyDelete